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

Schedule

Schedule online

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit contents

Evolution of the Phanerozoic biosphere retraces the evolution of biodiversity in their climatic, geographic, and tectonic contexts. This course investigates the drivers of the great turnovers in the history of Life, over the last ±600 million years, 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 of animal ecosystems. Who, how?
• The colonisation of land. Who, when, what and where?
• Analysis of mass extinctions: end Ordovician, end Devonian, Permian-Triassic, Triassic-Jurassic, Cretaceous-Palaeogene. General evolution of palaeogeography and palaeoclimates 
• Lectures-debates: the Triassic-Jurassic crisis and the Anthropocene and today's extinction

Learning outcomes of the learning unit

On completion of this course, you will be able to:

• clearly visualise the global evolution of the biosphere during the Phanerozoic (Palaeogeography, palaeoclimate and palaeoenvironnements, faunas and floras)
• integrate data from distinct disciplines of Earth Sciences to reconstruct this evolution and the events that punctuated it
• understand the phenomena of extinction, mass extinction, adaptive radiation, and biotic turnover
• understand the biases affecting geological and palaeontological data
• understand the links between global environemental/climate change and biodiversity

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.
Two 'practical lectures' are given to build a critical analysis of a particular event in the evolution of the biosphere, from the lastest primary scientific data available: one of the Late Triassic mass extinction and one on the Anthropocene
Two eight hours-field trips complete the course to illustrate key concepts and some events particularly well recorded in deposits in Belgium and nearby countries.

Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)

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

Organisational adjustments related to the current health context

In the case of orange or red codes for teaching activities:

• The lectures will be recorded and made avalaible for everyone through Prof. Fischer's Youtube Channel
• The "practical lectures" will take the form of an online meeting through LifeSize/Zoom/Skype/Discord.
• Field trips will probably be canceled, unless we can gather there independtly 
• The exam will be online, through LifeSize/Zoom/Skype/Discord.

Recommended or required readings

The entire course is based on the literature, including the most recent papers. Students can ask Prof. V. Fischer to get the .pdfs of each reference used.
Interesting book, albeit a tad old (available at the Earth Sciences Library): Lethiers, F., 1998. Evolution de la biosphère et événements géologiques, Gordon and Breach Science Publishers, ISBN : 90-5699-123-X.

Assessment methods and criteria

Below you will find information on the evaluation methods planned for in-person and remote exams as well as those planned for hybrid sessions. Depending on how the health crisis evolves, the chosen method will be communicated to you no later than one month before the start of the exam session.

Oral examination, two open questions. You have 20 mins of preparation time before the examination, and the examination lasts 20 mins and can be passed either in English or in French.
Attending all field trips is compulsory to pass the exam.

Work placement(s)

Organizational remarks

Contacts

Prof. Valentin 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@uliege.be