Enfoques emergentes en la investigación de la historia de la Tierra
ISSN: 1132-9157
Year of publication: 2013
Issue Title: ¿Qué geología enseñar?
Volume: 21
Issue: 2
Pages: 155-167
Type: Article
More publications in: Enseñanza de las ciencias de la tierra: Revista de la Asociación Española para la Enseñanza de las Ciencias de la Tierra
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to explore some of the contents contained in the Spanish “Literacy in Earth Sciences” document, and more specifically, Big Idea 5: Life evolves and interacts with the Earth, leading to mutual modifications. To this end, a review is presented of two emerging disciplines in the study of life in the past: Taphonomy and Geobiology. In addition, some of the most frequently used techniques for the study of the Earth’s history are discussed: biomarker analysis and stable isotope geochemistry, which are directly or indirectly related to fossils. The data provided by these disciplines and methodologies provide an overview of the history of the Earth, depicting ancient changes in several aspects, of which three are examined: climate, ocean chemistry and biodiversity. By way of illustration, several case studies are presented which demonstrate that the state of the planet at any given time in its history is the result of the complex interaction of physical, chemical and biological processes.