Credits: 3
This course deals with the evolution of plants through geologic time, based upon the fossil record. We begin with the earliest known life on earth and consider the history of major phylogenetic groups of plants through time with attention to changes in morphology and community structure. Topics include the earliest land plants, the first leaves, the first trees, and changes in reproductive biology leading from spores to seeds and pollen and the evolution of flowering plants. We will also emphasize the response of plants to continental rearrangements, extraterrestrial impact, and consider the contributions and response of plants to changes in climate. Offered spring of odd years.
Professor: Steven Manchester, Florida Museum of Natural History, steven@ufl.edu