CAREER: Integrating Geoscience Research on the Neogene of the Dominican Republic with the Science Education of Dominican-American Teachers and Students in New York City

从他的本科论文（Nehm和Geary，1994）开始，继续他的博士论文（Nehm，1998），PI一直在开发边缘腹足类属Prunum和Volvarina作为模型宏观进化研究系统（Nehm，2001 a，B，c，d）。以前的NSF资助（NSF论文改进补助金和NSF国际博士后奖学金）促进了PI的系统，系统发育和古生物学基础的建设，为他的研究计划在热带美洲（主要是多米尼加新第三纪）腹足动物的进化和发展。这个职业建议将利用这个发展良好的研究系统来探索进化发展古生物学的新问题。具体来说，这项研究将是第一个分析模式和过程的外壳微结构组成和发展，通过物种形成事件在化石record.The的大小和形状的形态比较是最常见的方法来研究进化和古生物学的发展。这种方法并不能阐明形态结构的构造模式和过程。另外，尽管结构在尺寸或形状上可以是相似的，但是它们可以由不同的组成材料或相同的材料以不同的空间布置构造。虽然大小和形状的相似性并不一定表明结构或组成的相似性，但这种相似性被用作确定化石无脊椎动物发育进化模式的主要标准。为了确定形状空间的相似性（或差异性）是否与结构和构造的同质性相一致，迫切需要进行研究。尽管许多化石发育时间的进化变化（异时性）的研究都以形态的大小和形状变化为特征，但他们没有研究这些形态结构的组成和构造。如果我们排除个体发育过程中形态结构是如何构造的以及它们是由什么组成的信息，那么关于产生发育进化的过程的结论可能是不完整或不准确的。由于这些原因，结构形态学在扩大我们对无脊椎动物发育进化的模式和过程的理解方面具有巨大的潜力。很少（如果有的话）无脊椎古生物学研究已经研究了这个问题。这项CAREER资助将允许PI继续他的研究计划，并将形态测量分析与边缘腹足类化石记录中发育进化的结构形态学研究相结合。PI还参与了哥伦比亚大学过去两年的科学教育研究和科学教师准备（Nehm，2001 e）。该CAREER赠款的教育部分将整合PI对多米尼加共和国（DR）新近纪的地球科学研究与纽约市（NYC）的多米尼加裔美国教师和学生的科学教育。两大目标是：（1）提高纽约市第六区地球科学教育的质量，（2）增加少数民族对地球科学研究的参与。该项目将涉及K-12科学教师在DR地球科学研究，实地考察，并在多米尼加-美国为主的教室在第6区使用的教育模块的开发。PI非常适合这个项目，因为他作为助理教授的新职位涉及系内的联合任命。纽约州立大学城市学院的生物学和教育学院（科学教育部）。城市学院位于附近的多米尼加裔美国人在美国最大的集中PI的DR Neogene古生物学研究的经验，他以前参与教师教育，他的位置附近的多米尼加裔美国人社区与多米尼加共和国的广泛联系提供了一个独特的机会，以增加少数民族参与地球科学，提高教师准备的质量，国际科学与工程办公室的美洲计划正在提供资金，以支持与本提案的国际旅行/合作部分相关的费用。

AbstractBeginning with his undergraduate thesis (Nehm and Geary, 1994), and continuing with his doctoral dissertation (Nehm, 1998), the PI has been developing the marginellid gastropod genera Prunum and Volvarina as model macroevolutionary research systems (Nehm, 2001a, b, c,d). Previous NSF funding (NSF Dissertation Improvement Grant and NSF InternationalPostdoctoral Fellowship) has facilitated the PI's construction of systematic, phylogenetic, andpaleontological foundations for his research program on evolution and development in tropical American (primarily Dominican Neogene) gastropods. This CAREER proposal will employ this well developed research system to explore new questions in evolutionary-developmental paleontology. Specifically, this study will be one of the first to analyze patterns and processes of shell microstructural composition and development through speciation events in the fossil record.The morphometric comparison of size and shape is the most common approach to studying evolution and development in paleontology. This approach does not elucidate the patterns and processes by which morphological structures are constructed. Additionally, although structures may be similar in size or shape, they can be constructed of different compositional materials or the same materials in different spatial arrangements. Although similarity in size and shape does not necessarily indicate constructional or compositional similarity, such similarity is being used as the primary criterion for determining the mode of developmental evolution in fossil invertebrates. Research is critically needed in order to determine if shape-space similarity (or difference) coincides with structural and constructional homogeneity. Although many investigations of evolutionary changes in developmental timing (heterochrony) in fossils have characterized morphological change in size and shape, they have failed to investigate the composition and construction of these morphological structures.Conclusions about the processes that produce developmental evolution may be incomplete or inaccurate if we exclude information on how morphological structures are constructed during ontogeny and what they are made of. For these reasons, constructional morphology has great potential in expanding our understanding of both patterns and processes of invertebrate developmental evolution. Few (if any) invertebrate paleontological studies have examined this question. This CAREER grant will permit the PI to continue his research program and integrate morphometric analyses with constructional morphological studies of developmental evolution in the fossil record using marginellid gastropods.The PI has also been involved in science education research and science teacher preparation for the past two years at Columbia University (Nehm, 2001e). The educational component of this CAREER grant will integrate the PI's Geoscience research on the Neogene of the Dominican Republic (DR) with the science education of Dominican-American teachers and students in New York City (NYC). Two broad goals are to: (1) increase the quality of Geoscience education in District 6, NYC, and (2) increase minority participation in Geoscience research. This project will involve K-12 science teachers in DR Geoscience research, fieldwork, and the development of educational modules for use in Dominican-American dominated classrooms inDistrict 6. The PI is well suited for this project because his new position as Assistant Professor involves joint appointments in the Dept. of Biology and the School of Education (ScienceEducation division) at the City College, C.U.N.Y. City College is located near the largest concentration of Dominican Americans in the U.S. The PI's experience with paleobiological research on the DR Neogene, his previous involvement in teacher education, and his location near a Dominican American community with extensive ties to the Dominican Republic provides a unique opportunities to increase minority participation in the geosciences, improve the quality of teacher preparation, and develop culturally-relevant science modules on the Dominican Republic for District 6.The Americas Program of the Office of International Science and Engineering is contributing the funds to support the costs associated with the international travel/collaboration component of this proposal.