55263 - Paleoecology and Paleoclimatology

Learning outcomes

This course provides the basis to understand the relationship between fossil assemblages and past climate changes in the framework of depositional environment. Specifically, the student should be able to 1) analyze microfossil assemblages; 2) interpret palaeontological, geochemical and isotopical data in order to understand past climate and sea-level changes; 3) provide information on past depositional environments by way of the sediment samples' fossil assemblages.

Course contents

Palaeoecology, basis and definition. Continental and marine environments. Zonation of marine environment. Marine organism: distribution, life strategies, fossilization. Response of selected marine fossil assemblages to environmental variations. Relationship between geochemistry and palaeontology in the palaeoenvironmental reconstructions. Main factors driving climate and climate cyclicity. Palaeontological, geochemical and isotopical data to highlight past climate change and cyclicity. Oxygen isotope stratigraphy. Climate variations recorded in sediment successions. Quaternary climate cyclicity and details on last glacial-interglacial cycle. Relationship between variations of climate and sea level. Palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic evolution of the last 200.000 years shown by sedimentological and palaeontological analysis of subsurface successions cored in the Po Plain. Foraminiferal assemblages in recent and past depositional environments.

Laboratory: taxonomy and microscope analyses of foraminifers. Environmental and climatic reconstruction of a sedimentary succession from analyses of foraminiferal assemblages. Benthic foraminiferal associations in subsurface succession of the Po River delta and interpretation of sea level and climate variations. Planktonic foraminifers from samples collected in borehole of the  Tyrrhenian sea and interpretation of palaeoclimate evolution.

Readings/Bibliography

Murray J.W. (1991) - Ecology and Palaeoecology of Benthic Foraminifera. Longman Scientific & Technical, U.K., 397 p.

Raffi S.,  Serpagli E. (1993) – Introduzione alla paleontologia. Utet, 653 p.

Ruddiman W.F. (2008) – Earth's Climate: Past and Future. Freeman, New York, 388 p.

Teaching methods

Theory lessons and laboratory analyses using microscope

Assessment methods

The final test includes both laboratory and theory examinations

The laboratory test consists in microscope analyses of foraminiferal assemblages observed in two samples comparable to those studied during the course. The student will be able to 1) recognize benthic and planktonic foraminifers, and 2) provide palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic interpretation. 

The theory examination consist in an oral test in order to evaluate the learning of the main topic explained during the lessons, with details on methods for palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental reconstruction of a sedimentary succession.

Office hours

See the website of Stefano Claudio Vaiani