PALEOECOLOGIA

Ability to observe and describe the paleontological content included in sedimentary successions. Ability to put forward hypotheses for the interpretation of fossil associations. Ability to put forward hypotheses for the reconstruction of the evolution of sedimentary basins in time and space.

Ecology and palaeoecology. Operative categories. Information on trophic structure, fluxes and functioning in ecosystems. Continental and marine palaeoecology. Main physiographic and depositional units in continental, marine and transitional environments. Biotic and abiotic factors and their variations in time and space. Influence of abiotic factors for the distribution of marine organisms in the different domains with special emphasis on benthic organisms. Benthic organisms and relationships with the substratum. Morphological adaptations for the different habitats. Marine benthic bionomy: qualitative and quantitative models. Zonation in the benthic domain: systems, zones and main biocoenoses having geological interest. Heterogeneous communities and their interest as indicators of tectonic and/or climatic instability. Preservation and possible transformations of benthic biocoenoses during taphonomy. Reworking, bioturbation and time averaging. Fossil associations: typologies and interpretation Information on thaphonomic analysis and on ichnological analysis. Methods for sampling and analysing fossil community successions in the field and in the laboratory. Interpretation of fossiliferous sedimentary successions and reconstruction of the evolution of sedimentary basins though integration of palaeoecology, thaphonomy and ichnology.

Raffi S., Serpagli E. 1993. Introduzione alla Paleontologia. Utet ed.
Briggs D.E.G., Crowter P.R. 1990. Palaeobiology: a synthesis. Blackwell Scientific Publications.
Briggs D.E. & Crowther P.R. (Eds.) 2001–Palaeobiology II. A synthesis. Blackwell Science.
Fortey R. 2002. Fossils: the key to the past. The Living Past Series. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington.
Cognetti G., Sarà M., Magazzù G. 1999. Biologia Marina. Calderoni, Bologna.