Marine macro-invertebrates and their use for reconstructing the response of marine ecosystems to climate change, and addressing current problems in the conservation and restoration of biodiversity. Comparison of Modern and Pleistocene-Olocene (up to 2.5 myrs) assemblages to assess the ecological response to climate change. Use of the deep-time fossil record (> 2.5 myrs) to analyze the evolutionary response.
Paleoecology: Ecosystems, environments, and evolution. 1998. Patrick J. Brenchley and David A.T. Harper. Chapman & Hall, Thomson Science (Eds.).
Selected papers: available online on the E-learning platform.
Learning Objectives
Use of the fossil record of marine-macroinvertebrates as a tool to undersand the potential response of species to modern and future climate change; identify the main envirnomental stressors; identify which species are more vulnerable to extinctions under changing envirnomental conditions; identfy which facors promote resilience and conservation of ecosystems.
Prerequisites
Paleontology and Geology classes.
Teaching Methods
Contact class with use of blackboard, video-projector for computer, overhead
projector.
Laboratory exercises at research facilities
Practical exercises at teaching laboratories.
Further information
6 CFU, frequency of lessons is highly recommended, but not mandatory.
Type of Assessment
Oral examination with, besides the topics of the class, eventual discussion of a scientific article assigned by the
teacher, draft of an individual research assignment, and its power point presentation.
Course program
Marine macro-invertebrates, and their ecology and evolution, can be used to reconstruct the response of marine ecosystems to climate change, and addressing current problems in the conservation and restoration of biodiversity.The course is subdivided in a theorethical and a practical part.
THEORY:
1) Modern and Pleistocene-Olocene (up to 2.5 myrs) assemblages, their response to climate and anthropogenic change: shell bed taphonomy, life-death assemblage comparison to measure: variations in the taxonomic and ecological structure of marine communities (“biofacies”), variations in biotic intercations (e.g., predation pressure), variations in the growth rate of individual specimens(e.g., sclerochronlogy). Absolute dating of Holocene shells. Physical parameters from shells: stagionality, geochronology, geochemical proxies for environmentalreocnstructions (isotopes and trace elelments). Faunal change and migrations in the MediterraneanSeain the last 2.5 million years (Pleistocene climate oscillations, Lepsian migration).
2) Ecological and evolutionary response on long term environmental and climate change (over 2.5 myrs ago): resilience to climate change, long term stability of ecosystems. Fossil record of biotic invasions. Selectivity of extinctions (loss of taxonomic, ecological and phylogenetic diversity).
PRACTICAL:
1) Field trip. Taphonomy of modern and fossil shell beds.
2) Laboratory. Multivariate statistical methods fo palaeoecological analysis. Measures of turnover. Diversity partitioning.