Course Title: Zoogeography and Paleontology

Course Code: ZOL-602

Credit Hours: 3 (2+1)

Class: BS 8th Ex-PPP

The course aims to:

• Provide information on the distribution of animals and their associations in the past and to rationalize their relationship in the present time.
• Impart knowledge and concepts of evolution mainly on the basis of fossil record.
• Give understanding that fossil record also provide information about the distribution of animals in the past eras

Major areas of this subject include:

• Animal distributions in eight biogeographic zones of the world
• Faunal affinities and distinctiveness
• Role of geological processes (plate tectonics) affecting the animal distributions across the world
• Insight into structure of earth and role of different geographical features (mountain ranges, seas) in shaping animal assemblages
• Fossil record as preserved in prehistoric and historic times
• Types of rocks (volcanic, sedimentary and metamorphic) and their role in fossilization
• Geological time scale providing evidences on evolution and accompanied geological events in major eras
• Geochronometric methods to for calculating age of rocks and their fossil record

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:

1. Beddard, F. E. 2008. A text book of zoogeography. Bibliobazar, LLC.
2. Tiwari, S.K. 2006. Fundamentals of world zoogeography. Wedams eBooks Ltd (India) Sarup& Sons. Delhi.
3. Ali, S.S. 1999. Palaeontology, Zoogeography and Wildlife Management. Nasim Book Depot, Hyderabad, India.
4. Darlington, P. J. Jr. 1963. Zoogeography, John Wiley and Sons.
5. Michael, J. B. David, A and Haper, T. 2009. Paleobiology and the fossil record. 3rd Ed. Wiley Black, UK.
6. Foote, M and Miller, A. I. 2007. Principles of paleontology. 3rd Ed. W. H. Freeman & Co. USA.
7. Brouwer, A. 1977. General Palaeontology, Oliver and Boyed, London.

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:

• Sessional: 10%
  • ​Presentation: 5%
  • Participation: 5%
• Practical: 15%
• Final exam: 50%
• Midterm exam: 25 %

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