The course provides an overview of the evolution of life on Earth, its origin, diversification and its gradual expansion from sea to land. Focus is on the processes leading to fossilization and on the major events of the evolution of life. Students are introduced to the taxonomy and ecology of the invertebrate groups most commonly represented in the fossil record, with special attention for the fossilizable parts and their significance towards understanding the evolution of the total biosphere. Further emphasis is on how fossilized remains and traces of organisms can be used in the fields of stratigraphy, paleoecology and paleoclimatology.