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CODE 114509
ACADEMIC YEAR 2024/2025
CREDITS
SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINARY SECTOR GEO/01
TEACHING LOCATION
  • GENOVA
SEMESTER 1° Semester
TEACHING MATERIALS AULAWEB

OVERVIEW

The teaching focuses on the main paleontological applications which in the world of industry are today closely linked to issues of sustainability, environmental change and are based on accurate analyzes of sediments to reconstruct the evolution of life over geological time and the recognition of depositional environments in both marine and continental contexts.

Microfossils are particularly important in applied fields from biostratigraphy to paleoecology, from paleoclimatology to paleobiogeography, from drilling for subsurface investigation to integrated analyzes of depositional basins.

The course will be strongly focused on the analysis of microfacies fine insertion and the recognition of the main fossils in washed samples where picking becomes an excellent working tool for biostratigraphic application.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The student must be able to integrate the knowledge acquired in previous years of geology and paleontology and to reason on biostratigraphic, paleoecological and facies analysis interpretations. The student will be able to correlate associations with different microfossils in space and time and to associate these variations with paleoenvironmental variations at a basin scale. Most of the laboratories will be carried out with microscopic activities on thin and washed sections, and the student will have to be able to define the age and depositional environment of the samples viewed, he will also have to examine any contamination and be able to present his results in written form with adequate language skills.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

the student will be able to describe, recognize and correctly classify the main groups of fossils both in loose sediments and in thin sections with a high degree of resolution on both a biostratigraphic and paleoenvironmental basis, knowing how to identify eustatic oscillations and environmental changes.

The student will be able to discuss application aspects of the sample under examination in the field of georesources and in detailed biostratigraphic contexts.

The student will have to acquire specific technical competence for the morphological description of organisms and be able to prepare written papers with a careful discussion of the results obtained.

PREREQUISITES

Metazoans systematics is necessary so it is recommended to have a broad knowledge on sedimentary rocks and their components on loose material as well as thin sections.

TEACHING METHODS

frontal class, practicals and microscope training activities, field activities.

Students who have valid certification of physical or learning disabilities on file with the University and who wish to discuss possible accommodations or other circumstances regarding lectures, coursework and exams, should speak both with the instructor and with Professor Sara Ferrando (sara.ferrando@unige.it), the Department’s disability liaison.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Sedimentation processes and sedimentary cycle

microfacies analysis and recognition of biotic and abiotic components

prospecting applications: applied and integrated biostratigraphy, biosteering, recognition of cuttings and carvings, permeability/porosity curves

paleoenvironmental applications, analysis of biodiversity, paleoecology, evolution and stratigraphy.

paleontological applications on basin analysis: notes on sequential stratigraphy and sequential biostratigraphy.

field activities linked to the sampling, sieving and picking process.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Scholle, P. and Scholle, D. 2003. a colour guide to the Petrography of Carbonate rocks: Grains, Textures, Porosity and diagenesis. AAPG, USA.

Armstrong, H. and Brasier, M. 2016. Microfossils. Blackwell publishing.

McGowran, B. 2000. Biostratigraphy.

Fluegel, E. 2011. Microfacies of carbonare rocks. Springer.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

ANTONINO BRIGUGLIO (President)

LESSONS

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The examination will be oral only and will include the discussion of paleontological material on the microscope.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

the student will be able to demonstrate his understanding and interpretation of paleontological information discussed during classes and practicals, as well as in the field.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Students with a certification of physical or learning disability filed with the University can find information on support services at the web page https://unige.it/disabilita-dsa/studenti-disturbi-specifici-apprendimento-dsa, provided by the "Services for the Inclusion of Students with Disabilities and with Learning Disorders." They can also contact Professor Sara Ferrando (sara.ferrando@unige.it), the Distav contact for disabilities.

Agenda 2030 - Sustainable Development Goals

Agenda 2030 - Sustainable Development Goals
Quality education
Quality education
Affordable and clean energy
Affordable and clean energy
Industry, innovation and infrastructure
Industry, innovation and infrastructure
Responbile consumption and production
Responbile consumption and production
Climate action
Climate action
Life below water
Life below water
Life on land
Life on land