Fossils and Ancient Life



Overview

What can fossils tell us about life on Earth? What were the first life forms like? How did they live and how did they die? We will consider all these questions, and more, as we work our way through fossils from each era of geological time.

Fossils are our only way of knowing about past life and during the course we will find out how good this record is. We will discover what fossils can tell us about big 'Earth moments' as we explore mass extinctions. One topic of interest is what killed the dinosaurs, with a surprise at the end. 

We will work through how to identify fossils and how they inform us about ancient environments, evolution and extinctions. Fossils used for hands-on exploring will be selected from the tutor's large collection and include ammonites, trilobites, corals, graptolites, trace fossils plus many more.

Many skills will be developed in handling and interpreting fossils in terms of 'form and function', and you may bring in your own fossils for a fun identification class activity.

A field trip is planned for Sunday 7 June 11am-3pm and the choice will take the class preferences and abilities into account.

Programme details

Course starts Thursday 23 April 2026

This is an in-person course which requires your attendance at the weekly meetings in Oxford on Thursdays, 2-4pm.

Week 1:

  • What is a fossil. 'It's life Jim but not as we know it' – the first life on Earth 

Week 2:

  • Fossil identification session – the 8 main groups of invertebrates 
  • Case study 1: corals

Week 3:

  • The trilobites – form and function? 

Week 4:

  • Bivalves and brachiopods – 'Life in the Silurian' 

Week 5:

  • Trace fossils – traces of life, but no bodies 
  • Case study 2: echinoderms (not all spiky)

Week 6:

  • Ammonites – more to them than you think
  • Life in the Jurassic

Week 7/8:

  • Field trip – location tbc.  Local site tbc at the start of the course from tutor suggestions.

Week 9:

  • Death of the dinosaurs. Class activity with students' collection or tutor's to explore more 

Week 10:

  • Fossil preservation. Some exceptional fossils from Brazil – fossil preservation at its best 

Certification

Academic credit

Credit Accumulation Transfer Scheme (CATS Points)

Please note, students who do not register for assessment and accreditation during the enrolment process will not be able to do so after the course has begun. If you wish to gain credit from completing this course you must register to do so before the course starts.

Only those who have registered for assessment and accreditation will be awarded CATS points for completing work to the required standard. Please note that assignments are not graded but are marked either pass or fail.

Learn more about the Credit Accumulation Transfer Scheme.

If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education at the Department you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee for assessment and accreditation.

Digital certificate of completion 

Students who are registered for assessment and accreditation and pass their final assignment will also be eligible for a digital Certificate of Completion. Information on how to access the digital certificate will be emailed to you after the end of the course. The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course attended. You will be able to download the certificate and share it on social media if you choose to do so.

Fees

Description Costs
Course fee (with no assessment) £300.00
Assessment and Accreditation fee £60.00

Funding

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. See details of our concessionary fees for short courses.

Tutor

Dr Jill Eyers

Dr Eyers is a UK geologist and lecturer with many years’ experience who has worked and travelled all over the world. She is an author of many scientific papers and books, and is a regular speaker on cruise ships.

Course aims

  • To give an overview of the many different forms of ancient life that have existed over more than 500 million years and to explore some of the fossil groups in detail.
  • To develop the skills of fossil identification based on body plan.
  • To determine potential lifestyle from the features seen.
  • Explore some major changes in ancient life over 500 million years.

Teaching methods

Teaching methods vary through the course.

The usual format is an introductory PowerPoint lecture followed by practical work handling a vast array of the tutor's collection of fossils. Practical exploration of the fossils is guided by helpful handouts and followed by discussion and explanation of the material. There will also be short video clips of important concepts.

Overall the style is very relaxed and much learning takes place while having a lot of enjoyment.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course students will be given the opportunity to learn how to:

  • identify the main eight groups of invertebrate fossils presented;
  • interpret an animal's potential lifestyle by looking at their physical features; and
  • identify some crucial moments in the evolution of ancient life.

Assessment methods

Only those students who have registered for assessment and accreditation, in advance of the course start date, can submit coursework/assignments for assessment.

Assessment

Five elements for assessment:

  • Four will be worked on in class (as activities)
  • The fifth will be a short piece of writing on a fossil group (chosen by the student) or a field trip report. Relevant information for essays might include (for the fossil group) information such as when they first arose, when they became extinct, life habits or anything of interest about the group with at least one sketch or illustration. 400-500 words is enough, but the length is up to the student. Advice will be given for the field trip report when we know the location but would include all relevant information on location and background, as well as an overview of what was discovered at that location (with sketches or photographs).

Application

How to enrol

Please use the 'Book now' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an enrolment form.

How to register for accreditation and assessment

To be able to submit coursework and to earn credit (CATS points) for this course, if you wish to do so, you will need to register and pay an additional £60 fee. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online. 

Students who do not register for CATS points during the enrolment process will not be able to do so after the course has begun.

If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education at the Department you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.

Level and demands

The Department's Weekly Classes are taught at FHEQ Level 4, ie first year undergraduate level, and you will be expected to engage in a significant amount of private study in preparation for the classes. This may take the form, for instance, of reading and analysing set texts, responding to questions or tasks, or preparing work to present in class.

 

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support