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Advanced PalaeontologyDiploma Course

Advance your understanding of this fascinating field and how it's practised worldwide. Examine case studies describing key concepts and understand major discoveries within the discipline. Learn how fossil records contribute to our modern understanding of biological history. Identify specialised areas of interest and explore advanced palaeontological concepts.

Course overview:

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10 Modules

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What Will You Learn?

This advanced palaeontology course discusses the field's various specialities and overlapping disciplines. You learn about its historical milestones and ethical considerations, such as provenance.

You'll follow guidance on the fossilisation process and the importance of isotopic analysis. This advanced palaeontology course also shares excavation methods for fossils of varying sizes. You’ll learn analytical techniques and key considerations in preparing, curating, and conserving fossils.

Discover the major characteristics of ancient marine reptiles and their modern descendants. Study theropods and birds, including theories of evolution and flight. Delve into vertebrate and invertebrate palaeontology. Learn about vertebrate organisms and families, tetrapods, and the evolutionary advantage of jaws. Discover the defining characteristics of synapsids and sauropsids, and their subgroups.

As you study palaeontology, you'll also learn about palaeoclimatology. We'll discuss major climate periods and mass extinction events.

This advanced palaeontology course concludes by examining molecular phylogenetics's role in palaeontology. From sources of DNA to DNA barcoding, you'll learn how researchers determine genetic links between specimens.

By studying this course, you will learn about:

Palaeontology specialisms, historical milestones, and ethics
Isotopic analysis and palaeobiology
Fossil collection and curation
Ancient marine reptiles and their modern descendants
Therapods, birds, and the process of evolution
Invertebrate and vertebrate palaeontology
Jawed and jawless organisms
Synapsids and sauropsids
Palaeoclimatology, ice ages, and climate change
Molecular phylogenetics, phylogenetic trees, and the relationships between species

This advanced palaeontology course will expand your understanding of the basic concepts. It's perfect for those with existing knowledge in this field looking to dig deeper into the practice and study of palaeontology. Completing this course will prepare you for formal education or to go on to study further techniques.

Introduction
Part 1: Advanced Specialities
Part 2: Ethics of Palaeontology
Part 3: Major Discoveries of the 21st Century
Test Your Knowledge
Key Learning Points Exercise
Module 1 Assessment

Part 1: Fossilisation
Part 2: Analysing Isotopes
Test Your Knowledge
Key Learning Points Exercise
Module 2 Assessment

Part 1: Excavation and Collection Techniques
Part 2: Preparation and Conservation
Part 3: Curation and Display
Test Your Knowledge
Key Learning Points Exercise
Module 3 Assessment

Part 1: History of Marine Reptiles
Part 2: Ichthyosaurs
Part 3: Plesiosaurs
Part 4: Mosasaurs
Test Your Knowledge
Key Learning Points Exercise
Module 4 Assessment

Part 1: Classification
Part 2: Theories of Evolution
Test Your Knowledge
Key Learning Points Exercise
Module 5 Assessment

Part 1: Defining Invertebrate Palaeontology
Part 2: Scaphopods, Rostroconchs, and Ordovician Age Graptolites
Part 3: Annelid Worms
Test Your Knowledge
Key Learning Points Exercise
Module 6 Assessment

Part 1: Tetrapods
Part 2: The Role of Jaws
Part 3: Osteichthyes
Part 4: Early Amphibians
Test Your Knowledge
Key Learning Points Exercise
Module 7 Assessment

Part 1: Defining Synapsids and Sauropsids
Part 2: Characteristics of Synapsids
Part 3: Characteristics of Sauropsids
Test Your Knowledge
Key Learning Points Exercise
Module 8 Assessment

Part 1: What is Palaeoclimatology?
Part 2: Major Climate Periods
Part 3: Climate Proxies
Test Your Knowledge
Key Learning Points Exercise
Module 9 Assessment

Part 1: What Is Molecular Phylogenetics?
Part 2: Sequencing Techniques
Test Your Knowledge
Key Learning Points Exercise
Conclusion
Module 10 Assessment

The Advanced Palaeontology Diploma Course will take up to 150 hours to complete, working from home. There is no time limit for completing this course; it can be studied in your own time at your own pace.

This is a Level 3 course and will give you 150 CPD (Continued Professional Development) points.

Upon completion of your course assessments, you receive 2 certificates. A certificate from the Centre of Excellence and a CPD certificate displaying the number of CPD points earned from the course.

This course is endorsed by the Quality Licence Scheme. Therefore, upon successful completion of this course, learners can also receive a certificate of achievement from Quality Licence Scheme and a Learner Unit Summary, which lists the details of all the units the learner has completed as part of the course. (This certificate is optional and costs an additional £25).

The Quality Licence Scheme is part of the Skills and Education Group, a charitable organisation that unites education and skills-orientated organisations that share similar values and objectives. With more than 100 years of collective experience, the Skills and Education Group’s strategic partnerships create opportunities to inform, influence and represent the wider education and skills sector.

The Skills and Education Group also includes two nationally recognised awarding organisations; Skills and Education Group Awards and Skills and Education Group Access. Through their awarding organisations they have developed a reputation for providing high-quality qualifications and assessments for the education and skills sector. They are committed to helping employers, organisations and learners cultivate the relevant skills for learning, skills for employment, and skills for life.

Their knowledge and experience of working within the awarding sector enables them to work with training providers, through the Quality Licence Scheme, to help them develop high-quality courses and/or training programmes for the non-regulated market.

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FAQs

There is no time limit for completing your course it can be studied in your own time at your own pace.

All of our courses vary in length but most of our courses will take you between 50 - 250 hours to complete. The length of this course can be found in the Accreditations section above.

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