Syllabus
1. Introduction - the origin of life, Archaic and Proterozoic ecosystems
2. Early Palaeozoic - Cambrium, Ordovicium, evolution explosions, trophic chains, palaeogeography, climatic changes, extinctions, origin of higher taxonomic units
3. Silurian-Devonian, origin of terrestric ecosystems, trophic chains, palaeogeography, climatic changes, extinctions.
4. Carboniferous-Permian, marine and terrestric ecosystems, palaeogeography, climatic changes, extinctions.
5. Mesozoic - Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous, palaeogeography, climatic changes, extinctions.
6. Cenozoic - palaeogeography, climatic changes, extinctions, the origin of Man. Dependencies: Course is following the Historic and Stratigraphic Geology G421P04G and Palaeontology P422P01. Aim: Students will obtain a komplex information about the 4 mld. years history of Life, fossil ecosystem evolution, important points in the Life history, such as mass extinction and/or speciations. Course schedule: 12 2-hour lectures + 12 2-hour practicals Requirements: Presence in the course, essay, examination
Annotation
Students will receive informations about the evolution of global fossil ecosystem from the origin of life to Recent. The organisms evolution is put into context of geological ages.
The relationships of organisms and palaeoenvironment, palaeogeographic and climatic changes, trophic chains, mass extinctions and speciations are discussed.