Taphonomy and Fossilisation processes. Ecology and Paleoecology. Biological systematics. Concept of species. Evolution and phylogeny. Isotopic Stratigraphy. Plaeobiogeography. History of Life. Systematics: Protista, Cnidaria, Briozoa, Mollusca, Echinodermata, Brachiopoda, Artropoda and Cordata. Digitization Lab. Paleoichnology
Rudwick M.J.S. (2014). Earth's deep history. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
Monroe and Wicander 1997- The changing earth. Exploring geology and evolution. West/Wadsworth;
Società paleontologia Italiana (2020) Manuale di paleontologia. Fondamenti. Applicazioni. Idelson-Gnocchi
Raffi S. & Serpagli E. (1993). Introduzione alla paleontologia. UTET, Scienze della Terra Torino.
Sistematica
M. J. Benton, D.A. Harper. (2020) Introduction to Paleobiology and the Fossil Record. Wiley-Blackwell
Learning Objectives
Provide a wide view on the origin and significance of fossils of the paleontological record. role of fossiles in biostratigraphy, in the reconstruction of life history on Earth and in evolutionary theories. Basics of geochronology and systematics, fuctional morphology and physiology with a paleoecological perspective
Prerequisites
reccomended: Geologia 1
Teaching Methods
Lectures and lab activities.
Lab activities are mandatory (2/3 of lessons must me attended)
Further information
More learning material (articles, presentation) may be provided during lectures
Type of Assessment
Oral test.
the student will be asked to answer some questions on the program of the course.
Written test.
the student is asked to answer some quiz and open questions on systematics, taxonomy and straigraphic range of the main Phyla or marine invertebrates.
Intermediate test may be agreed with the students
Course program
Classification and evolutionary biology: Systematics, taxonomy, classification, and nomenclature. the concept of species in space and time. Evolutionary theories and fossil record: Georges Cuvier's catastrophes, Jean-Baptiste Lamarck's transmutation, Charles Darwin's natural selection, the neo-Darwinian synthesis, Eldredge-Gould's intermittent equilibria. Origin of variations, micro- and macroevolution. Evo-devo.
Nature of the fossil record: Taphonomy: loss of information during the formation of the fossil record. Mineralized organisms and parts, post-mortem degradation, physical, chemical and biological biostratinomic processes. Positive taphonomy: from the living community to shell and ossiferous horizons, taphonomic feedback, time-averaging, burial and diagenesis. Principles of Ichnology.
History of life: Origin of the biosphere, life before the Cambrian, Paleozoic, Mesozoic, Cenozoic, life in the seas and on land, palaeogeography and palaeoclimatology.
History of geology and palaeontology: Fossils as an instrument of knowledge in the Renaissance and during the Scientific Revolution. Deep time and the birth of geology. Fossils as a tool for a theory of evolution. The discovery of earth history. Relative and absolute chronology, concept of facies.
Ecology and palaeoecology: marine and terrestrial environments, physical and chemical parameters. Ecology and palaeoecology. Life ways and distribution of marine organisms, autoecology and synecology. Spatial distribution, structure and dynamics of populations and biotic communities. Opportunistic species and species in balance Structure of a community and a palaeocommunity and their study by quantitative methods. Stable and unstable environments, palaeoenvironmental reconstructions. Measures of biodiversity, evolutionary radiations and mass extinctions, evolutionary turnover.
Stratigraphy
Biostratigraphy: methods and applications. Biostratigraphic units and biozone types. Biozone diagrams, biostratigraphic correlation; graphical correlation method. Biostratigraphic events, their meaning and usefulness in correlation: FO, LO, FCO. LCO, FAD, LAD. Synchronism and diachronism of bioevents. Accuracy and reliability of the biostratigraphic method, factors limiting biocorrelations. Biostratigraphic resolution. Integrated biostratigraphy. Biochronology. Qualitative and quantitative analyses.
Physical and chemical methods of stratigraphy: radiometric dating. Isotopic stratigraphy: Oxygen, Carbon. Climate history of the Earth.
Magnetostratigraphy and its applications.
Chronostratigraphy and Geochronology. International Stratigraphic Chart. Use and definition of stratotypes. Integrated stratigraphy, biochronocorrelations.
Biological crises and geological events. Base extinctions and mass extinctions. Adaptive radiation. Cretaceous/Paleogene extinction.
Laboratory of systematics of the main phyla and palaeontological applications
Protista: generalities on Foraminifera, Radiolarians, Diatoms, Coccoliforidae, dinoflagellates
Cnidaria: Rugosa, Scleractinia, Tabulata
Brachiopoda: Lingulata, Inarticulata, Articulata
Bryozoa: generalities
Mollusca: Bivalvia, Gastropoda, Nautiloidea, Ammonoidea, Coleoidea
Echinodermata: Echinoidea, Crinoidea
Arthropoda: generalities and Trilobita
Cordata: generalities
Palaeontological applications. Hints of biostratigraphy, palaeoenvironmental and palaeoecological reconstructions.
Field trip
A field trip to sites of palaeontological importance in accordance with current anti-pandemic regulations.