CSBR: Natural History Collections: Protecting and Improving Orange County's (California) Palentological Collection (OCPC)

根据加利福尼亚州和奥兰治县（OC）的法律法规的要求，奥兰治县的古生物收藏馆（OCPC）包含了50多年来在建筑工地通过减缓收集的化石。加州州立大学富勒顿分校（CSUF）管理的约翰·d·库珀考古和古生物学中心保存着600多万具化石。这个主要的收藏对于了解北美西部和北太平洋从大约1.8亿年前到最近的丰富的生命历史非常重要。藏品种类繁多，包括许多独特的、未描述的和未记录的物种。这些微化石让我们了解了古代环境和过去的气候。一些已经被国际和国内的古生物学家研究，被K-16教育工作者使用，并用于准备公共展览。该项目建议将这些化石的图像和相关数据存档到该中心的数据库中，并在网上公开。因此，OCPC在研究、培训和推广方面的巨大潜力将得以实现，这些潜力以前因无法进入而受到阻碍。这些活动将通过应用现代存储和策展标准来改进OCPC的安全性和保存来完成。该项目将使约翰·d·库珀中心能够通过提供现代化的博物馆存储，包括新的橱柜和支持基础设施来保护和保存从OC中恢复的化石，其中包括大约10万具化石。标本将被检查、修复、唯一编号，并与数据卡一起储存在博物馆托盘中，这些托盘按照从侏罗纪到近代的地层顺序放置在新的橱柜中。在三年的项目中，将雇用四名CSUF研究生协助收集整理和策展。对于每个标本，支持数据和图像将由工作人员和志愿者添加到该中心的指定6数据库中。这些标本的适当储存将允许对剩余的化石进行重组，这些化石不需要资金，并提供一些空间来减少拥挤。现代策展标准的应用，OCPC的数据库和重组将使学生，教师和访问科学家能够进行研究，并在公共活动，展览和K-16教育中使用藏品。CSUF有大量的本科生，包括高比例的未被充分代表的少数民族，他们可以成为参与这个项目的潜在新兵。有关OCPC研究和推广计划的更多信息，请访问www.jdcoopercenter.org。

Orange County's Paleontological Collection (OCPC) contains fossils collected over 50 years by mitigation at construction sites, as required by California State and Orange County (OC) laws and regulations. Over six million fossils are stored at OC's John D. Cooper Archaeological and Paleontological Center, and managed by California State University, Fullerton (CSUF). This major collection is important for understanding the rich history of life in western North America and the north Pacific from ~180 million years ago to Recent. The collection is diverse and contains many unique, undescribed and unrecorded species. These microfossils inform our understanding of ancient environments and past climates. Some are already being studied by international and national paleontologists, used by K-16 educators, and used in the preparation of public exhibits. This project proposes to archive images - and associated data - of these fossils into the Center's database and make them publically available on-line. As a result, the enormous potential of OCPC's holdings for research, training and outreach, previously hindered by inaccessibility, will be realized. These activities will be accomplished through improved security and preservation of OCPC through the application of modern storage and curatorial standards. This project will enable The John D. Cooper Center to protect and preserve fossils recovered from OC by providing modern museum storage, including new cabinets and supporting infrastructure for approximately 100,000 fossils. Specimens will be inspected, repaired, uniquely numbered, and stored with a data card in museum trays placed in new cabinets arranged in stratigraphic order from Jurassic to Recent. Four CSUF graduate students will be employed, over the three years of the project, to assist with collection reorganization and curation. For each specimen, supporting data and images will be added to the Center's Specify 6 database by staff and volunteers. The proper storage of these specimens will allow reorganization of the remaining fossils, for which no funds are requested, and provide some room to decrease congestion. The application of modern curatorial standards, databasing and reorganization of OCPC will enable research by students, faculty and visiting scientists, and the collection's use in public events, exhibits and K-16 education. CSUF has a large undergraduate population, including a high percentage of under-represented minorities, who can be potential recruits for participation in this project. Additional information about OCPC's research and outreach programs is available at www.jdcoopercenter.org.