Palaeontology

By Dr. Gaurav Kumar Singh | Dr. H. S. Gour University, Sagar

Learners enrolled: 89

The objective of the present course is to give an overview of the general geological set up of the Indian subcontinent embracing all its components form Precambrian to Phanerozoic eons. In addition, physiogrpahy of India is also covered along with general principles of stratigraphy. Another major rationale is to introduce the elements of Palaeontology starting from general aspects to the morphologies of many invertebrate groups; evolution of horse is mainly covered for vertebrate Palaeontology. It is important to point out here that at undergraduate level, the entire aspects of neither Palaeontology nor Stratigraphy can be covered; however; only general idea can be given which have been tried in this course.

Indicative Program Alignments :

B.Sc.

Summary

Course Status :	Upcoming
Course Type :	Core
Language for course content :	English
Duration :	16 weeks
Category :	Earth Sciences
Credit Points :	4
Level :	Undergraduate
Start Date :	15 Jan 2026
End Date :	15 May 2026
Enrollment Ends :	28 Feb 2026
Exam Date :
Translation Languages :	English
NCrF Level	6.0

Page Visits

Course layout

Study Plan

Course Title: PALAEONTOLOGY

B.Sc. Geology Syllabus based on NEP-2020

Week	Day	Items	Title of Video and Reading text/Lecture/ppt	Remark
First Week	Day 1	Video and Reading Text Material	Basic idea of Palaeontology, evolution and origin of life
	Day 2	Video and Reading Text Material	Identification of fossils and Codes of Systematic Nomenclature
	Day 3	Video and Reading Text Material	Preservation potential of organisms
	Day 4	Test
	Day 5	Self-Reading Material /Assignment and Interaction/Forum activity
Second Week	Day 1	Video and Reading Text Material	Morphology of the Pelecypods
	Day 2	Video and Reading Text Material	Geological distribution of the Pelecypods
	Day 3	Video and Reading Text Material	Morphology of the Gastropoda
	Day 4	Self-Reading Material /Assignment and Interaction/Forum activity
	Day 5	Test

Third Week	Day 1	Video and Reading Text Material	Geological distribution of the Gastropoda
	Day 2	Video and Reading Text Material	Morphology of the Cephalopoda
	Day 3	Video and Reading Text Material	Geological distribution of the Cephalopoda
	Day 4	Self-Reading Material /Assignment and Interaction/Forum activity
	Day 5	Test
Fourth Week	Day 1	Video and Reading Text Material	Morphology of the Brachiopoda
	Day 2		Geological distribution of the Brachiopoda
	Day 3		Morphology of the Trilobites
	Day 4	Self-Reading Material /Assignment and Interaction/Forum activity
	Day 5	Test
Fifth Week	Day 1	Video and Reading Text Material	Geological distribution of the Trilobites
	Day 2	Video and Reading Text Material	Morphology of the Echinoides
	Day 3	Video and Reading Text Material	Geological distribution of theEchinoides
	Day 4	Self-Reading Material /Assignment and Interaction/Forum activity
	Day 5	Test
Sixth Week	Day 1	Video and Reading Text Material	Morphology of the Graptolites
	Day 2		Geological distribution of the Graptolites
	Day 3		Morphology of the Corals
	Day 4	Self-Reading Material /Assignment and Interaction/Forum activity
	Day 5	Test
Seventh Week	Day 1	Video and Reading Text Material	Geological distribution of the Corals
	Day 2	Video and Reading Text Material	The elements of Palaeobotany
	Day 3	Video and Reading Text Material	Introduction to microfossils
	Day 4	Self-Reading Material /Assignment and Interaction/Forum activity
	Day 5	Test
Eighth Week	Day 1	Video and Reading Text Material	Stratigraphic correlation
	Day 2	Video and Reading Text Material	Modes of evolution-I
	Day 3	Video and Reading Text Material	Modes of evolution-II
	Day 4	Self-Reading Material /Assignment and Interaction/Forum activity
	Day 5	Test
Ninth Week	Day 1	Video and Reading Text Material	Evolutionary history of Horse
	Day 2	Video and Reading Text Material	Evolutionary history of Elephants
	Day 3	Video and Reading Text Material	Evolutionary history of Man
	Day 4	Self-Reading Material /Assignment and Interaction/Forum activity
	Day 5	Test
Tenth Week	Day 1	Video and Reading Text Material	Palaeogeography of earth and life during Precambrian
	Day 2	Video and Reading Text Material	Palaeogeography of earth and life during Palaeozoic
	Day 3	Video and Reading Text Material	Palaeogeography of earth and life during Mesozoic
	Day 4	Self-Reading Material /Assignment and Interaction/Forum activity
	Day 5	Test
Eleventh Week	Day 1	Video and Reading Text Material	Palaeogeography of earth and life during Palaegene
	Day 2	Video and Reading Text Material	Palaeogeography of earth and life during Neogene
	Day 3	Video and Reading Text Material	Permian-Triassic mass extinction
	Day 4	Self-Reading Material /Assignment and Interaction/Forum activity
	Day 5	Test
Twelfth Week	Day 1	Video and Reading Text Material	Cretaceous-Palaeogene mass extinction
	Day 2	Video and Reading Text Material	Basics of biostratigraphy
	Day 3	Video and Reading Text Material	Functional morphology
	Day 4	Self-Reading Material /Assignment and Interaction/Forum activity
	Day 5	Test
Tthirteenth Week	Day 1	Video and Reading Text Material	Significance of Gondwana flora
	Day 2	Video and Reading Text Material	Siwalik vertebrate fauna
	Day 3	Video and Reading Text Material	Palynology 1+2
	Day 4	Video and Reading Text Material	Application of fossils
	Day 5	Self-Reading Material /Assignment and Interaction/Forum activity
	Day 6	Tesy

Books and references

1. Kathal, P K (2012) Applied Geological Micropaleontology Scientific Publ., New Delhi, 203p.

2. Kathal, P. K. (1998) Applications of Microfossils CBS Publishers & Distributors, New Delhi, 198p.

3. Woods, H. (1963) Palaeontology Invertebrate CBS Pub. & Dist., (Low Price Edition) New Delhi. P.

4. Black, Rhona M. (1989) Elements of paleontology 2nd Ed. Cambridge University Press.

Instructor bio

Dr. Gaurav Kumar Singh has worked as a geologist in the Geological Survey of India from 2011-2013. His research work mainly comprises Stratigraphy and Palynology of Palaeozoic of Spiti Valley, Himachal Pradesh. He is especially interested in the study of Precambrian rocks of Central India. Dr. Singh is presently working as a Geology faculty of central university in Dr. Harisingh Gour Vishwavidyalaya, Sagar, India.

Educational Qualifications:

2008-2013 Ph.D. Geology (Awarded in 2013)

University of Lucknow and Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany

2009 Joint CSIR-UGC NET-JRF

2006-2008 Masters in Geology (Post Graduation)

University of Lucknow

Gold Medal and Distinction

2003-2006 B.Sc. in Geology (Graduation)University of Lucknow

EXPERIENCE:

May 2012 – 10th December, 2013 Geologist, Geological Survey of India, SU: Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram, India.

Oct. 2011- May 2012 Geologist, GSITI, GSI, Hyderabad, India.

AUG. 2010 - OCT2011 Senior Research Fellow (Birbal Sahni Research Scholarship, BSRS)

Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, 53, University Road, Lucknow.

AUG. 2008 –10 Junior Research Fellow (Birbal Sahni Research Scholarship, BSRS)

Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, 53, University Road, Lucknow

Awards and Honors:

First Division right from school to post graduate level.

Awarded M.R.Sahni memorial Gold medal in Palaeontology by Palaeontological Society of India, Sept. 2008.

Awarded Birbal Sahni Research Scholarship, BSRS by Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany in 2008.

Qualified National Eligibility Test (JRF-NET) securing 27th rank for Lectureship, June 2009.

Successfully completed 35th OCG at Geological Survey of India (GSI).

Experimental skills:

Strong background on maceration techniques used for the extraction of microfossils from silicate and carbonate sediments.

Sound knowledge of the morphological details implied for the taxonomy of various fossil groups

Experienced with the palynofacies and organic matter studies.

Training programme on Late Cenozoic Dinoflagellate cyst by Prof. Martin Head in February 2011 at Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, Lucknow.

Mapping of deformed terrane and unconformity in Bundelkhand region.

Experience in Field Campaigns:

• Carried out two fieldworks in the Spiti Valley, Tethys Himalaya on Carboniferous and Permian sedimentary succession, 2008-2009, and 2009-2010.

• Carried out fieldwork in Jaisalmer and Jodhpur, 2008.

• Carried out fieldwork in Kinnaur and adjoining areas, 2009.

• Carried out fieldwork in Solan and adjoining areas, 2009.

• Fieldwork in Chiradurga, Kochi, Salem, Bhimtal, Sukinda and Kothagudem as part of 35th OCG.

• Fieldwork in the toposheet no. 49M/13 as a part of FSP 2012-13 (GCM/SR/KRL/2012/040).

Organizational Skills

Managing, maintaining and operating ultra-clean laboratory facilities for maceration of the sedimentary rocks for microfossils, organic matter studies, and morphology of the various fossil groups.

Specialized Training

• Attended a training programme on sedimentology and sequence stratigraphy from 26-31 October 2009 at Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, Lucknow.

• Attended Geological field training programme (Solan and adjoining areas of Himachal Pradesh) organized by Palaeontological Society of India and Centre of advanced Studies in Geology, University of Lucknow.

Research Publications:

• Kamaljeet Singh, Shreerup Goswami and Gaurav Singh (2011). Palaeodiversity in the genus Glossopteris from the lower Gondwana rocks of the Korba Coal field of the Chhatisgarh India. Palaeontological Society of India. Vol 56 (1), pp. 61-80.

• Kamlesh Kumar, Sankar Chatterjee, Rajni Tewari, Naresh C. Mehrotra and Gaurav Kumar Singh (2012). Petrographic evidence as an indicator of volcanic forest fire from theTriassic of Allan Hills, South Victoria Land, Antarctica. Vol 104 (4), pp. 422-424.

• Gaurav K. Singh, Ashish, K. Rai and Arvind K. Singh (2023). Diagenesis, facies and palaeocurrent analysis of Upper Rewa Sandstone around Sagar, Central India. Vol 12 (4), pp. 546-563.

Abstracts

Singh G, Jha N, Mehrotra N.C. (2011). An algal bloom (green algae of zygnematalean affinity) from the Gechang Formation (Lower Permian) of Spiti Basin, NW Himalaya, India. XVII International Congress on the Carboniferous and Permian in the University of Western Australia, Perth.

Conferences & Seminars Attended:

International Conferences:

• Participated in Geo India, International Conference held on17-19 September 2008, at Expo XXI, Greater Noida.

• Participated in Industry-Academia programme of Geo India 2011 from 12-14 Jan. 2011.

National Conference:

• Participated in conference Plant life through the ages held on 16-17, November 2008 at Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, Lucknow.

Association with Research Projects/Proposals:

• Hydrocarbon exploration in Spiti Valley DST, 2008-2011.

• Geochemical mapping in Toposheet no. 49M/13 in Kozhikode, Waynad and Kannur District, Kerala (FSP 2012-13, Item no. GCM/SR/KRL/2012/040).

Course certificate

Assessment and Certification Details

1. End-Term Examination

· Weightage: 70% of the final result

· Minimum Passing Criteria: 40%

2. Internal Assessment

· Weightage: 30% of the final result

· Minimum Passing Criteria: 40%

Calculation of Internal Assessment (IA) Marks:

· Out of all graded weekly assessments/assignments, the top 50% of scores will be considered for calculating the final Internal Assessment marks.

Eligibility for SWAYAM Credit Certificate:

· Students must secure at least 40% marks in both the Internal Assessment and the End-Term Proctored Examination, separately, to be eligible for the SWAYAM Credit Certificate.

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