Dino 101: Dinosaur Paleobiology

University of Alberta

About this Course

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Dino 101: Dinosaur Paleobiology is a 12-lesson course teaching a comprehensive overview of non-avian dinosaurs. Topics covered: anatomy, eating, locomotion, growth, environmental and behavioral adaptations, origins and extinction. Lessons are delivered from museums, fossil-preparation labs and dig sites. Estimated workload: 3-5 hrs/week.

Learner Career Outcomes

19%

got a tangible career benefit from this course

10%

got a pay increase or promotion

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Beginner Level

Approx. 16 hours to complete

English

Subtitles: Arabic, French, Portuguese (European), Chinese (Simplified), Italian, Vietnamese, Korean, German, Russian, Turkish, English, Spanish

Skills you will gain

BiodiversityBiologyEvolutionPaleontology

Learner Career Outcomes

19%

got a tangible career benefit from this course

10%

got a pay increase or promotion

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Beginner Level

Approx. 16 hours to complete

English

Subtitles: Arabic, French, Portuguese (European), Chinese (Simplified), Italian, Vietnamese, Korean, German, Russian, Turkish, English, Spanish

Instructor

Instructor rating

4.91/5 (603 Ratings)

Philip John Currie, PhD

Professor and Canada Research Chair, Dinosaur Paleobiology

Department of Biological Sciences

49,462 Learners

1 Course

Offered by

University of Alberta

UAlberta is considered among the world’s leading public research- and teaching-intensive universities. As one of Canada’s top universities, we’re known for excellence across the humanities, sciences, creative arts, business, engineering and health sciences.

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating98%(12,579 ratings)

Week

Week 1

2 hours to complete

Appearance and Anatomy

This lesson covers the diversity in dinosaur appearances, and will be able to identify major features of the major groups of dinosaurs.

2 hours to complete

7 videos (Total 63 min), 4 readings, 1 quiz

7 videos

Introduction9m

Size4m

Skeleton12m

Saurischians7m

Ornithischians10m

Appearance13m

Muscles4m

4 readings

Instructional Staff10m

Meet Your Presenter: Betsy Kruk10m

Course Glossary10m

Lesson 1 Course Notes10m

1 practice exercise

Appearance and Anatomy30m

Week

Week 2

1 hour to complete

Death and Fossilization

This module describes how fossils form, how we interpret the taphonomy of skeletons and bonebeds, and looks at the possible biases taphonomic events may create in the fossil record.

1 hour to complete

3 videos (Total 38 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

3 videos

Taphonomy9m

Fossilization8m

Field Work20m

1 reading

Lesson 2 Course Notes10m

1 practice exercise

Death and Fossilization30m

Week

Week 3

1 hour to complete

Eating

This module looks at the variety of food types, feeding habits, and feeding adaptations amongst the major groups of dinosaurs.

1 hour to complete

4 videos (Total 29 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

4 videos

Types of Eaters7m

Teeth7m

Claws3m

Determining Diet11m

1 reading

Lesson 3 Course Notes10m

1 practice exercise

Lesson 330m

Week

Week 4

1 hour to complete

Moving Around

This module helps students understand the general modes and styles of locomotion in the major dinosaur groups. It also describes general methods of evaluating hypotheses on locomotion.

1 hour to complete

4 videos (Total 28 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

4 videos

Stance5m

Limbs12m

Trackways4m

Metabolism 5m

1 reading

Lesson 4 Course Notes10m

1 practice exercise

Lesson 430m

Week

Week 5

1 hour to complete

Birth, Growth and Reproduction

This module provides a generalized life history of a dinosaur, from birth through adulthood, including reproduction. The student will be able to describe major techniques of evaluating growth stages and rates in dinosaurs.

1 hour to complete

3 videos (Total 28 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

3 videos

Eggs4m

Young Dinosaurs14m

Males & Females9m

1 reading

Lesson 5 Course Notes10m

1 practice exercise

Lesson 530m

Week

Week 6

1 hour to complete

Attack and Defense

Examines the behaviours and structures that may have served for attack or defence through the lifetime of a dinosaur.

1 hour to complete

3 videos (Total 37 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

3 videos

Defensive Adaptations13m

Offensive Adaptations15m

Intraspecific Interactions7m

1 reading

Lesson 6 Course Notes10m

1 practice exercise

Lesson 630m

Week

Week 7

1 hour to complete

What is a Species?

This module will teach the different ways of defining what a species is. Students will be able to compare the strengths and weaknesses of different species concepts for different situations.

1 hour to complete

3 videos (Total 27 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

3 videos

Naming Species9m

Holotype6m

Differentiating Species11m

1 reading

Lesson 7 Course Notes10m

1 practice exercise

Lesson 730m

Week

Week 8

1 hour to complete

Evolution

This module will describe the basic theories of speciation, and discusses how how these different methods of speciation may have occurred, including both hypothetical and empirical examples.

1 hour to complete

3 videos (Total 30 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

3 videos

Clades10m

Convergence9m

Birds9m

1 reading

Lesson 8 Course Notes10m

1 practice exercise

Lesson 830m

Week

Week 9

1 hour to complete

Stratigraphy and Geologic Time

This method provides basic stratigraphic concepts and the scale of earth history. Students will understand the evolution of dinosaurs through time, including which groups evolved when and where.

1 hour to complete

3 videos (Total 33 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

3 videos

Deep Time13m

Stratigraphy7m

The Age of Dinosaurs12m

1 reading

Lesson 9 Course Notes10m

1 practice exercise

Lesson 930m

Week

Week 10

2 hours to complete

Paleogeography and Plate Tectonics

This module presents the basic concepts in plate tectonics and the evolution of the earth’s surface.

2 hours to complete

4 videos (Total 59 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

4 videos

Paleogeography7m

Continental Movement8m

Paleoclimates10m

Dinosaur Diversity32m

1 reading

Lesson 10 Course Notes10m

1 practice exercise

Lesson 1030m

Week

Week 11

1 hour to complete

Dinosaur Origins

This module will look at the evolution of dinosaurs from non-dinosaurian archosaurs.

1 hour to complete

3 videos (Total 19 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

3 videos

Origins3m

Diapsids9m

Rise of the Dinosaurs6m

1 reading

Lesson 11 Course Notes10m

1 practice exercise

Lesson 1130m

Week

Week 12

1 hour to complete

Dinosaur Extinction

The module will examine the end-Cretaceous extinction event, and provide examples of vertebrate groups that both persisted and died out during the event.

1 hour to complete

4 videos (Total 33 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

4 videos

Extinction9m

Causes of Extinction5m

Chicxulub Impactor12m

Resurrecting Dinosaurs6m

1 reading

Lesson 12 Course Notes10m

1 practice exercise

Lesson 1230m

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Dino 101: Dinosaur Paleobiology