The Evolutionary History of Plants

Steve Smith

Summer 2021

In Session

Tuesdays

10 AM - 12 PM (AZ Time)

June 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29, 2021

Location:

Online

Tuition:

$145

Plants represent an important and extraordinarily diverse group of organisms. Photosynthesis in plants and algae contributes the energy supporting life in nearly all of the Earth’s ecosystems. Oxygen, produced by photosynthesis, has also radically changed the composition of the Earth’s atmosphere and all life dependent on it. We are most familiar with flowering plants, which now dominate most environments on land, but these species are relatively recent innovations in plant evolution. In this course, we will go back millions of years in time, and discuss early life on Earth, the emergence of photosynthesis, and the first plants, which appeared on land. We will then follow the changes in form and function that have resulted in the diverse assemblages of modern plants. Our discussions will include now extinct plants, and surviving ancient species as well as particular modern plants that demonstrate novel evolutionary outcomes.

Registration will open online on Monday, April 12, 2021 at 8 AM (AZ Time)

Classes will be delivered online via the Zoom video conferencing platform. Course will be password protected and only available to enrolled students.
All class sessions will be recorded and made available to enrolled students for a limited time to assist those who may not be able to attend the live class times.
Enrolled students may withdraw from a course and receive a tuition refund if the request is received before the second class session. See our FAQ page here for more answers to general program questions.

Syllabus

Required Reading:

No textbook is required. All readings will be distributed to students electronically.

Recommended Reading:

Background reading on this topic for those interested in going further are included here:

Armstrong, Joseph E. 2015. How the Earth Turned Green: A Brief 3.8-Billion-Year History of Plants. The Univ. of Chicago Press, Chicago.
Essig, Frederick B. 2015. Plant Life: A Brief History. Oxford Univ. Press, Oxford.
Niklas, Karl J. 2016. Plant Evolution: An Introduction to the History of Life. The Univ. of Chicago Press, Chicago.

Meet Your Professor

Steve Smith

Associate Professor

School of Renewable Natural Resources and the Environment

STEVE SMITH is an Associate Professor in the School of Renewable Natural Resources and the Environment at the University of Arizona, where he has been on the faculty since 1984. He grew up in the central valley of California, where he first began working with plants under the supervision of his father, a commercial plant breeder. After receiving a B.S. in Plant Sciences from the University of California, Davis, he received M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Cornell University in Plant Breeding and Botany. Postdoctoral research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison preceded his arrival in Arizona. His research interests reflect his training in application-oriented plant improvement and his fascination with plant adaptation in natural plant communities in arid environments. He is also consulting with other researchers on experimental design and analysis. Dr. Smith teaches undergraduate courses in biology, field botany, and sustainability. He received the Bart Cardon Sustained Excellence in Teaching Award from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at the University of Arizona and the Ted and Shirley Taubeneck Superior Teaching Award from the Humanities Seminars Program.

Ted and Shirley Taubeneck Superior Teaching Award

Location

This course will be offered ONLINE ONLY

Classes will be live streamed during the time and dates specified in the course details section above. Instructions about how to access the course online will be sent to all enrolled students before the course begins.

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