| CODE | LAS1029 | ||||||
| TITLE | Written in Stone: Fossil Records in Malta | ||||||
| UM LEVEL | I - Introductory Level | ||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Centre for the Liberal Arts and Sciences | ||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This Unit will research the earliest prehistory of the Maltese Islands, commencing from the very earliest stages when our islands were still being formed as sediments accumulating on the seabed of an ancient Mediterranean Sea – the Paratethys. Topics discussed: The sediments forming the Maltese Archipelago will be explored, and each respective geological formation and their respective strata, investigated. The palaeoenvironment, depositional conditions and palaeontological (fossils) aspects on each formation, will also be explained. In the palaeontological field, the fossil fauna which inhabited the ancient Mediterranean Sea is considered and their importance in understanding and interpreting past environments also researched. Particular fossils which are of scientific importance, or are considered popular with the general public, will also be analyzed. Geological aspects such as continental drift, tectonic movements etc. which helped form our Islands will then be considered, leading to the formation of our Archipelago as sub-aerial dry land. Important geological events, such as the Messinian crisis will be considered. This will conclude the 1st part of the Unit – the Tertiary Period. The second part will then investigate the Quaternary Period, particularly the Pleistocene (or Ice Age) Epoch. Pleistocene sites, stratigraphy and fauna will be considered, ending with the arrival of man. Faunal stages of the Maltese Pleistocene are explained showing the diverse faunal assemblages which included pygmy elephants and other elephant species, hippos, deer, giant dormice and swans, foxes, bears, and many others – a fauna which seems rightly incredulous nowadays. A very important aspect, the relationship between Maltese Pleistocene faunas and those of neighbouring Sicily, will also be considered and discussed. Other geological aspects, such as geomorphology, including the most prominent geological features encountered in the Maltese Islands, will also be researched. Legal aspects regulating our geological and palaeontological heritage will be stressed. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the Unit the student will: - Understand the various geological and palaeontological aspects related with our Maltese Islands; - Be more aware of the geological and palaeontological heritage of our Islands, which is unfortunately not treated with equal importance as that afforded to Archaeological heritage; - Respect the geological and palaeontological environment. Important and extremely rare deposits, such as those of Pleistocene Age, need to be better appreciated and our immediate protection. 2. Skills: By the end of the Unit the student will be able to: - Discern between the various rock formations which constitute the Maltese stratigraphy; - Have a clearer idea of ‘what was Malta before Malta’. All our history publications tend to portray our journey as a nation, with the arrival of man and the Paleaolithic – but the history of our Islands is more distant than that. This aspect of portraying history commencing with the emergence of man, is the core problem effecting most of the environmental issues plaguing our modern world. Most of us do not perceive the idea of a world without humans, and treat planet Earth as our own. The truth is blatantly otherwise. This Unit will help instill the idea, that there was a ‘history’ before man, a history we can learn a lot from, a history which would help us respect, appreciate, and understand in a better perspective the present environment we live in. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Published literature on Maltese geology and palaeontology is unfortunately scant or almost inexistent. Most publications constitute scientific papers which could be obtained over the internet. The below are papers and publications pertaining to the coordinating lecturer (most are out of print): Authored publications related to the study of Maltese palaeontology: - 2000 : A review of the Palaeoecology and Stratigraphical distribution of Coelopleurus melitensis, Naturalista Siciliana, Series 4, 24(3-4): 303-313. (reviews the stratigraphical distribution of a very rare echinoid from Malta, previously known from only one specimen) - 2004: A new late Oligocene to early Miocene species of Apatopygus (Echinoidea: Cassiduloida) from the Maltese Islands, Algheringa, 29: 101-112. (describes an new species of fossil echinoid from the Lower Coralline Limestone and Lower Globigerina formations of Malta and Gozo) - 2006: Il-Geologija u l-Paleontologija tal-Gzejjer Maltin, Independence Publications, Volume 1 – i-x, 1-264. (first volume covers introduction related to Maltese geology and a description and stratigraphical distribution of various invertebrate fossils which occur in the Maltese rock succession) - 2006: Il-Geologija u l-Paleontologija tal-Gzejjer Maltin, Independence Publications, Volume 2 – i-vii, 265-470. (second volume which covers a description and the stratigraphical distribution of various vertebrate fossils which occur in the Maltese rock succession) - 2010: A new coral-associated decapod assemblage from the Upper Miocene (Messinian) Upper Coralline Limestone of Malta (Central Mediterranean), Palaeontology, 53(6): 1315-1348. Co-authored with Antonio de Angeli, Vicenza, Italy. (describes a new assemblage of fossil decapoda from the youngest rock formation of the Maltese Islands, the UCL – 19 species within 17 Genera are discovered, where 14 are new to Malta. Four species new to science are also described. The Maltese coral reef structures are also discussed together with their palaeoecology. Reviews also other known reefal decapods assemblages discussing their geographical and chronostratigraphical distribution and palaeoecology) - 2011: Systematics, biostratigraphy and evolutionary pattern of the Oligo-Miocene marine mammals from the Maltese Islands, Geobios, 44: 549-585. Co-authored as second author with Giovanni Bianucci et al. (a detailed analysis of the Tertiary mammal fossil remains which occur in our strata. Since very little had been published beforehand in this field of study, most of the taxa mentioned in this work are new to Malta) - 2011: James Smith of Jordanhill and the first scientific record of Pleistocene elephant from Gozo, Treasures of Malta, 50: 91-98. (discusses the discovery by James Smith of Jordanhill, of a Pleistocene elephant molar fragment from Gozo in 1847) - 2011: In the footsteps of St. Paul – James Smith’s visit to Malta in 1844-45, Treasures of Malta, 51: 81-85, 91. (describes James Smith’s visit to Malta and the recollections and experiences of his family during their stay, also other literary works by Smith). |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Fieldwork | ||||||
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The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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