HISTORY OF LIFE ON EARTH
- Overview
- Assessment methods
- Learning objectives
- Contents
- Full programme
- Delivery method
- Teaching methods
- Contacts/Info
Basal knowledge of zoology and botaly are advisable but not mandatory
A final exam cosisting in an exhaustive discussion a topic of the course chosen by the student, and exposed either as simple oral exposition, or power point presentation etc., at student choice (1/3 final grade).
Two questions on topics concerning different sections of the program with respect to the one chosen for the presentation (2/3 final grade) aimed to evaluate knowledge of notions and understanding of processes at the bases of events and topics studied in the course.
Grading with a single final grade.
Acquiring an adequate knowledge of the main phases of the history of life and of the development of biodiversity of the past related to geologic phenomena that lead to biotic successions and interaction among organisms.
Acquiring basal knowledge of the methods that allowed to formulate hypotheses about adaptation of extinct organisms to changing environments in the past.
Acquiring a basal knowledge of the methods of functional morphology and a minimal ability of critical evaluation of the interpretative models about the mode of life of extinct animals.
Outline of the history of living beings, selective pressures that led to biotic successions, the interpretative models that have been proposed to explain successions in the biota. Give a geo-environmental framework of the great crisis that caused the great mass extinctions. Mass extinctions as as major causes of macroevolution. How the study of past biological crisis may represent a basis to elaborate interpretative models for the changes induced by geoclimatic phenomena.
Understanding the relationships between selective pressures and development of new bauplans in life forms. The role of adaptation induced by environmental factors and by developmental and genetic constraints in vertebrate evolution.
Examples about how from the fossil remains and comparison with living organisms it is possible to infer the mode of life and ecological niche of extinct taxa on the basis of functional morphology.
Critical evaluation of interpretative models, sometimes conflicting about the mode of life of some groups of extinct vertebrates, by means of analysis and discussion of selected scientific papers.
1) Introduction: brief explanation of fossilization
2) From the first fossils to the Cambrian explosion. The beginning of biodiversity
3) Overview about continent position, climate and evolutionary history of life in the lower and middle Paleozoic, with particular focus on:
• Origin of Vertebrates,
• Diversity of fishes,
• Colonization of emerged lands by Vertebrates.
4) Overview about continent position, climate and evolutionary history of life in the upper Paleozoic, with particular focus on:
• Giant invertebrates of the Carbonifeorus
• Origin and first steps of the diversification of the Reptiles
• Evolution of basal synapsids ancestral to Mammals
5) The Triassic and the recovery of diversity after the mass extinction at the Permo/Triassic boundary, with particular focus on:
• Continent position and climatic consequences
• The invasion of the seas by the Reptiles
• The second phase of synapsid evolution and the origin of Mammals
• The great diversification of the reptiles and the early success of the dinosaurs
6) Jurassic and Cretaceous with particular focus on:
• Splitting of continents and changes in climate and vegetation
• Evolution and Diversity of the Dinosaurs,
• Diversityy of marine reptiles,
• Radiation of the ancient mammals
• origin of birds and adaptation to flight in Vertebrates.
7) Cenozoic: the early radiation of Mammals, the spreading of grasslands and the diversification of the herbivores, evolutionary history and diversification of carnivorous mammals.
8) Evolution of man.
9) Further insights:
• Reconstruct ancient vegetal communities
• The great faunal successions in selected Cenozoic mammal communities
• The Great American Mammal Interchange.
• History and diversity of australian mammal fauna.
• The extinction of Cenozoic megafauna.
10) The Great Mass Extinctions, effects on organism diversity, interpretative explanations on geoenvironmental basis.
11) Functional Morphology as an instrument to reconstruct the life in the past.
• Functional adaptations in extant animals as a key to understand the mode of life of extinct vertebrates.
Case studies:
• Extreme adaptation to arboreal niche in a group of triassic reptiles.
• Form, function, the key of the evolutionary success of the primitive predatory fish Saurichthys.
• Gigantism in Sauropod Dinosaurs.
• Biology of saber toothed carnivorous mammals: comparison between different interpretative models.
12) Hints about Conservation Paleobiology: Near-time Paleontology, environmental recovery and related problems.
Front lessons and direct observation of some specimen with discussion.
Slides of the lessons, texts in pdf and open access scientific papers made available to the student in elearning.
Students are received by appointment via e-mail at the teacher’s office.