Earth History and Palaeontology - 2025 entry

In this module you will learn why an understanding of stratigraphical and palaeontological principles is central to understanding Earth’s history and the rock record. You will examine the stratigraphic toolbox available to geologists, and how you can apply it to understand geological events in the past, including plate tectonics, climate change, the origin of life on Earth and its evolution through time. You will explore the key fossil groups and how their occurrence in rocks is used to date the geological record, to determine past environmental conditions and to improve our understanding of a range of fascinating time periods including Snowball Earth, mass extinctions and the palaeoecology of ancient animal communities.

The aim of this module is to introduce students to Earth history, the evolution of life on Earth and the principles of stratigraphy, and the application of both stratigraphy and palaeontology in geoscience.

On successful completion of this module, you should be able to:

Module Specific Skills and Knowledge:

1. understand the principles of (a) lithostratigraphy, (b) biostratigraphy, (c) chronostratigraphy, (d) geochronology, (e) isotope-stratigraphy, (f) magnetostratigraphy, (g) event stratigraphy and (h) cyclostratigraphy using relevant case studies from the rock record;

2. be able to describe and identify a range of both body and trace fossils, and their preservation and significance;

3. determine environment of deposition using a rock’s fossil assemblage.

4. describe and explain of the evolution of life on Earth, and Earth history, using stratigraphic evidence from the rock record.

5. with guidance, communicate ideas effectively by written, oral and visual means.

6. work collaboratively with members of peer group.

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.

• ELE CSM1044, with extensive notes for lectures, extra resources, links to further web-based resources and textbook reading, in addition to recommended key textbooks.

Reading list for this module: