Palaeontology and History of Life
Course content
The course focuses on two fundamental aspects: (1) History of life, (2) Applied Palaeontology.
Major events in the History of Life Earth are examined based on recent literature. This part is based on contributions from the students, either individually or as group work. Various aspects of applied palaeontology are treated such as quantitative biostratigraphy, chronostratigraphy, diversity in the past, paleobiogeography, evolution of marine ecosystems, palaeoecological theory and methodology, functional morphology and construction of phylogenies using cladistics. Procedures and formalities in taxonomic description are introduced.
MSc Programme in Geology-Geoscience
Knowledge:
- Evolution of Earth’s organisms: the big picture
- Adaptation of fossil organisms to ancient environments and climate
- Methods in analysis of palaeoecology
- Interplay between the changing Earth and life
- Drivers of biological diversity
- Procedures and formalities in taxonomic description
Skills:
- Systematics in Palaeontology
- Palaeoecology
- Cladistics
- Quantitative biostratigraphy
- Palaeoecology: methodology
Competences:
- Can synthesize scientific literature orally and in a written essay
- Can provide peer-review feedback
- Univariate and Multivariate statistics
- GIS-based Palaeobiogeography
- Digital editing in GIMP and graph design in Inkscape
The form of teaching is lectures, class exercises and discussions. For the teaching plan, please see Absalon.
See Absalon for a list of course literature.
Basic knowledge on fossil organisms
- ECTS
- 7,5 ECTS
- Type of assessment
-
Oral examination, 20 minutes
- Type of assessment details
- At the oral exam, the student will draw two exam questions. The exam is without preperation.
- Aid
- Without aids
- Marking scale
- 7-point grading scale
- Censorship form
- No external censorship
Several internal examiners.
- Re-exam
-
The same as the ordinary exam.
Criteria for exam assessment
See Learning Outcome
Single subject courses (day)
- Category
- Hours
- Preparation
- 171
- Exercises
- 35
- English
- 206
Kursusinformation
- Language
- English
- Course number
- NIGK21004U
- ECTS
- 7,5 ECTS
- Programme level
- Full Degree Master
- Duration
-
1 block
- Placement
- Block 2
- Schedulegroup
-
B
- Capacity
- 25
The number of seats may be reduced in the late registration period - Studyboard
- Study Board of Geosciences and Management
Contracting department
- Department of Geoscience and Natural Resource Management
Contracting faculty
- Faculty of Science
Course Coordinator
- Arne Thorshøj Nielsen (5-6a7b776e7d4972707737747e376d74)
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