Curation of Paleopalynological and Paleobotanical Collections, Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, Phase I

俄克拉荷马州自然历史博物馆的古孢粉(花粉、孢子和水生微型动物)和古植物学(叶、种子、木材)藏品是研究动植物系统学、古生态学、进化和生物地理学的重要和不可替代的科学资源。这些藏品是在策展人伦纳德·R·威尔逊和他的学生们的努力下，在20世纪30年代至70年代建立起来的。它目前包括大约3800个大量的孢粉样本和大约50,000个相应的准备好的显微镜载玻片，以及来自俄克拉何马州、美国中部大陆和世界各地的8000多个大型化石样本。此外，还有2000多份来自世界各地的现代分类群的孢粉幻灯片、植物标本和木材样本，这些都构成了整个收藏中的比较材料。尽管自20世纪70年代中期的S以来，俄克拉何马大学的正式扩建和馆藏一直很少，但随着工作人员的增加，俄克拉何马大学重申了对孢粉学和古植物学收藏的承诺。这些藏品被分配到一座新建筑中，面积更大。目前的项目将涉及为收藏品购置新箱子和雇用临时工作人员搬运收藏品。以后的活动将包括样本数据的计算机化。该项目将显著提高这些重要藏品的质量和可获得性，用于博物馆的研究、教学和公共项目。

The paleopalynological (pollen, spores, and aquatic microfauna) and paleobotanical (leaf, seeds, wood) collections at the Oklahoma Museum of Natural History constitute an important and irreplaceable scientific resource for the study of plant and animal systematics, paleoecology, evolution, and biogeography. The collection was built through the efforts of one curator, Leonard R. Wilson, and his students between the 1930s and 1970s. It currently comprises approximately 3800 bulk palynological samples plus ca. 50,000 corresponding prepared microscope slides, and over 8000 macrofossil specimens from Oklahoma, the US mid-continent, and around the world. In addition, there are over 2000 palynological slides, herbarium sheets, and wood samples of modern taxa from around the world that constitute comparative materials included in the overall collection. Altough formal expansion and curation has been minimal since the mid- 1970's, the University of Oklahoma has renewed its commitment to the palynological and paleobotanical collections with the addition of staff. The collections have been assigned a larger area in a new building. The current project will involve the acquisition of new cases for the collections and hiring temporary staff to move the collections. Later activities wil include computerization of the specimen data. The projectwill significantly enhance the quality, and accessibility of these important collections for research, teaching, and public programs in the Museum.