Principles of Palaeobiology
Syllabus, Master's level, 1PA041
- Code
- 1PA041
- Education cycle
- Second cycle
- Main field(s) of study and in-depth level
- Biology A1N, Earth Science A1N
- Grading system
- Fail (U), Pass (3), Pass with credit (4), Pass with distinction (5)
- Finalised by
- The Faculty Board of Science and Technology, 18 March 2010
- Responsible department
- Department of Earth Sciences
Entry requirements
120 credits with at least 90 credits within earth sciences alternative biology
Learning outcomes
After completion of the course the student should have
- an understanding of basic palaeobiological problems and principles, in particular taphonomy, evolution from a palaeontological perspective, phylogeny and classification from a palaeontological perspective, principles of biogeography and palaeoecology.
- an in depth understanding of fossil organisms
- practical skills in the field and laboratory using palaeobiological methods
- competence in the synthesis of appropriate information, evaluation of ideas, and presentation of facts and theories from scientific articles
- competence in critical comparative analysis of palaeobiological data sets
- a foundation for further studies in palaeobiology
- basal vocational skills in palaeobiology
Content
Nature of the fossil record. Principles of palaeobiology and evolution. Classification and phylogeny. Evolution and the fossil record. Biogeography. Palaeoecology. Practical work with fossils.
Instruction
Lectures, seminars, practicals and field course. Participation in seminars, practicals and the field course is compulsory.
Assessment
Examination during or at the end of the course. In addition, the compulsory parts (seminars, laboratory practicals, field course) must be approved. Possible course grades are U ("fail"), 3, 4, or 5. A student who fails the examination can try again within one month. The field course is equivalent to 2.5 credits and the theoretical part of the course to 12.5 credits.