PALAEO 3000 - Field Palaeontology III
North Terrace Campus - Quadmester 4 - 2024
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General Course Information
Course Details
Course Code PALAEO 3000 Course Field Palaeontology III Coordinating Unit Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Term Quadmester 4 Level Undergraduate Location/s North Terrace Campus Units 3 Contact Up to 63 hours per week Available for Study Abroad and Exchange Y Prerequisites One of PALAEO 3005 or ENV BIOL 2501 or GEOLOGY 2500 Assessment Field & lab book; quizzes, oral presentation Course Staff
Course Coordinator: Associate Professor Diego C Garcia-Bellido
This course is taught by Assoc Prof Diego García-Bellido, Dr Liz Reed, Assoc Prof Lee Arnold, Dr Martina Demuro and Assoc Prof Jeremy Austin.Course Timetable
The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.
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Learning Outcomes
Course Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
1. Recognise sedimentary deposits capable of preserving fossils and apply the principal elements of fossil excavation;
2. Prepare a basic fieldtrip for a palaeontological excavation;
3. Learn how to extract, annotate (context recording), prepare, preserve and catalogue fossils;
4. Understand the multidisciplinary nature of modern palaeontology and the importance of collaborative research;
5. Communicate aspects of palaeontological discovery and heritage to their peers and the community in accessible language.University Graduate Attributes
This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:
University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s) Attribute 1: Deep discipline knowledge and intellectual breadth
Graduates have comprehensive knowledge and understanding of their subject area, the ability to engage with different traditions of thought, and the ability to apply their knowledge in practice including in multi-disciplinary or multi-professional contexts.
1, 3, 4, 5 Attribute 2: Creative and critical thinking, and problem solving
Graduates are effective problems-solvers, able to apply critical, creative and evidence-based thinking to conceive innovative responses to future challenges.
1, 4, 5 Attribute 3: Teamwork and communication skills
Graduates convey ideas and information effectively to a range of audiences for a variety of purposes and contribute in a positive and collaborative manner to achieving common goals.
1, 2, 4, 5 Attribute 4: Professionalism and leadership readiness
Graduates engage in professional behaviour and have the potential to be entrepreneurial and take leadership roles in their chosen occupations or careers and communities.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Attribute 5: Intercultural and ethical competency
Graduates are responsible and effective global citizens whose personal values and practices are consistent with their roles as responsible members of society.
1, 2, 4, 5 Attribute 6: Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural competency
Graduates have an understanding of, and respect for, Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander values, culture and knowledge.
4, 5 Attribute 7: Digital capabilities
Graduates are well prepared for living, learning and working in a digital society.
2, 3, 5 Attribute 8: Self-awareness and emotional intelligence
Graduates are self-aware and reflective; they are flexible and resilient and have the capacity to accept and give constructive feedback; they act with integrity and take responsibility for their actions.
1, 2, 3, 5 -
Learning & Teaching Activities
Learning & Teaching Modes
This course applies the theory and practice of Palaeontology through the direct exposure to South Australia’s best fossil sites, and this field-based observation is later used for class activities. The course will start with an eLecture series (2 x 1-hour lecture equivalents) and eTutorials (4 x 2-hour topic reading sessions done online) and an e-Quiz done via Canvas/MyUni, 1 x 3-hour pre-camp workshop on campus on practical matters related to fieldwork, and develop in the field the following: practical and theoretical aspects (Tuesday-Thursday and Sunday-Tuesday) in 6 x 6-hour fieldwork sessions, 6 x 1-hour lectures, and 6 x 2-hour practicals. “Fieldwork” on Monday and Saturday are intensive field-days (2 x 9 hours) and the first Sunday and last Wednesday are travel-time to and from the fossil places as well as setup and pickup in our accommodation site (4 x 9 hours). The fieldwork sessions will provide first-hand experience on the steps before, during and after fossil site excavations so that students will be capable of organising their own field activity in the future. The lectures will build the student’s knowledge in palaeontology, sedimentology, stratigraphy and evolutionary biology. Students will have 8 x 1-hour units to prepare for their assessments (Field & Lab book and quizzes) and also will undertake 6 x 0.5 hours of small-group research-based project work on a topic related to the theory or practice of palaeontology, based on their field-work, lectures, and practicals. This project will be presented to the class on campus the Saturday after returning from the field (1 x 3-hour session).Workload
The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.
A student enrolled in a 3-unit intensive course, such as this, should expect to spend, on average ~60 hours per week on the studies required. This includes both the formal contact time required to the course (e.g., fieldwork, lectures, and practicals), as well as non-contact time (e.g., reading, writing and revision). The duration of this course is 11 days and 2 partial days (one before and one after the fieldtrip).Learning Activities Summary
Precamp e-Lecture, e-Tutorials, e-Quiz and workshop MUST be completed prior to leaving for the fieldtrip.
Fieldwork will include interpreting and making geological maps, sedimentary rock recognition, description of sediments, measuring thickness, dip and strike of beds, logging of stratigraphic columns and sediment sections, fossil site OH&S aspects, rock splitting, fossil identification and extraction, fossil labelling and packaging.
Lectures will cover subjects such as the geological time scale, major evolutionary radiations and extinctions, fossil types (body fossils, trace fossils, biomarkers...), principal animal groups preserved in the fossil record, taphonomic processes, absolute and relative dating methods, ancient DNA, fossil heritage and palaeontological legislation.
Practicals will cover aspects like invertebrate fossil preparation, vertebrate fossil sorting and consolidation, sieving, microfossil extraction, camera lucida technique, latexing, systematic palaeontological description and synonymy.Specific Course Requirements
This course is a field course, with 95% of activities taking place off campus (Naracoorte). Students will have to cover part of the expenses. A 10% deposited is expected by 1 October to secure the participation, and fees to be paid in full BEFORE the 2 November (one week before the workshop). This will not be refunded if a student decides to unenroll after that date. Students will spend 10 nights away from Adelaide (Sunday 19 to Wedsnesday 29 November). This course requires students to work in small groups (6 and 4–5 students) as part of the fieldwork and practicals and to undertake a research project to be presented orally.
Course prerequisites: Either PALAEO 3005–Geochronology, Fossils and Palaeoenvironments III or ENVBIOL 2501–Evolutionary Biology II or GEOLOGY 2500–Sedimentary Geology II. -
Assessment
The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:
- Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
- Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
- Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
- Assessment must maintain academic standards.
Assessment Summary
Assessment task Type of assessment Percentage of total assessment for grading purposes Outcomes being assessed/achieved Approximate timing of assessment Field and Lab Notebook Formative & Summative 40% 1, 2, 3 Inspected daily, assessed at the end of weeks 1 and 2 e-Quiz Summative 10% 1, 4, 5 Pre-camp Quiz 1 Summative 10% 1, 3, 4 Friday week 1 Quiz 2 Summative 10% 1, 3, 4 Wednesday week 2 Oral presentation Summative 30% 4, 5 Post-camp Assessment Detail
Field and Lab Notebook (40%) – The notebook should describe the student’s daily activities and the analyses and interpretation of their results (>2 pages per day). Progress on these will be informally checked daily and feedback provided. It will be marked during the first weekend and at the end of the course. Final feedback will be available 1–2 weeks after submission.
Quizzes (3, each 10%) – The first will consist of a pre-camp e-Quiz via Canvas, with Quiz 1 and 2 to be completed during the field work periods. The question style will be varied, multiple choice, short answer, and data interpretation. Content will be based on the material covered that week in lecture, field, and practical material. Length of 60 min (each), with Quiz 1 and 2 to be written on hard copy.
Oral presentation (30%) – Each group of 4-5 students will prepare during the course and deliver during the week following the camp an oral presentation on a topic of their choice from a list offered. This task will simulate a conference presentation: 20 minutes with 5 minutes for questions from their peers and staff.Submission
No information currently available.
Course Grading
Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:
M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme) Grade Mark Description FNS Fail No Submission F 1-49 Fail P 50-64 Pass C 65-74 Credit D 75-84 Distinction HD 85-100 High Distinction CN Continuing NFE No Formal Examination RP Result Pending Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.
Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.
Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.
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Student Feedback
The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.
SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
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Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
- Academic Credit Arrangements Policy
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