Home / Teaching Documents, Lecture Notes and Tutorials / Teaching Documents about Palaeontology and Palaeoecology

Stephen T. Abedon, Microbiology, Ohio State University, Mansfield: Supplemental Lecture. Fossilization, palaeontology, biases in the fossil record etc. in brief.

About.com: Education > Biology > Evolution, and Education > Geology > Fossils, Time and Evolution.

! Warren D. Allmon, Palaeontologia Electronica, Volume 7, Issue 2 December 2004 (Coquina Press): Googling Turritella, or The Present and Future Value of the Web for Paleontological Research (PDF file). A state of the art report of palaeontological search strategies.

American Geological Institute (AGI): Why Earth Science? PDF file, 1.7 MB.

! Nicholas H. Barton (Edinburgh University), Derek E.G. Briggs (Yale University), Jonathan A. Eisen (University of California, Davis), David B. Goldstein (Duke University Medical Center), and Nipam H. Patel (University of California, Berkeley): Evolution (by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press). This textbook is designed to serve as the primary text for undergraduate courses in evolution. It differs from currently available alternatives in containing more molecular biology than is traditionally the case. Go to: Table of Contents: Some figures and tables free of charge! See: Evolution Figures: Chapter 4.

BBC Earth timeline.

! J.B. Bennington et al. (2009): Critical issues of scale in paleoecology. PDF file, Palaios, 24: 1-4.

! M.J. Benton and B.C. Emerson (2007): How did life become so diverse? The dynamics of diversification according to the fossil record and molecular phylogenetics. PDF file, Palaeontology, 50: 23-40.

! University of California Museum of Paleontology, Berkeley (with support provided by the National Science Foundation and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute): Understanding Evolution. Understanding Evolution is a non-commercial, education website, teaching the science and history of evolutionary biology. Go to: History of life on Earth. Topics are "From soup to cells - The origin of life", "Evolution and the fossil record", "Deep Time" (an interactive timeline), etc.

! Museum of Paleontology (UCMP), University of California, Berkeley (sponsored in part by Shell Offshore Inc.): Learning from the Fossil Record. This is a hypertext version of a book originally published by the Paleontological Society.

University of California Museum of Paleontology, Berkeley: Explorations Through Time. A series of interactive modules (curriculum and classroom resources) that explore the history of life on Earth, while focusing on the processes of science. Each module contains suggested lesson plans and an extensive teacher’s guide.

Museum of Paleontology, University of California, Berkeley, CA: Frequently asked questions (FAQ). Questions about paleontology. See also here.

Biology-Nation. This website provides resources for anyone with an interest in biology. (see also Biology-Nation.com Whois Record). Many links lead to Wikipedia. Go to: Introduction to Paleontology.

Biology Online. Information in the Life Sciences. Go to: Tutorials > The Origins of Life. See also:
Biology Articles > Paleobiology.

BookRags, a research location for students of any age: Paleontology.

M.C. Boulter, Palaeobiology Research Unit, University of East London, Romford Road, London: The Inevitability of Publishing Electronically About Palaeontology. The PaleoNet Forum: An Irregular Electronic Journal April, 1996: Volume 2, Issue 4.

C. Kevin Boyce (2010): The evolution of plant development in a paleontological context. PDF file, Current Opinion in Plant Biology, 13: 102-107.

Brent H. Breithaupt (1992): The use of fossils in interpreting past environments. PDF file, Pages 147–158, in: Tested studies for laboratory teaching, Volume 13 (C. A. Goldman, Editor). Proceedings of the 13th Workshop/Conference of the Association for Biology Laboratory Education.

! Derek Briggs and Peter Crowther (eds.), Earth Pages, Blackwell Publishing: Paleobiology: A Synthesis (PDF files). Series of concise articles from over 150 leading authorities from around the world. Navigate from the content file. There are no restrictions on downloading this material. Excellent! Worth checking out:
Part 1. Major Events in the History of Life, Pages 1-92.
Part 2. The Evolutionary Process and the Fossil Record, Pages 93-210.
Part 3. Taphonomy, Pages 211-304.
Part 4. Palaeoecology, Pages 305-414.
Part 5. Taxonomy, Phylogeny and Biostratigraphy, Pages 415-490.

! Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Bristol: Palaeofiles Home Page. Articles here have all been prepared by students on the palaeobiology programmes in Bristol. Go to:
Major animal groups. See also:
Failures, frauds, fakes, and fixes in palaeontology. This website is about the frauds and errors that have been made by palaeontologists through the years, the implications the mistakes have had on the science of palaeontology, and how these frauds and errors are being uncovered and fixed.

MSc Palaeobiology Students, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, (the author´s name appears on the title page for each section): Fossil Lagerstätten. A catalogue of sites of exceptional fossil preservation.

Graham E. Budd (2008): The earliest fossil record of the animals and its significance. PDF file, Phil. Trans. R. Soc., B, 363, 1425-1434.

Ewen Callaway (2011): Fossil data enter the web period. Palaeontologists call for more sharing of raw information. Nature, 472.

! The Science Education Resource Center (SERC), Carleton College, Northfield, MN: On the Cutting Edge, Professional Development for Geoscience Faculty (supported by the National Science Foundation): Teaching Paleontology in the 21^st Century. Links to a collection of activities and assignments, internet and computer resources.

Cartage.org (no information available who is behind this trade name): Themes. A structured link directory. Go to: What can fossils tell us? Information provided by: http://www.museum.vic.gov.au.
See also: Fossils And Fossilisation.

! cartage.org (a consortium of Lebanese universities that have collected some of the best content sites of the web): Science > Paleontology / Paleozoology. Go to: Frequently Asked Questions about Paleontology.

! Eric J. Chaisson, Wright Center for Science Education: Cosmic evolution: from big bang to humankind. Based on a course taught at Harvard University. This site offers background information and resources to understand the origins of matter and life in our universe, known as cosmic evolution. Questions from how the universe began to how humans evolved are addressed, using an interdisciplinary approach between life, Earth, space, and physical sciences. Go to: Biological Evolution.

! Miguel Chavez: The Unofficial Stephen Jay Gould Archive. Access to many articles and books, e.g. via Library, and Books. Excellent!

! Chris (?), Peripatus Home Page, New Zealand: Paleontology Page. This page offers a broad range of selected topics from the whole field of paleontology. Go to: What are Lagerstätten? or Major Events in the History of Life.

Citizendium. This is an open wiki project. Go to: Fossilization.

Board on Earth Sciences and Resources, Commission on Geosciences, Environment and Resources (CGER) 1995 (page images at NAP): Effects of Past Global Change on Life.

CondéNet Inc., Wired: Top 10 Scientific Breakthroughs of 2007. Two are palaeontological!

! Richard Cowen (web pages were first created by D.J. Eernisse for Biology 404: Evolution at CSUF): History of Life (4th Edition, 2005), Web Links by Chapter.

J. Cracraft (1981): Pattern and process in paleobiology: the role of cladistic analysis in systematic paleontology. In PDF, [Paleobiology.

Ben Dattilo, Geosciences, Weber State University, Ogden, Utah: Dinosaurs and The Fossil Record. The fossil record from the oldest fossils found on earth to the present day. Go to:
Web Syllabus with Links to Class Notes, and Fossilization (Basic Taphonomy).

Owen Kent Davis, Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona Tucson: Life on Earth. In this course, you will learn about biological systems, from molecular to global. Navigate from the Lecture Topics.

Melanie DeVore, Department of Biological and Environmental Science, Georgia College and State University: Life of the PreCambrian: Archean & Proterozoic. PowerPoint presentation.

Deborah Freile, New Jersey City University: Historical Geology. An investigative course of geological and biological aspects of Earth History as developed through the use of fossil evidence and the principles of stratigraphy, geochronology, and the geology of structures. PowerPoint slides for lecture, e.g.:
Fossilization.

EarthComm (developed by the American Geological Institute (AGI) and supported by the National Science Foundation and donors of the American Geological Institute Foundation). Actually a link directory. Go to: Changing Life (now via wayback archive).

Earth Learning Idea (James Devon, London). Free PDF downloads for Earth-related teaching ideas. Go to:
Evolution of Life.

D.D. Edwards, Department of Biology, University of Evansville, Evansville, IN: Dinosaur Paleobiology. Powerpoint presentation. See also here and there.

Mike Farabee, Estrella Mountain Community College Center, Avondale, Arizona: On-Line Biology Book. Introductory biology lecture notes. Go to: PALEOBIOLOGY: FOSSILS AND TIME, PALEOBIOLOGY: THE PRECAMBRIAN: LIFE'S GENESIS AND SPREAD, PALEOBIOLOGY: THE EARLY PALEOZOIC, PALEOBIOLOGY: THE LATE PALEOZOIC, and PALEOBIOLOGY: THE MESOZOIC, AGE OF CYCADS AND DINOSAURS.

Walter M. Fitch and Francisco J. Ayala (eds.), The National Academies Press (NAP), National Academy of Sciences (NAS): Tempo and Mode in Evolution: Genetics and Paleontology 50 Years After Simpson.

Karl W. Flessa, Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona, Tucson: Paleontology. Explained in a nutshell.

! J.C. Gall (2009): Terre et Vie: des histoires imbriquées (in French, with an abridged English version p. 106). PDF file, Comptes Rendus Palevol, 8: 105-117.

! Jean-Claude Gall, EOST-Institut de Géologie, Université Louis Pasteur de Strasbourg (Paläontologische Gesellschaft): Teaching Palaeontology in the 21 st century.

! Geological Survey of Canada: Past lives: Chronicles of Canadian Paleontology. Site map.

Pamela J.W. Gore, Georgia Perimeter College: Historical Geology Lecture Schedule. Lecture notes.

! Stephen Jay Gould Archive (sponsored by Art Science Research Laboratory): Cyber Library, Harvard Course, B16: History of Earth and Life (kittenish website, difficult to set a link). Go to:
Lab 1: The Invertebrate Phyla,
Lab 2: The Fossil Record,
Lab 3: Communities through Time, and
Lab 4: Variation and Evolution (PDF files). See also:
B16: History of Earth and Life, Source Books.

John Groves, Department of Earth Science, University of Northern Iowa: Oxygen & Evolution - A hot topic in paleobiology. Powerpoint presentation.

J. Hill, UK: Geology Rocks. A geological meta directory, including tutorials and photographs. Go to: Geology Tutorials. Tutorials and essays ranging from the most basic of geological concepts to postgraduate degree level on all aspects of Earth sciences; palaeontology, sedimentology, igneous and metamorphic petrology and geophysics. The difficulty of the topic is indicated by the number of volcanoes next to the title. See also: Palaeontology Tutorials.

Thomas R. Holtz, Department of Geology, University of Maryland: Principles of Paleontology. Lecture notes. Navigate from here.

John Horgan, Scientific American: Life, Life Everywhere.

HowComYouCom.com: Education 2001, Leaving the Water. A link directory.

! Harald Immel, Institut für Paläontologie und Historische Geologie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, München (Paläontologische Gesellschaft): Literaturempfehlungen zur "Allgemeinen Paläontologie", and Literaturempfehlungen zur "Historischen Geologie". Textbook recommendations, in German.

Kent Geologists´ Group: What Are Microfossils?

M. Koopman and E. Hoffmann, Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI: Temporal Sequences. Powerpoint presentation.

Michal Kowalewski, Department of Geological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA: Quantitative Paleobiology. Lecture notes about analysis based on quantitative data either derived from the fossil record, or any numerical model designed to explore paleontological or geobiological issues.

M. Kowalewski and R.K. Bambach (2003): The Limits of Paleontological Resolution. PDF file, in: P.J. Harries (ed.): Approaches in High-Resolution Stratigraphic Paleontology (Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers).

V.A. Krassilov (2003): Terrestrial palaeoecology and global change. PDF file (35.6 MB), Russian Academic Monographs No. 1, 464 p., (Pensoft), Sophia.

Glen J. Kuban: FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions). Nine articles from an introduction to fossil collecting, e.g. What is a fossil?

H. Richard Lane, Amoco Corporation, Houston, Texas: Paleontology in the 21st Century or Which Way Ought Paleontology Proceed from Here? From PALAIOS, Volume 12.2, April 1997 (via wayback).

R. Leinfelder, Paläontologische Gesellschaft: Paläontologie – was ist das eigentlich? What is palaeontology (in German).

Reinhold Leinfelder (2009): Palaeontologia Quo Vadis? - Zur Situation und Zukunft der palãontologischen Forschung. PDF file (in German), Berliner paläobiologische Abhandlungen, 10: 229-243.

Stephen A. Leslie, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Arkansas at Little Rock: Paleobiology. Paleobiology lecture notes in brief.

David Liddell, Department of Geology, Utah State University, Logan: PALEONTOLOGY, and PALEOECOLOGY. Lecture notes in brief.

! Jere H. Lipps, University of California, Museum of Paleontology, Berkeley, CA: The Decline of Reason? About science and anti-science. See also:
Microfossils.
The Future of Paleontology — The Next 10 Years. Palaeontologia Electronica 10, 1; 2007.

Ronald J. Litwin, Robert E. Weems, and Thomas R. Holtz, U.S. Geological Survey, Denver (Maintained by Eastern Publications Group Web Team): Dinosaurs: Facts and Fiction.

! Christine V. McLelland (2008): Nature of Science and the Scientific Method. PDF file, The Geological Society of America.
This article promotes understanding of the nature of science and how the scientific method is used to advance science, focusing in particular on the Earth sciences. It also includes talking points for those who would like help explaining the nature of science to others who have developed misconceptions.

! Norman MacLeod, Natural History Museum, London: PalaeoMath. Aspects of quantitative analysis in paleontological contexts. Each essay (from the Palaeontological Association Newsletter since 2004) is written for the novice data analyst, especially those who always wanted to gain knowledge of this subject, but never had the opportunity to do so and haven´t managed to make much progress through self-education. Including some MS Excel spreadsheets providing examples and data.

A.J. McGowan (2011): Biodiversity: more than just how many species. In PDF, Palaeontology Online. See also here.

The University of Michigan: Global Change, Physical Processes:
Global Change 1 Fall 2011 Schedule . Go to:
! The Fossil Record of Lineages and Ecosystems.

The Natural History Museum London: Paleobase. An illustrated, relational database of invertebrate fossils for education and research.

Dennis O´Neil, Behavioral Sciences Department, Palomar College, San Marcos, California: Record of Time. An introduction to the nature of fossils and paleoanthropological dating methods.

! E.G. Nisbet and N.H. Sleep (2001): The habitat and nature of early life. PDF file, Nature, 409.

John Nudds and Paul Selden (2008): Fossils explained 56, Fossil Lagerstätten. PDF file, Geology Today, Vol. 24.

The Open University , UK (the world´s first successful distance teaching university): The Open University provides high-quality university education to all. Go to: LearningSpace, Life in the Palaeozoic.

! Wolfgang Oschmann, Christian Dullo, Volker Mosbrugger & Fritz F. Steininger, "PALÄONTOLOGIE IM 21. JAHRHUNDERT": Evolution des Systems Erde: Geobiologische und paläobiologische Prozesse als Antrieb. Palaeontology explained in a nutshell (in German).

Wolfgang Oschmann, Geologisch-Paläontologisches Institut, Frankfurt a.M.: Phasen der Evolution des Systems Erde: Es gibt keinen Stillstand (in German).

The Paleontological Society: Future Research Directions in Paleontology. The report of the NSF-funded workshop on Future Research Directions in Paleontology has been published, discussed at the GSA meeting in Denver.

! Paleontology in the 21st Century (An International Senckenberg Conference and Workshop): Reports and Recommendations. In early September 1997, 108 paleontologists and allied individuals from 30 countries met at Senckenberg Museum, Frankfurt, Germany. The purpose of the Senckenberg workshop was to initiate and nurture a dialogue concerning the future of palaeontology.

! J.G. Pausas and J.E. Keeley (2009): A burning story: the role of fire in the history of life. PDF file, BioScience, 59: 593-601.

K.J. Peterson et al. (2007): Molecular palaeobiology. PDF file, Palaeontology, 50: 775-809.

! William K. Purves, David Sadava, Gordon H. Orians, and H. Craig Heller Life, The Science of Biology (Seventh Edition). The Companion Site. Interactive summaries, the glossary, animated tutorials and lots of flahcards (review figures). Go to: Chapter 22: The History of Life in Earth.

Hugh Rance, City University of New York: The Present is the Key to the Past. An electronic, college level, introductory historical geology textbook.

Michael Rasser, Austrian Palaeontological Society: Introduction to Palaeontology. In German.

! Allister Rees, GEON SDSC Meeting Webcast Archive, San Diego Supercomputer Center: GEON SDSC Meeting, webcast live: Go to: Dinosaurs and More: Integration of the DINO and PGAP Databases (August 22, 2005). Biomes, climates and floral development from the Permian to the Jurassic.

Regressive Palaeontology (a weekly discussion group covering a broad range of palaeontological topics), Department of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol: Paper(s) Discussed. A link list.

P.D. Roopnarine (2009): Ecological modeling of paleocommunity food webs. In Conservation Paleobiology: Using the Past to Manage for the Future, Paleontological Society Short Course, October 17th, 2009. The Paleontological Society Papers, Volume 15, Gregory P. Dietl and Karl W. Flessa (eds.).

Valentí Rull (2010): Ecology and Palaeoecology: Two Approaches, One Objective. PDF file, The Open Ecology Journal, 3: 1-5.

H.M. Sachs et al. (1977): Paleoecological transfer functions. Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Vol. 5. See also here (abstract).

Sabine Schmidt, Gravity Research Group, Institut für Geowissenschaften, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Germany: Die Erde (in German).

SciQuest.com: Geology, Evolution upset: Oxygen-making microbes came last, not first.

D.B. Scott & Trecia Schell, Department of Earth Sciences, Dalhousie University, Canada: Introduction to Paleontology. Brief summaries (PDF files).

Michon Scott: Strange Science. Curious missteps in biology and paleontology are featured here. This Web site also provides a timeline of events, gives biographies of a few of the people who have gotten us where we are today, and show a bibliography you can use to learn more. Visit the Goof Gallery.

R.B. Schultz, Department of Geography and Geosciences, Elmhurst College, Elmhurst, IL: Geologic Time and Earth History. Powerpoint presentation. See also here (PDF file).

Hartmut Seyfried & Reinhold Leinfelder: Meeresspiegelschwankungen - Ursachen, Folgen, Wechselwirkungen (in German).

SpaceRef.com: NASA's astrobiology home page. For instance: Life in Extreme Environments.

Nancy E. Spaulding & Samuel N. Namowitz (McDougal Littell): Exploring Earth. The investigations and visualizations on this site were designed to accompany Earth Science, a high school textbook. The Web site was developed by TERC, a non-profit educational research and development firm in collaboration with McDougal Littell. Funding was provided by the National Science Foundation. Go to: Studying the Past, and Views od Earth´s Past.

Paul K. Strother, Palaeobotany Laboratory, Weston Observatory, Department of Geology & Geophysics, Boston College, Weston, Massachusetts: Origin and Evolution of Life on Planet Earth. This is an introductory science course using the scientific study of the origins of life as a central point from which to examine science as a process. The interdisciplinary curriculum touches on biology, biochemistry, geology, palaeontology and a bit of physics and astronomy.

Paul K. Strother, Palaeobotany Laboratory, Weston Observatory, Department of Geology & Geophysics, Boston College, Weston, Massachusetts: Paleontology. Lecture notes.

Roger Summons and Tanja Bosak, MIT OpenCourseWare: Geobiology. This course introduces the concept of life as a geological agent and examines the interaction between biology and the earth system during the roughly four billion years since life first appeared. Go to: Lecture Notes.

! Teaching Paleontology in the 21st Century. On the Cutting Edge - Professional Development for Geoscience Faculty. Browse Paleontology Courses.

Ellen Thomas, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Wesleyan University: Macroevolution. Lecture notes. Please, navigate from here. Worth checking out: Assignment: Plants (via wayback).

Bruce H. Tiffney, UC Santa Barbara: What is Science? Tracking the course of evolution.

! U.S. Geological Survey: USGS frequently asked questions, FAQ's about Paleontology, and Biology. U.S. Geological Survey FAQ websites contain answers to the most commonly-asked questions regarding geoscience topics: e.g. search for: fossil. Other FAQ´s are available here. Excellent!

Helmut Weissert Geologie, ETH Zürich: Evolution der Biosphäre. Bilder aus der Erdgeschichte. PDF file, in German.

Roger M. Wells Jr. et al., Department of Geology, SUNY Cortland, Cortland, NY: The Invertebrate Paleontology Tutorial Web Site. Lecture notes.

! Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: Paleontology, and Origin of life.

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: History of paleontology, and Paleobotany and the origin of the word paleontology. See also: History of Botany.

Ewan Wolff, Montana State University Geoscience Education Web Development Team: Advances in Paleontology. Go to: Morphology - the study of form and function in anatomy, and Hot Topics in Paleontology: Histology, Evolution of Development (Evo-Devo), and Biomolecular Markers.

Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University, New Haven, CT: Image Gallery. This gallery presents images of fossils from the research collections in the Division of Invertebrate Paleontology. You may also navigate from a list of Lagerstätten (Mistaken Point, Elmo, Burgess Shale, Florissant, Solnhofen, Mazon Creek, etc).

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