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2023　Introduction to the Frontiers of Environmental Chemistry II

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Academic unit or major
Graduate major in Chemical Science and Engineering
Instructor(s)
Kimura Yuri 
Class Format
Lecture     
Media-enhanced courses
Day/Period(Room No.)
Intensive ()  
Group
-
Course number
CAP.I482
Credits
1
Academic year
2023
Offered quarter
2Q
Syllabus updated
2023/3/20
Lecture notes updated
-
Language used
Japanese
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Course description and aims

[Summary] In order to predict possible future global environmental and ecosystem changes, it is important to know the global environmental and ecosystem changes that have occurred in the past. Early tetrapods as successors of the water-to-land transition further expanded their habitats and lifestyles by overcoming water demand for reproduction. Two major groups of amniotes, reptiles and mammals, independently acquired innovative life forms to adapt to new ecological regimes. In this course, we will learn comparative osteology and dental morphology of vertebrates along with evolutionary biological aspects of vertebrate paleontology and will also learn various techniques for inferring paleoecology based on the fossil record.

[Aim]　The main objectives of this course are to learn recent progresses in evolutionary biology and paleobiology and to understand how techniques and approaches of geochemical and environmental sciences are have contributed to it. We will dicuss how increased findings of mammalian fossils have offered multidisciplinary approaches, including the latest techniques that are rarely applied to non-mammalian vertebrates.

Student learning outcomes

At the end of this course, students will have following knowledge and capabilities.
1) Understand how to identify fragmentary fossils based on their anatomical features.
2) Explain the constraints and applicability of fossil-based biological studies.
3) Explain various techniques to reconstruct paleoecology and paleoenvironment of extinct animals.

Keywords

Evolutionary paleobiology, isotope paleoecology, ecomorphology, mammalia

Competencies that will be developed

✔ Specialist skills ✔ Intercultural skills Communication skills Critical thinking skills Practical and/or problem-solving skills

Class flow

Lectures will be conducted by writing on blackboards, using power point slides.

Course schedule/Required learning

  Course schedule Required learning
Class 1 1) Skeletal anatomy of vertebrates, comparative anatomy of dental morphology 2) Introduction to amniotes: Origin、 evolution、 and survival strategies 3) Paleoecology and paleoenvironmental inferences in vertebrate paleontology I 4) Paleoecology and paleoenvironmental inferences in vertebrate paleontology II 5) Conservation paleobiology with the fossil record of mammals 6) Fossil record and museology a) Explain how to identify fragmentary fossils based on their anatomical features. b) Explain the constraints and applicability of fossil-based biological studies. c) Explain various techniques to reconstruct paleoecology and paleoenvironment of extinct animals.

Textbook(s)

None required.

Reference books, course materials, etc.

None required.

Assessment criteria and methods

Attendance is taken in every class. Full attendance are compulsory. Report on relation between own study theme and chemical substances cycles and/or cutting-edge technologies introduced is assessed.

Related courses

  • CAP.I405 ： Environmental Chemistry
  • CAP.I419 ： Analytical Techniques for Environmental Chemistry
  • CAP.I536 ： Advanced Material Cycle Analysis
  • CAP.I435 ： Advanced Geochemistry
  • CAP.I481 ： Introduction to the Frontiers of Environmental Chemistry I

Prerequisites (i.e., required knowledge, skills, courses, etc.)

No prerequisites

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