Changes of the organic world in the Quaternary

obligatory courses

(in Polish) Przed rozpoczęciem nauki student powinien posiadać umiejętność rozpoznawania osadów czwartorzędowych oraz wykazać się znajomością jednostek stratygraficznych w czwartorzędzie. Podstawowa wiedza w zakresie paleontologii ułatwi naukę przedmiotu.

The subject presents the most common groups of organisms found in Quaternary deposits and the basic study methods of plant and animal remains useful during the fieldwork as well as in laboratory. It teaches how to identify and describe fossil material and shows the possible ways of interpretation.

The subject is divided into two parts connected with palaeobotanical and palaeozoological changes in the Quaternary. Its aim is to present and describe the most common groups of organisms, the study methods, identification of fossil material and interpretation of the results. Selection of sites and sampling techniques are also presented, laboratory works are discussed.

Winter semester

The palaeobotanical part of the subject describes floral remains that may be found in the Quaternary deposits: pollen, spores, plant macrofossils, phitolits, diatoms, and Dinoflagellata. Dendrochronology and lichenometry is also discussed as well as the sediments useful for the investigation and the study methods. On the basis of the selected pollen diagrams from Poland, the floristic succession in the Quaternary is presented. The lecture contains: palynology, morphology of the pollen and spores, pollen keys and collections, pollen distribution, preservation of floral remains in sedimentary environments, sampling and laboratory techniques, pollen spectra and pollen diagrams, interglacial and interstadial/stadial floristic successions, Quaternary stratigraphy based on palaeobotanical analyses, pollen rain and analysis of honey.

Summer semester:

The lecture is devoted to faunal remains found in Quaternary deposits. It concentrates on characteristic of vertebrates and invertebrates (molluscs – snails and bivalves, foraminifers, testaceans, ostracods, cladocerans, insects) as well as of the deposits in which these organisms occur commonly. The most characteristic species of Quaternary of Poland and methods of their identification are described. The important part of the subject is teaching of presentation of the results and their interpretation with elements of palaeoecological, palaeoclimatic and palaeogeographical analyses. The history of human is also reported.

After the classes students:

– document findings of flora and fauna in Quaternary sites

– know the sampling technique for floristic and faunal investigations

– prepare the material for identification

– recognise remains in Quaternary deposits

– present the results of the research

– reconstruct climatic and ecological conditions

– make stratigraphic conclusions

– reconstruct changes of the organic world in Quaternary.

Writing test.