Knowledge and Geological techniques Comments understanding and skills Analysis of the morphology of Candidates should be The Phanerozoic fossil vertebrates (including aware of fossil evidence in was marked by the dinosaurs) to interpret vertebrate development (as migration of function/mode of life. exemplified by Ichthyostega, organisms onto the Archaeopteryx). land during the Palaeozoic. Vertebrate development of amphibians from fish, reptiles from amphibians and mammals and birds from reptiles. Colonisation of the land by plants. Diversity increased Evaluation of contrasting Candidates should be through the Phanerozoic hypotheses regarding mass aware of the evidence for punctuated by many extinctions. the various theories declines caused by including: mass extinction events. Asteroid impact – Mass extinctions may shocked quartz, result from a variety of spherules, iridium, causes including: tsunamis deposits, Chixulub crater asteroid impact (Alvarez) Volcanicity flood – basalt (Deccan large scale Plateau), volcanicity (flood palaeomagnetic basalts) evidence of timing. changes in land/sea levels rapid climate change. c. Mass extinctions are exemplified by the end- Permian (P-T) and Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary events. d. There are alternative Evaluation of alternative interpretations of interpretations of evolutionary evolutionary patterns patterns. based on the fossil record. Gradual change (gradualism) vs stability interrupted by sudden change (punctuated equilibrium).
Knowledge and understanding Geological techniques and skills Comments The Phanerozoic was marked by the migration of organisms onto the land during the Palaeozoic. Vertebrate development of amphibians from fish, reptiles from amphibians and mammals and birds from reptiles. Colonisation of the land by plants. Analysis of the morphology of fossil vertebrates (including dinosaurs) to interpret function/mode of life. Candidates should be aware of fossil evidence in vertebrate development (as exemplified by Ichthyostega, Archaeopteryx). Diversity increased through the Phanerozoic punctuated by many declines caused by mass extinction events. Mass extinctions may result from a variety of causes including: asteroid impact (Alvarez) large scale volcanicity (flood basalts) changes in land/sea levels rapid climate change. Evaluation of contrasting hypotheses regarding mass extinctions. Candidates should be aware of the evidence for the various theories including: Asteroid impact – shocked quartz, spherules, iridium, tsunamis deposits, Chixulub crater Volcanicity – flood basalt (Deccan Plateau), palaeomagnetic evidence of timing. c. Mass extinctions are exemplified by the end- Permian (P-T) and Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary events. d. There are alternative interpretations of evolutionary patterns based on the fossil record. Gradual change (gradualism) vs stability interrupted by sudden change (punctuated equilibrium). Evaluation of alternative interpretations of evolutionary patterns.
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