![Winter Mini-Core Class | Dinosaurs, Extinction and Climate](https://events.columbia.edu/pubcaldav/public/images/dinos-201712191054.jpg)
Dinosaurs included the largest known animals, dominating the land in diverse and wondrous forms for 136 million years. All but their direct descendants, birds, were wiped out by catastrophic climate change caused by a giant meteor impact 66 million years ago, in one of five great mass extinctions.
While climate has been changing since the Earth’s origin, our burning of fossil fuels is causing what many view as a climate catastrophe, possibly triggering the next mass extinction. Processes and events such as dinosaur evolution and extinction and past climate change provide not only context for the present but also lessons for our future.
Join Professor Paul Olsen, Storke Memorial Professor of Earth Sciences in a timely discussion on climate and its past and future impact on planet earth and its beings.
January 30th
Session 1: Birds are Dinosaurs
February 13th
Session 2: Mass Extinction
February 27th
Session 3: Climate: Past, Present and Future
Refreshments will be served.
Class Fee, which includes entry to all three sessions:
$160 for Alumni and guest
$100 for Young Alumni in class years 2008-2017, and guest