The course “Palaeontology and Laboratory” aims to provide the students with the basic information about life on Earth through the Phanerozoic and the methods used for the fossil identification in order to get able to decipher the palaeobiodiversity, the biostratigraphy and the palaeoenvironment recorded in a fossiliferous deposit.
teacher profile teaching materials
Brief history of Palaeontology (1h).
Prokaryote and eukaryote cells. The Kingdoms (1h).
Systematics: classification. the species concept. Different taxonomy schools (2h).
Taphonomy (2h).
The origin of Life on Earth (2h)
Kingdom Protista - Foraminifera: morphology, taxonomy, stratigraphic distribution and palaeoecology. Detailed study on Orbitolinidae, Fusulinidae, Alveolinidae, Nummulitidae, orbitoids, and Globigerinini (3h). Morphology, taxonomy, stratigraphic distribution and palaeoecology of Radiolaria, Tintinnida, Calcareous Nannofossils and Calcareous Algae (2h).
Kingdom Animalia – Porifera: morphology, taxonomy, and palaeoecology (1h).
Cnidaria: morphology, taxonomy, stratigraphic distribution and palaeoecology (1h).
Mollusca: general morphology and taxonomy. Morphology, taxonomy, stratigraphic distribution and palaeoecology of Bivalvia (including detailed study of Superfamily Hippuritoidea), Gastropoda and Cephalopoda (6h).
Arthropoda: general morphology and taxonomy. Morphology and palaeoecology of Trilobita and Ostracoda (2h).
Echinodermata: general morphology and taxonomy. Morphology and palaeoecology of Echinoidea and Crinoidea (2h).
Lophophorata: general morphology and taxonomy. Morphology and palaeoecology of Bryozoa. Morphology, taxonomy, stratigraphic distribution and palaeoecology of Brachiopoda. (2h).
Palaeoichnology (2h)
Evolution: fossils and evolution. Lamark’s and Neo-lamarckist’s evoluton theory. Darwin’s evolution theory. Microevolution. Synthetic and Punctuated Equilibria theories. Macroevolution. Extinction. Adaptive radiation (6h).
Biostratigraphy and biochronology: biozones and biochrons. Biostratigraphic correlations (3h).
Palaeoecology: marine palaeoecology. Elements of continental palaeoecology. Palaeoichnology (3h).
Palaeoclimatology (2h)
Palaeobiogeography: the historical biogeography: dispersion and vicariance. Plate tectonics and palaeobiogeography. Case studies (3h)
Stratigraphic Palaeontology: the Cambrian and Phanerozoic fauna; (2h).
Laboratory of Palaeontology:
Practical training on micro- and macrofossil morphology (18h).
Microbiofacies analysis of the Neotethyan basinal sedimentary successions during Meso-Cenozoic (example: the Umbro-Marchean succession) (9h).
Microbiofacies analysis of the Neotethyan carbonate platform sedimentary successions during Meso-Ceonozoic (example: the Latium-Abruzzi succession) (9h).
Raffi S. & Serpagli E., 1993 - Introduzione Alla Paleontologia. U.T.E.T.;
Allasinaz A., 1999 - Invertebrati fossili. U.T.E.T.
Dispense del docente.
Programme
Palaeontology:Brief history of Palaeontology (1h).
Prokaryote and eukaryote cells. The Kingdoms (1h).
Systematics: classification. the species concept. Different taxonomy schools (2h).
Taphonomy (2h).
The origin of Life on Earth (2h)
Kingdom Protista - Foraminifera: morphology, taxonomy, stratigraphic distribution and palaeoecology. Detailed study on Orbitolinidae, Fusulinidae, Alveolinidae, Nummulitidae, orbitoids, and Globigerinini (3h). Morphology, taxonomy, stratigraphic distribution and palaeoecology of Radiolaria, Tintinnida, Calcareous Nannofossils and Calcareous Algae (2h).
Kingdom Animalia – Porifera: morphology, taxonomy, and palaeoecology (1h).
Cnidaria: morphology, taxonomy, stratigraphic distribution and palaeoecology (1h).
Mollusca: general morphology and taxonomy. Morphology, taxonomy, stratigraphic distribution and palaeoecology of Bivalvia (including detailed study of Superfamily Hippuritoidea), Gastropoda and Cephalopoda (6h).
Arthropoda: general morphology and taxonomy. Morphology and palaeoecology of Trilobita and Ostracoda (2h).
Echinodermata: general morphology and taxonomy. Morphology and palaeoecology of Echinoidea and Crinoidea (2h).
Lophophorata: general morphology and taxonomy. Morphology and palaeoecology of Bryozoa. Morphology, taxonomy, stratigraphic distribution and palaeoecology of Brachiopoda. (2h).
Palaeoichnology (2h)
Evolution: fossils and evolution. Lamark’s and Neo-lamarckist’s evoluton theory. Darwin’s evolution theory. Microevolution. Synthetic and Punctuated Equilibria theories. Macroevolution. Extinction. Adaptive radiation (6h).
Biostratigraphy and biochronology: biozones and biochrons. Biostratigraphic correlations (3h).
Palaeoecology: marine palaeoecology. Elements of continental palaeoecology. Palaeoichnology (3h).
Palaeoclimatology (2h)
Palaeobiogeography: the historical biogeography: dispersion and vicariance. Plate tectonics and palaeobiogeography. Case studies (3h)
Stratigraphic Palaeontology: the Cambrian and Phanerozoic fauna; (2h).
Laboratory of Palaeontology:
Practical training on micro- and macrofossil morphology (18h).
Microbiofacies analysis of the Neotethyan basinal sedimentary successions during Meso-Cenozoic (example: the Umbro-Marchean succession) (9h).
Microbiofacies analysis of the Neotethyan carbonate platform sedimentary successions during Meso-Ceonozoic (example: the Latium-Abruzzi succession) (9h).
Core Documentation
Società Paleontologica Italiana (a cura della), 2020 – Manuale di Paleontologia. Fondamenti – Applicazioni. Idelson-Gnocchi, Napoli.Raffi S. & Serpagli E., 1993 - Introduzione Alla Paleontologia. U.T.E.T.;
Allasinaz A., 1999 - Invertebrati fossili. U.T.E.T.
Dispense del docente.
Reference Bibliography
Benton M.J. & Harper D.A.T., 2009 - Introduction to Paleobiology and the fossil record, Wiley-Blackwell. Dennett D.C., 1997 – L’idea pericolosa di Darwin. Bollati Boringhieri. Eldredge N., 1999 - Ripensare Darwin. Einaudi. Briggs D.E. & Crowther P.R. (Eds.), 2001 - Palaeobiology II. A Synthesis. Blackwell Science. Eldredge N., 2002 - Le trame dell’evoluzione. Raffaello Cortina Editore. Gould S.J., 2003 - La struttura della Teoria Evolutiva. Codice Edizioni. Ridley M., 2004 - Evolution, 4th Ed. Blackwell Science. Dawkins R., 2006 - Il racconto dell’antenato. Mondadori. Chaline J., 2006 - Quoi de neuf depuis Darwin? Etude. Prothero D.R., 2007 - Evolution. What the fossils say and why it matters. Columbia University Press. Clarkson E.N.K., 1998 - Invertebrate Paleontology aAnd Evolution. Blackwell Science; Doyle P., 1996 - Understanding Fossils. An introduction to Invertebrate Paleontology. Wiley & Sons; Fortey R., 1999 - Età, quattro miliardi di anni. Longanesi; Premoli Silva I., Rettori R. & Verga D., 2003 - Practical Manual of Paleocene and Eocene Planktonic Foraminifera. International School On Planktonic Foraminifera, 2° Course: Paleocene and Eocene. Tipografia Pontefelcino, Perugia; Premoli Silva I. & Verga D., 2004 - Practical Manual of Cretaceous Planktonic Foraminifera. International School On Planktonic Foraminifera, 3° Course: Cretaceous. Tipografia Pontefelcino, Perugia; Iaccarino, S.M., Premoli Silva I., Biolzi M., Foresi M, Lirer F. & Petrizzo M.R., 2005 – Practical Manual of Oligocene to Middle Miocene Planktonic Foraminifera. Tipografia Pontefelcino, Perugia; Iaccarino, S.M., Premoli S.I., Biolz, M., Foresi, L.M., Lirer, F., Urco, E. & Petrizzo, M.R., 2007, Practical Manual of Neogene Planktonic Foraminifera. VI Course: Neogene. Tipografia Pontefelcino, Perugia; Cestari R. & Sartorio D. (Eds.), 1995 - Rudists and Facies of the Periadriatic Domain. AGIP S.P.A.; AGIP, 1988 - Southern Tethys Biofacies. AGIP S.P.A.Attendance
Attending the lessons is mandatoryType of evaluation
The examination consists in an evaluation interview in order to assess the student acquired knowledge of the topics discussed during the lessons. During the oral examination the student is asked to practically describe and identify macro- and microfossils.