Undergraduate Course: Topics in Palaeobiology and Evolution (EASC10100)
This course will be closed from 31 July 2026
Course Outline
| School | School of Geosciences |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 10 |
ECTS Credits | 5 |
| Summary | This course is designed to introduce you to key topics in evolutionary palaeobiology, with an emphasis of active research topics being undertaken in the School of GeoSciences. We wish you to engage with research level scientific thinking and scholarship by becoming familiar with the primary literature; honing your skills of synthesis, analysis, and critical thinking; and presenting your work to your fellow students using posters and talks in a professional setting. |
| Course description |
This course will deepen understanding of the evolution of life over time and how scientists study fossils, the fossil record, and evolution in deep time. The focus will be on cutting edge palaeontological and geobiological research topics and controversies, particularly those that are being researched by Edinburgh-based scientists. The first five course sessions will each focus on a particular integrative topic. Students will be given a selection of primary literature to read before each session. The session will begin with a short lecture on the week's topic, in which the subject is described, the work being actively undertaken in Edinburgh is summarised, and the primary methods used to the study the topic are outlined. Following the lecture there will be a discussion of the lecture and literature readings, which will then be followed by either a practical exercise in which students get first-hand experience with the research techniques discussed in the lecture, or a group discussion of continuing controversies. Groups and individuals may be asked to make informal oral presentations. The sixth session, if possible under current government guidelines, will be a local fieldtrip in which students identify fossils in the field, use those fossils to reconstruct ancient environments, and produce a field report. The date for the field trip will be determined by tide times and mutual convenience.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | Pass in Palaeontology and Sedimentology (EASC10106), or equivalent is required. |
| Additional Costs | Costs are to be confirmed. They will be reviewed on a yearly basis and are subject to change. Please be aware that students who are taking this course as an elective will pay full price and not a subsidised fee. Field course locations may change for a variety of reasons, including security risks, increased costs or inability to access field locations. Any changes to the main destination of the field course will be announced as soon as possible. |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Prior knowledge of palaeontology and sedimentology is required (to be assessed on a case by case basis). |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Develop a research-level understanding of selected topics from the contemporary palaeontology and evolution literature
- Develop skills of literature synthesis and analysis
- Develop advanced skills in presentation (verbal and powerpoint slides, and poster)
- Acquire and demonstrate skills in techniques to understand biodiversity, evolution, palaeoecology, phylogeny, geochemistry, and/or biochemistry
- Acquire integrated palaeontological field skills (if possible under current government guidelines) and biostratigraphy
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Reading List
Recommended reading
General texts:
Knoll, A.H., Canfield, D.E., and Konhauser, K O., Editors, 2011. Fundamentals of Gebiology, Wiley-Blackwell, Chichester.
Brusatte, S. 2012. Dinosaur Paleobiology, Wiley-Blackwell
Additional primary literature will be provided before each topical session.
http://www.docs.is.ed.ac.uk/docs/library/ResourceLists/Resource_Lists_and_the_Accesible_and_Inclusive_Learning_Policy.pdf
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Presentation skills;
Writing skills;
Critical analysis;
Time management;
Team working;
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| Additional Class Delivery Information |
The course consists of four class sessions, and a 0.5 day fieldtrip.
Primary literature will be provided before each topical session. These will be uploaded on LEARN. Please read this ahead of each session.
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| Keywords | Palaeontology; geobiology; geochemistry; phylogeny; evolutionary dynamics; the fossil record |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Rachel Wood
Tel: (0131 6)50 6014
Email: Rachel.Wood@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Rebecca Steele
Tel:
Email: Rebecca.Steele@ed.ac.uk |
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