CSBR: Natural History Collections: Curation, Digitization, Integration, and On-Line Access of Two Exceptional Invertebrate Fossil Research Collections

该项目寻求资金，以抢救两个独特的收藏品，并将它们永久存放在佛罗里达自然历史博物馆(FLMNH)的无脊椎动物古生物部。这些收藏品在其国内机构不再有足够的存储空间。其中较大的是一份特殊的、全国独一无二的微型软体动物化石清单。第二个集合由关键的参考标本组成，最初用于开发一种强大的化石年代测定技术(氨基酸外消旋法)。这两个收藏品都将广泛用于研究、教育和培训新一代科学家。不同的观众将直接受益于使用这些藏品开发的两个新展品。此外，还将制作两份鉴定指南，并通过在线门户网站和图片库提供1,500件标本图像。该项目将包括对本科生实习生的动手培训，为当地团体撰写时事通讯文章和演讲，并将重要的标本贡献给外国语博物馆和其他地方的公共展品。该项目寻求对佛罗里达自然历史博物馆(FLMNH)最近获得的两个独特的无脊椎动物化石收藏的数据进行策展、数字化和出版。第一批藏品(约30,000件)由南卡罗来纳大学莱尔·坎贝尔(Lyle Campbell)收集，他在弗吉尼亚州、卡罗莱纳州和佐治亚州的新生代沉积物中进行了40年的田野调查。该馆藏是全国独一无二的科学资源，代表了微型软体动物的分类多样性生物清单。第二个收藏品(约3,000件)是由特拉华大学的约翰·韦米勒在过去35年中收集的，期间开发了氨基酸外消旋(AAR)测年方法。这两个集合将被整合到指定6.6中，这是一个关系数据库，统一了所有FLMNH古生物和新生物标本集合。该项目将向全球研究界提供两个重要的收藏品，从而刺激研究。这些数量众多、稀有和未被描述的微型软体动物物种，在外国语博物馆的收藏中严重不足，将对软体动物学家和古生物学家具有广泛的价值。这种收集对于填补化石记录(如热带古近纪)的空白特别有价值，并且特别适合于定量的宏观生态研究(如生态位模拟)。第二套资料载有地质年代学研究所需的关键参考材料，以验证过去的研究结果，并协助第四纪地质年代学家制定新的年代测定战略。该项目完成后，将产生关于新生代无脊椎动物时空分布的新的高质量数据。这些记录将完全并入现有的数据网络(如iDigBio、GBIF、PBDB和Earth Cube)。

This project seeks funding to salvage two unique collections and permanently house them in the Invertebrate Paleontology Division of the Florida Museum of Natural History (FLMNH). These collections were no longer afforded adequate storage at their home institutions. The larger of the two is an exceptional, nationally unique inventory of fossil micro-mollusks. The second collection is composed of critical reference specimens used originally to develop a powerful technique for numerical age dating of fossils (the amino acid racemization method). Both collections will be used extensively in research, education, and training of a new generation of scientists. Diverse audiences will benefit directly from two new exhibits developed using these collections. Additionally, two identification guides will be produced and 1,500 specimen images will be made available through on-line portals and the FLMNH's image galleries. The project will involve hands-on training of undergraduate interns, result in newsletter articles and talks to local groups, and contribute important specimens to public exhibits at the FLMNH and elsewhere.This project seeks to curate, digitize, and publish data from two unique invertebrate fossil collections recently acquired by the Florida Museum of Natural History (FLMNH). The first collection (~30,000 lots) was assembled by Lyle Campbell (University of South Carolina, Upstate) during 40 years of fieldwork in Cenozoic deposits of Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia. The collection is a nationally unique scientific resource representing a taxonomically diverse bio-inventory of micro-mollusks. The second collection (~3,000 lots) was assembled by John Wehmiller (University of Delaware) over the past 35 years during the development of amino acid racemization (AAR) dating methods. Both collections will be integrated into the Specify 6.6, a relational database that unifies all FLMNH paleontological and neontological specimen collections. The project will make two significant collections readily available to the global research community, thus providing a stimulus for research. The collection of numerous, rare, and undescribed species of micro-mollusks, severely underrepresented in FLMNH's holdings, will be of broad value to malacologists and paleontologists. This collection is particularly valuable for filling gaps in the fossil record (e.g., tropical Paleogene) and are uniquely suitable for quantitative macro-ecological studies (e.g., ecological niche modeling). The second collection contains key reference materials for geochronological studies needed to validate past research findings and assist Quaternary geochronologists with the development of new dating strategies. Upon completion, the project will result in novel high-quality data on spatial and temporal distribution of Cenozoic invertebrates. These records will be fully integrated into existing data networks (e.g., iDigBio, GBIF, PBDB, and Earth Cube).