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CAIRO UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF SCIENCE

GEOLOGY DEPARTMENT

MACROPALEONTOLOGY

(Course outline- First Semester 2006/2007)

PREREQUISITE:  The student attending the course of Macropaleontology should

have passed the course of Historical Geology.

LECTURES: 3 lectures + 1 lab.

INSTRUCTORS:

First part: Dr. Mohammed Gameil

Second part: Dr. Mohammed Fouad

OBJECTIVES:

- To provide an overview on fundamental paleontologic principles such as the

nature of fossils, modes of preservation, the fossil record, methods of 

classification, biostratigraphy and paleoecology.

- To learn the morphology, classification, life environment and ranges of 

important invertebrate fossil groups in order to gain the basic paleontologic

skills required for more advanced paleontologic and stratigraphic

investigations.

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CONTENTS

(First part)

I. PALEONTOLOGY, AN INTRODUCTION…….….(Two Hours)

- Nature of fossil record.

- Chemical and mineralogical composition of the hard skeleton.

- Conditions of fossilization.

- Modes of preservation.

- Fossils and environment.

- Habit (mode of life) and uses of fossils.

II. TAXONOMY:

- Phylum Porifera ………………………… ( Two Hours)

•  Nature of soft part.

• Structure and chemical composition of the hard skeleton.

• Types of sponges.

• Classification.

• Ecology.

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• Geologic history and significance.

- Phylum Cnidaria ………………………... ( Four Hours)

• Main characters of the phylum.

• Alternation of generations.

• Composition and structure of the hard skeleton.

• Class Hydrozoa.

• Class Scyphozoa.

• Class Anthozoa.

* Subclass Alcyonaria.

* Subclass Tabulata.

* Subclass Zoantharia.

Order Rugosa.

Order Scleractinia

•Geological history and significance of corals.

- Phylum Bryozoa …………………….…... (Two Hours)

• General features.

•  Nature of soft part.

• Structure of the hard skeleton.

• Mode of life of bryozoa.

• Habitat.

• Factors controlling the distribution of bryozoa.

• Geologic history and evolution.

- Phylum Brachiopoda ……………………. ( Four Hours)

• Introduction

• Habit

• Anatomy of soft part.

• Morphological features of the shell.

• Shell composition and structure.

•Homeomorphy.

• Classification.

• Geologic history.

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(Second part)

- Phylum Mollusca ………………………… .. ( Six Hours)

* Introduction:

- Soft body- Habit and feeding

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- Classification

* Class Amphineura

* Class Scaphopoda

* Class Pelecypoda

- Behavior 

- Musculature- Shell

- Dentition

- Inequivalved pelecypods

* Class Gastropoda

- Shell morphology and composition.

- Aperture.

- Orientation.

- Habitat.

- Types of coiling.

- Extinct gastropods.

* Class Cephalopoda- Morphology of the shell.

- Types of cephalopod shells.

- Septa and suture.

- Classification of cephalopods.

- Belemnites.

- Phylum Echinodermata

• Introduction.

• Water vascular system and tube feet.

• Mode of life.

• Classification:

Subphylum Eleutherozoa:

- Class Echinoidea.

- Class Stelleroidea.

- Class Holothuroidea.

Subphylum Pelmatozoa:

- Class Cystoidea.

- Class Blastoidea.

- Class Edrioasteroidea.

- Class Crinoidea.

- Trilobites

* Morphology of trilobite skeleton.

* Geologic history and significance.

- Graptolites

* Morphology of graptolite skeleton.

* Geologic history and significance.

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