Università Roma Tre

Palaeontology, the study of the life of the past, represents the link between biological and geological disciplines. Palaeontology and related disciplines (i.e. palaeoecology and palaeobiogeography), are the key to understand present times. The course will illustrate the genesis of fossils (taphonomy), and the importance of fossils as (1) age indicators (biostratigraphy and biochronology), (2) tools for the reconstruction of the past distribution of emerged lands (palaeobiogeography), and (3) proxies to reconstruct environments and climates of the past (palaeoecology s.l.). Particular attention will be dedicated to detect and discuss the main changes in biodiversity through time (adaptive radiations, extinctions). We will illustrate the principles of scientific classification (nomenclature, taxonomy, parataxonomy, taxonomic schools) and the theory of evolution. The theoretical part will be followed by the discussion on the evolution of selected systematic groups. Some of these taxa will be the subject of detailed studies aimed to their recognition in the field.