This course is based on the eponymous Great Courses series presented by Prof. Stuart Sutherland of the Department of Earth, Ocean, & Atmospheric Sciences at the University of British Columbia. It will cover the science and tools of paleontology, fossil analysis and dating, possible origins of life, and the evolution and diversification of life from the Paleozoic Era to the present. (See www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/introduction-to-paleontology for more details.)

We will view and discuss two half-hour lectures each session. Instructor Craig Stephan is a retired industrial physicist who has led many previous OLLI courses including Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Science of Climate Change, Cosmology, Astrophysics, and The Aging Brain.

This study group will meet on Tuesdays for ten weeks beginning on October 12. Preregistration is required via the OLLI website or phone. A link to access the study group will be e-mailed prior to the first session.