PALEONTOLOGY WITH LABORATORY 1

Knowledge and understanding: Acquisition of the ability to observe, describe, and recognize different types of fossils. Knowledge of the most common fossilization processes for preserving evidence of past life. Knowledge of the evolutionary process and the history of life, from the emergence of the first organisms to the present-day. Acquisition of the concept of index fossils and the possibility of using fossils for dating rocks; ability in the identification of some stratigraphically important species. Knowledge of the effectiveness of using fossils for further purposes (mainly in geology) and ability to promote the fruition of fossil heritage.

Ability to master binomial nomenclature and understand the organization of systematics; ability to recognize fossils of the main marine invertebrate taxa by identifying their main characteristics in fossil samples and fossiliferous rocks; ability to recognize some species and high-rank taxa, primarily some of regional importance.

Ability to apply knowledge and understanding: develop the ability to search for and locate various types of fossils in the field, and to identify them using relevant literature, including online resource, thereby using them for dating purposes and the interpretation of paleoenvironments.

Students are also expected to demonstrate a high degree of autonomy in data collection and literature selection, both for the purpose of ongoing personal development (lifelong learning) and for communicating their ideas to others in a clear and engaging manner.

Teaching will be carried following the plan reported below. In the remote presence of restrictions, necessary changes will be made, according to.the University rules.

1. lectures with PP presentations, diagrams and, possibly, films,

2. laboratories with examination of fossils and fossiliferous rocks in order to learn to observe, describe and recognize the fossils, both isolated and within rocks. During laboratories, we will also learn methods for the collection, processing and presentation of simple data to describe individual taxa and for the documentation and enhancement of the fossil heritage. Formation about how to search online for scientific purposes, mostly if the informatic room will be available for laboratories.

3. seminars by researchers from Italian or foreign Universities, who are specialists of particular topics. Possibly at least one on Cenozoic mammifers.

4. field excursion at the end of the course.

To guarantee equal opportunities and in compliance with the laws in force, students with disabilities and/or SLDs can ask for a personal interview in order to plan any compensatory and/or dispensatory measures, based on the didactic objectives and specific needs.

It is also possible to contact the referent teacher CInAP (Center for Active and Participatory Integration - Services for Disabilities and/or SLD) of our Department, prof. Giorgio De Guidi.

At the request of students, topics of particular interest (or related topics) may be developed to carry out the final reports for the graduation.

Basic knowledge of zoology.

Mandatory.

To achieve attendance, it is necessary to attend at least 70% of the lessons, as required for all disciplines in the teaching rules of the course in Geological Sciences.

Attendance will be monitored directly by the teacher.

Definition of Paleontology: history, articulation and employ. Concept of fossil.

Paleontological systematic: concept of biological and palaeontological species, morphospecies, cronospecies, intraspecific variability. Nomenclature: the species of Linneous and the binomial nomenclature. The International Code. The classification of organisms. Parataxonomy.

Taphonomy: mineralised and unmineralised parts of organisms; death. Biostratinomic processes: necrolisis, bioerosion, dissolution, transport. Burial, incorporation in resins, incrustation. Fossilisation: organic matter; mineralised parts. Types of fossil-bearing and exceptional fossil deposits, oriented distributions of fossils and concentrations: interpretation and use. Lithogenetic relevance of some fossil groups.

Fossils in the field and in the lab: main methods for observation, sampling, analysis, cataloging and exploitation.

Fossil and evolution: information about evolution, microevolution, macroevolution. History of life on Earth.

Fossils and stratigraphy: fossils as a tool for dating rocks and make correlations.

Information on fossil traces: formation, conservation, classification and palaeontological interest.

Information on palaeoecology; the distribution of organisms as a key for palaeoenvironmental, palaeobiogeographic and palaegeographic reconstructions.

Fossils as cultural heritage: conservation and enjoyment.

Structure, organisation and classification, as well as rough information on autoecology, functional morfology and stratigraphic distribution of selected taxa selezionati from marin environments. Introduction to Cyanoficeae, Diatomeae, Radiolaria, Foraminifera, Coccolithophorida, Coralline algae; Tabulata,

Heliolithiida, Rugosa, Scleractinia, Octocorallia, Serpuloidea, Polyplacophora, Scaphopoda, Bivalvia, Gastropoda, Cephalopoda, Bryozoa, Brachiopoda, Crinoidea, Echinoidea, Trilobita, Ostracoda, Cirripedia.

Texts chosen from those listed below, covering both general paleontology and paleontological systematics. The former is highly recommended among the Italian texts; Doyle 1996 among the English text.

Learning will be verified through an oral examination at the end of the course according to the scheduled timetable appropriately advertised on the study course website.

Examination also includes identification of fossils and fossiliferous rocks and the possible solution of simple exercises.

An ongoing test is planned to be carried out on a date to be agreed with the attending students, but within the period specifically defined by the L34 Study Course for the suspension of teaching.

In the ongoing test, students will prove to be able to describe and recognize at least one fossil (provided by the teacher) and answer a few questions, some of which are multiple choice and others are short open-ended.

1. How many types of fossils do you know?

2. What are body fossils?

3. What are trace fossils? How are they produced and how are they preserved in the geological record?

4. What is taphonomy? How many and what taphonomic phases can be recognised?

5. What are biostratinomic processes?

6. What is a fossiliferous deposit? how many types of fossiliferous deposits do you know?

7. Stratigraphic distribution of species: examples from different eras.

8. What is macroevolution?

9. What is speciation?

11. What does pre-adaptation consist of?

12. What are mass extinctions? and which ones do you know?

13. Do you know fossils documenting key events in the history of the Mediterranean?

14. How would you organize a fossil exhibition?

15. What are the morphological characteristics used for the classification of irregular echinoids?

16. What are the morphological characteristics of bryozoans and what are the main characters used to distinguish the two classes we dealt with?

17. Similarities and differences between tetracorals and hexacorals.

18. What are the characteristics common to ammonoids and nautiloids and what characters are useful  to distinguish them?

19. Fossils characterized by the presence of two valves can be very distant taxonomically: which ones do you know and what are the differences?

20. What are the main characters we can use for  the distinction of the fossils of the unicellular organisms that we studied in the course?