Bachelor of Science - Geology - Palaeontology

Palaeontology considers how the origin and evolution of life is intricately linked with the geological history of the Earth. Through the fossil record you will explore topics such as evolutionary diversity, exceptional preservation and global climate change. You will investigate key groups of invertebrate fossils and microfossils, and will tackle key concepts, such as the origin of life, evolution and extinction, and the relationship between ecology and evolution. You will also learn about the geological context in which fossils occur, including the environments where fossils are preserved, the age of the rocks that contain them, and the biases resulting from geological processes.

Students choosing the Geology with Palaeontology degree are be assigned to a personal tutor who is a specialist in the field from the start of their degree. First-year modules lay foundations in both palaeontology and the breadth of the geosciences.

In the second year, you continue to develop skills and understanding across the geosciences, but you will begin to specialise via a bespoke palaeontology module on the history of life, and by choosing a palaeontological focus for your independent fieldwork.

In the third year you will develop specialist expertise on vertebrates and microfossils, and will develop a dissertation on a palaeontological topic of your choice. Your knowledge of palaeontology will also complement other option modules such as our third-year optional module on environmental stable isotopes.

Each year of the degree includes different field work opportunities, including trips to Scotland, Spain and Wales where you will be able to apply all that you have learned here on campus. You will also carry out an independent field-based project which may range from geological mapping in a fossiliferous area, to field and laboratory analysis of fossils.