06331 - Historic Geology

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student has the elements to fully understand the importance of time in developing all the geological processes that changed the planet Earth until to take on its present look, and to be able to see the history of our planet as a dynamic whole in which the interaction between geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere are important at varying time scales. The student will be able to: - place the events that have taken place in the history of our planet in the right temporal succession; - realize the importance of using chronostratigraphic units, and the historical reasons that have contributed to their development as tools of correlation at global level.

Course contents

Introduction to the Historical Geology.

The geological reasoning in science philosophy. Short mention on the history of Geology. Time and its measurements, time in geology. Mention of the main geologic methods used for defining temporal relationships. Main methods used for rock dating. Chronostratigraphy. Definition of GSSPs according to the International stratigraphic guide.

Origin of the universe. The solar system, and the formation of planet Earth.

Subdivision of the geological time according to the International Chronostratigaphic Chart. For each major unit listed below, the origin of the name, original definition, subdivision in minor units, historic reference, definition of GSSPs, and list of main events will be given

Hadean: formation of the Moon, first terrestrial atmosphere, Jack Hills zircons.

Archean: composition of the atmosphere; first continents, and Archean shields; composition of the greenstone belts; an example of Archean continental crust, the Pongola Basin (south Africa); origin of life; first fossils; stromatolites; BIF; sulphur cycle and oxygen; beginning of plate tectonics; geochemistry of the Archean mantle.

Proterozoic: origin of eukariotes; Proterozoic fossils; change of composition of the atmosphere; production of oxygen; the Sudbury Impact Basin; the Wopmay orogen; snowball Earth; Ediacaran biota; first trace fossils; first skeletal mineralization; Cadomian orogeny.

Main methods for palaeographic reconstruction.

Phanerozoic: main events, and subdivisions.

The Palaeozoic Era: some general information, and subdivision.

Cambrian: the Cambrian “explosion” of life; main metazoan groups; early chordates and vertebrates; Burgess shale biota; palaeogeography; examples of Italian Cambrian rocks.

Ordovician: palaeogeography; position of the Ordovician South Pole; main groups of fossils; fossils used in Ordovician biostratigraphy; evolution of fish; advent of terrestrial vascular plants; appearance of terrestrial insects; eustatic sea level changes; Late Ordovician glaciation; Late Ordovician mass extinction; examples of Ordovician Italian rocks.

Silurian: Murchison-Sedwick controversy; problems concerning the definition of stages; palaeogeography; Caledonian orogeny; main fossils groups; first placoderm fish; diffusion of fish and eurypterids in fresh water; diffusion of terrestrial plants; examples of Silurian rocks in Italy.

Devonian: Great Devonian controversy; paleogeography; Variscan orogeny; evolution of Devonian fish; evolution of the jawed fish; the Strud nursery; Devonian reefs; main Devonian fossil groups; evolution of terrestrial plants: Rhynia, sphenopsid, lycopodiales, first seed ferns; advent of Amphibians (Eusthenorpteron, Tiktaalik, Acanthostega, Ichthyostega); first insect with wings; Frasnian-Famennian mass extinction; Late Devonian climate cooling; end Devonian extinction; examples of Devonian Italian rocks.

Carboniferous: palaeogeography; eustatic sea level changes and glaciation; faunal recovery after the end Devonian extinction; the Carboniferous conodont animal and the disclosure of a palaentological mystery; fusulinids in the frame of foraminiferal evolution; Carboniferous flora, formation of coal deposits; insects and Amphibians; the Romer “gap” and the Amphibians evolution; amount of atmospheric oxygen; the amniotic egg and the evolution of reptiles; Carboniferous rainforest collapse; examples of Carboniferous sequence in Italy.

Permian: palaeogeography, Permian Pangea; oceanic currents and climate; Permian evaporites: Zechstein Sea, Hallstatt halite, evaporites of the Bellerophon Formation; marine fauna; Permian flora, ginkophyta and cycadophyta; terrestrial fauna; amphibians and reptiles; mammalian-like reptiles; the end Permian mass extinction and its possible causes; examples of Permian rocks in Italy.

The Mesozoic Era and its subdivisions.

Triassic: palaeogeography; Cimmerian orogeny; recovery of fauna after the severe end Permian mass extinction; evolution of forams, bivalvia, ammonites; the new reef builders; advent of marine reptiles, flying reptiles, and turtles; first dinosaurs; first mammalians; end Triassic mass extinction; examples of Italian Triassic rocks.

Giurassic: palaeogeography, the opening of the Atlantic Ocean; ammonoid biozonation and provincialism; advent of calcareous nannoplancton; evolution of planctic forams; early belemnites; marine reptiles; bivalvia; Triassic flora; Triassic dinosaurs; Triassic mammalians; flying reptiles; the first birds; examples of Italian Giurassic rocks.

Cretaceous: problems in defining the base; paleogeography; sea level rise, oceanic spreading, and black shales; diffusion of the calcareous plancton; advent of the centrales diatoms; marine reptiles; flying reptiles; birds; ceratopsian and other dinosaurs; the first placental mammals; first angiosperms and coevolution of insects; end Cretaceous mass extinction; examples of Italian dinosaurs.

The Cenozoic Era and its subdivisions.

Paleogene: palaeogeography; Paleogenic climate; paleocenic fauna and flora; Eocene palaeogeography; evolution of the poaceae; evolution of whales; bat and other Eocenic mammals; evolution of Equidae, relationship between evolution of Equidae and poaceae; Paleocenic and Eocenic giant birds; fossils from Bolca, and other Eocenic Lagerstätten; diffusion of Nummulites; Oligocenic palaeogeography; formation of the Anctartic ice cap; Oligocenic mammals; examples of Italian Paleogenic rocks.

Neogene: Alpine Orogeny; Miocene palaeogeography; oceanic currents during the Pliocene; formation of the Panama isthmus; Miocenic fauna; Miocenic and Pliocenic mammals; evolution of australopithecine; examples of Italian Neogenic rocks, the Messinian salinity crisis.

Quaternary: mention of the Quaternary dating methods; the Antropocene problem; palaeogeography; Quaternary glaciations; mammals fauna; short mention of human evolution and migration; the Younger Dryas event; the Little Ice Age; the future Earth.

Readings/Bibliography

Suggested book: Earth System History, Fourth edition, by Steven M. Stanley, and John A. Luczaj Macmillanlearning. The book includes tests and questions useful for verifying the knowledge.

For an in-depth study of palaeogeography is suggested: Earth history and palaeogeography, by Trond H. Torsvik, and L. Robin M. Cocks, Cambridge University Press.

Teaching methods

Frontal lessons. Participation is highly suggested, but t is not essential for passing the examination.

Assessment methods

Oral examination. For the evaluation the general understanding and knowledge reached by the student will be considered.

Teaching tools

PDFs of the lessons given by the teacher during the course

Scientific papers for further study on some topics will be given by request.

Office hours

See the website of Claudia Spalletta