Geology 315

Geology 315
INVERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY & PALEOECOLOGY
Spring 2006

Lectures, Exams, Student Presentations
and Reading Assignments

Textbook: Prothero, D.R. 1998. Bringing Fossils to Life.
+ Additional Readings **(see below)
+ "Ecological Services" Exposé (ESE) *(see below)

I. INTRODUCTION TO PALEONTOLOGY

Reading

Jan 23	M	Course introduction	Preface
25	W	Understanding the fossil record	vii-viii; Ch. 1, Art. 1
27	F	Taxonomy & diversity: invert classification I	Ch. 2-4; H/w
30	M	Invertebrate classification II	Disc. of h/w

II. MARINE ECOLOGY AND PALEOECOLOGY

Feb 1	W	Marine ecosystems and trophic relationships	Ch. 8:119-137
3	F	Fossils as paleoenvironmental indicators	Art. 2
6	M	Taphonomy and paleocommunities	Ch. 1,8; Art. 3

III. ORIGIN OF LIFE

Feb 8	W	Precambrian biotas	Ch. 11:190-191, Ch. 19:437-440, Art. 4-5
10	F	Origin of metazoans	Art. 6-7
13	M	Porifera	Ch. 12, Ch. 7:108-110
15	W	Student Presentations	click here for list of readings

IV. CAMBRIAN BIOTAS

Feb 17	F	Annelids	Ch. 8
20	M	Arthropods	Ch. 14
22	W	Communities I: Burgess Shale fauna	Ch. 1:15, Art. 9-10
24	F	Burgess Shale (video)

V. PROTISTS AND CNIDARIA

Feb 27	M	Microfossils: single-celled organisms	Ch. 11, Art. 11
Mar 1	W	Coloniality in Cnidaria	Ch. 12
3	F	Student Presentations	click here for list of readings
6	M	Communities II: ancient v. modern reefs	Ch. 8:138-139, Ch. 12:227-229, Art. 12-13
8	W	Catch-up; review
10	F	MIDTERM EXAM
13-17		SPRING BREAK

VI. LOPHOPHORATES

Mar 20	M	Bryozoa	Ch. 13
22	W	Brachiopods	Ch. 13
24	F	Communities III: Onshore-offshore trends	Ch. 8:143; Art. 14

VII. PALEOBIOGEOGRAPHY

Mar 27	M	Climate and diversity	Ch. 9
29	W	Plate tectonics and paleobiogeography	Ch. 8:141-144; Ch. 9

VIII. MOLLUSCA

Mar 31	F	Bivalves	Ch. 15, Ch. 7:110-111, Art. 15
Apr 3	M	Cephalopods	Ch. 15, Art. 16
5	W	"Incredible Suckers"--cephalopod video	Art. 17
7	F	Gastropods I	Ch. 15, Art. 17
10	M	Gastropods II	Ch. 15, Art. 17

IX. EVOLUTION AND EXTINCTION

Apr 12	W	Principles, patterns, and rates of evolution	Ch. 5
14	F	Speciation and extinction	Ch. 3, 5-6
17	M	Mass extinctions	Ch. 6
19	W	Student Presentations	click here for list of readings

X. TERRESTRIAL ECOLOGY AND PALEOECOLOGY

Apr 21

Communities IV: Terrestrial ecosystems

Ch. 19, Art. 18

XI. ECHINODERMS AND ICHNOFOSSILS

Apr 24	M	Echinoids & Crinoids	Ch. 16
26	W	Trace fossils	Ch. 18
28	F	Communities V: Ichnofacies & diversification of behaviors in marine habitats	Ch. 8:143-147; Art. 19
29	SAT	Field Trip	Required

XII. MICROFOSSILS II

May 1	M	Student Presentations	click here for list of readings
3	W	Graptolites	Ch. 17
5	F	Conodonts & biostratigraphic applications	Ch. 10, 17
8-12		FINAL EXAMS	comprehensive

"Ecological Services" Exposé (ESE)

At the beginning of one class, each of you will be responsible for giving a 3-5 minute exposé about the "ecological services" provided by a particular group of invertebrates. Do NOT give an exposé about the biology of your group; instead you should be prepared to discuss informally how humans benefit from (indeed rely upon) the "flows of materials, energy, and information derived from natural capital stocks." Use of visual aids (e.g., overhead or shortie Power Pt.) is strongly recommended. Please note that the date you select will be the earliest day for your exposé -- but it could be later to allow for flexibility in classroom discussions on preceding topics.

Additional Readings (on e-reserve via blackboard)

1: Allison, P.A. and Briggs, D.E.G. (eds.) 1991. Taphonomy: Releasing the Data Locked
in the Fossil Record.Plenum Press, 560 p.
2: Beerbower J.R. 1968. Search for the Past. Prentice-Hall, 512 p.
3: Black, R.M. 1988. The Elements of Palaeontology 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press, 404 p.
4: Boardman, Cheetham & Rowell. Chapter 12--Annelida:194-204.
5: Bosence, D.W.J. and Allison, P.A. (eds.) 1995. Marine Palaeoenvironmental Analysis from Fossils.
Geological Society, London, 272 p.
6: Briggs, D.E.G. and Crowther, P.R. (eds.) 1990. Palaeobiology: A Synthesis. Blackwell, 583 p.
7: Briggs, D.E.G., Erwin, D.H., and Collier, F.J. 1994. The fossils of the Burgess Shale.
Smithsonian Institution Press, 238 p.
8: Brusca, R.C. and Brusca, G.J. 1990. Invertebrates. Sinauer Associates, 922 p.
9: Clarkson, E.N.K. 1993. Invertebrate Palaeontology and Evolution. 3rd ed. Allen & Unwin, 382 p.
10: Dodd, J.R. and Stanton, R.J. 1990. Paleoecology, Concepts and Applications. 2nd ed. Wiley, 557 p.
11: Donovan, S.K. (ed.) 1991. The Processes of Fossilization. Columbia University Press, 303 p.
12: Fairbridge, R.W. and Jablonski, D. 1979. The Encyclopedia of Paleontology. Dowden,
Hutchinson & Ross, 886 p.
13: Haq, B.U. and Boersma, A. 1978. Introduction to Marine Micropaleontology. Elsevier, 376 p.
14: Margulis, L. and Schwartz, K.V. 1988. Five Kingdoms: An Illustrated Guide to the Phyla of
Life on Earth. 2nd ed. Freeman, 376 p.
15: Moore, R.C. (ed.) Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology. Part A-X. University of Kansas Press.
16: Moore, R.C., Lalicker, C.G. and Fisher, A.G. 1952. Invertebrate Fossils. McGraw-Hill.
17: Murray, J.W. (ed.) 1985. Atlas of Invertebrate Macrofossils. Longman Scientific & Technical, 241 p.
18: Newton, C.R. and Laporte, L.F. 1989. Ancient Environments. 3rd ed. Prentice-Hall, 178 p.
19: Nield, E.W. and Tucker, V.C.T. 1985. Paleontology, An Introduction. Pergamon Press, 178 p.
20: Raup, D.M. and Stanley, S.M. 1978. Principles of Paleontology. 2nd ed. Freeman, 481 p.
21: Simpson, G.G. 1983. Fossils and the History of Life. Scientific American Books, 239 p.
22: Valentine, J.W. 1985. Phanerozoic Diversity Patterns. Princeton University Press, 441 p.

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