T287 Geological and Paleobiological Collections: Best Practices for Preservation, Access, and Use in a Changing World II

Wednesday, 3 November 2010
1:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Room 603

UNSCRAMBLING COLLECTION DATA: A NEW INTERACTIVE MAP OF FOSSIL EGGSHELL DATA PROVIDES NOVEL DATA ACCESS FOR RESEARCHERS AND AN ORIGINAL EDUCATION TOOL FOR STUDENTS

Paper number: T287-4
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 2:15 PM – 2:30 PM

Authors

Abstract

A recently developed interactive map offers a new medium for displaying multiple types of paleontological information for use by both researchers and the general public. The map was created to showcase the geographic, temporal, and taxonomic breadth of the Karl Hirsch fossil eggshell collection at the University of Colorado, and is hosted as a special exhibit on fossil eggshell on the University of California Museum of Paleontology (UCMP) and University of Colorado Museum of Natural History websites. Rather than presenting a static spreadsheet of specimen and locality data, the interactive map filters information on the geographic distribution of fossil eggshell, their geologic age, geologic formations, taxonomic and/or parataxonomic classification, and pertinent taphonomic information (e.g., whether a shell fragment, whole egg, nest structure, or embryo was recovered). This allows scientists, students, and others to customize search results. References to previous publications, a selection of photographs of external and internal structures, and information on which institutions house the specimens are also readily available, establishing the interactive map as a valuable resource for researchers.

The unusual subject matter of fossil eggshell and the map’s ease of use also work together to provide new educational opportunities to engage students of different levels in the scientific process. The diversity of subjects encompassed in the study of fossil amniotic eggs allows educators to expand upon numerous topics such as geology, evolution, animal behavior, and fossil taphonomy. The map can be used with other resources to generate and test hypotheses using actual data from the Hirsch Eggshell Collection as well as published research on other fossil eggshell specimens. For example, students can compare fossil eggshell specimens with skeletal fossils from a particular geologic formation. These data can then be augmented with information from the eggshell online exhibit to help educators and students pose questions about fossil eggshell. The unique filters of the eggshell interactive map, and the ability to combine its data with other resources like PaleoPortal, the Paleobiological Database, and the online fossil eggshell exhibit, make it a novel educational and research tool.