Essay:
What is the Universe made of?
-or-
What is meant by the concept of Galactic Habitable Zones?
4 pages including figures.
Describe criteria for biogenicity in microscopic fossils. How do the oldest described fossils compare? How has the Brasier-Schopf debate shifted in five years?
-or-
What are stromatolites; where are they found and how are they formed? Articulate the two sides of the debate on antiquity and biogenicity.
Up to 4 pages, including figures.
Redox and Thermodynamics Homework (PDF)
An hypothesis paper by Catling, et al (Astrobiology 5, 415, 2005) discuss the essential role of oxygen in the development of complex life and the concept of planetary 'oxygenation time'. In no more than 5 pages synthesize the arguments presented, offer criticisms and speculate about the possibility for forms of 'weird life' that might be able to develop complexity via alternative terminal electron acceptors.
4-5 pages on the topic:
The role of symbiosis in the Evolution photosynthetic eukaryotes; History of the symbiogenesis hypothesis and recent advances resulting from the genomic revolution.
-or-
What are/were the ecological and geological consequences and implications of the ocean plankton shifting from a bacterially-dominated regime (eg. cyanobacteria) to one dominated by algae. (Hint: David M. Karl or Knoll and Anbar)
Write a 1-2 page outline on your topic of choice before writing the full paper.
Possible Topics: