Exceptional Fossil Biotas and Mass Extinctions

Period: first semester

Course units contents:

The main contents provided by the course are the following:
1. Quality and completeness of the fossil record: insights into taphonomy;
2. Fossil fakes and hoaxes
3. Pseudofossils
4. The most important Fossil-Lagerstätten worldwide from the Precambrian to the Pleistocene
5. Italian paleontological sites
6. Bioevents: mass extinctions and adaptive radiations; Lazarus taxa and Elvis taxa.
7. Excursions to the Fossil-Lagerstatte of Pesciara di Bolca and its museum and to the museum and quarries of S. Anna d'Alfaedo (VR)

Planned learning activities and teaching methods:  Lectures and exercises in the classroom and/or at the Museum of Nature and Humankind (University of Padova). Classroom discussion. Assignment of scientific articles for the preparation of an oral presentation. Field exercise during the visit to the Fossil-Lagerstatte of Bolca (VR) and to the quarries and Museum of Sant'Anna d'Alfaedo. During the hours of exercise, activities on original fossil finds are foreseen.

The use of any Artificial Intelligence tools is prohibited for the entire duration of the course.
In addition to contacting the course instructor, students with disabilities, Specific Learning Disorders (SLD), Special Educational Needs (SEN), and other health conditions can reach out to the Student Services Office - Inclusion Unit to receive more information about opportunities to access teaching with specific support and tools.