Meets: Select Fridays 2:00pm-5:00pm
Dates TBD
Have you ever walked through the woods, spotted a bleached bone, and wondered, “What happened here?” Or watched an animal on the side of the road go from fresh to bloated and wonder, “What chemical reactions are causing this”? Death is not the end of the line; in fact, it is the busiest, most chaotic, and most fascinating phase of the ecological lifecycle. This course will take you on an immersive journey on the science of taphonomy—the study of what happens to organisms from the moment of death to the moment of discovery.
This isn't a course where you sit in a sterile classroom looking at PowerPoint slides. This is a boots-on-the-ground, gloves-on-the-hands field experience. Over three weeks, we will track the postmortem journey of animal remains across three distinct environmental settings. You will learn to read a landscape like a forensic scientist, identify the insect "clean-up crews" that arrive on the scene, and understand exactly how biology, chemistry, and geology work together to turn animals into bones.
Whether you are a biology student looking for field hours, an aspiring forensic investigator, a writer needing accurate details for your next murder mystery, or simply a nature lover with a healthy dose of morbid curiosity—this course is for you.
Grab your field notebook. It’s time to get your hands dirty.
EXPERIENCE GOALS:
- Students will gain analytical skills, collaboration with students from other majors.
- Students will write reports and use information to make inferences and observations.