BI1HLE2: History of Life on Earth

Module code: BI1HLE2

Module provider: School of Biological Sciences

Credits: 20

Level: Level 1 (Certificate)

When you'll be taught: Semester 2

Module convenor: Professor Amanda Callaghan, email: a.callaghan@reading.ac.uk

Module co-convenor: Professor Julie Hawkins, email: j.a.hawkins@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 21 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

Life on Earth will take you through the development of life on our planet, from the early appearance of bacteria, through to the explosion and diversification of marine life in the Cambrian and Ordovician eras and thereafter onto the land. Early life evolved in the seas and was shaped by deep-sea hydrothermal vents, oxygenation as a side product of photosynthesis, microbial mats as food, and the erosion of minerals from the land as building blocks of life. We will cover the major events and processes that shaped life on our planet, including climate change and mass extinctions, evolution of plants on land and when vertebrates stepped out of the water. You will be introduced to the main bacterial, protozoan, plant and animal groups, investigating the innovations that led to their success. 

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate a broad understanding of the diversity and evolutionary history of the major groups of organisms.
2. Differentiate between either plant groups or between animal phyla and classes based on the principles of taxonomy and classification. 
3. Recognize the key evolutionary and environmental processes that have shaped life on Earth.

Module content

Students are introduced to the history of life on Earth, beginning with the formation of the planet and evolution of bacteria and archaea. Evolution will be in the context of planetary changes, including the great oxygenation event and changes in carbon dioxide leading to snowball earth. Algae and early protists are covered, looking at their biochemistry and diversity.

The advent of multicellularity will allow you to investigate the definition of an animal and plant, with an introduction to closely related protists, sponges and cnidarian, and introducing the strange-quilted animals that evolved and went extinct 600 million years ago. Thereafter lectures will move through the various evolutionary innovations, with an eye on biogeography and environmental change, introducing animal and plant groups as they diversified and moved onto land. Making extensive use of the Cole Museum of Zoology, practical classes will introduce students to the various animal and plant groups, training them to identify both extinct and extant groups.

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

The learning outcomes will be met through a mixture of lectures, tutorials, practical classes, use of the Cole Museum of Zoology teaching collection, self-directed learning and directed independent study. Appropriate supplementary information and reading lists will be provided on Blackboard.

Study hours

At least 42 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: /cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Formative spots tests

Practicals with question sheets

Reassessment

Additional costs