MICROPALEONTOLOGY APPLIED TO CLIMATE CHANGE

Course objectives

Objectivies Basic knowledge of microfossils and their applications in paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic fields. Identification of the most significant ecological groups of foraminifers. Knowledge of the most common methods on the microfossils studies. Analysis for the stratigraphical, paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic reconstructions. Learning outcomes: Skills and Attributes: Successful students will be able to apply benthic and planktic foraminifers as proxies for paleoclimatic and paleoecological reconstructions. At the end of the course the average student will be able to do a micropaleontological analyses on incoherent e coherent materials by mean of the most common ecological foraminiferal groups, and to reconstruct a paleoclimatic curve. They will be able to do a n environmental characterization and to apply the biomonitoring methods.

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FABRIZIO LIRER Lecturers' profile

Program - Frequency - Exams

Course program
Introduction to the course on Micropalaeontology applied to Climate Change. The importance of Micropalaeontology and microfossils for the study of the Earth System. General introduction to microfossils. Planktonic foraminifera, major evolutionary changes, palaeoecology and index fossils. Introduction to Mediterranean oceanography. The Geological Time Scale: from Biostratigraphy to Cyclostratigraphy. Introduction to dating methods. Climate change and the forces that control it. From the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) to the main climate changes documented in the geological record that have had an impact on ecosystems. Use of microfossils, with particular reference to planktonic foraminifera, for the study of climate change in the geological past. Methods of sampling and laboratory preparation for micropalaeontological analysis using a stereomicroscope. Practical exercise using a stereomicroscope for the identification of planktonic foraminifera and palaeoenvironmental/palaeoclimatic interpretation of the samples analysed.
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of Biology and Earth Sciences
Books
Material provided by the lecturer and made available on the Sapienza Moodle e-learning platform. Paleontology Manual – Edition published by the Italian Paleontological Society Planktic Foraminifers in Modern Ocean – Ralf Schieber & Christoph Hemleben - Springer
Frequency
The frequency is strongly recommended
Exam mode
Assessment of learning outcomes, aimed at verifying the knowledge acquired during the course, will take place 1) through activities using a stereomicroscope aimed at the quantitative analysis of planktonic foraminifera associations for the reconstruction of climate oscillations. After acquiring the basics for the recognition of individual species, each student will have a sample to analyse throughout the course; 2) oral exam on the topics covered during the course.
Lesson mode
(6 lectures) = 48 hours
  • Lesson code10620456
  • Academic year2025/2026
  • CourseGeological Sciences
  • CurriculumSingle curriculum
  • Year1st year
  • Semester2nd semester
  • SSDGEO/01
  • CFU6