INTRODUCTION TO MICROPALEONTOLOGY

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INTRODUCTION TOMICROPALEONTOLOGY
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MICROPALEONTOLOGY

• Study of small fossils that must be studied with
  a microscope.
• Taxonomically diverse heterogeneous
• Monerans (Bacteria)
• Protistans (small Eucarya)
• Review 5-kingdom 3-domain classifications
• Parts of
• Animals (e.g., teeth, scales) and
• Plants (e.g., pollen, spores)
• Fungi (minor)
• Incertae sedis (of unknown taxonomic affinities)

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MICROPALEONTOLOGY DEVELOPED FOR PRACTICAL REASONS

• Size of some fossils requires
• microscopic equipment
• different preparation techniques
• Commercial applications in search for mineral and
  energy resources
• Abundance of microfossils is high
• Small sediment samples are sufficient, e.g., well
  cuttings
• Rigorous quantitative analyses are possible
  because of abundance
• Distribution of microfossils is widespread
• Geographically
• Environmentally
• Lithologically
• Age

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MICROPALEONTOLOGY DEVELOPED FOR PRACTICAL REASONS

• Most sedimentary rocks are marine most
  microfossils are marine
• Many occur in otherwise unfossiliferous nonmarine
  rocks, e.g., pollen and spores of land plants
  (palynology), ostracodes, conchostracans,
  charophytes.
• Microfossils are generally excellent indicators
  of
• Age
• Paleoecology
• Paleoenvironments
• Paleogeography
• Thermal maturation

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EXAMPLES OF TAXONOMIC DIVERSITY

• Prokaryotic Bacteria (cosmopolitan,
  Precambrian-Recent) Reading assignment in
  Brasier Chapters 1-3 (copied)
• Protoctistans (Protista)
• Dinoflagellates
• Silicoflagellates
• Coccolithophores
• Diatoms
• Chlorophyta
• Charophyta
• Rhodophyta
• Tintinnids
• Calpionellids
• Acritarchs
• Chitinozoa
• Ebridians
• Radiolaria
• Foraminifera

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EXAMPLES OF TAXONOMIC DIVERSITY

• Animalia
• Micromollusks (Pteropods, tiny prosobranchs
  bivalves)
• Ostracodes (Arthropoda)
• Conchostracans (branchiopods) (Arthropoda)
• Skeletal elements (parts)
• Spicules (Porifera other invertebrate phyla)
• Sclerites of sea cucumbers
• Conodonts (Chordata)
• Scolecodonts (Annelida)
• Pollen spores of Tracheophyta (vascular
  plants) (palynology)

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EXAMPLES OF TAXONOMIC DIVERSITY

• Megafossils that are studied exclusively
  microscopically
• Ectoprocta ( Bryozoa)
• Graptolites
• Stromatoporoids (Porifera)
• Calcareous algae

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DIVERSITY OF SKELETAL COMPOSITIONS

• Aragonite
• Calcite
• Mg-calcite
• Opalline silica
• Apatite
• Organic
• Chitin
• Cellulose
• Others
• Arenaceous/agglutinated
• Rare minerals
• Celestite (Sr sulfate)
• Magnetite
• Rhodocrosite (sp?)

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DIVERSITY OF SAMPLE PREPARATION TECHNIQUES

• Unconsolidated sediments
• Washing sieving
• Heavy liquid separations
• Floatation
• Consolidated/cemented sedimentary rocks
• Splitting and crushing
• Chemical solution and disaggregation (e.g., for
  ostracodes, etc.)
• Acid dissolution and insoluble residue analysis
• Thin section studies (e.g., fusulinids)

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GEOL 3213, Micropaleontology

• Description
•  Study of selected major groups of microfossils
  their morphology, classification, evolution,
  paleoecology and biostratigraphy.
• Prerequisite
• GEOL 2213 (History of Life), equivalent, or
  permission of the instructor

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GOALS

•           Survey the major and some of the minor
  microfossil groups
•           Identify major fossil groups in thin
  section
•           Prepare samples for microfossil
  analysis
•           Pick microfossils from prepared
  samples
•           Prepare micropaleontology slides for
  study
•           Recognize major kinds of microfossils
  isolated from matrix
•           Recognize a population of individuals
  as representing a species, genus, etc.
•           Identify genera and species with
  suitable reference materials
•           Prepare faunal lists for evaluation
•           Be able to use a faunal list to
  determine an assemblage's age
•           Be able to use a faunal list to
  determine an assemblage's paleoecology
•           Become familiar with applying the
  procedures of taxonomy
•           Be able to describe and illustrate
  fossils
•           Be able to prepare a report on a
  fossil assemblage

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EVALUATION

• Laboratory reports on fossil assemblages 25
• Laboratory skill development 5
• Written homework assignments 10
• Tests
• Test 1 10
• Test 2 10
• PowerPoint Oral presentation 5
• Class participation 5
• Class laboratory attendance 5
• Final examination 25
• TOTAL 100

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Outline of Topics in Detail

• Lectures see syllabus
• Laboratories see syllabus
• ACME Related Links provides various files
• Syllabus
• Powerpoint lecture files
• Assignments

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END OF FILE
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5 KINGDOMS (Whittaker Whittaker
Margulis)Symbiosis Theory for the origin of
eucaryotic cell (Margulis)
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Broad Cell Categories

• Prokaryotic cell evolved first
• Small cells
• No nucleus
• No organelles (no chloroplasts, etc.)
• Eukaryotic cell evolved 1.5 Ga ago (?2.7Ga)
  through symbiosis
• Larger cells
• Has nucleus, organelles, etc.
• Chloroplasts from cyanobacteria
• Flagella from other prokaryotes
• Golgi body from other prokaryotes
• Notes
• Debate about age of 1st appearance
• Debate about only symbiosis

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Model for Symbiosis Theory for Origin of
Eukaryotic cells
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DOMAIN CONCEPT

• 3 Domains of Carl Woese of Univ. of Illinois
  (early 1990s)

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MANY MORE KINGDOMS NOW CONSIDERED

• 3 Domains of Carl Woese of Univ. of Ill.

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ARCHAEA

• Domain Archaea with 3 kingdoms
• 2.7 Ga molecular data (Australia)
• 3.8 Ga organic matter chemical fossils?
• Methanogens
• Thermophiles
• Halophiles

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Kingdoms vs Domains
A. The new tradition became the 5 kingdom system.
Monera
Protista
Plantae
Fungi
Animalia
But, these were polyphyletic!
B. Then, 6 ( even 8) kingdoms were proposed
Monera
Protista
Plantae
Fungi
Animalia
Archae- bacteria
C. 3-Domain system is widely accepted today
B A C T E R I A
A R C H A E A
Domain EUKARYA
Plantae
Fungi
Animalia
A R C H E Z O A
E U G L E N O Z O a
A L V E O L A T a
S T R A M E N O P I L a
Rh O D O P H Y T A
others
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New Version of the Tree of Life
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• Domain Bacteria
• Domain Archaea
• Domain Eucarya
• K. Archaezoa
• K. Euglenozoa
• K. Alveolata
• Dinoflagellates
• Apicomplexans
• Ciliates
• K. Stramenopila
• Diatoms
• Golden Algae
• Brown Algae
• Water Molds
• K. Rhodophyta
• K. Plantae
• Chlorophyta
• Tracheophyta
• K. Animalia

Ancestor
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3-Domain Classification

• Based on molecular analyses

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MICROPALEONTOLOGY