Behrensmeyer A.K et alii (1992) Terrestrial Ecosystems through Time – Evolutionary paleobiology of terrestrial plants and animals. The University of Chicago Press.
Learning Objectives
Knowledge:
The course is offered to students in Natural Sciences but is of interest also for students in Geological Sciences.
Competence and skills acquired:
The course is aimed to provide the students with the knowledge of timing and patterns of evolutionary history of Terrestrial Ecosystems through time.
Prerequisites
none
Teaching Methods
Class lectures.
Further information
Frequency is not mandatory
Type of Assessment
Oral examination
Course program
The first evidences of terrestrial organisms. Structure of the trophic pyramid during the Paleozoic: changes and complexity of organisms interaction related to the appearance of new dietary strategies. The paleoecology of mass extinctions. Mass extinctions and terrestrial ecosystems structure. Palaeoecological contexts and evolutionary opportunities. Climate change and ecological changes. The role of human impact on terrestrial ecosystems during the Plio-Pleistocene