Universität Wien
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280182 SE Evolution and Palaeobiology of Dinosaurs (2026S)

3.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 28 - Erdwissenschaften, Meteorologie-Geophysik und Astronomie
Prüfungsimmanente Lehrveranstaltung
Moodle

An/Abmeldung

Hinweis: Ihr Anmeldezeitpunkt innerhalb der Frist hat keine Auswirkungen auf die Platzvergabe (kein "first come, first served").

Details

max. 20 Teilnehmer*innen
Sprache: Englisch

Lehrende

Termine (iCal) - nächster Termin ist mit N markiert

Reading list for discussion.
Week 1: Origins and Early Dinosaur Evolution
• Sereno, P.C. (1997). The origin and evolution of dinosaurs.
Week 2: Phylogeny and Early Diversification
• Sereno, P.C. (1999). The evolution of dinosaurs.
• Nesbitt, S.J., et al. (2009). A complete skeleton of a Late Triassic saurischian and the early evolution of dinosaurs.
Week 3: Macroevolutionary Patterns
• Brusatte, S.L., et al. (2010). The origin and early radiation of dinosaurs.
Week 4: Theropod Evolution - Tyrannosaurids as a Case Study
• Holtz, T.R. (1994). The phylogenetic position of the Tyrannosauridae: implications for theropod systematics.
• Brusatte, S.L., et al. (2010). Tyrannosaur paleobiology: new research on ancient exemplar organisms..
• Zanno, L.E., et al. (2025). Nanotyrannus and Tyrannosaurus coexisted at the close of the Cretaceous.
Week 5: Sauropodomorph Gigantism
• Sander, P.M., et al. (2011). Biology of the sauropod dinosaurs: the evolution of gigantism.
Week 6: Ornithischian Radiation
• Butler, R.J., et al. (2008). The phylogeny of the ornithischian dinosaurs.
Week 7: The Dinosaur-Bird Transition
• Xu, X., et al. (2014). An integrative approach to understanding bird origins
• Turner, A.H., et al. (2007). Feather quill knobs in the dinosaur Velociraptor.
• Macaulay, S., et al. (2023). Decoupling body shape and mass distribution in birds and their dinosaurian ancestors.
Week 8: Growth and Development (Histology, Ontogeny)
• Erickson, G.M. (2014). On dinosaur growth.
• Woodward, H.N., et al. (2020). Growing up Tyrannosaurus rex: Osteohistology refutes the pygmy "Nanotyrannus" and supports ontogenetic niche partitioning in juvenile Tyrannosaurus.
Week 9: Thermophysiology and Metabolism Debates
• Grady, J.M., et al. (2014). Evidence for mesothermy in dinosaurs.
• O'Connor, P.M., & Claessens, L.P.A.M. (2005). Basic avian pulmonary design and flow-through ventilation in non-avian theropod dinosaurs.
Week 10: Reproduction and Parental Care
• Horner, J.R., & Makela, R. (1979). Nest of juveniles provides evidence of family structure among dinosaurs.
• Varricchio, D.J., et al. (2008). Avian paternal care had dinosaur origin.
• Tanaka, K., et al. (2018). Nest substrate reflects incubation style in extant archosaurs with implications for dinosaur nesting habits.
Week 11: Feeding Ecology and Niche Partitioning
• Barrett, P.M., & Rayfield, E.J. (2006). Ecological and evolutionary implications of dinosaur feeding behaviour.
• Rayfield, E.J., et al. (2001). Cranial design and function in a large theropod dinosaur.
• Mallon, J.C., & Anderson, J.S. (2013). Skull ecomorphology of megaherbivorous dinosaurs from the Dinosaur Park Formation (Upper Campanian) of Alberta, Canada

Week 12: Behavior and Cognition (Evidence from Trackways, Endocasts)
• Lockley, M.G. (1991). Tracking Dinosaurs (select chapter on social behavior from trackways).
• Balanoff, A.M., et al. (2013). Evolutionary origins of the avian brain.
• Varricchio, D.J., et al. (2008). Mud-trapped herd captures evidence of distinctive dinosaur sociality.
Week 13: Current Controversies - Phylogenetic Debates
• Baron, M.G., et al. (2017). A new hypothesis of dinosaur relationships and early dinosaur evolution.
• Langer, M.C., et al. (2017). Untangling the dinosaur family tree.
Week 14: Biogeography and Extinction
• Benson, R.B.J. (2018). Dinosaur macroevolution and macroecology.
Week 15: Extinction
• Chiarenza, A.A., et al. (2020). Asteroid impact, not volcanism, caused the end-Cretaceous dinosaur extinction.

  • Mittwoch 04.03. 15:00 - 16:30 Felix-Machatschki-Seminarraum Mineralogie 2B284 2.OG UZA II
  • Mittwoch 11.03. 15:00 - 16:30 Felix-Machatschki-Seminarraum Mineralogie 2B284 2.OG UZA II
  • Mittwoch 18.03. 15:00 - 16:30 Felix-Machatschki-Seminarraum Mineralogie 2B284 2.OG UZA II
  • Mittwoch 25.03. 15:00 - 16:30 Felix-Machatschki-Seminarraum Mineralogie 2B284 2.OG UZA II
  • Mittwoch 15.04. 15:00 - 16:30 Felix-Machatschki-Seminarraum Mineralogie 2B284 2.OG UZA II
  • Mittwoch 22.04. 15:00 - 16:30 Felix-Machatschki-Seminarraum Mineralogie 2B284 2.OG UZA II
  • Mittwoch 29.04. 15:00 - 16:30 Felix-Machatschki-Seminarraum Mineralogie 2B284 2.OG UZA II
  • Mittwoch 06.05. 15:00 - 16:30 Felix-Machatschki-Seminarraum Mineralogie 2B284 2.OG UZA II
  • Mittwoch 13.05. 15:00 - 16:30 Felix-Machatschki-Seminarraum Mineralogie 2B284 2.OG UZA II
  • Mittwoch 20.05. 15:00 - 16:30 Felix-Machatschki-Seminarraum Mineralogie 2B284 2.OG UZA II
  • Mittwoch 27.05. 15:00 - 16:30 Felix-Machatschki-Seminarraum Mineralogie 2B284 2.OG UZA II
  • Mittwoch 03.06. 15:00 - 16:30 Felix-Machatschki-Seminarraum Mineralogie 2B284 2.OG UZA II
  • Mittwoch 10.06. 15:00 - 16:30 Felix-Machatschki-Seminarraum Mineralogie 2B284 2.OG UZA II
  • Mittwoch 17.06. 15:00 - 16:30 Felix-Machatschki-Seminarraum Mineralogie 2B284 2.OG UZA II
  • Mittwoch 24.06. 15:00 - 16:30 Felix-Machatschki-Seminarraum Mineralogie 2B284 2.OG UZA II

Information

Ziele, Inhalte und Methode der Lehrveranstaltung

The Dinosauria represents an extremely successful group of tetrapods that were the dominant terrestrial group of most of the Mesozoic Era. They even evolved active, powered flight and their descendants, the birds, which are nested deeply in theropods survived the K/Pg-boundary event and are highly diverse today. In this seminar, Dinosauria is considered paraphyletic, excluding both Mesozoic and Cenozoic birds and thus focuses exclusively on terrestrial adapted groups, but including the stem group of birds.
Dinosaurs are not anymore considered the cold-blooded, tail-dragging, stupid, lizard-like monsters of the Victorian age, when they first were recognized as distinct group by Sir Richard Owen in 1842. Conversely, we now regard them as upright, active, fast-growing and certainly not stupid reptiles. In fact, they were extremely successful occupying every ecosystem from mountains to deltas on all continents, including Antarctica.
All fossil discoveries and more than 200 years of research, which started 1824, enabled scientists to reconstruct many aspects of their evolutionary history and palaeobiology. Nevertheless, we are still far away from completely understanding dinosaurs.
The aim of this seminar is to summarize and discuss current research findings on the evolution and palaeobiology of dinosaurs.

Art der Leistungskontrolle und erlaubte Hilfsmittel

This seminar will be a reading club, were paper realted to dinosaurs and will be disussed in an open format, were all students parcipate on the discussion. Students are expected to read the papers previous to each session. Papers titles are provide in notes to dates section are will be shared via google drive

Link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1PQHyqoCioPw7Ab2U6_tV74eSByYBHgL2?usp=drive_link

Mindestanforderungen und Beurteilungsmaßstab

The assessment is based on the presentation style, the PowerPoint outline, the completeness of literture research, and the subsequent leading of the discussion.

Prüfungsstoff

A solid and coherent discussion on current topics in the evolution and/or paleobiology of dinosaurs.

Literatur

Papers titles are provide in notes to dates section are will be shared via google drive

Zuordnung im Vorlesungsverzeichnis

MA-ERD-W-1.1

Letzte Änderung: Mo 27.07.2026 09:27