| Unit name | Palaeobiology and Palaeoenvironments |
|---|---|
| Unit code | EASC20057 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Cunningham |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
Successful completion of a Year 1 Earth Sciences programme. |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | School of Earth Sciences |
| Faculty | Faculty of Science |
Why is this unit important?
This unit introduces a variety of key skills in palaeontological analysis. Students will be introduced to a range of methods and will learn to apply them in practice in the laboratory and field. Topics covered include taphonomy, the quality of the fossil record, systematics, evolutionary morphology, stratigraphy, and palaeoecological and palaeoenvironmental analysis.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This unit is designed for students in on the Palaeontology and Evolution degree programmes. It provides in-depth training in analytical techniques in palaeontological analysis and their application in the field. Students will build on their learning in this unit as they move on to the specialist palaeontological units in the third year of the Palaeontology and Evolution programme.
An overview of content
Classes will introduce palaeontological techniques and their practical application. Practical classes will support the lecture material and students will undertake their own analyses. Topics will include:
Students will undertake a field course devoted to palaeontological, sedimentological and stratigraphic field observations. The location of the field course will vary between years. Students will apply the skills they have learned in the classroom and acquire the field skills necessary for:
How will students be different as a result of the unit?
Students will have gained the knowledge, skills and confidence to carry out a wide range of palaeontological analyses and to apply these in a variety of contexts.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
Teaching will combine fieldwork, practicals and lectures. Practicals and fieldwork will consolidate lecture material and provide inquiry- and problem-based exercises, with some applied content. Guided background reading will also be provided.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative)
The practical and field classes build on content of the lectures, helping you apply your knowledge and gain practical skills in informal settings with access to the lecturers and demonstrators. Informal feedback will be provided during the practical classes and field course. You will receive written formative feedback on an exercise based on one of the practical classes.
Tasks which contribute towards your unit mark
Penalties for exceeding the specific word and/or page limit will be applied.
Students who cannot engage in field work may be required to complete alternative activities, either during the academic year or subsequently, in order to meet intended learning outcomes of the unit, prepare them for subsequent units and to satisfy accreditation requirements.
When assessment does not go to plan
The University's Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes outline the requirements for progression on and completion of degree programmes. Students who miss an exam and self-certify their absence may complete a supplementary assessment for an uncapped mark as if taken for the first time. Resit and supplementary exams are habitually taken during the reassessment period later in the summer. As far as is practicable and appropriate, resit and supplementary assessments will be in the same form as the original assessment but will always test the same intended learning outcomes as the initial missed or failed assessment. In the case of group work, failure by a whole group would result in an appropriate group task being set and reassessed for all group members. If a single student fails a group assessment or is unable to participate for an evidenced reason, an individual reassessment will be set.
There are rigorous and fair procedures in place to support students who are ill or whose studies and assessments are affected by exceptional circumstances.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. EASC20057).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
