The course is designed to 1) advance the knowledge on the identification of major microfossil groups, 2) provide an overview of the potential application of Micropaleontology to Earth Sciences, 3) provide the information necessary for the stratigraphical interpretation of sedimentary sequence and events’ dating, 4) offer useful insights for addressing environmental issues and for the development of georesources. 

Systematic Micropaleontology: foraminifera, calcareous nannoplankton, ostracodes, pteropods, calpionellids, calcareous algae, bryozoa, radiolaria, diatoms, and silicoflagellates, ebridians, conodonts, dinoflagellates, acritarchs, tasmanitids, chitinozoa, spores and pollen. Microfossils’ guide. Assemblages. Biostratigraphic units. Biostratigraphic scales and correlations. Paleoecological, paleogeographic, paleoclimatic and paleoceanographic interpretations. Environmental and georesources applications of Micropaleontology. Field and lab methodological procedures in Micropaleontology. Recognition of the main microfossil microscope.

At the end of the course, the student is expected to have advance the basic knowledge in the field of Micropaleontology, stratigraphy, paleoecology and paleoceanography.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Field and laboratory exercises.

Teaching

The course will take place through continuous interaction between lectures, field and laboratory exercises.

Course books

B. U. Hag & A. Boersma, 1978, Introduction to Marine Micropaleontology, Elsevier North Holland Inc., New York; A. Azzaroli & M.B. Cita, 1979, Geologia Stratigrafica, vol. 1, 2, 3, Istituto Editoriale Cisalpino, Milano; M.B. Cita, 1979, Micropaleontologia, Istituto Editoriale Cisalpino, Milano; D. Brasier, 1980, Microfossils, Allen & Unwin LTD, London; A. Ferrari, 1980, Unità stratigrafiche e correlazioni, Pitagora Editrice, Bologna; H. M. Bolli, J.B. Saunders & K. Perch-Nielsen (eds.), 1985, Plankton Stratigraphy, Cambridge University Press, London; D. Sartorio & S. Venturini, 1988, Southern Tethys Biofacies, AGIP S.p.A., S. Donato Milanese; E. Ferrero Mortara, S. Sampò & R. Tampieri (a cura di), 1989, Foraminiferi. Rassegna sistematica, CLU, Torino; Ch. Hemleben, M. Spindler & O.R. Anderson, 1989, Modern Planktonic Foraminifera, Springer-Verlag, New York; G. Jenkins & J.W. Murray (eds.), 1989, Stratigraphical Atlas of Fossil Foraminifera, (2nd edition), British Micropalentological Society Series; R. Coccioni & M. Perugini, 1990, Manuale pratico di tecniche micropaleontologiche, Centrostampa Università Urbino; J.J. Lee & O.R. Anderson (Eds.), 1991, Biology of Foraminifera, Academic Press, London; J.W. Murray (1991), Ecology and Paleoecology of Benthic Foraminifera, Longman scientific & Technical, Harlow; G. Jenkins (ed.), 1993, Applied Micropaleontology, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht; A. Hailwood & R.K. Kidd (eds.), 1993, High Resolution Stratigraphy, Geological Society Special Publication No. 70, London; P. Lipps (Ed.), 1993, Fossil Prokaryotes and Protists, Blackwell Scientific Pubblications, Cambridge; D.W.J. Bosence & P.A. Allison (eds.), 1995, Marine Palaeoenvironmental Analysis from Fossils, Geological Society Special Publication No. 83, London; R.W. Jones, 1996, Micropaleontology in Petroleum Exploration, Clarendon Press, Oxford; A. Magnilevsky & R. Whatley (eds.), 1996, Microfossilis and Oceanic Environments, University of Wales, Aberystwyth-Press; P.J. Brenchley & D.A.T. Harper, 1998, Palaeoecology: Ecosystem, Environments and Evolution, Chapman & Hall, London; R.E. Martin (ed.), 2000, Environmental Micropaleontology - The Application of Microfossils to Environmental Geology, Kluwer Academic, Plenum Publishers, New York; B.K. Sen Gupta (ed.), 2000, Modern Foraminifera, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht; P.F. Rawson and others, 2001, Stratigraphical Procedure, Geological Society Publishing House, Bath; D.R. Prothero, 2004, Sedimentary Geology, W.H. Freeman; H. Armstrong & M. Brasier, 2005, Microfossils, Blackwell Publishing; A. Bosellini, 2005, Storia Geologica d'Italia - Gli ultimi 200 milioni di anni, Zanichelli; B. McGowran, 2005, Biostratigraphy. Microfossils and Geologic Time, Cambridge University Press; J. Murray, 2006, Ecology and Applications of Benthic Foraminifera, Cambridge University Press; M.J. Benton & D.A.T. Harper, 2009, Introduction to Paleobiology and the Fossil Record, Wiley-Blackwell; Commissione Italiana di Stratigrafia della Società Geologica Italiana - Guida Italiana alla classificazione e alla terminologia stratigrafica. APAT - Dipartimento Difesa del Suolo, Quaderni (serie III), volume 9; Guide Geologiche Regionali, BE-MA Editrice. Course materials also include PowerPoint presentations and reference books in specific topics as addressed during the course.

Assessment

Written and/or oral examination.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Teaching

The course will take place through continuous interaction between lectures, field and laboratory exercises.

Course books

B. U. Hag & A. Boersma, 1978, Introduction to Marine Micropaleontology, Elsevier North Holland Inc., New York; A. Azzaroli & M.B. Cita, 1979, Geologia Stratigrafica, vol. 1, 2, 3, Istituto Editoriale Cisalpino, Milano; M.B. Cita, 1979, Micropaleontologia, Istituto Editoriale Cisalpino, Milano; D. Brasier, 1980, Microfossils, Allen & Unwin LTD, London; A. Ferrari, 1980, Unità stratigrafiche e correlazioni, Pitagora Editrice, Bologna; H. M. Bolli, J.B. Saunders & K. Perch-Nielsen (eds.), 1985, Plankton Stratigraphy, Cambridge University Press, London; D. Sartorio & S. Venturini, 1988, Southern Tethys Biofacies, AGIP S.p.A., S. Donato Milanese; E. Ferrero Mortara, S. Sampò & R. Tampieri (a cura di), 1989, Foraminiferi. Rassegna sistematica, CLU, Torino; Ch. Hemleben, M. Spindler & O.R. Anderson, 1989, Modern Planktonic Foraminifera, Springer-Verlag, New York; G. Jenkins & J.W. Murray (eds.), 1989, Stratigraphical Atlas of Fossil Foraminifera, (2nd edition), British Micropalentological Society Series; R. Coccioni & M. Perugini, 1990, Manuale pratico di tecniche micropaleontologiche, Centrostampa Università Urbino; J.J. Lee & O.R. Anderson (Eds.), 1991, Biology of Foraminifera, Academic Press, London; J.W. Murray (1991), Ecology and Paleoecology of Benthic Foraminifera, Longman scientific & Technical, Harlow; G. Jenkins (ed.), 1993, Applied Micropaleontology, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht; A. Hailwood & R.K. Kidd (eds.), 1993, High Resolution Stratigraphy, Geological Society Special Publication No. 70, London; P. Lipps (Ed.), 1993, Fossil Prokaryotes and Protists, Blackwell Scientific Pubblications, Cambridge; D.W.J. Bosence & P.A. Allison (eds.), 1995, Marine Palaeoenvironmental Analysis from Fossils, Geological Society Special Publication No. 83, London; R.W. Jones, 1996, Micropaleontology in Petroleum Exploration, Clarendon Press, Oxford; A. Magnilevsky & R. Whatley (eds.), 1996, Microfossilis and Oceanic Environments, University of Wales, Aberystwyth-Press; P.J. Brenchley & D.A.T. Harper, 1998, Palaeoecology: Ecosystem, Environments and Evolution, Chapman & Hall, London; R.E. Martin (ed.), 2000, Environmental Micropaleontology - The Application of Microfossils to Environmental Geology, Kluwer Academic, Plenum Publishers, New York; B.K. Sen Gupta (ed.), 2000, Modern Foraminifera, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht; P.F. Rawson and others, 2001, Stratigraphical Procedure, Geological Society Publishing House, Bath; D.R. Prothero, 2004, Sedimentary Geology, W.H. Freeman; H. Armstrong & M. Brasier, 2005, Microfossils, Blackwell Publishing; A. Bosellini, 2005, Storia Geologica d'Italia - Gli ultimi 200 milioni di anni, Zanichelli; B. McGowran, 2005, Biostratigraphy. Microfossils and Geologic Time, Cambridge University Press; J. Murray, 2006, Ecology and Applications of Benthic Foraminifera, Cambridge University Press; M.J. Benton & D.A.T. Harper, 2009, Introduction to Paleobiology and the Fossil Record, Wiley-Blackwell; Commissione Italiana di Stratigrafia della Società Geologica Italiana - Guida Italiana alla classificazione e alla terminologia stratigrafica. APAT - Dipartimento Difesa del Suolo, Quaderni (serie III), volume 9; Guide Geologiche Regionali, BE-MA Editrice. Course materials also include PowerPoint presentations and reference books in specific topics as addressed during the course.

Assessment

Written and/or oral examination.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.