Course overview
This course aims to provide students with an in-depth theoretical and practical understanding of the techniques and steps involved in the search, survey, excavation, preparation, curation and management of invertebrate and vertebrate fossils and sites. The main part of the course is 11 days staying off campus, centered around the Naracoorte Caves UNESCO World Heritage site with its renowned Pleistocene-Holocene terrestrial vertebrates and Miocene marine invertebrates.
- Introduction
- Data gathering and science communication
- MODULE 3a - Invertebrate palaeontology
- MODULE 3b - Vertebrate palaeontology
Course learning outcomes
- Recognise sedimentary deposits capable of preserving fossils and apply the principal elements of fossil excavation
- Apply the principles of fossil excavation in the field and understand the multidisciplinary nature of modern palaeontology.
- Understand and apply how to collect and annotate data (context recording), prepare, preserve and catalogue fossils in the field.
- Describe the diversity and chronological context of South Australia’s palaeontological heritage.
- Communicate aspects of palaeontological discovery and heritage to their peers and the community in accessible language
Degree list
The following degrees include this course