Reorganization and computerization of the non-type systematic mollusk collection of the Paleontological Research Institution

古生物研究所非类型系统软体动物馆藏整理与计算机化

• 批准号: 0847118
• 负责人: Gregory Dietl
• 金额: $ 49.71万
• 依托单位: Paleontological Research Institute
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-09-15 至 2011-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0847118&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Reorganization; computerization; non; type; systematic

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).The collection of the Paleontological Research Institution (PRI) includes two to three million specimens and is among the ten largest and most scientifically important fossil collections in the United States. However, the backbone of the collection, its non-type systematic mollusk collection (estimated at about 1.5 million specimens), is not yet fully at a minimally acceptable condition for a resource of its importance and value. Between 25 and 30% of the systematic mollusk holdings remain in unfavorable storage conditions that are potentially hazardous for the specimens. This proposal seeks support for the reorganization, curation, and beginning computerization of PRI's non-type systematic mollusk collection, which will facilitate its long-term use by the scientific community. Results will be made available on PRI's website at www.pricollectionsdatabase.org. This reorganization is also highly likely to have significant impact in the short term on a currently active research area in paleontology and conservation paleobiology which applies geo-historical data to present-day problems related to human-induced environmental change. PRI is a national leader in Earth science educational programming, and specimens from the mollusk collection will be used to inform and support various educational outreach programs. In particular, the activity described in this proposal will support the establishment of a teacher professional development program to support secondary school science teachers in using hands-on, inquiry-based teaching. The key concept will be that research collections are critical to testing hypotheses about biological evolution and the history of Earth systems.

该奖项由2009年《美国复苏与再投资法案》(公法111-5)资助。古生物研究所(PRI)的标本收藏包括200-300万件标本，是美国十大最具科学价值的化石收藏之一。然而，该标本集的支柱，其非类型系统软体动物标本集(估计约有150万标本)，对于其重要性和价值的资源来说，尚未完全处于最低限度可接受的条件。系统保存的软体动物中有25%到30%仍然处于对标本有潜在危险的不利储存条件中。这项建议寻求对PRI的非类型系统软体动物收藏的重组、管理和开始计算机化的支持，这将促进科学界对其的长期使用。结果将在PRI的网站上公布，网址为www.pricollectionsdatabase ase.org。这一重组也极有可能在短期内对古生物学和保护古生物学中目前活跃的研究领域产生重大影响，该领域将地史数据应用于与人类引起的环境变化有关的当今问题。PRI在地球科学教育规划方面处于全国领先地位，软体动物采集的标本将用于宣传和支持各种教育推广计划。特别是，这项提案中描述的活动将支持建立教师专业发展计划，以支持中学科学教师使用动手、探究式教学。关键的概念将是，研究收集对于检验关于生物进化和地球系统历史的假说至关重要。