A problem-oriented teaching approach will allow students to ask questions about the evolutionary history of a group of their choosing, and then attempt to...

Biodiversity and Macroevolutionary Patterns A (GEOL0021)

A problem-oriented teaching approach will allow students to ask questions about the evolutionary history of a group of their choosing, and then attempt to answer such questions using the methods discussed in the course.

The aims are to provide students with:

• A working knowledge of how phylogenetic trees are constructed, and the strenghts and weaknesses of analytical methods;

• An understanding of the role of phylogenetic trees in palaeontological research (e.g. biodiversity, divergence date estimates, biogeography etc.);

• A practical insight into the different methodologies used for reconstructing macroevolutionary patterns throughout time

• A clear appreciation of the history of life during the Phanerozoic, especially with regard to large-scale macroevolutionary patterns such as mass extinction events and the impact of geological/climatic change on organismal distributions.

A hands on, microscope-based course, which introduces students to biological remains that we find in sediments. Students will learn how to identify a range of...

Biological Indicators of Environmental Change (GEOG0122)

A hands on, microscope-based course, which introduces students to biological remains that we find in sediments. Students will learn how to identify a range of fossils and their uses in inferring past environments.

The course aims:

- to introduce students to the range of biological indicators used for determining environmental change
- to provide students with practical skills in the identification of biological indicators of environmental change
The course aims to cover the variety of biological indicators used in both present-day aquatic ecosystem monitoring and in assessing past conditions using a palaeoecological approach.
A selection from the following biological indicators are covered:
- diatoms
- pollen
- plant macrofossils
- chironomids
- ostracods
- foraminifera

The course is based upon a 5 hr combined lecture and practical class which enables us to integrate the lectures and the practicals