Unit name | Geobiology |
---|---|
Unit code | EASC20024 |
Credit points | 10 |
Level of study | I/5 |
Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2D (weeks 19 - 24) |
Unit director | Professor. Donoghue |
Open unit status | Not open |
Pre-requisites |
Mandatory Year 1 units of an Environmental Geoscience, Geology or Palaeontology and Evolution degree programme at Bristol. |
Co-requisites |
n/a |
School/department | School of Earth Sciences |
Faculty | Faculty of Science |
Geobiology is the study of the interactions that occur between the biosphere (living organisms and their products) and the geosphere (the Earth and its atmosphere). Geobiology encompasses the fields of astrobiology, biogeochemistry, geomicrobiology, isotope geochemistry and palaeobiology.
The unit has the immodest aim of unraveling the majority of evolutionary history – from life’s origin, through LUCA (the Last Universal Common Ancestor), the emergence of unicellular ‘bacterial’ lineages that still dominate life on Earth, to the origin of eukaryotes and conclude with the origin of animals. This is the portion of evolutionary history that is not conventionally taught, because the evidence cannot be read simply from the fossil record, but encompasses disciplines as diverse as biogeochemistry, molecular biology and isotope geochemistry. Organised around the architecture of the Tree of Life, this unit will explore not only the multifarious lines of evidence for the evolutionary emergence of various groups, but also their consequence for shaping the biosphere, the evolution of biogeochemical cycles and global environmental change.
On successful completion of the unit you will be able to:
Lectures and practicals
Coursework 100% - comprising two reports in ‘Biology Letters’ journal format interpreting the results of laboratory exercises (2500 words each).
Report 1 is worth 30% and Report 2 is worth 70%. Formative feedback will be provided on Report 1 in preparation for writing Report 2.
Recommended:
Further Reading: