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，以挽救两个独特的收藏品，并将其永久安置在佛罗里达自然历史博物馆（FLMNH）的无脊椎动物古生物学部。这些收藏品在其本国机构中不再有足够的储存。两者中较大的是一个特殊的，全国唯一的化石微型软体动物清单。第二个系列是由关键的参考标本组成，最初用于开发一种强大的化石数字年龄测定技术（氨基酸外消旋法）。 这两个系列将广泛用于研究，教育和培训新一代科学家。不同的观众将直接受益于两个新的展品开发使用这些收藏。此外，还将制作两份识别指南，并通过在线门户网站和FLMNH的图像库提供1 500张标本图像。该项目将包括对本科生实习生的实践培训，为当地团体撰写时事通讯文章和讲座，并为FLMNH和其他地方的公共展览提供重要标本。该项目旨在策划，收集和发布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。第一批（约30，000批）是由莱尔坎贝尔（南卡罗来纳州大学，北部）在弗吉尼亚州、南卡罗来纳州和格鲁吉亚的新生代沉积物中进行了40年的野外工作后收集的。该集合是一个国家独特的科学资源，代表了微型软体动物的分类多样性生物库存。第二批样本（约3,000批）由John Wehmiller（特拉华州大学）在过去35年氨基酸外消旋（AAR）测年方法开发期间收集。这两个集合将被集成到指定6.6，一个关系数据库，统一所有FLMNH古生物学和新生物学标本集合。该项目将使两个重要的收藏品随时可供全球研究界使用，从而为研究提供动力。在FLMNH的馆藏中，大量稀有和未描述的微型软体动物物种的收集将对软体动物学家和古生物学家具有广泛的价值。这些收藏品对于填补化石记录中的空白特别有价值（例如，热带古近纪），并特别适合于定量宏观生态研究（例如，生态位建模）。第二个集合包含关键的参考资料，需要验证过去的研究成果，并协助第四纪地质年代学家与新的定年策略的发展地质年代学研究。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。这些记录将完全纳入现有的数据网络（例如，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).