UNIVERSITY OF MADRAS
B.Sc. DEGREE COURSE IN MARINE SCIENCE
SEMESTER SYSTEM WITH CREDITS
(Effective from the Academic Year 2003-2004)

SYLLABUS

Semester V - Paper VII - Marine Paleobiology

Duration of Examination: 3 hrs
Maximum Marks: 100
Credits: 4

Unit I

Principles of fundamental Stratigraphy - Standard Geological time scale - Order of Superposition - Principles of stratigraphic correlation - Various zones of marine realm and their characteristic fauna and flora - Marine habit and habitat.

Unit II

Fundamentals of marine microfauna - outlines of morphology of Foraminifera - Ostracoda - Radiolaria.

Unit III

Origin and evolution of life - Modes of preservation of marine fauna and flora - major geological events and evolution in the marine life in prehistoric periods of Phanerozoic era.

Unit IV

Brief study of functional morphology of marine fossils viz: Brachiopoda, Pelecypoda, Gastropoda, Cephalopoda

Unit V

Trilobita - Coelenterata - Echinodermata - Graptolites Structures and adoptions of marine organisms - planktonic ocean life-nectonic ocean life-deep sea life.

Books Recommended

Oceanic Micropaleontology by Ramsay, Academic Press

Introduction to Marine Micropaleontology by B.U.Haq and A.Boersma., Elsevier

Principles of Invertebrate Paleontology by Shrock, R.R. and Twenhofel, W.H

Invertebrate Paleontology and Evolution by Clarkson, E.N.K.

Paleontology-the record of life by Steam, C,W. and Carroll. R.L.

Systematics and the fossil record-Documenting evolutionary patterns by Smith, A.B.

Paleontology-Evolution and animal distribution by Jam, P.C. and Anantharaman, M.

Evolution of the vertebrates by Colbert, E.H.

Invertebrate fossils by Moore, R.C., Lalicker, C.G. and Fischer. AG.