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
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Fernández-Jalvo, Y. and Andrews, P., 2016. Atlas of taphonomic identifications: 1001+ images of fossil and recent mammal bone modification. Springer.
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Behrensmeyer, A. K., Kidwell, S. M., & Gastaldo, R. A. (2000). Taphonomy and paleobiology. Paleobiology, 26(S4), 103-147.
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Fernández López, S. R. (2000). Temas de tafonomía. (In Spanish)
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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.