Course Title: Zoogeography and Paleontology
Course Code: ZOL-602
Credit Hours: 3 (2+1)
Class: BS 8th Ex-PPP
The course aims to:
Major areas of this subject include:
Course Requirements:
In order to successfully complete this course, you should regularly attend classes and prepare the given assignments. The quality of your work will be graded with regards to originality, rationality of your opinions and the content relevancy. You are expected to use peer-reviewed literature resources to support your thoughts, ideas and opinions. An active participation in all class based activities is mandatory for succeeding in this course.
Course Contents:
Theory:
(i) Zoogeography: Branches of zoogeography: descriptive, chorology, faunistics, systematic, biocoenotic, causal, ecological, historical, experimental and applied zoogeography.
Animal distribution: cosmopolitan distribution, discontinuous distribution, isolation distribution, bipolar distribution and endemic distribution, barriers and dispersal.
Zoogeographical regions: zoogeographic division and boundaries, geographic ranges, physical features, climates, faunas and affinities of Palaearctic, Nearctic regions, Oriental, Ethiopian, Australian, and Neotropical Regions, insular fauna Palaeogeography.
Theories of continental drift and plate tectonics; Pangea. Zoogeography of Pakistan.
(ii) Paleontology: The Planet Earth: History, age, shells of earth; atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere and lithosphere.
Rocks: types; lgneous rocks, sedimentary rocks and metamorphic rocks.
Fossil types and uses of fossils, nature of fossils.
Fossilization: Geological time scale. Pre-Cambrian life. Post Cambrian life, Palaeozoic life, Mesozoic life, Cenozoic life.
Geochronometry: Uranium/Lead dating, radiocarbon dating, methods, index fossils; evolutionary history of man, elephant, horse and camel, Paleoecology, Paleomagnetism.
Practicals :
1. Study of fauna of various zoogeographical regions.
2. Study of mould, cast, pseudomorph, coprolite, petrified fossils of plants and animals.
3. Study of invertebrate fossils of coelenterates, trilobites, ammonite, brachiopods, molluscs and echinoderms.
4. Study of vertebrate fossils e.g. horse/elephant/camel/bovids.
5. Study and identification of Igneous, Sedimentary and Metamorphicrocks
6. Map work for identification of various zoogeographical regions of the World.
Readings:
Class Schedule:
BS 8th Ex-PPP Theory: Monday: 3:00-4:00 PM
Wednesday: 01:00-2:00 PM
Practical: Thursday: 12:00-02:00 PM
Assessment criteria:
Course Schedule:
Week 1: Introduction to Zoogeography. Branches of zoogeography. The living space/pedosphere: atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere
Week 2: Planet earth, history, age, shells of earth (lithosphere, asthenosphere, mantle, inner core, outer core)
Week 3: Animal distribution: cosmopolitan distribution, discontinuous distribution, isolation distribution, bipolar distribution and endemic distribution, barriers and dispersal
Week 4: Rocks and Rock Cycle. Types of rocks: volcanic rocks, sedimentary rocks
Week 5: Metamorphic rocks. Continental drift theory (paleoclimate; evidences and reasons of rejection)
Week 6: Plate tectonic theory (plate boundaries, continental/oceanic lithosphere, fault lines, trenches, rift valleys, hot spots, volcanoes, earthquakes)
Week 7: Introduction to bioregions of the world. Zoogeographic division and boundaries, geographic ranges, oceanic extent, climatic zones, faunal distribution. Processes affecting faunal distribution
Week 8: MID EXAMS
Week 9: Australian region, Palearctic region (physical features, geographic ranges, oceans, climate, faunal distribution/affinities)
Week 10: Oriental region, Afrotropical region (physical features, geographic ranges, oceans, climate, faunal distribution/affinities)
Week 11: Neotropical region, Nearctic region (physical features, geographic ranges, oceans, climate, faunal distribution/affinities)
Week 12: Fossilization. Fossil types and uses of fossils, nature of fossils.
Week 13: Geological time scale: Pre-Cambrian life. Post Cambrian life
Week 14: Palaeozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras (evolutionary and geological processes)
Week 15: Geo-chronometry: Uranium/Lead dating, radiocarbon dating, methods, index fossils. Paleoecology and paleo magnetism
Week 16: Evolutionary history of man, elephant, horse and camel
Week 17: FINAL EXAMS