PALEONTOLOGY
cod. 00757

Academic year 2008/09
2° year of course - Second semester
Professor
Academic discipline
Paleontologia e paleoecologia (GEO/01)
Field
Discipline della scienza della terra
Type of training activity
Characterising
56 hours
of face-to-face activities
6 credits
hub:
course unit
in - - -

Learning objectives

<br />Historic-culturalknowledge(paleobiologic-paleoecologic)aimed at understanding andinterpretingthe landscape , at possiblypreserving andimprovingpaleontologicalfindings .<br />Thecoursein Paleontology to get the degree in Natural Sciences mainlyregardsconceptual and methodological aspects of this wide andinterdisciplinaryhistoric science which studies the life of past geologicalages.The Theory of Evolution , the general systematics andthecomparedorganization of living beings and fossils are not onlythemain aimofthe course ., but also their propaedeutical aspects . <br />PaleontologyandEarth Sciences complement each other . Paleontology is alsoafundamental tool to date rocks (biostratigraphy) , to rebuildancientenvironments/habitat (paleoecology,paleobiogeography,paleoclimatology) , to interprethistoric-dynamicallymodern environments/habitat .

Prerequisites

<br />Notions of Zoology , Geology and General Biology are necessary .

Course unit content

<br />Paleontology : nature and content , aim , relations with other sciences , subdivisions , historical outline .<br /> <br />Evolution : the evolutionary process , historical development of the evolutionary theory . Speciation and extinction . The uniformitarian principle . Omology and analogy . Convergence and parallelisms . Neoteny . Systematics (an outline to the various methodologies) . Phylogenesis .<br /> <br />Fossilization : taphonomy , biostratinomy , diagenesis of fossils . Kinds of carbonization and silicification , permineralization with pyrite etc. . Fossilization under special circumstances . Ichnology (trace fossils) . <br /> <br />Fossils and biostratigraphy.<br /> <br />Paleoecology : relations among the ancient organisms and their environment . Physical , chemical and biological characteristics of the marine and continental environments . Paleoautoecology and paleosynecology . Paleontological facies .<br /> <br />Origin of the life : a notice about the first organisms and the precambrian faunas .<br /> <br />The main phyla of the Invertebrates : Protista ( a notice about the groups with greater biostratigraphical interest) , Porifera , Coelenterates ( coral reefs etc.) , Mollusks , Brachiopods , Arthropods(Trilobites) (organization , morphology , evolution and paleoecology).<br /> <br />Vertebrates : origin and relationships with the Invertebrates and other Chordates (Prochordata).<br />Organization . Origin of the bone tissue , nature and function of the skeletons . Agnathans (Ostracoderms , Cyclostomata) , Placoderms ( origin of the jaws and the various kind of suspension to the neurocranium) . Pisces , Amphibians (organization , evolution and paleoecology) .<br />Amniotes : the origin of the amniotic egg , the first reptiles . Reptiles systematics (Sauropsida and Theropsida) , Cotylosaurs , Thecodontia , Archosauria , Lepidosauria , Ichthyosauria , Placodontia , Plesiosauria , Chelonia , Dinosaurs (elementary concepts).<br />Mammals : origin and organization .<br /> <br /> 

Full programme

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Bibliography

Halstead L.B. , Evoluzione dei Vertebrati , BORINGHIERI , serie di Biologia e Medicina , 1974 , Torino .<br /><br />Halstead L.B. , Alla ricerca del passato , DE AGOSTINI , 1984 .<br /><br />Luria S.E., Gould S. J., Singer S., Una visione della vita . Introduzione alla Biologia , 2 , ZANICHELLI , 1984 , Bologna .<br /><br />Raffi S., Serpagli E., Introduzione alla Paleontologia , UTET , Scienze della Terra , 1993.<br /><br />Romer A.S., Vertebrate Paleontology , The University of Chicago Press , 1966.<br /><br />Savage J.M., L'evoluzione , ZANICHELLI , 1969 . Bologna.<br /><br />Simpson G.G., I fossili e la storia della vita , ZANICHELLI , 1969 , Bologna .<br />Smith J.M., La teoria dell'evoluzione , Newton Compton , Paperbacks ricerca , Scienze , 1977.<br /><br />Vialli R., Lezioni di Paleontologia , PITAGORA EDITRICE , 1985 .

Teaching methods

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Assessment methods and criteria

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Other information

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