Field paleobiology 1400-226PT
This course will take place either at the site of Miedary, near Tarnowskie Góry, or at the site of Krasiejów, near Opole, for a period of two weeks. Field work is performed for at least 6 hours every day. While digging, the students will find and collect numerous bones of reptiles and labyrinthodont amphibians. Students will also find lungfish, ganoid fish, and bivalves. During the course, students will become familiar with various aspects of the evolution of the biosphere during the Triassic period, especially in the context of Polish fossils. Students will learn how to spot, collect, and preserve fossils. They will learn about the different methods of interpreting the fossil record. During the first week, the course participants will prepare a scientific presentation on a chosen article about Triassic fossils from Silesia from among those proposed by the instructor. In the second week, students will prepare a project based on the fossils they find. They will apply research methods learnt during the course. Students will present their results as an oral presentation at the end of the course. The course is taught in English.
Main fields of studies for MISMaP
geology
applied geology
geography
biology
environmental protection
Type of course
Mode
Prerequisites
Prerequisites (description)
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
Upon completion of the course, the student will:
- be able to prepare a good and clear scientific presentation (K_U08);
- know how to catalogue biological materials (K_W16);
- be able to distinguish between biocenosis and taphocenosis (K_W09);
- be able to individually retrieve and preserve a fossil (K_U02);
- know about selected topics on the evolution of Triassic ecosystems (K_W12).
Assessment criteria
A successful completion of the course will be subject to the student’s participation in a two-week excavation and preparation of two presentations (literature seminar and presentation of the project results). During the course, the student will receive three partial grades based on a literature seminar, project, and activity during the course. On this basis, a final grade will be calculated. The student’s language skills are not taken into account for their assessment.
Bibliography
Dzik, J. 2011. Dzieje życia na Ziemi. Wprowadzenie do paleobiologii (wyd. 4 zmienione). 577 pp. Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, Warszawa.
Dzik, J. i T. Sulej. 2007. A review of the early Late Triassic Krasiejów biota from Silesia, Poland. Palaeontologia Polonica 64: 1–27.
Krebs, Ch. J., 2011. Ekologia. Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, Warszawa.
Sulej, T., Niedźwiedzki, G., Niedźwiedzki, R., Surmik, D. i M. Stachacz. 2011. Nowy zespół kręgowców z marginalnomorskich i lądowych osadów dolnego kajpru (ladyn, środkowy trias) z Miedar na Śląsku. Przegląd Geologiczny 59: 426–430.
and the literature provided by the instructor.
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: