History and Philosophy of Biology: Mass Extinction

The fossil record shows that several mass extinction events have rocked life on earth and influenced the subsequent course of evolution. This program examines the patterns, causes and implications of mass extinctions. In addition to a general survey of these episodes, we will focus intensely on a particular event, the disappearance of ice age mammals such as mammoths, mastodons and giant ground sloths, and the role that climate changes, human hunters and disease played in this extinction.

Mass extinctions provide a window into scientific methods and practices. We will consider how scientists understand the intensity and rate of extinction through the fossil record. How do scientists reconstruct the history of life on earth? How are mass extinctions distinguished from normal patterns of extinction? We will also examine how scientists explain the causes of mass extinctions, with particular attention to the challenges of understanding unique events in deep history. How do methods and explanations in historical sciences like evolutionary biology and paleontology differ from those in experimental sciences like chemistry or physiology?

Finally, we will consider the biological and ethical implications of prehistoric mass extinctions for the current wave of extinctions. How is our world likely to change as the result of accelerating extinctions? What species benefit and suffer from human expansion on the earth? Are humans in danger of extinction? What responsibilities do we have toward the persistence of other species? Our study of prehistoric and present extinctions will provide the foundation for grappling with such questions.

We will explore these issues through diverse readings, including primary sources in science, history and philosophy. Students will write several short papers and complete a major research project. Upper division science credit may be awarded for the independent research project.