Paleobotany and Palynology
Code
10930
Academic unit
Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia
Department
Departamento de Ciências da Terra
Credits
6.0
Teacher in charge
Fernando Henrique da Silva Reboredo, Ligia Nunes de Sousa Pereira de Castro
Weekly hours
3
Teaching language
Português
Objectives
Provide basic training for the characterization of the general aspects of the evolution of plants and Dinoflagellates (group of organisms studied by plactónicos Palynology) throughout Earth''''s history and its importance for the stratigraphy paleoenvironments and paleoclimatology
Subject matter
Theoretical
1 - Introduction. General aspects of Paleobotany and Palynology. Historical aspects. Systematics, taxonomy and nomenclature. Methods and techniques of study in Paleobotany and Palynology.
2 - Overview of the morphology of plants. Morphology of leaves, stems, spores and pollen. Dinoflagellates.
3 - Fossilization of the plants.
4 - Methods of collection, preparation and study. Construction of pollen diagrams and their interpretation. Palynofacies.
5 - Overview of paleoecology. Dinoflagellates and plant fossils as environmental and climate indicators. Climatic curves.
6 - Classification of dinoflagellate cysts and plants.
7 - Evolution of dinoflagellates and plants in time. Origin of terrestrial vegetation. General aspects of the plants of the Paleozoic and Mesozoic. Origin and expansion of angiosperms. The vegetation of the Cenozoic. Progressive degradation of vegetation in Europe during the Quaternary. Establishment of the Mediterranean vegetation.
Practices
Treatment of samples for dinoflagellate cysts, spores and pollen. Obtaining palynological contents. Preparation of thin sections for pollen analysis. Observation under an optical microscope; palynofacies, some forms of identification.
Note macroremains plant collections representing the evolution of vegetation over time.
Bibliography
Brown, C. A. (2008) – Palynological techniques. Amer. Ass. Strat. Palynology Foundation.
Davis, P. & Kendrick, P. (2004) – Fossil plants (living past). The Natural History Museum, 192 p.
Hesse, M., Halbritter, H., Zetter, R., Weber, M., Buchner, R. Frosch-Radivo, A. & Ulrich, S. (2009) – Pollen terminology. An illustrated handbook. Springer, 259 p.
Jansonius, J. & Mcgregor, D.C. (1996) - Palynology: principles and applications. Volume 1 - Principles. A.A.S.P. Foundation: 462 p.
Lemoigne, Y. (1988) – La flore au cours des temps géologiques. Geobios, Lyon, mém. spécial nº 10, T. I, 384 p., T. II, 296 p.
Meyen, S. V. (1987) – Fundamentals of palaeobotany. Chapman and Hall, London, 432p.
Renault-Miskovsky, J. & Petzol, M. (1989) – Spores et pollen. La Duraulié, Paris, 360 p.
Simpson, M. (2006) – Plant systematics. Elsevier Academic Press, 590 p.
Sousa, L.; Rivas-Carballo, M.R. & Pais, J. (1999) - Dinoflagelados. Nomenclatura portuguesa. Ciências da Terra, 13: 35-57.
Taylor, T. N., Taylor, E. & Krings, M.(2009) – Paleobotany. The biology and evolution of fossil plants. Second Edition. Elsevier, 1230 p.
Teixeira, C. & Pais, J. (1976) – Introdução à paleobotânica. As grandes fases da evolução dos vegetais. Ed. autores, Lisboa, 210 p.
Traverse, A. (1988) – Paleopalynology. Unwin Hyman, 600 p.
Evaluation method
Continuous assessment in two components:
Individual Report - each with 30% of the final classification ( theoretical-practical or TP)
Work development and oral presentation and discussion - 35%+35% of the final classification (T).
Final rating: (0.30*Report) + (0.35*Written work) + (0.35*Oral presentation and discussion of written work). Approval requires a minimum score of 9.5 (scale of 20 values) for each component (theoretical-practical and theoretical).
Students without approval in the continuous assessment will be submitted to exam. Rating equal to 0.7*Exam+0.3*classification of theoretical-practical. Approval with a minimum grade of 9.5 (scale of 20 values)