| Study programme competencies |
| Code | Study programme competences |
| A1 | Recoñecer distintos niveis de organización nos sistemas vivos. |
| A2 | Identificar organismos. |
| A3 | Recoñecer, obter, analizar e interpretar evidencias paleontológicas. |
| A6 | Catalogar, avaliar e xestionar recursos naturais. |
| A22 | Describir, analizar, avaliar e planificar o medio físico. |
| A27 | Dirixir, redactar e executar proxectos en Bioloxía. |
| A29 | Impartir coñecementos de Bioloxía. |
| B1 | Aprender a aprender. |
| B2 | Resolver problemas de forma efectiva. |
| B3 | Aplicar un pensamento crítico, lóxico e creativo. |
| B8 | Sintetizar a información. |
| B9 | Formarse unha opinión propia. |
| B10 | Exercer a crítica científica. |
| B11 | Debater en público. |
| C1 | Expresarse correctamente, tanto de forma oral coma escrita, nas linguas oficiais da comunidade autónoma. |
| C3 | Utilizar as ferramentas básicas das tecnoloxías da información e as comunicacións (TIC) necesarias para o exercicio da súa profesión e para a aprendizaxe ao longo da súa vida. |
| C4 | Desenvolverse para o exercicio dunha cidadanía aberta, culta, crítica, comprometida, democrática e solidaria, capaz de analizar a realidade, diagnosticar problemas, formular e implantar solucións baseadas no coñecemento e orientadas ao ben común. |
| C6 | Valorar criticamente o coñecemento, a tecnoloxía e a información dispoñible para resolver os problemas cos que deben enfrontarse. |
| C7 | Asumir como profesional e cidadán a importancia da aprendizaxe ao longo da vida. |
| C8 | Valorar a importancia que ten a investigación, a innovación e o desenvolvemento tecnolóxico no avance socioeconómico e cultural da sociedade. |
| Learning aims | |||
| Subject competencies (Learning outcomes) | Study programme competences | ||
| To understand the concept of deep (geologic) time | A3 A22 |
B9 B10 |
C6 |
| To understand the processes of fossilization and the biases of the fossil record as indicator of ancient biospheres | A2 A27 |
B1 B3 |
C1 C6 C7 C8 |
| To understand how biological processes occuring at geological time scales, such as evolution or mass extinctions, cannot always be understood as simple extrapolations of processes taking place at present times | A2 A27 |
B1 B3 |
C1 C6 C7 C8 |
| To expand our understanding of Evolutionary Theory from a multidisciplinary perspective | A2 A27 |
B1 B3 |
C1 C6 C7 C8 |
| To know the fossil groups that make up the fossil record and their practical uses | A1 A2 A3 A27 |
B1 B3 |
C1 C6 C7 C8 |
| To identify the main bioevents in the history of the Earth, their causes and aftermath | A1 A2 A3 A22 A27 |
B1 B2 B8 B9 B10 B11 |
C3 C6 |
| To synthesize knowledge from a long array of subjects such as Geology, Ecology, Microbiology, Biochemistry, Botany or Zoology in the framework of an ever changing Earth | A2 A3 A6 A22 A29 |
B3 B8 B9 B10 |
C4 C6 C7 C8 |
| Contents |
| Topic | Sub-topic |
| SECTION-1. | HISTORY AND CONCEPT OF PALEOBIOLOGY |
| Lesson 1. An introduction to Paleobiology | 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Theoretical and methodological aspects 1.3 Divisions of Paleobiology |
| SECTION-2. | TAPHONOMY |
| Lesson 2. The concept of fossil. Taphonomy | 2.1 Introduction 2.2 The concept and types of fossils 2.3 Biostratinomy 2.4 Diagenesis of fossils 2.5 Ichnofossils 2.6 Time-averaging 2.7 Fossil-lagerstätten 2.8 Representativity of the fossil record |
| SECTION-3. | BIOSTRATIGRAPHY |
| Lesson 3. Biostratigraphy | 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Index fossils 3.3 Biohorizons and Biozones 3.4 Signor-Lipps effect 3.5 Lazarus, Elvis and Zombie taxa |
| SECTION-4. | HISTORY OF LIFE |
| Lesson 4. Time and Geology | 4.1 Dating methods 4.2 The geologic time scale |
| Lesson 5. The origin and early evolution of Earth and Life | 5.1 Origins of the Solar System and Earth. 5.2 Origin and evolution of the Atmosphere. 5.3 Origin of the Hidrosphere. 5.4 Origin and evolution of the continents. 5.5 The first life forms. |
| Lesson 6. The diversification of Life | 6.1 The Ediacaran Fauna and other life forms. 6.2 The Cambrian Explosion. 6.3 Evolution of life forms during the Paleozoic. 6.4 Terrestrialization. |
| Lesson 7. Mass extinction events | 7.1 Mass extinctions. Causes and their aftermath. 7.2 The end-Permian extinction. 7.3 The end-Cretaceous extinction. |
| Lesson 8. Climate and Life | 8.1 Climatic evolution of the planet Earth. 8.2 Global glaciations. Methods of study. 8.3 The Snowball Earth hypothesis. 8.4 The influence of climatic change on the Quaternary faunas and floras. |
| SECTION-5. | MORPHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS |
| Lesson 9. Size and Shape in Fossils | 9.1 Introduction 9.2 The analysis of morphometrical variability 9.3 Types of growth 9.4 Population variability 9.5 Ecophenotypic variability 9.6 Sexual dimorphism 9.7 Taphonomical variability |
| Lesson 10. Ontogeny and Heterochrony | 10.1 Introduction 10.2 Biogenetic and von Baer's Law 10.3 Heterochrony and its types 10.4 Heterochrony and allometry 10.5 Heterochronoclines 10.6 Dissociated heterochrony 10.7 Evolutionary consequences of heterochrony |
| Lesson 11. Morphodynamics and the Evolution of Form | 11.1 Introduction 11.2 Constructional morphology. Phylogenetic factor. Functional factor. Fabricational factor. Other factors 11.3 Research methods in morphodynamics. Biomechanical analysis. Theoretical morphology |
| SECTION-6. | EVOLUTIONARY PALEONTOLOGY |
| Lesson 12. Classification and Phylogeny | 12.1 Introduction 12.2 Methods of classification. Essentialism, evolutionary, phenetic and cladistic classification 12.3 Fossils and Phylogeny. Stratocladistics. Phylogenetic trees |
| Lesson 13. Speciation | 13.1 Introduction 13.2 Species concepts 13.3 Modes of speciation 13.4 The problem of species concept in Paleontology |
| Lesson 14. Modes of evolution | 14.1 Introduction 14.2 Darwinism and the Synthetic Theory of Evolution 14.3 Modes of evolution and the fossil record. Phyletic gradualism and punctuated equilibria 14.5 Evolutionary trends 14.6 Species selection 14.7 Coordinated stasis |
| Lesson 15. Biotic crises | 15.1 Introduction 15.2 Concept and types of extinction 15.3 Recovery after a mass extinction 15.4 Effects of mass extinctions on evolution 15.5 Periodicity of mass extinctions |
| Lesson 16. Paleobiogeography | 16.1 Introduction 16.2 Dispersal biogeography 16.3 Paleogeography and paleoclimatology 16.4 Vicariance biogeography 16.5 Biogeographic patterns and extinctions |
| Lesson 17. Evolutionary ecology | 17.1 Introduction 17.2 Phanerozoic trends in global diversity. Explanatory hypotheses 17.3 Law of constant extinction. Red Queen Hypothesis and alternative explanatory hypotheses 17.4 Clade interactions |
| Planning | |||
| Methodologies / tests | Ordinary class hours | Student’s personal work hours | Total hours |
| Document analysis | 12 | 24 | 36 |
| Workshop | 12 | 24 | 36 |
| Case study | 8 | 16 | 24 |
| Laboratory practice | 6 | 6 | 12 |
| Field trip | 9 | 9 | 18 |
| Objective test | 2 | 10 | 12 |
| Personalized attention | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| (*)The information in the planning table is for guidance only and does not take into account the heterogeneity of the students. | |||
| Methodologies |
| Methodologies | Description |
| Document analysis | There will be reading assignments based on textbook chapters and scientific papers. Because some of the materials to be tested are not covered in the readings, the lecturers will expand on them during the class. Both readings and explanations by the lecturers during classtime make up the theory classes. All readings need to be done prior to the classtime they are listed |
| Workshop | Readings and contents delivered by the lecturers will be discussed during classtime (remember that all readings need to be done in advance). Quizzes covering readings and extra content will be delivered on a regular basis. Both quizzes and class participation will be used in the calculation of the grade. All slides used during classtime will be available through the Moodle platform |
| Case study | The lecturers will choose a hot debate topic in Paleontology and students will make a database review of several case studies illustrating this debate. Each student will pick up one of these case studies and provide a short written summary and critique of this reading. An oral presentation with discussion and comments will also take place in due time. Personal tutorials will be carried out on a regular basis before oral presentation. Attendance to the case study sessions is compulsory |
| Laboratory practice | Lab exercises will focus on the recognition of basic morphological features of fossils and identification of important taxa from the Iberian Peninsula. Students will be required to take their own notes and answer the lab quizzes. Attendance to the lab sessions is compulsory |
| Field trip | There will be an approximately 9 hours field trip (whole day including transportation) to the sorroundings of La Barosa and Salas de la Ribera (province of León) to explore outcrops with Silurian and Devonian fossils |
| Objective test | Grading is primarily based on the idea of continuous assessment and so, the final exam IS NOT REQUIRED for those students being successful during this continuous assessment. Students failing specific parts or the whole subject are required to make the final exam for the parts they failed |
| Personalized attention |
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| Assessment | ||
| Methodologies | Description | Qualification |
| Workshop | Continuous assessment will take place using in-class quizzes and participation during classes. All quizzes can involve multiple choice, matching, true-false questions, fill in the blank questions or short answer and essay questions. Quizzes make up 50% of the final grade, whereas participation in class will add up another 20% | 65 |
| Laboratory practice | Grading of lab sessions will be carried out with the lab quizzes and the exam on fossil identification | 10 |
| Objective test | As stated in Step 5, grading is primarily based on the idea of continuous assessment and so, the final exam IS NOT REQUIRED for those students being successful during this continuous assessment. For the rest of students a final exam will be carried out for the specific parts of the subject (i. e., theory 70%, case studies 20% or lab sessions 10%) that they failed | 0 |
| Case study | The students are expected to produce a short written summary and an oral presentation on a case study that will both be graded | 25 |
| Assessment comments | ||
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Students are required to obtain a final grade of at least 5.0 out of 10 to pass this subject. However, each of the three main parts making up the assessment (theory, case studies and lab sessions) can be compensated among them getting a grade of at least 4.0. Students passing any of the three parts (theory, case studies and lab sessions) are given the opportunity to keep this mark for the two grading opportunities (January and July), being only examined of those parts which they failed. However, all the teaching-learning process of this subject is based on the idea of being developed in the current term. This means that for successive terms the student is suppossed to fullfill all the assignments scheduled for those specific terms. The grade "No Show" will be given only to those students who have not participated in more than 20% of the activities being assessed during the term. |
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| Sources of information |
| Basic |
PROTHERO, D. R. (2003). Bringing Fossils to Life. An Introduction to Paleobiology. McGraw-Hill, Boston
STANLEY, S. M. (2009). Earth System History. Freeman and Company, New York
MARTIN, R. (2012). Earth's Evolving Systems: The History of Planet Earth. Jones & Bartlett Learning
FREEMAN, S. & HERRON, J.C. (2013). Evolutionary Analysis. Benjamin Cummings
U. of California Paleontology Museum (). Geology Wing/Tree of Life. http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibit/geology.html
REGUANT, S. (2005). Historia de la Tierra y de la Vida. Editorial Ariel, Barcelona
WICANDER, R. & MONROE, J. S. (2012). Historical Geology. Evolution of Earth and Life through Time. Thompson Learning, Belmont
COWEN, R. (2005). History of Life. Blackwell Science, Oxford.
BENTON, M. J. & HARPER, D. A. T. (2009). Introduction to Paleobiology and the Fossil Record. Wiiey-Blackwell
BRIGGS, D. E. G. & CROWTHER, P. R. (2003). Palaeobiology II. Blackwell Science
CLOWES, C. et al. (). Palaeos: Life through deep time. http://www.palaeos.com
FOOTE, M. & MILLER, A.I. (2007). Principles of Paleontology. W. H. Freeman, New York
LEVIN, H. L. (2010). The Earth through Time. John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, New Jersey
Varios autores (). Tree of Life Web Project. http://tolweb.org/tree/phylogeny.html |