GEOL 4390 - Paleontology and Stratigraphy

4 unit(s)

Paleontology, the study of fossils, includes fossil preservation, identification, paleoecology, and evolution. Stratigraphy, the distribution of sedimentary rocks in time and space, includes stratigraphy based on rocks, fossils, chemical, and geophysical properties. Lab and field exercises.

Prerequisites: GEOL 4380 or consent of instructor.

Hours: (Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 3 hours, including required field trips)

Course Learning Outcomes List
Students will be able to:

Understand the differences between scientific theories and religious beliefs and the role of honesty and ethics in science;
Understand the importance of sedimentary geology and the possible careers;
Know basics of paleontology: taphonomy (study of death, burial, preservation); major groups and evolution; paleoecology; paleoclimate; paleobiogeography;
Identify common invertebrate and vertebrate fossils;
Use fossils for biostratigraphic, paleoclimatic, paleoenvironmental, and paleobiogeographic interpretations;
Know how to legally collect, and properly identify and curate vertebrate fossils;
Know basic concepts and techniques in stratigraphy: lithostratigraphy, biostratigraphy, sequence stratigraphy, geophysical and chemostratigraphic correlation, geochronology, and chronostratigraphy;
Measure, describe, and correlate stratigraphic sections in the field;
Describe and interpret stratigraphic sequences from well logs and geophysical logs;
Use the professional literature. Students will access (via online and from print journals and books), read, comprehend, and correctly cite the scientific literature in their field reports, oral presentations, and papers;
Oral presentation (using PowerPoint) critically evaluate new discoveries in paleontology and stratigraphy; and,
Participate in field exercises, take professional-level field notes, and write field reports incorporating scientific literature.

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