Details of ES3203 (Spring 2013)

Level: 3 Type: Theory Credits: 3.0

Course CodeCourse NameInstructor(s)
ES3203 Palaeontology Devapriya Chattopadhyay,
Prasanta Sanyal

Syllabus
Paleontology is the study of the history of life. This covers many subjects including the origin of life, evolution, mass extinctions, radiations, paleoecology, exceptional preservation, and functional morphology. Paleontology also contributes to the understanding of Earth Systems history in the study of biostratigraphy, paleobiogeography, paleoenvironmental reconstruction, taphonomy, isotopic analysis. As with many other areas of geology, paleontology sits at the interface between disciplines, in this case biology and geology.
Course content
Introduction: Geologic time scale, Nature of fossil record, Growth and form, Population and species, Systematics, Evolutionary morphology, Evolutionary rates and trends, Diversification, Extinction, Paleoecology, Paleobiogeography, Brief history of life on Earth

References
1.Foote, M. and A. Miller. 2008. Principles of Paleontology. 3rd ed. Freeman, NYC.
2.Prothero, D.R. 2004. Bringing Fossils to Life: An Introduction to Paleobiology. 2nd ed. McGraw-Hill, NYC.
3.David A.T. Harper (Ed), 1999. Numerical PalaeobiologyComputer-based Modelling and Analysis of Fossils and their Distributions. John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, 468 p.

Course Credit Options

Sl. No.ProgrammeSemester NoCourse Choice
1 IP 2 Core
2 IP 4 Elective
3 MS 6 Core
4 RS 1 Elective