| 1 | Overview of course; what is life? The history of paleontology geochronology ( PDF) | Bosak |
| 2 | Formation of matter; time scales of major events in formation of Universe and Solar System; abundance of elements. Geochronology; introduction to geological processes, rocks and minerals. Planetary accretion and differentiation. Plate tectonics; stratigraphy. Isostasy (PDF ‑ 2.1MB) | Summons |
| 3 | Sedimentary environments; water and life; habitable zone; radiative balance; greenhouse gases. Faint Young Sun (PDF ‑ 2.8MB) | Summons |
| 4 | Prebiotic chemistry, nucleic acids, origin of life, panspermia (PDF) | Bosak |
| 5 | Cell structure; chemiosmotic theory; transcription, translation; mutation. Molecular evolution. Discussion of Woese paper (PDF) | Bosak |
| 6 | Aquatic chemistry. Redox chemistry. Energy yield of redox processes (PDF) | Bosak |
| 7 | Isotopes; isotopic nomenclature; definition of atm%, ratio, α, δ, ε; how to do simple isotopic calculations including mass balance; CHNOS standards, what they are and the forms that are prepared for analysis; what processes cause isotopic fractionation including C, H, and N in OM and C and O in limestones; S in pyrite and sulfate; ballpark δ values of C, O, S in main reservoirs and biomass (PDF) | Summons |
| 8 | Redox processes, eH/pH diagrams, examples from various environments (PDF) | Bosak |
| 9 | Anoxygenic and oxygenic photosynthesis. Pigments. Carbon fixation. Nitrogen fixation. Nutrient acquisition. Microbes and minerals. Anaerobic metabolisms. Carbon and nitrogen fixation (PDF) | Summons |
| 10 | Evidence for early life on Earth; stromatolites; microfossils. Microbial sediments (PDF ‑ 6.5MB) | Summons |
| 11 | Geological evidence of photosynthesis and oxygenation. Early atmosphere. Oxygenation of the ocean/atmosphere system. Snowball Earth (PDF - 2.0MB) | Summons |
| 12 | More about fractionated isotopes; how H&O are fractionated in the hydrological cycle; how (roughly) C&H fractionation occurs in lipids. Biogeochemical carbon cycle (PDF - 1.2MB) | Summons |
| | Midterm exam | |
| 13 | Biomineralization; ediacaran fauna. Evidence of early animals and plants. Animal body plans. Sponges (PDF) | Bosak |
| 14 | Evolution and radiation of photosynthetic organisms (PDF ‑ 2.6MB) | Summons |
| 15 | Evolution and radiation of animals | Guest lecturer: Charles Marshall |
| 16 | Reefs and carbonate precipitation through time (PDF - 1.5MB) | Bosak |
| 17 | Paleozoic time (PDF - 2.9MB) | Bosak |
| 18 | Mass extinctions (PDF - 8.8MB) | Summons |
| 19 | Mesozoic time. Geology and biology. K-T boundary, LPTM. Volcanism, carbon cycle perturbation or impact? (PDF - 3.3MB) | Summons |
| 20 | Fossil fuels. Fate of buried organic carbon; petroleum and natural gas occurrence and distribution. Methane hydrates. Holocene climate; abrupt climate change; anthropogenic forcing of climate (PDF - 2.7MB) | Summons |
| 21 | Climate oscillations throughout earth history (PDF) | Bosak |
| 22 | Molecular microbiology and paleontology. PCR, genomics, trees. Modern microbially-dominated ecosystems (PDF - 1.2MB) | Bosak |
| 23 | Student presentations | |
| 24 | Final exam | |
