Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Glenn Brock
Lecturer
John Alroy
Lecturer
Matthew Kosnik
Technical Officer
Josh Griffiths
Caitlin Kordis
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Credit points |
Credit points
3
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
39cp at 100 level or above including ((3cp from BIOL or GEOS units at 300 level) and 6cp from (BIOL261 or BIOL263 or BIOL262 or BIOL208 or BIOL228 or BIOL227 or BIOL235 or GEOS206 or GEOS226))
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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Unit description |
Unit description
The fossil record is our best guide to large-scale evolutionary patterns and processes. This unit will include a mix of palaeobiology readings, written reviews, seminars, supplementary lectures and lab sessions to explore into the most interesting research, techniques, controversies, debates and discoveries in the discipline of palaeobiology. Key macroevolutionary themes will be explored including evolutionary trends, time scales, palaeoecology, phylogenetics, and the evolution of major marine and terrestrial groups. This unit is the Capstone for the Major in Palaeobiology.
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Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
Task |
Weight |
Due Date |
Linked Learning Outcomes |
Linked Graduate Capabilities* |
Brief Description |
Module Assessme nts |
13% per module 39% total |
During Modules – see Schedule |
1-8 |
1-3, 5 |
Quizzes and other assessments specific to Modules 1-3 |
Major Essay |
25% |
Week 7 Fri 14 Sept |
1-7 |
1-4 |
2500 Essay written as scientific paper – submit to Turnitin |
Research Grant Proposal |
20% |
Week 10 Fri 19 Oct |
1, 2, 5, 7, 8 |
1-5, 8, 9 |
Research Grant proposal [1500 words] |
Poster |
16% |
Week 13 5 Nov Lab session |
3-7 |
1-5, 8, 9 |
Scientific Poster [A1 max size]; Staff + peer review mark – Text submit to Turnitin |
Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
---|---|---|---|
Module Assessments | 39% | No | See Unit Schedule |
Major Essay | 25% | No | 14 September before 23:59 |
Research Grant Proposal | 20% | No | 19 October before 23:59 |
Scientific Poster | 16% | No | November 5 in Week 13 |
Due: See Unit Schedule
Weighting: 39%
There will be 3 x 2-week module (each worth 13%) sessions during the unit (see Schedule for details) that will focus on advanced aspects of palaeobiology. See the BIOL381 iLearn page for all the details on what is expected for each module. Modules will be convened by separate staff members and will include a mix of assessments tasks including short written evaluations and online Quizzes. Each module will have a mix of lectures, guest lectures, discussion forums, workshops and practical Lab exercises/demonstrations. The “Lectures” slots will include mixed mode activities and will be held in 10MW 269 (E3A) on Fridays from 2.00-4.00 pm. The Lab sessions will be held in E5A 220 on Mondays from 2:00 to 5:00 PM. These sessions are COMPULSORY for the unit. There will be no other opportunity to complete these Modules and if you miss them only the Lecture part will be recorded. Other non-lecture activities WILL NOT be recorded and so you need to be present to pass the assessment tasks associated with each Module. Please see schedule for exact dates required for attendance. I reiterate, students are expected to attend all 6 Lecture and Lab sessions across the 3 Modules.
The Module Lab sessions will include a mix of hands-on surveys, measurements and identification of fossils, exposure to new and traditional palaeobiology techniques and methods as well as computer-based exercises that introduce the core methods of analytical palaeobiology. All students of palaeontology should have a basic understanding of these concepts and techniques. You will be provided with the skills to not only conduct your own analyses but to also critically assess those in the literature.
Due: 14 September before 23:59
Weighting: 25%
Each BIOL381 student is expected to submit one major Essay on a topic of your choice within 5 broad areas of palaeobiological research focussed on current, controversial or interdisciplinary palaeobiological research. Please CAREFULLY READ the instructions for the Major Essay posted under ASSESSMENT on the BIOL381 iLearn page. The key premise of the essay is that it must have an “evolutionary” theme and focus on data derived from the fossil record. In this respect, the core question(s) to be evaluated in the Essay might focus on (list not exhaustive) phylogenic relationships, life history reconstruction, functional morphology, palaeobiological reconstruction, timing of key lineage splits, origination and extinctions. Obviously, the key data for the Essay must come from primary scientific papers detailing data/results/ interpretations from the fossil record.
Essay format
Please SEE the detailed instructions for the Essay scope, topic and format on iLearn webpage! The text here is more summary and introduction.
For this essay, you are required to formulate your own ideas, interpretations and conclusions regarding the strengths and weaknesses of the data presented in a series of published papers on a topic of your choosing. Please see the Essay Instructions for details about the 5 broad areas of palaeobiological research your essay must be chosen from. Do not simply summarise each paper. For this essay, it is essential that you read a wide array of primary literature.
The Essays also must be written in your own words. You must not copy material from any source without attribution. Any copied words, no matter how few, must be placed in quotation marks. If you copy anything without attribution or without using quotation marks you will not receive credit for the relevant part of the Essay. If you have copied without attribution, then depending on the severity of the case you may be reported to the Faculty Student Administration Manager, in accord with the Academic Honesty Procedure (see the Policies and Procedures section).
Please write in a concise, well-organised manner. If you are not feeling very confident in your ability to do so you may want to purchase the short, simple volume by W. Strunk and E.B. White, The Elements of Style, Macmillan (normally available in the Co-op bookshop).
For detailed instructions on how to format your essay please see the instructions posted Important points to note regarding the format and structure of the Major Essay:
The Library Web page (http://www.library.mq.edu.au/) has a number of very useful databases for searching out relevant primary sources. Use databases such as Web of Knowledge or Scopus or publisher websites such as BioOne, JSTOR, ScienceDirect, Springer Link or Wiley Online Library when searching for information.
Note that a primary source is a paper published in a peer reviewed international scientific journal that presents new scientific data and is not simply a review of existing research. A secondary source is a review or compilation of the research work performed by other workers. Examples of secondary sources include Wikipedia, textbooks, popular science magazines (e.g. New Scientist), newspapers, and most other websites (though there are exceptions such as the online journal Palaeontologica Electronica).
Major Essay marking criteria (Summary – Full rubric available on iLearn)
Marks for the Major Essay will be allotted for the following:
Important note: anything not in your own words does not demonstrate researching the topic; evaluating the evidence; writing logically and grammatically; or finding references on your own. Therefore, if you copy extensively you may receive little or no credit in any or all of these areas.
Due: 19 October before 23:59
Weighting: 20%
For this Assessment Task you will prepare a Scientific Research Grant Proposal under the broad research topic of ‘Interdisciplinary studies in Palaeobiological Research” funded by the hypothetical organisation called the Deep Time Institute of Australasia.
The aim of this task is to for you to learn how to develop new research strategies and questions that integrate separate interdisciplinary scientific fields to research, synthesise or solve outstanding questions in palaeobiology. It will provide practice in formulating a research question, devising a research plan that will allow you to experience the challenges of writing a research grant proposal.
Please CAREFULLY READ the instructions for the Scientific Research Grant Proposal posted under ASSESSMENT on the BIOL381 iLearn page.
All Scientific Research Grant Proposals MUST be completed via the online application form available on the BIOL381 iLearn website. Total word length is limited to 1500 words.
All sections of the applications must be completed (or at least attempted) – note that text- boxes have fixed size with strict word limits (see below) that cannot be exceeded. All applicants MUST use an 11-point font when completing the application.
Reference to primary peer-review papers must be cited throughout the proposal using the Oxford System for bibliographic citation which is based on a superscript numbering system. An Example of a recent ARC Grant Application can be found on the iLearn Website as an example of the style of referencing required.
For precise details of the requirements for this Assessment task please see the separate file “Scientific Research Grant Proposal Instructions and Format” under the ASSESSMENT section on the iLearn Web site.
ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
This outlines the criteria for Assessment and the weighting each of the sections will be given by Independent Reviewers (markers) for this Task.
Title, Background, Rationale and Aims (20%)
Overall Project Quality, Significance and Innovation (25%)
Research Plan, Methods, Feasibility and Interdisciplinarity (25%)
Expected Outcomes, Educational Outreach (15%)
English Expression, Spelling, Organisation, Referencing (15%)
Does the referencing match the required format and is it accurate, up-to- date and comprehensive?
Due: November 5 in Week 13
Weighting: 16%
Posters are a time-honoured way to communicate scientific research in the academic community, and there are very few international scientific conferences that do not include poster sessions in their program. The aim of this assessment task for each student to gain experience in producing a research poster that could be submitted to an international congress. Research posters provide a critically important way for early career researchers to communicate their scientific research to a wide audience of peers via a short, concise review or evaluation of the author(s) research. They also let you communicate in more detail to a smaller number of particularly interested people who are prepared to spend time absorbing the finer points of your message.
Each student will be required to produce ONE research poster for this unit. The poster can be based on the same topic as your Major Essay OR Research Grant Application OR a completely different topic from the fossil record.
General Instructions for Poster Presentations
Each poster should be no larger than A1 size (= 595 mm x 840 mm). This is equivalent to 8 x A4 sheets. Your name + reference list must be clearly visible on the front of the poster.
There are numerous templates for producing scientific posters in programs such as Powerpoint, Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop. In addition, there are a number of freeware programs that can produce professional posters too. You can search the web to find alternatives that best suit you. Using a template is important because it provides a clear, logical organisation and flow for the poster (marks are given for clarity and organisation). It is not expected that you will need spend huge sums of money producing a highly professional, full colour print (although you may do so if you wish). The poster can be produced as a single A1 sheet or as 4 x A3 sheets, if you wish. You will have to decide how best to present your poster.
For precise details of the requirements for this Assessment task please see the separate file “Poster Presentation - Instructions and Format” under the ASSESSMENT section on the iLearn Web site.
Workload. Since BIOL381 is a 3 cp unit, you are expected to ATTEND and PARTICIPATE in each of the 3 x 2 week modules [= 10 hours per MODULE]. Much of the rest of the unit will be self-driven by the student in terms of data mining, reading and evaluating scientific papers, essay writing, preparing the research proposal and scientific poster. You need to make sure you spend at least 9 hours per week on these aspects to be able to produce high quality work for all of the assessment tasks
MODULES. Lectures. There will be one two hour lecture to be held in C5A313 every Friday at 3:00 PM. These will be recorded live and posted on Echo360 (access via the BIOL381 iLearn site). The module quizzes will include material from the lectures and Lab sessions. Because many of the questions are based on material only presented in the lectures and labs, you really need to attend the lectures you may receive poor grades on the quizzes.
Weekly practical laboratory sessions: Each student is expected to attend the 3 hour Lab session for each Module. These will be held in E5A 220 and from 2:00 – 5.00 pm.
See the Unit Schedule for the topics to be covered in each module.
Occupational health and safety. Due to OH&S regulations, all students must wear fully enclosed footwear (i.e. no thongs) at all times during laboratory sessions in E5A 220.
Students without proper footwear will be unable to enter the lab. Food and drink may not be consumed in the lab at any time either.iLearn. BIOL381 has an online presence on iLearn. You will need your MQ ID and password to log in. You are expected to use iLearn to access the unit outline, schedule, Module readings and recordings, and quizzes. The iLearn page also has other useful information and links for the unit. Any updates, announcements, or changes to the unit will be posted on iLearn. As such, it is strongly recommended that all students log into the BIOL381 iLearn site at least twice a week throughout the entire semester.
Turnitin. Macquarie University uses an online anti-plagiarism detection tool called Turnitin. All students enrolled in BIOL381 must submit the Major Essay and Poster text to Turnitin.
This program works by comparing each student’s work with the work of other students enrolled in the unit (both past and present) and with material found online (e.g. websites and scientific papers).
IMPORTANT POINT ABOUT ALL ASSESSMENT TASKS: As advanced 300 level
undergraduates, you are required to research and prepare your work to the highest standards. You will need to undertake detailed data mining, read widely and rigorously assess and evaluate the data/evidence from the primary literature. I want YOUR critical evaluation/synthesis of papers for each assessment task, not someone else’s. I re-iterate again, that all written Assessment Tasks MUST be written in YOUR OWN WORDS. Do not copy and paste text from the core papers – this is plagiarism. Do not copy and paste text from the papers and change a few words – this is plagiarism! Do not reuse Figures without clearly citing the source.
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Undergraduate students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct
Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.
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