RUI: International Correlation of Lower to Middle Cambrian Trilobite Faunas Between South China and the U.S.

9973180 McColum最近在北美和南部中国省发现了跨越中、下寒武统系界线的世界性稻头类和食盘类三叶虫，首次将东半球红毛虫与新大陆石龙科动物群灭绝之间进行了直接关联。这项研究的目的是记录这两个大陆上跨越这一边界的三叶虫动物群，并比较两省特有物种的灭绝、存活和恢复的模式。这项研究可能会提供足够的证据来确定在下寒武世末期是否存在单一的全球大灭绝，以及地理上分离的岛屿大陆的动物群恢复模式是否相似。此外，这项研究将为在传统的下寒武统-中寒武统附近建立国际层型界线提供坚实的基础。本科生将参加一项国际努力，记录下寒武统末灭绝和中寒武统跨下寒武统系列界线的生存和恢复动物群。学生将参与野外数据收集和实验室准备、分类群鉴定、解释、演示和结果发布的方方面面。

9973180McCollumThe recent discovery of cosmopolitan oryctocephalid and eodiscid trilobites across the Lower-Middle Cambrian series boundary in the North America and South China provinces allows the first direct correlation between the Old World redlichid and the New World olenellid faunal extinctions. The objective of this research is to document the trilobite faunas across this boundary on both continents, and compare the pattern of extinction, survival and recovery for the endemic species in the two provinces. This study may provide enough evidence to ascertain whether there is a single, global mass extinction at the end of the Lower Cambrian, and whether faunal recovery patterns are similar in geographically separated island continents. In addition, this study will provide a strong foundation for establishing an international stratotype boundary near the traditional Lower-Middle Cambrian series.Undergraduate students will participate in an international effort to document the end-Lower Cambrian extinction and Middle Cambrian survival and recovery faunas across the Lower-Middle Cambrian series boundary. Students will be involved in all aspects of data collection in the field and laboratory preparation, taxa identification, interpretation, presentation, and publication of results.