PALEOECOLOGY
Learning outcomes of the course unit
The course deals with marine paleoecology and its objective is to show how fossils can be used for paleoenviromental reconstruction at level of individual, population and community.
Prerequisites
no
Course contents summary
- Introduction (history, definitions and subdivision of paleoecology; relationships between ecology and paleoecology);
- Basic concepts of ecology and the marine ecosystem (physical environments, life modes and trophic strategies of marine organisms,
- Environmental control on organism distribution in the marine environments;
- Taxonomic uniformism and functional morphology;
- Fossils as environmental indicators;
- Paleoenviromental reconstruction at population and community levels;
- Quantitaive analysis of fossils assemblages
- Applications: examples of paleoenviromental/paleoceanographic and paleoclimatic reconstructions based on foraminifera and molluscs.
Recommended readings
1) Brenchley P.J. & Harper D.A.T., 1998. Palaeoecology: ecosystem, environments and evolution. Chapman & Hall.
2) Goldring R., 1991. Fossils in the field. Information potential and analysis. Longman Scientific &Technical.
3) Raffi S. & Serpagli E., 1993. Introduzione alla Paleontologia. Utet.
4) Murray J.W., 1993. Ecology and paleoecology of benthic foraminifera. Longman Scientific &Technical.
5) Pinet P.R., 1998. Invitation to Oceanography. Jones & Bartlett.
6) Odum E.P., 1988. Basi di Ecologia. Piccin Editore.
