Master's Degree in Applied Palaeontology

  • E01: Have an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the nature of biodiversity and its ecosystemic relationships both now and in the past.
  • E02: Understand the fundamental principles of facies analysis in continental, transitional and marine depositional systems, and the use of fossils for palaeoenvironmental interpretation of the stratigraphic record.
  • E03: Collect, represent and analyse data for the interpretation and production of geological maps and/or other forms of representation (stratigraphic columns, geological cross-sections, etc.) with a view to their inclusion in reports, scientific publications or other outputs.
  • E04: Have an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the regional geology of Spain and surrounding areas, particularly the Valencian Community, with detailed knowledge of the main palaeontological sites found in the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa.
  • E05: Skillfully handle the field, laboratory and office techniques for the extraction, preparation, cataloguing, digital reconstruction, study and dissemination of microfossils and macrofossils.
  • E06: Be familiar with, develop and manage georeferenced databases of elements from the geological and palaeontological record, as well as the software used for the spatial representation and analysis of these elements.
  • E07: Understand the causes of climate change and the proxies used (diatom studies, foraminifera, tree growth rings, ice cores, current climate data, etc.) to characterise past climates.
  • E08: Understand the fundamentals of the use of microfossils and macrofossils for the characterisation of geological deposits containing resources such as oil, gas, coal, peat, etc.
  • E09: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the legal foundations for the protection and conservation of palaeontological heritage at the level of the EU, Spain and the Spanish Autonomous Communities.
  • E10: Learn about the techniques used in museums for the management of palaeontological heritage, identifying, during guided work visits, successful examples in the field of palaeontology (Dinópolis, the Catalan Institute of Palaeontology, the Palaeontological Museum of Elche).
  • E11: Produce all types of reports related to palaeontological matters clearly and concisely at an official or professional level (reports, grants, heritage impact reports, research projects, etc.)
  • E12: Understand the nature of the fossil record in relation to the sedimentary process, the biostratinomic and phosildiagenetic phases of the process and the mechanisms of fossilisation.
  • E13: Apply the research experience acquired to tasks specific to the profession, both in the private sector and in public institutions.
  • E14: Conduct studies, applying the methods and techniques needed to preserve and manage palaeontological heritage.
  • E15: Plan and manage available resources, taking into account the basic principles of quality, risk prevention, safety and sustainability.
  • E16: Apply the research experience acquired to initiate the research phase of a PhD programme on biodiversity-related topics.
  • E17: Develop experimental skills in the handling of laboratory material and equipment in palaeontology.
  • E18: Know and understand the palaeodiversity of living beings, their ecosystemic relationships and the palaeogeographical distribution achieved by the main groups of living beings throughout the Earth's history.
  • E19: Know, understand and draw conclusions, applicable to the present time, about the crises of biological diversity, and their causes and consequences within the framework of actualism.
  • E20: Demonstrate in-depth understanding of the historical nature of the evolutionary process, both in its aspects of unrepeatability and contingency and in those linked to the fulfilment of laws of nature of all kinds and, therefore, of necessity.
  • E21: Know and understand past biological events, as well as the zonations, in time and space, of biota in order to establish the relative stratigraphic position of sedimentary rocks from different geographical areas.
  • E22: Know and confidently handle the divisions of the geological time scale and the biostratigraphic scales constructed from different groups of biota in the fossil record.
  • E23: Interpret environmental and ecological variables of the past from the study of organism traces in the fossil record.
  • E24: Understand the nature of the stratigraphic record, its discontinuities, cycles and events, the different types of sedimentary basins, the factors controlling their infilling, the resulting three-dimensional geometries and stratigraphic correlations.