PART I: GENERAL PALEONTOLOGY.
Definition and areas of Paleontology, history of Paleontology, definition of fossil.
Taphonomy: biostratinomy, fossilization processes and diagenesis.
Pseudo-fossils.
Fossils and rocks: fossils as components of rocks, sedimentary environments, fossil deposits.
Applied paleontology (the use of fossils): paleobiology, biostratigraphy and evolution, paleoecology, paleoclimatology, paleogeography.
Paleontological dating: absolute chronology, relative chronology, geological time scale.
Life and landscape in the history of the Earth: Precambrian Era, Archaeozoic Era, Mesozoic Era, Cenozoic Era.
Origin and early development of life on Earth: origin of organic compound, origin of membranes, origin of reproduction, first cells, first metazoans, Ediacara's biome, "Cambrian Explosion".

PART II: SISTEMATIC PALEONTOLOGY.
The paleontological systematics and the problem of the fossil species: the paleontological species (morphological species and typological species), the paleontological systematics, the paleontological domains.
Protozoa.
Paleobotany: non-vascular plants, vascular plants.
Paleozoology of invertebrates.
Paleontology of vertebrates.
Human paleontology.
Paleo-ichnology.

PART III: PALEONTOLOGICAL PRACTICE.
The paleontological excavation.
The restoration and conservation of fossils.
Paleontological musealization.
Legislation on the protection and enhancement of paleontological goods in Italy, in the European community and in non-European countries.