Tapestry of Times Past - Request for a Planning Meeting

北美古生物门户网站David LindbergEAR-0102826加州大学古生物博物馆(UCMP)将主办一次由脊椎动物古生物学会、古生物学会和美国地质调查局(USGS)的代表参加的会议，以计划根据美国地质调查局开发的彩色编码地质图开发北美古生物门户网站的发展。利用基于网络的技术和关系数据库，可以使地图及其相关的地层柱具有互动性，使人们能够查阅关于特定地理区域、地质时期和环境沉积的信息--动植物、重大事件、化石证据等。由于它是动态的，该地图成为所有当前展品(包括真实和虚拟的)以及尚未开发的展品的可扩展门户。这样的古生物学门户将为研究人员、教师和好奇的学习者提供个性化的访问途径。考虑以下场景：一名研究人员点击德克萨斯州二叠纪的一段，了解目前与该州二叠纪暴露相关的研究工作。佛罗里达州的一个中学生使用这些地图来构建和测试假设，以解释为什么大多数恐龙化石都在中西部而不是佛罗里达。一位用户点击地图，发现自己身处纽约的泥盆纪。除了时间段的概括性信息，本地站点还链接到古生物研究所的项目-纽约州地质史。该项目为古生物学会为一个统一的目的而聚集在一起提供了一个独特的机会-与公众分享他们的研究成果。这个门户网站成为进入美国古生物学史的单一入口--动植物、事件、起作用的过程。它将通过地质时间和地理位置来促进和整合勘探。

ABSTRACTTapestry of Times Past A Paleontological Portal for North AmericaDavid LindbergEAR-0102826The University of California Museum of Paleontology (UCMP) will host a meeting of representatives of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, the Paleontological Society, and the United States Geologic Survey (USGS) in order to plan the development of a paleontology portal for North America based upon the color-coded geologic map developed by the USGS. Using web-based technology and relational databases, the map and its associated stratigraphic column can be made interactive, allowing access to information about particular geographic regions, geologic time periods and environmental depositions - the flora and fauna, major events, fossil evidence, etc. This portal will be enhanced by links developed by individual museums and institutions, specific to particular geographic regions and/or time periods. Because it is dynamic, the map becomes a scalable portal for all current exhibits (both real and virtual) as well as those yet to be developed. Such a paleontology portal will provide personalized access to researchers, teachers, and to the inquisitive learner. Consider the following scenarios: A researcher clicks on a section of the Permian in Texas to learn about current research efforts related to Permian exposures in that state. A middle school class in Florida uses the maps to construct and test hypotheses as to why most dinosaur fossils are found in the Midwest rather than Florida. A user clicks on the map and finds himself in the Devonian of New York. Besides the generalized information of the time period, the local site link is to the Geologic History of the State of New York, a project of the Paleontological Research Institute.This project provides a unique opportunity for paleontological societies to come together for a unified purpose-the sharing of their research with the public. The portal becomes a single entry point into the paleontological history of the United States - the flora and fauna, the events, the processes at work. It will facilitate and integrate an exploration through geologic time and geographic location.