Stratigraphy and Paleontology

Code:

GEOL2002

Acronym:

GEOL2002

Level:

200

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Geology

Instance: 2020/2021 - 1S

Active?	Yes
Web Page:	https://sigarra.up.pt/fcup/pt/ucurr_geral.ficha_uc_view?pv_ocorrencia_id=336750
Responsible unit:	Department of Geosciences, Environment and Spatial Plannings
Course/CS Responsible:	Bachelor in Geology

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
L:B	2	Official Study Plan	3	-	6	56	162
L:CC	0	Plano de estudos a partir de 2014	2	-	6	56	162
			3
L:F	0	Official Study Plan	2	-	6	56	162
			3
L:G	7	study plan from 2017/18	3	-	6	56	162
L:M	2	Official Study Plan	2	-	6	56	162
			3
L:Q	0	study plan from 2016/17	3	-	6	56	162

Teaching language

Suitable for English-speaking students

Objectives

By the learning of fundaments and principles of Stratigraphy concerning either classical and modern methods (facies analisys, tectonosedimentary analysis and sequence analysis), and related with physical, chemical and biological characteristics of environments from depositional systems related with the geological setting, one should be able in understand, interpretation and construction on sedimentary models in good relation with spatial and temporal architecture of the strata as well as the main variations along the geological time and settings.
Concerning Palaeontology three essential themes are concerned. In the General Palaeontology acquisition of basic concepts about Palaeontology namely methods and techniques, applications, relation with Stratigraphy and Geological History and Evolution and systematic palaeontology. The other themes concerns Paleozoology and Paleobotanic and aims to teach students how to identify some fossils fundamental to stratigraphic studies , understand their importance in the establishment of biozones, stratigraphic correlations, sedimentary environments interpretation and life evolution.

Learning outcomes and competences

The development of the course aims at development of student skills in the following:

- Acquisition of technical vocabulary related to the Stratigraphy and Palaeontology;

- Acquisition of concepts related to the Stratigraphy and Paleontology;

- to recognize sedimentary structures and their importance in the study of palaeoenvironments;

- know how to identify fossils and which are the utilities in Palaeontology and Stratigraphy.

Working method

Presencial

Program

STRATIGRAPHY. Introduction. Stratigraphy concept, object and objectives. Interdisciplinarity of Stratigraphy with other Sciences. Stratigraphic terminology and nomenclatures. Lithostratigraphic, biostratigraphic and chronostratigraphic units and their relationships. Geochronological units equivalent to chronostratigraphic units. Stratotype. Fundamental principles in Stratigraphy. Principle of horizontality and lateral continuity of the strata, Principle of uniformitarianism and actualism, Superposition Principle, Principle of faunal succession or paleontological identity. Stratigraphy methods. Stratification and sedimentary rocks (stratum, types of stratification, cause of stratification, measurement of stratification, shape of strata, conditioning factors). STRATIGRAPHIC DISCONTINUITIES. Gap, hiatus, erosion void, angular unconformity, disconformity or non-conformity, paraconformity, unconformity or lithological unconformity. SEDIMENTARY STRUCTURES OF INTERNAL ORIGIN. Ripples and their lamination, lenticular stratification and flaser stratification; horizontal lamination; cross stratification; climbing-ripple lamination; bimodal stratification, graded stratification, imbrication. CHARACTERS OF STRATIFICATION SURFACE. Marks of physical origin on the top - desiccation cracks, raindrop marks, traces of crystals, lineations or longitudinal bands, swash marks, rill marks, channel figures. Current marks (digging marks - flute casts, crescent casts, continuous printing marks - groove casts, chevron casts and discontinuous printing marks - prod marks and bounce marks). Hard grounds. Deformation structures. Load casts, ball and pillow structures, convolute lamination, injection or intrusion structures, slump and contortion structures. ORGANIC STRUCTURES. Rock-building organisms (algae meshes; stromatolites, relationship with the sedimentary environment, tracks, galleries and perforations. SEQUENTIAL ANALYSIS. Facies. Walther's law. Stratigraphic series and sequences. Turbidites and Bouma sequence. SEDIMENTATION ENVIRONMENTS. Continental environments. Eolian environments and desert environments. Deserts Types and characteristics of desert deposits. Coastal eolian environment, Recognition of ancient eolian deposits. Glacial environments. Types and characteristics of deposits. Recognition of ancient glacial deposits. River environments. Types of river deposits. Fluvial sediments. Recognition of ancient fluvial sediments. Transitional environments. Coastal or coastal environments. Backshore, foreshore and shoreface. Marine environments. Neritic or platform. Batials or continental slope. Pelagic or oceanic. Marine sedimentation models. Sedimentation in continental plataform. Sedimentation in carbonated platform. Sedimentation in the continental slope and board and deep sedimentation. PALAEONTOLOGY. GENERAL PALAEONTOLOGY. Introduction. Concept of fossil; Aims of Palaeontology; Applications of Palaeontology; Methods and techniques of Palaeontological studies. History of Palaeontology. Fossilization. Palaeontology, Stratigraphy and Geohistory relationships. Systematic Palaeontology. PALAEOZOOLOGY. Graptolites -
Morphologic study; Evolutionary trends; Paleoecology; Study techniques; Systematic study; Stratigraphic and geographic distribution. Arthropods - Trilobites
Morphologic study; Evolutionary trends; Ecdysis and ontogeny; Palaeocology; Ichnofossils related with trilobites; Study techniques; Systematic study; Stratigraphic and geographic distribution. Brachiopods
- Morphologic study; Evolutionary trends; Study techniques; Systematic study; Stratigraphic and geographic distribution. 
Cephalopods - Morphologic study; Evolutionary trends; Study techniques; Systematic study; Stratigraphic and geographic distribution. Reptilian, Dinosaur- Morphologic study; Evolutionary trends; Study techniques; Systematic study; Stratigraphic and geographic distribution. PALAEOBOTANIC. 
Early vascular plants; Prephanerogams; Gymnosperms.
Morphologic and systematic study; Stratigraphic and geographic distribution; Floral provinces; Fossil plants from Portugal. EVOLUTION OF LIFE AND OF EARTH
. Origin and evolution of life. 
Relation with Earth evolution. Life in the Precambrian. 
From the origin of life to the first multicellular forms of life. The Ediacaran fauna. Life in the Paleozoic Era.
Cambrian explosion of life. Burgess Fauna, Chengjiang Fauna and Fezouata Fauna . The first vertebrates. The conquest of the continents. Life in the Mesozoic Era.
The expansion of reptiles. The conquest of the air environment. Life in the Cenozoic Era.
The radiation of the mammals. The origin of Man. The major biological crises and mass extinctions.
The extinctions at the end of the Cambrian, Ordovician, Devonian, Triassic, Cretacic and Quaternary. Causes of extinctions.



Mandatory literature

Moore Raymond C.; Invertebrate fossils
Babin Claude; Principes de paléontologie. ISBN: 2-200-21074-4
Ausich William I.; Life of the past. ISBN: 0-13-896069-0
Chadefaud M.; Traité de botanique systématique
Einsele Gerhard; Sedimentary basins. ISBN: 3-540-66193-X
Vera Torres Juan António; Estratigrafía. ISBN: 84-7207-074-3

Complementary Bibliography

Doyle Peter 1960-; Understanding fossils. ISBN: 0-471-96351-8

Teaching methods and learning activities

In the lectures the exposure of subjects, is performed in power-point datashow and the critical viewing of some short films. At the beginning of the semestre It is provided to students a file containing the summaries of lectures, and copies of slides to be shown, some didactic texts, copy of the essential papers, lists of references relating to the various subjects and report types to be used in TP classes. The theoretical and practical classes as a complement in the transmission of matter given in lectures.

Type of evaluation: Assessment by exam

 

keywords

Natural sciences

Evaluation Type

Evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

designation	Weight (%)
Exame	100,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	0,00
Frequência das aulas	0,00
Total:	0,00

Eligibility for exams

Required frequency in theoretical-practical classes. In order for the student to obtain approval, at least 8 values must be obtained in each of the four components of the modules (theoretical examination of Stratigraphy, theoretical examination of Paleontology, practical examination of Stratigraphy and practical examination of Paleontology)

Calculation formula of final grade

In a total scale of 20 degrees, taking into account the frequency conditions:
theoretical - 14 and practical - 6