Schedule

Honors Seminar: Cuvier, Lyell and Earth History

The class topics will (hopefully) approximate this syllabus but it is subject to change as plans develop. Lyell (1997) and Rudwick (1997) are the required texts. Both are available as paperbacks. The other readings are accessable through electronic reserve.

Links under the "topic" column lead to summaries of the class discussion, those under the "readings" column link to "reading notes" that should be consulted as you tackle the reading material.

Class	Topic	Readings
1/23	Introduction and Fossils
1/28	Minerals and Rocks
1/30	Strata and Mountains
2/4	Cuvier's Early Work	Rudwick (1997), p. 1-41
2/6	SNOW DAY!
2/11	Cuvier and Fossil Vertebrates	Rudwick (1997) p. 42-97
2/13	Cuvier and Geology	Rudwick (1997) p. 98-156
2/18	Revolutions of the Globe (1)	Rudwick (1997) p. 173-206
2/20	Revolutions of the Globe (2)	Rudwick (1997) p. 206-252
2/25	Geology circa 1830; Mountains	Rudwick (1985) ch. 3; Elie de Beaumont (1831)
2/27	The Directional Synthesis	Rudwick (1971)
3/3	Analysis for paper #1
3/5	Continue analysis	Paper #1 due on Monday, March 10
3/10	Introduction to Lyell	Rudwick (1998) p. 3-10; Wilson (1998) p. 22-27; Rudwick (1990); Lyell (1997), p. 5-8
3/12	The history of geology	Rudwick (1990); Lyell (1997), p. 8-41
3/24	Climate theory	Rudwick (1990); Lyell (1997), p. 42-68
3/26	Past climates and fossils	Rudwick (1990); Lyell (1997), p. 69-102
3/31	Aqueous causes	Rudwick (1990); Lyell (1997), p. 103-116
4/2	Igneous causes	Rudwick (1990); Lyell (1997), p. 117-131
4/7	Earthquakes	Rudwick (1990); Lyell (1997), p. 132-161
4/9	Earthquakes (continued)	Rudwick (1990); Lyell (1997), p. 162-179
4/14	Lyell's physical process model; Paper #2	Getting ready for Lyell analysis; First draft of paper #2 due on Monday, April 21
4/16	The very, very short version of Volume II: Biological Processes	Rudwick (1990); Lyell (1997) p. 278-298
4/21	Theorizing and strata	Rudwick (1990); Lyell (1997), p. 351-388
4/22	Tertiary rocks: poster case studies	Rudwick (1990); Lyell (1997), p. 389-402
4/28	Case Studies (cont.)	Readings as assigned for poster; bring in summary
5/30	Case Studies (cont.)
5/5	Case Studies (cont.)
5/7	Poster Presentations/Wrap-up	Poster due (obviously)

Reading Citations

Elie de Beaumont, L., 1831 Researches on some of the Revolutions which have taken place on the surface of the globe: The Philosophical Magazine and Annals of Philosophy, new series, v. 10, p. 241-264. (RESERVE)
Lyell, C., 1997, Principles of Geology: edited with an introduction by J. A. Secord, Penguin Books, 472 p. (TEXTBOOK)
Lyell, C., 1990, Principles of Geology: with an introduction by M. J. S. Rudwick, University of Chicago Press, 3 volumes.
Rudwick, M. J. S., 1971, Uniformity and Progression: Reflections on the Structure of Geologial Theory in the Age of Lyell: in Roller, D. H. D., ed., Perspectives in the History of Science and Technology, Univ. of Oklahoma Press, p. 209-227. (RESERVE)
Rudwick, M. J. S., 1985, The great Devonian controversy - the shaping of scientific knowledge among gentlemanly specialists: University of Chicago Press, 494 p. (RESERVE)
Rudwick, M. J. S., 1990, Introduction: in Lyell, 1990, p. vii-lviii. (RESERVE)
Rudwick, M. J. S., 1997, Georges Cuvier, fossil bones, and geological catastrophies - new translations and interpretations of the primary texts: University of Chicago Press, 301 p. (TEXTBOOK)
Rudwick, M. J. S., 1998, Lyell and the Principles of Geology: in Blundell, D. J., and Scott, A. C., eds., Lyell: the past is the key to the present, Geological Society Special Publication 143, p. 3-15. (RESERVE)
Wilson, L. G., 1998, Lyell: the man and his times: in Blundell, D. J., and Scott, A. C., eds., Lyell: the past is the key to the present, Geological Society Special Publication 143, p. 21-37. (RESERVE)