The course covers five topics:

1. Introduction to dinosaurs: Dinosaur biology ranging from their appearance, classification and diet to their evolution and extinction. Introduction of the main virtual field site visited and discussed in the course: Late Cretaceous site of Erlian in the southern Gobi Desert of China.

2. Meat-eating dinosaurs - theropods: Theropods discovered in Erlian, including their biology and insights into the preserved ecosystem.

3. Plant-eating dinosaurs - sauropodomorph and ornithischian dinosaurs: Erlian's herbivores from the rare sauropodomorph dinosaurs to the dominant hadrosaurian ornithischian dinosaurs and the rarer non-hadrosaurian ornithischians. Insights into herbivore biology at the time and into the local ecosystem.

4. Living with dinosaurs: Non-dinosaurian reptiles, mammals, fish and invertebrates that lived with the dinosaurs of Erlian and their roles in the palaeoecosystem.

5. Bringing dinosaurs and their ecosystems to life - diet, behaviour and growth: Evidence palaeontologists use to bring dinosaurs to life.

For the full syllabus please see: https://webapp.science.hku.hk/sr4/servlet/enquiry?Type=Course&course_code=EASC1407

這課程涵蓋了五個主題：

1.恐龍介紹： 這部分講述恐龍生物學，從外觀、分類和飲食，到牠們的進化和滅絕。介紹了課程將會提及的主要虛擬考察地點：中國南戈壁沙漠的晚白堊紀二連地層。

2. 肉食性恐龍 - 獸腳類恐龍： 在二連發現的獸腳類，探討牠們的生物學和為相關生態系統提供的資訊。

3. 植食性恐龍 - 蜥腳形亞目和鳥臀目恐龍： 二連的各種植食性恐龍，包括罕有的蜥腳形亞目、常見的鴨嘴龍類鳥臀目，以及較罕見的非鴨嘴龍類鳥臀目。了解當時植食性動物的生物學和當地的生態系統。

4. 與龍共存： 與二連恐龍共存的非恐龍爬蟲類、哺乳類、魚類和無脊椎動物，和牠們在古生態系統內的角色。

5. 帶給你真實的恐龍及其生態系統：飲食、行為和成長:古生物學家用來重建恐龍世界的證據。

完整課程大綱：https://webapp.science.hku.hk/sr4/servlet/enquiry?Type=Course&course_code=EASC1407