RUI: International Correlation of Lower to Middle Cambrian Trilobite Faunas Between South China and the U.S.

9973180 McCollum最近在北美和华南地区的下-中寒武统界线上发现了世界性的oryctocephalid和eocephalid三叶虫，这使得旧大陆的redlichid和新大陆的olenellid动物群之间首次有了直接的联系。 本研究的目的是记录跨越这一边界的两大洲的三叶虫动物群，并比较两省特有种的灭绝、生存和恢复模式。 这项研究可能提供足够的证据，以确定是否有一个单一的，全球性的大规模灭绝在下寒武纪结束，以及动物群的恢复模式是否在地理上分离的岛屿大陆相似。 此外，本研究将为在传统的下-中寒武统附近建立国际层型边界提供坚实的基础。本科生将参与国际努力，记录下-中寒武统边界上的下寒武统末灭绝和中寒武统生存和恢复动物群。 学生将参与在现场和实验室准备，分类鉴定，解释，演示和结果出版的数据收集的各个方面。

9973180McCollumThe recent discovery of cosmopolitan oryctocephalid and eodiscid trilobites across the Lower-Middle Cambrian series boundary in the North America and South China provinces allows the first direct correlation between the Old World redlichid and the New World olenellid faunal extinctions. The objective of this research is to document the trilobite faunas across this boundary on both continents, and compare the pattern of extinction, survival and recovery for the endemic species in the two provinces. This study may provide enough evidence to ascertain whether there is a single, global mass extinction at the end of the Lower Cambrian, and whether faunal recovery patterns are similar in geographically separated island continents. In addition, this study will provide a strong foundation for establishing an international stratotype boundary near the traditional Lower-Middle Cambrian series.Undergraduate students will participate in an international effort to document the end-Lower Cambrian extinction and Middle Cambrian survival and recovery faunas across the Lower-Middle Cambrian series boundary. Students will be involved in all aspects of data collection in the field and laboratory preparation, taxa identification, interpretation, presentation, and publication of results.