Taphonomy and Paleoecology

Objectives

Available soon

General characterization

Code

10936

Credits

6.0

Responsible teacher

Miguel Moreno-Azanza, Octávio João Madeira Mateus

Hours

Weekly - 2

Total - 44

Teaching language

Português

Prerequisites

Available soon

Bibliography

  • Fernández-Jalvo, Y. and Andrews, P., 2016. Atlas of taphonomic identifications: 1001+ images of fossil and recent mammal bone modification. Springer.

  • Behrensmeyer, A. K., Kidwell, S. M., & Gastaldo, R. A. (2000). Taphonomy and paleobiology. Paleobiology, 26(S4), 103-147.

  • Fernández López, S. R. (2000). Temas de tafonomía. (In Spanish)

  • Martin, R. E. (1999) Taphonomy: A Process Approach. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, xvi+ 508 pp.

  • Rogers, R. R., Eberth, D. A., & Fiorillo, A. R. (Eds.). (2010). Bonebeds: genesis, analysis, and paleobiological significance. University of Chicago Press.

Teaching method

Available soon

Evaluation method

Assessment / Evaluation:

40% Tests in Moodle and/or in person
30% Classroom exercises. Reports based on in-class and field taphonomic experiments. All classes may have evaluation exercises.
30% Essay and presentation. 

Subject matter

Theoretical

1 - Taphonomy. Definition and parts. Skeletal composition of fossils. Preservation of microstructures.

2 - Biostratinomy: processes: dissociation, fragmentation, sorting, shell orientation, reworking, shell concentrations. Field questionaries. Fossil assemblages.

3 - Fossildiagenesis: preservative processes: silicification, piritized and phosphated fossils, carbonate dissolution.

4 - Taphonomic feedback. Time averaging. Taphofacies.

5 - Palaeoecology: general concepts. Diversity, equitability, dominance. Main changes in diversity of the fossil record. Massive extinctions: causes and consequences. The K/T boundary.

6 - Trophic structure of ecosystems. Trophic webs. Models in ancient communitties.

7 - Sediment-organism relations. Bioturbation and bioerosion: morphology, classifications. Neoichnology and Palaeoichnology.

8 - Well preserved old ecosystems: Ediacara, Burgess shale, Hunrückschiefer, Mazon Creek, Holzmaden, Solnhofen, Montsec, Santana, Ambar of Balthic.

9 - Ecobiostratigraphy.

10 - Stable isotope technicals applied to palaeoecology.


Labs

1 - Labeled samples of several types of preservation, transportation effects and endogenous biological destruction.

2 - Taphonomical studies in the laboratory: counting shell remains, fragmentation, abrasion, bioerosion, bioencrustation, sorting.

3 - Diversity index, equitability and dominance histograms of samples.

4 - Description of several trace fossils, determination of their behavioral category and palaeoenvironment.

5 - Interpretation of sets of isotopic data from Mollusks.

6 - Field work: taphonomy in shell concentrations of Lisboa marine Upper Miocene.

Programs

Programs where the course is taught: