Evolution of the Phanerozoic biosphere

Duration

20h Th, 2d FW

Number of credits

Lecturer

Valentin Fischer

Language(s) of instruction

English language

Organisation and examination

Teaching in the first semester, review in January

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit contents

Evolution of the phanerozoic biosphere replaces the evolution of ancient ecosystems in their climatic, geographic and tectonic contexts. This course permits to understand the drivers of the great turnovers in phanerozoic life history, using an holistic approach.

• Introduction : Biosphere-geosphere co-evolution; extrinsic factors.
• Extinctions and radiations : concepts, definitions et biases; extinction recolonization processes; conjonctions of causes.
• Origin and context of early animal life. Who, how?
• The colonisation of land. Who, when, what and where?
• Critical analysis of major crises in Phanerozoic life history : end Ordovician, end Devonian, Permian-Triassic, Triassic-Jurassic, Cretaceous-Palaeogene. General evolution of palaeogeography and palaeoclimates 
• 'Pratical course' on palaeobiological data and their treatment. Exemple of the Triassic-Jurassic crisis
• Context of the rises of 'modern' animal lineages. Recent and future extinctions.

Learning outcomes of the learning unit

• Detailed knowledge of the evolution of the biosphere during the Phanerozoic (Palaeogeography, palaeoclimate and palaeoenvironnements, faunas et floras
• Integration of data from distinct disciplines of Earth Sciences to reconstruct this evolution and the events that punctuated it
• Undertanding of the phenomenas of extinction, mass extinction, adaptive radiation and turnover
• Detailed understanding of the biases affecting geological and palaeontological data
• Mastering of the founding principles of quantitative palaeontology

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

Solid notions of geology and palaeozoology.

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

Two hours-lectures where active participation is required to fix the concepts, identify the pitfalls and the complexity of geological and palaeontological data.
One or two 'practical lectures' are given to form an opinion and build a critical analysis of a particular event in the evolution of the biosphere, from primary data.
Two eight hours-field trips complete the course to illustrate key concepts and some events particularly well recorded in Belgian deposits.

Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning)

Face-to-face, lecture delivered in English.
All slides will be deposited on line on MyULg.

Recommended or required readings

Keller & Kerr (eds). 2014. Volcanism, impacts and mass extinctions: causes and effects. Geological Society of America - Special Paper 505. 455pp.
Interesting book albeit a bit old: Lethiers, F., 1998. Evolution de la biosphère et événements géologiques, Gordon and Breach Science Publishers, ISBN : 90-5699-123-X.
Both are available at the Earth Sciences Library.

Assessment methods and criteria

Oral examination on all topics covered by the course; two open questions are asked. Ca. 20 mins of preparation time before the examination.
Attending all fieldwork days is compulsory to pass the exam.
 

Work placement(s)

Organizational remarks

Contacts

Prof V. Fischer
Evolution and Diversity Dynamics Lab. 
Département de Géologie (B18). Quartier Agora, 14, allée du 6 Août, B-4000 Liège, Sart-Tilman.
04 366 52 79
v.fischer@ulg.ac.be

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