bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Balancing Resources and Collections Needs: I. Acquisition and Accession of Invertebrate Fossils
Authors: Merritt Elizabeth , Lidgard Scott
Published: June 2019

ALL MUSEUMS have limited resources, and all acquisitions use some of these resources, whether they be space, money, staff time or materials. When museums purchase collections objects, some “costs” are evident up front, and there are frequently mechanisms in place at a high level to monitor that use of museum resources. For example, in art museums this is often a committee of the board of directors empowered to approve or deny curatorial proposals for major (i.e., expensive) acquisitions. However when the object is “free,” as in most invertebrate paleontology collections where material is either donated or collected in the field by museum staff, the cost of acquiring the object is essentially hidden. Some acquisition costs may be fixed regardless of the size or nature of the acquisition, and some vary depending the amount of space the material will require, or the amount of cleaning or conservation needed.
Conservation Guidelines for Invertebrate Paleontology Collections
Authors: Waddington Janet B.
Published: June 2019

THE TERM CONSERVATION refers to the whole subject of the care and treatment of valuable materials. Its definition is two-fold: (1) the control of the environment to minimize the decay of artifacts and materials; and (2) treatment of materials to arrest decay and to stabilize them against further deterioration. Restoration is the continuation of the treatment to return an object without falsification to a state in which it can be displayed (Howie, 1992; series editor's preface). The vast number of specimens in invertebrate paleontology collections makes treatment or restoration impractical or even impossible except for remarkable display specimens. It is possible, however, to control the environment, both physical and procedural, in which collections are maintained. It is easier to prevent deterioration than to fix it once it has occurred. This is the principle of preventive conservation.

There is a general misconception, held by many paleontologists, that there are no conservation concerns with paleontology collections, or, if any, the concerns are minor. This unfortunately is not the case; although fossils and their rock matrix have lasted hundreds of millions of years in the earth, once excavated they are subject to many forces of destruction (Crowther and Collins, 1987). Problems in collections occur as a result of many different factors: inappropriate storage environment; inappropriate application of a “universal” treatment; or unstable materials used in preparation and treatment. Minerals such as pyrite may oxidize; shales crack and delaminate. Prepared specimens may include introduced materials such as consolidants and glues that themselves are subject to deterioration. Research into conservation of natural history materials has grown significantly over the past two decades. This paper will emphasize preventive conservation principles to address some of the conservation concerns particularly relevant to paleontological specimens and suggest some practical ways of reducing the risks to the collections.
Reefs as the Centralizing Theme in an Undergraduate Invertebrate Paleontology Course
Authors: Soja Constance M.
Published: June 2019

This course is designed so that topics in invertebrate paleontology are discussed in the context of reefs and their change through time. The goal is to help undergraduate students connect modern conservation issues with an enlightened appreciation of the fossil record. Using reefs as the centralizing theme of the course allows key concepts (invertebrate taxonomy and systematics, form and function, evolution, etc.) to be emphasized while exploring the importance of biogenic buildups—and communities that inhabited ecosystems adjacent to those “engines of evolution”—from the past to the present. Students who satisfactorily complete the course achieve seven main learning objectives: They 1) are intimately familiar with the fossil record of marine invertebrate life; 2) understand the evolutionary history of reefs and the ecological roles played by key reef-building invertebrates through time; 3) are able to engage in discussions about paleontological data published in the primary literature; 4) are knowledgeable about the value of paleontological evidence for shedding insights into the decline of ancient and living reefs; 5) gain experience working collaboratively and thinking outside-of-the-box to explore solutions to societal problems linked with the degradation of modern coral reefs; 6) improve scientific writing; and 7) develop a personal style for communicating scientific information to the general public. During classroom discussions, laboratories, a field trip, and museum visit, students explore the anatomy, ecology, evolutionary history, and life-sustaining ecosystem services of shelly animals and associated marine organisms that coexisted in reefs and adjacent habitats past and present. Evolutionary events, including the Cambrian “explosion,” mass extinctions, and gaps in reef existence, are linked to dramatic physical (tectonic) and climatic changes that occurred in Earth's past. Emphasizing evidence for the impact of global change on ancient reef communities alerts students to the value of paleontological data for predicting how modern reefs—and invertebrates living in interconnected marine ecosystems—will respond as the Sixth Extinction gains traction. That topic is the focus of an optional extended study (nine-day field trip offered in alternate years during spring break) of modern and Pleistocene reefs on San Salvador Island, Bahamas.
Designing an Upper-Level Vertebrate Paleontology and Taphonomy Course for Undergraduate Geoscience Majors
Authors: Tumarkin-Deratzian Allison R.
Published: June 2019

Designing and teaching a vertebrate paleontology course for geoscience majors presents several challenges. Students often come to the course with limited or nonexistent biology backgrounds, and therefore may begin the semester anxious about their ability to master course material. Moreover, students may be skeptical about the value of learning vertebrate skeletal anatomy for their future careers as geoscientists. Vertebrate Paleontology and Taphonomy is an upper-level elective for geoscience majors that was intentionally designed to allow students to develop a basic understanding of vertebrate osteology for themselves before focusing on formational histories of vertebrate skeletal accumulations in geological context. The course relies heavily on hands-on exposure to modern and fossil skeletal material, field trips to local museum galleries and collections, cooperative laboratory activities and projects, and analysis of real-world data sets. Students work together with one another and the instructor to make observations on vertebrate fossils, analyze their own data and data from the primary literature, and interpret taphonomic histories of actual vertebrate assemblages. This structure makes success in the course less about ‘learning vertebrate paleontology’ and more about using vertebrate paleontology and taphonomy as a tool to become effective practicing geoscientists.
Best Practices for Online Paleontology Instruction
Authors: Downing Kevin F. , Holtz Jennifer K.
Published: June 2019

The future of any academic field relies on its ability and willingness to embrace change, objectively evaluate the value of that change over time, and adjust accordingly. Paleontology finds itself in a substantial educational paradigm shift with continued growth of online-based education; it has been slow to recognize and respond to the shift. This article describes technological changes facing paleontology education and provides a synthesis of recent literature of what is possible for faculty to adopt, from the simple to the complex. Trends in online learning are evaluated, as are quality issues behind some educator resistance to this learning format. Original research, the SOUP survey, demonstrates less than 2% integration of online technology in paleontology education at the undergraduate level. This new SOUP research is compared to previous work, the SUDSE survey, which showed a marginally greater use of the same technologies across science disciplines. The current best practice in online paleontology instruction should establish learning objectives with an emphasis on targeted levels of competence, rather than content memorization. Moreover, best practice incorporates a variety of online learning options that both novice and experienced online faculty members can successfully manage beyond such basics as enhancing and optimizing communication through course facilitation whether in fully online, blended, or webfacilitated formats. These include use of theme-based, problem-based, and just-in-time learning; incorporating games; maximizing informal paleontology resources, and judicious use of virtual-reality applications.
Models and Strategies for Teaching Evolution to Non-Science Majors in a Seminar Format
Authors: Bulinski Katherine V.
Published: June 2019

A cornerstone of paleontological education is the topic of evolution. While formal evolutionary biology classes made up of lectures and labs are essential for students of biology and paleontology, these classes are closed to most non-science majors because they often require multiple prerequisites. Because of a combination of anti-evolution cultural forces and shortcomings in evolution-based education at the K-12 level, many American college students have not received accurate or effective evolution instruction before entering college. Because a working knowledge of evolution is essential for developing biological scientific literacy, some colleges and universities now offer seminar-style evolution courses designed for non-science majors that can help reverse this trend. Seminars such as these offer students the added opportunity to develop more sophisticated writing, speaking, and critical-thinking skills in the context of evolutionary biology. This chapter highlights two successful course models and two shorter course modules, provides lists of teaching resources, and details a number of different writing and discussion-based pedagogical strategies as they apply to teaching evolution in a seminar setting.
Using Active Learning Strategies to Promote Deep Learning in the Undergraduate Paleontology Classroom
Authors: Yacobucci Margaret M.
Published: June 2019

In the most effective learning environments, undergraduates go beyond memorization to become more deeply engaged with the material. Active learning approaches, in which students participate in activities that result in improved learning, promote this sort of deep experience. Educational theories such as constructivism and recent research in cognitive and learning sciences demonstrate the importance of allowing students opportunities to confront misconceptions, reason out solutions, work collaboratively, and construct their own understandings of key concepts. Numerous studies have documented improved learning in classes using active learning approaches when compared to traditional class formats. Various obstacles to implementing active learning strategies exist, such as student and faculty resistance to such practices and the academic reward structure, which penalizes faculty who invest time in innovative teaching. These obstacles, however, are not insurmountable—effective communication of the benefits of active learning for improving student learning outcomes and the recruitment and retention of STEM majors can help. Paleontology instructors have a wide variety of active learning techniques to choose from, including some that make use of our field's uniquely visual and temporal characteristics (e.g., concept sketches, timelines), current research areas (e.g., textual analysis, case studies, guided inquiry), and classic controversies (e.g., role-playing, debates, and panel discussions). New technologies, such as classroom response devices and Web 2.0 tools, can facilitate many of these activities both in and out of the classroom. Incorporating active learning approaches into paleontology courses can help instructors clarify their course goals and learning outcomes while empowering students to succeed.
Learning Paleontology Through Doing: Integrating an Authentic Research Project into an Invertebrate Paleontology Course
Authors: Kelley Patricia H. , Visaggi Christy C.
Published: June 2019

We implemented an authentic research experience as part of the invertebrate paleontology course at University of North Carolina Wilmington to promote student learning objectives related to understanding course content, critical thinking, problem solving, and oral and written communication. This semester-long research project, worth 20% of the course grade, is incorporated into the laboratory component of the course, and employs best practices of active and collaborative learning. Students work as teams to develop and test paleoecological and/or evolutionary hypotheses using field-collected or archived bulk samples. Following sample processing, specimen identification, and data collecting and analysis, students write a research paper using the format of a professional paper, with individually and team-written parts, and present their results orally. After completion, one or more abstracts based on the results are submitted to a professional meeting. Typically, several students attend the meeting and present the posters. This approach allows students to experience authentic research from conception to dissemination. Since 2003, the course has been offered seven times, resulting in 13 published and presented abstracts. Over half the students remained involved in paleontology following the course by presenting the work or taking additional courses or independent study, demonstrating that the experience was received positively. This approach provides a model for other instructors, as the research project can be adapted to a variety of geological settings and topics. Successes and challenges in implementing such a project are discussed.
Engaging Undergraduates in Informal Learning Experiences
Authors: MacFadden Bruce J.
Published: June 2019

Undergraduate paleontology education typically consists of formal coursework involving the classroom, laboratory, and field trips. Other opportunities exist within informal science education (ISE) that can provide students with experiences to broaden their undergraduate education. ISE includes out-of-school, “free-choice,” and/or lifelong learning experiences in a variety of settings and media, including museums, science and nature centers, national and state parks, science cafes, as well as an evergrowing variety of web-based activities. This article discusses ISE as it pertains to university paleontology education and presents examples. Students can participate in the development and evaluation of exhibits as well as assist in the implementation of museum-related educational programs with paleontological content. They also can work or intern as explainers either “on the floor” of museums, or as interpreters at science-related parks. ISE-related activities can also provide opportunities to engage in citizen science and other outreach initiatives, e.g., with undergraduates assisting in fossil digs with public (volunteer) participation and giving talks to fossil clubs. During these activities, students have the opportunity to communicate about controversial topics such as evolution, which is neither well understood nor universally accepted by the general public. Engagement in these kinds of activities provides students with a combination of specialized STEM content (paleontology, geology) and ISE practice that may better position them to pursue nontraditional careers outside of the academic arena. Likewise, for students intending to pursue an academic career, ISE activities make undergraduate students better equipped to conduct Broader Impact activities as early career professionals.
Biological Classification—Organizing Organisms
Authors: Hedegaard Claus
Published: June 2019

This is a personal guided tour of biological classification, not a quick-and-dirty manual, nor a comprehensive account of the history of systematic biology. This is a reflection on why and how we classify extinct and extant organisms. I wish to explore alternative views of hierarchy, permanence and delineation of categories, and the use of data. I hope to convince you that biological classifications are necessary tools, but also strong ideological statements. The prevailing approach to classification at any time reflects distinct views on nature, how it is organized, and how you use information.
Evolution Caught in the Act: Evidence from Microfossil Morphology
Authors: Culver Stephen J.
Published: June 2019

Microfossils are of prime importance in documenting patterns of evolution due to their great abundance (often tens of thousands to millions of specimens in a hand sample) and widespread distribution (in both time and space) in the fossil record. The term “microfossil” is often used for paleontological material that requires a microscope for its study, no matter what its biological affinities. For the purposes of this article we will be looking at the remains of protists (single-celled organisms). The several examples I discuss in this chapter are of three groups of planktonic (floating) protists: the calcareous nannoplankton (tiny plant-like protists whose single cell is covered in minute calcitic scales), the radiolaria (animal-like protists with siliceous shells), and the planktonic foraminifera (animal-like protists with calcitic shells). These organisms have been the subject of extensive study because the material from which they are often extracted, cores of deep-sea sediments, are usually comprised of a more complete sedimentological record (i.e., have fewer breaks) than shallow shelf deposits. Hypotheses of evolutionary history have been constructed for many groups (lineages) of microfossils using specimens from deep-sea cores. Ancestor-descendent relationships have been recognized by tracking shape and form (morphologic) changes through time. This approach to reconstruction of evolutionary history provides an empirical record of morphologic evolution; that is, a record based on observations.
Patterns of Change in Fossil Invertebrates
Authors: Allmon Warren D.
Published: June 2019

The problem with using fossils as evidence for evolution is that they are dead. You cannot experiment on them or watch them do anything. However, fossils more than make up for this shortcoming and provide compelling evidence for evolutionary change, because of their unique temporal dimension. Fossils give us information not just about the form of organisms, but also about their form through time. “Reading” this information from the fossil record, however, requires that we understand a central concept about how all science (and especially historical science) works, namely that processes produce patterns and, therefore, process can be reconstructed or inferred from those patterns. This is true even in the “hard” or “experimental” sciences. You do not have to see a process occur to have confidence that it did. When we look at the fossil record and ask, “How did it come to be this way?”, we answer by inferring continuity among the patterns resulting from a process of change that took place millions of years ago. We call that inferred process of continuity with change evolution.
Evolution at All Scales in the Vertebrate Fossil Record
Authors: Hunter John P.
Published: June 2019

The fossil record of vertebrates provides abundant evidence for both the fact and the theory of evolution (Carroll, 1997; Prothero and Schoch, 1994). In support of the fact that evolution has indeed occurred, the vertebrate fossil record clearly documents evolutionary change alonglineages, that is, along direct lines of ancestors and descendents. The fossil record also shows step-wise evolutionary changes resulting in the emergence of new kinds of vertebrates from pre-existing kinds—for example, the origin of mammals from the “mammal-like” reptiles. In support of the theory that natural selection, in particular, has been largely responsible for evolutionary change, the fossil record shows that the numerous “transitional” forms that lived in the past—far from being nonviable “monsters”—were functionally integrated organisms that were well adapted to their ecological roles. Finally, the vertebrate fossil record preserves certain large-scale phenomena, such as radiations and trends, which show that evolutionary forces can act over very large time scales.
Plant Life in the Age of Dinosaurs
Authors: Tiffney Bruce H.
Published: June 2019

Why plants? – Why include plants in a course on dinosaurs? They don't move, lack large teeth and sharp claws, and are non-sentient. The average student (who can spell Deinonychus correctly) hasn't a clue to the genera of even the most common plants. However, without plants, dinosaurs (or any other heterotroph) would not exist. Plants are the basis for global life, trapping the sun's energy in a form useful to consumers. Thus, the photosynthetic efficiency, palatability, and digestibility of plants define the total energy in the system available for use by consumers – and therefore the total biomass of consumers. Additionally, the morphology of individual plants determines the “packages” of food available to herbivores, and in the aggregate, the three-dimensional environment in which the herbivores and their carnivores live.
Ornithopod Dinosaurs: Relationships, Structure, and Habits
Authors: Norman David B.
Published: June 2019

This important group of ornithischian dinosaurs has a history that extends from the Early Jurassic until the close of the Cretaceous Period. The group as a whole can logically be subdivided into three quite distinct lineages: the heterodontosaurs, the hypsilophodonts, and the iguanodonts. I shall discuss the attributes of these groups separately, so that direct comparisons can be drawn by the reader of the way in which ornithopods as a whole evolved and diversified during the latter part of the Mesozoic. However, before going on to deal with these individual groups of ornithopods in a little more detail, I shall briefly outline their history and degree of relatedness.
The Early History of Theropods
Authors: Rowe Timothy
Published: June 2019

Theropods have traditionally been portrayed as extinct bipedal predators built along the lines of such celebrated terrors as Tyrannosaurus, Deinonychus, and Allosaurus. The earliest theropods indeed fit that image, and all of them are decidedly extinct. However, it has become increasingly apparent that living birds trace their genealogy to those extinct theropods (Ostrom, 1976; Gauthier, 1986; Gauthier and Padian, 1985 and this volume), and that any adequate consideration of the evolutionary history of Theropoda must assess the lineage as a whole, instead of arbitrarily focusing on the Mesozoic forms alone. When the approximately 8,600 living avian descendants of the ancestral theropod are taken into account, together with the various extinct Mesozoic and Cenozoic taxa, theropods display a far greater range of size, form, behavior, and diet than we ever pictured in our traditional image.
Other Mesozoic Vertebrates of the Land, Sea, and Air
Authors: Padian Kevin
Published: June 2019

The giant dinosaurs, including the biggest reptiles that ever lived, have long overshadowed (figuratively and literally) the other vertebrates with which they shared the Mesozoic Era. Indeed, there is such an overall size disparity between dinosaurs and their contemporaries that it is no wonder that studies on the other vertebrates have lagged in comparison: if you want to find them, you have to look harder, and you have to look specifically for them.
Time and taphonomy: Actualistic evidence for time-averaging of benthic foraminiferal assemblages
Authors: Martin Ronald E.
Published: June 2019

For more than half a century, microfossils–especially foraminifera–have been widely used as stratigraphic markers and paleoenvironmental indicators. Although increasing emphasis has been placed on their use in high-resolution paleoclimate studies, the time-scales involved in most microfossil-based stratigraphic investigations have remained relatively coarse (hundreds-of-thousands to millions of years). My intent herein is to try to come to grips with the interplay between time-averaging of benthic foraminiferal assemblages and stratigraphic resolution, and the implications for recognition of short-term physical and biological processes. These sorts of considerations deserve much closer scrutiny as the applied Earth sciences continue to move from a base of resource exploration and exploitation to one of paleoclimate modelling and ecosystem management (Martin, 1991; Corliss, 1993). The potential stratigraphic and paleoenvironmental resolution of foraminiferal assemblages is assessed using concepts derived from the age analysis of deep-sea assemblages.
Constructing the past from late-Quaternary pollen data: Temporal resolution and a zoom lens space-time perspective
Authors: Webb Thompson
Published: June 2019

Pollen analysis is an exercise in seeing. The ultimate goal is to see into the past, to send down a periscope and view what went on. The metaphor of the periscope is too limited, however; a video recorder from high in space with resolution in places up to 10 m is more encompassing of what is possible. The images that are retrieved can be of high or low resolution temporally, spatially, taxonomically, and numerically, and they can illustrate local to global changes in plant populations, vegetation, climate, human activity, fire frequency, and plant diseases over decades to millennia. Because each of these entities or phenomena varies spatially and temporally, records of data covering a breadth of scales in space and time are needed. To obtain the highest quality images about a specific phenomenon requires an understanding of the sensing system that accumulated the data. How does the periscope or video recorder work and what are the scaling characteristics of the images that it registers? These characteristics include breadth of coverage, sampling resolution, and sampling density in time, space, and taxonomy. Actualistic and taphonomic studies of Quaternary data covering a variety of temporal and spatial scales have helped provide this understanding, and temporal resolution is just one concern in these studies.
Time resolution and the study of Late Cretaceous and Early Tertiary megafloras
Authors: Johnson Kirk R.
Published: June 2019

In this paper, I discuss issues of time resolution and time-averaging in fossil megafloras from Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) to Oligocene age. The sites are predominantly from North America with some examples from other continents. The purpose of this paper is to explicate the methods used to resolve the age and duration of fossil floras and to discuss the uncertainties associated with these methods. The age of floras is most important for their evolutionary, paleoclimatic and paleoaltitudinal applications, while the duration of floras (here defined as the time represented by individual assemblages, florules, or quarries) is critical for paleoecological and paleoenvironmental applications. Levels of time resolution of both the age and the duration of fossil floras are subject to time-averaging. Behrensmeyer et al. (1992, p. 75) have defined two types of time-averaging: analytical time-averaging which is artificial and results from techniques of analysis and taphonomic time-averaging which is natural and results from the taphonomic history of the assemblage.
Systematic patterns of time-averaging in the terrestrial vertebrate record: A Cretaceous case study
Authors: Rogers Raymond R.
Published: June 2019

What is the range of time-averaging in the terrestrial vertebrate record? How are time-averaged assemblages distributed within the terrestrial vertebrate record? What are the implications of time-averaging for vertebrate paleobiological analysis?
Patterns of time-averaging in the shallow marine fossil record
Authors: Kidwell Susan M.
Published: June 2019

Virtually all paleontologic and historical geologic interpretations require information on the time resolution of individual samples. For relatively broad segments of the record such as facies tracts and entire basins, a variety of approaches can be used to determine the relative and absolute duration of a “sample”. For finer subdivisions, however, such as individual beds and assemblages that are within the error-bars of radiometric dates or within the span of a biostratigraphic zone, estimating elapsed time per unit becomes far more difficult. Assessing time at this scale is important, however, because this is the usual sampling interval for autecologic, synecologic, morphometric, and species-level biostratigraphic and evolutionary studies.
Sponges as Microfossils
Authors: Rigby J. Keith
Published: June 2019

Sponges or Porifera are among the most primitive and simplest of metazoan organisms and have a long geologic record, based largely on mineralized skeletal elements termed spicules. Spicules, then, are of interest to micropaleontologists, and their study and interpretation provide opportunities for wide-based research by researchers ranging from student beginners to professionals and for research throughout the geologic column and across the country. Much of the detailed geologic record of spicules is yet to be discovered.
Mesozoic Radiolaria
Authors: Blome Charles D. , Hull Donna Meyerhoff , Pessagno Emile A. , Reed K. M.
Published: June 2019

Mesozoic radiolarians generally range in size from 100 to 400 μm. All were planktonic and exclusively marine. Radiolarians possess an exceptional geological record and have been abundant since the Cambrian; they were widely distributed in the Triassic to Cretaceous seas.
Cenozoic Radiolaria
Authors: Sanfilippo Annika
Published: June 2019

Radiolarians are marine zooplankton possessing a tough, central capsular membrane that divides the cytoplasm into intracapsular (containing the nucleus, organelles, and food reserves) and extracapsular (with food-gathering rhizopodia and digestive vacuoles) portions (Figure 1). They bear two kinds of pseudopodia, the axopodia and filopodia. The axopodia extend radially through the ectoplasm and capsular membrane to the interior of the endoplasm. The axopodia are inserted into a special structure, the axoplast (Figure 1). The development of the axoplast and its complex is of fundamental importance in radiolarian taxonomy. For a detailed description of radiolarian cytology, biology, and reproduction, see Anderson (1983).
Early Arthropods: Dampening the Cambrian Explosion
Authors: Briggs Derek E.G.
Published: June 2019

There are three major groups of living arthropods: Crustacea, Chelicerata, and Uniramia. To these may be added a fourth, the extinct trilobites. Determining the relationships of these higher taxa is difficult. A variety of approaches has led to different conclusions. At one extreme is the suggestion that the interrelationships of the major arthropod groups cannot be resolved, that they are quite distinct and are more appropriately treated as separate phyla (Manton, 1977; Schram, 1978). At the other is the view that while some basic arthropod characters — the hard exoskeleton, jointed appendages etc. — might have been acquired convergently, a more parsimonious approach is to treat them as monophyletic (Patterson, 1978).
Trilobite Evolution and Systematics
Authors: Fortey Richard A.
Published: June 2019

Trilobites are the most diverse of extinct arthropod groups, being known from several thousand genera; many more are discovered each year. They range in age from near the base of the shell-bearing Cambrian to high in the Permian. Because many trilobites evolved quickly, they have been widely employed in stratigraphy; in the Cambrian they are possibly the most important stratigraphical fossils. This has been a mixed blessing because some experts studying the group have tended to place stratigraphical utility foremost in their taxonomic methods. Stratigraphical boundaries have become taxonomic boundaries. This might not matter for stratigraphy, but it does matter for the other kinds of paleobiological studies which have recently become the center of attention. How, for example, can one study extinction, unless the groups extinguished are natural, monophyletic groups? The extinction of an arbitrary phylogenetic segment at a stratigraphic boundary tells us nothing.
Temporal Patterns in the Arthropod Trace-Fossil Record
Authors: Kluessendorf Joanne , Mikulic Donald G.
Published: June 2019

Arthropods are currently abundant and diverse in many environments, with terrestrial insects alone accounting for at least 70% of all extant animal species (Barnes, 1980). The fossilization potential of arthropods, however, is low. With the exception of trilobites, ostracods, and decapods, most arthropod exoskeletons are weakly mineralized and contain abundant organic material. Multielement construction and ecdysis (shedding of exoskeleton during life) introduces the problem of disarticulation and transportation. Therefore, preservation of most arthropods as body fossils requires exceptional circumstances such as rapid burial or anoxic conditions.
A Novel Hypothesis for the Origin of Biramous Appendages in Crustaceans
Authors: Emerson Michael J. , Schram Frederick R.
Published: June 2019

Phylogenetic Uncertainty.— Invertebrate zoologists have long debated the relationships of biramous-limbed Crustacea to other groups of arthropods. Haeckel (1866) recognized two groups of arthropods on the basis of respiratory anatomy. The Carides included the crustaceans, trilobites, xiphosures, and eurypterids; and the Tracheata, included the arachnids, insects, and myriapods. Work on the onychophorans (Mosely, 1874) indicated a link between annelids and the terrestrial myriapod-insect line, but this left the origins of the aquatic carides unresolved. Lankester (1881) demonstrated that the xiphosures were allied to the arachnids rather than to the crustaceans. These and other studies led Haeckel (1896) to revise his position and propose two separate lines of arthropods: one of primarily aquatic groups with primitively biramous appendages (crustaceans, trilobites, and chelicerates); and the other of primarily terrestrial groups with uniramous limbs (onychophorans, myriapods, and insects). Haeckel's new arrangement emphasized the convergent origins of trachea in the arachnids and uniramians. Korschelt and Heider (1890) preferred a monophyletic scheme with the two evolutionary lines united by a pre-onychophoran, “protostracan,” ancestor. By modern standards, however, this might indicate that the arthropods are a morphological grade, rather than a true clade.
Silurian-Devonian Terrestrial Arthropods
Authors: Shear William A.
Published: June 2019

When did arthropods first invade the land? Circumstantial evidence based on trace fossils (Retallack and Feakes, 1987) suggests that large animals, possibly arthropods, may have been present on land and burrowing in soils in the Late Ordovician, but this idea is as yet unsupported by body fossil evidence.
Arthropod Terrestriality
Authors: Labandeira Conrad C. , Beall Bret S.
Published: June 2019

Since the late Paleozoic, insects and arachnids have diversified in the terrestrial world so spectacularly that they have become unquestionably the most diverse group of organisms to ever inhabit the planet. In fact, this 300 million year interval may appropriately be referred to as theage of arthropods. What is the origin and history of terrestrial arthropods? How is arthropod diversity maintained on land? In this rhetorical context we will discuss (1) the degree to which terrestriality is found in arthropods, (2) the physiological barriers to terrestrialization that arthropod clades confronted, (3) the historical record of arthropod diversity on land based on paleobiological, comparative physiological and zoogeographical evidence, and (4) some tentative answers to the “why” of terrestrial arthropod success. We are providing a geochronologic scope to terrestriality that includes not only the early history of terrestrial arthropods, but also the subsequent expansion of arthropods into major terrestrial habitats.
Macroevolutionary Patterns of the Chelicerata and Tracheata
Authors: Beall Bret S. , Labandeira Conrad C.
Published: June 2019

Most paleontological textbooks deal with tracheates and chelicerates in only a cursory way because of their putatively poor fossil record. However, recent investigations into the paleobiology of these groups reveal that the fossil record is not only more extensive than previously assumed, but provides a wealth of information regarding both broad and detailed patterns of evolution of the two most diverse subphyla on the planet. Tracheata, including insects, entognaths and the various myriapod groups, are the most diverse subphylum. Insects alone are the most diverse class of animals known, outnumbering the combined species level diversity of all other animals. The Chelicerata, composed of the eurypterids, xiphosurids, arachnids and pycnogonids, are the second most diverse subphylum, with the diversity of arachnids exceeding all classes except for the insects. Consequently, not only does the evolution of tracheates and chelicerates provide an interesting story in itself, but these groups also provide us with insight into more general aspects of the evolutionary process that are of interest to the general evolutionary biologist as well as to the arthropod specialist.
Decapod Crustacean Paleobiogeography: Resolving the Problem of Small Sample Size
Authors: Feldmann Rodney M.
Published: June 2019

Studies of paleobiogeography have changed markedly in recent decades transforming a once static subject into one which now has great potential as a useful counterpart to systematic and ecological studies in the interpretation of the geological history of organisms. This has resulted, in large part, from the emergence of plate tectonic models which, in turn, have been used as the bases for extremely sophisticated paleoclimatic modeling. As a result, paleobiogeography has attained a level of precision comparable to that of the studies of paleoecology and systematic paleontology. It is now possible to consider causes for global patterns of origin and dispersal of organisms on a much more realistic level than was previously possible.
Population Biology Models in Macroevolution
Authors: Sepkoski J. John
Published: June 2019

Many aspects of a clade's history are reflected in its pattern of diversity through time. Evolutionary radiation is reflected in increasing diversity; cessation of radiation is reflected in stabilization of diversity; response to perturbation is reflected in rapid loss and then often recovery of diversity; and disappearance is sometimes reflected in attenuated decay of diversity. Often, it is of interest not only to describe the history of a clade's diversity, but also to investigate its dynamics: how various aspects of the history relate to its rates of origination and extinction and the response of these rates to evolutionary innovation, environmental fluctuation, and cladal interaction.
Introduction to Trace Fossils and Dedication to Robert W. Frey
Authors: Maples Christopher G. , West Ronald R.
Published: June 2019

Over the years, we've participated in several different workshops and short courses on trace fossils. So why this one? Our intention in bringing together these papers for the Trace Fossil Short Course is to give an overview of how trace fossils can be used in paleontology. Historically, trace fossil research has centered on paleoenvironmental and depositional reconstructions—areas where trace fossils have much to tell. Indeed, the use of trace fossils by sedimentologists has flourished and is experiencing another burst of activity through the use of ichnofabrics in sequence stratigraphic studies. But trace fossils have paleontological stories to tell as well. Their use in uncovering the first occurrences of life in different parts of the stratigraphic column is well documented (e.g., the classic example of trace fossils occurring before body fossils in Precambrian/Cambrian transitional strata) as is their use in detailing different morphological details of unpreserved taxa or body parts.
Ichnotaxonomy: A Burrow by Any Other Name…?
Authors: Magwood James P. A.
Published: June 2019

Ichnotaxonomy is a formal, hierarchical classification system for trace fossils (=ichnofossils, the fossilized results of behavior). It includes a binomial nomenclature similar to the zoological taxonomic hierarchy applied to organisms. A common observation from non-ichnologists is that a formal system of classification and nomenclature for footprints, burrows, and other holes in the ground seems a bit excessive. Surely a burrow by any other name is still a burrow? However, ichnology has a real need of formal classification and names. There is a great diversity of both trace fossils and of processes that affect their form. Understanding and making use of this diversity requires an effective and generally agreed upon means of classification and nomenclature. To show that this is the case, one must understand both the principles of classification and how they are applied to trace fossils.
Trace Fossils in Quaternary, Bahamian-Style Carbonate Environments: The Modern to Fossil Transition
Authors: Curran H. Allen
Published: June 2019

Tracemaking organisms are common and diverse components of the fauna and flora of tropical, shallow-marine and coastal carbonate environments. In the shallow subtidal zone, the burrowing activity of callianassid shrimp commonly is the dominant process in the modification of original depositional fabrics (Tudhope and Scoffin, 1984; Tedesco and Wanless, 1991). Both borers and burrowers have great potential to leave their mark in tropical carbonate sediments and rocks and to become part of the fossil record.
Paleoenvironmental Patterns of Biogenic Sedimentary Structures
Authors: Bottjer David J. , Droser Mary L.
Published: June 2019

In the mid-twentieth century much of the impetus for paleoecological research was from the need for the fossil record to provide paleoenvironmental information. At that time earth scientists trying to understand the environmental context in which sedimentary rocks were deposited began extensive utilization of fossil components and sedimentary structures to make their interpretations. Towards this end, paleontologists and biologists catalogued the environmental preferences and depth distributions of modern organisms, and these modern distributions have been utilized in paleoenvironmental reconstructions by means of taxonomic uniformitarianism. Physical sedimentary structures have also been studied extensively in modern environments and laboratory simulations so that their occurrence in rocks can provide detailed information on ancient environments.
Muckraking and Mudslinging: The Joys of Deposit-Feeding
Authors: Ekdale A. A.
Published: June 2019

Trace fossils, as everyone knows by now, provide us with direct information about fossil behavior, and they offer us a wide variety of mysteries to solve in the area of paleoethology (literally, “the study of ancient behavior”). Chief among these mysteries are “what?”, “who?”, “why?” and “where?”. What we especially want to know is what a given trace fossil looks like in three dimensions, what type of organism(s) created it, for what reason(s) they made it, and under what type of environmental conditions the trace was made.
Trace Fossils of Plant-Arthropod Interactions
Authors: Scott Andrew C.
Published: June 2019

An examination of any modern terrestrial ecosystem will reveal a vast array of arthropod (particularly insect) — plant interactions. It has been calculated that there are more than one million extant insect species, more than 400,000 plant species, and that the total number of their interactions exceeds their combined total. Studies of the co-evolution of insects and plants have indicated that the development of these interactions must have taken considerable time (Southwood, 1973, 1985; Strong et al., 1984). For example, the evolution of the angiosperms (flowering plants) and insects are seen to be closely interlinked (Friis et al., 1987).
A rhodamine-based highly specific fluorescent probe for thein situandin vivoimaging of the biological signalling molecule salicylic acid
Authors: Wang Pei-Yi , Luo Xue , Yang Lin-Lin , Zhao Yuan-Chao , Dong Rong , Li Zhong , Yang Song
Published: June 2019

Two simple rhodamine-based colourimetric sensors were reported for the first time with the competence to selectively and sensitively monitor salicylic acid (SA) directed by two distinctly different modes. This study opens up a new avenue for the design of fluorescent SA probes.
A bio-inspired strategy for enhanced hydrogen evolution: carbonate ions as hole vehicles to promote carrier separation
Authors: Tan Tiening , Xie Jingjing , Wang Wenxuan , Ping Hang , Ma Peiyan , Xie Hao , Wang Weimin , Fu Zhengyi
Published: June 2019

Carbonate ions could serve as hole vehicles to promote photo-generated carrier separation, thus improving the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance.
The reaction of activated esters with epoxides for self-curable, highly flexible, A2B2- and A3B3-type epoxy compounds
Authors: Chen Chien-Han , Lin Chia-Min , Juang Tzong-Yuan , Abu-Omar Mahdi M. , Lin Ching-Hsuan
Published: June 2019

To achieve high-Tg and low-dissipation epoxy thermosets, bis(2-methoxy-4-(oxiran-2-ylmethyl)phenyl)isophthalate (2) and tris(2-methoxy-4-(oxiran-2-ylmethyl)phenyl)benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate (3) were prepared.
Facile synthesis of a recyclable Pd-rGO/CNT/CaFe2O4nanocomposite with high multifunctional photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation
Authors: Bagherzadeh Mojtaba , Kaveh Reyhaneh , Mahmoudi Hamed
Published: June 2019

A magnetically separable Pd-rGO/CNT/CaFe2O4nanocomposite photocatalyst was synthesized and its photocatalytic activity in the presence of visible-light was investigated.
A monolithic integrated ultra-flexible all-solid-state supercapacitor based on a polyaniline conducting polymer
Authors: Li Fan , Liu Jun , Ma Yao , Shang Zhenzhen , Huang Qing-an , Huang Xiaodong
Published: June 2019

This work presents a monolithic integrated supercapacitor (SC), where all the SC components, including current collectors, electrodes and solid-state electrolyte, are arranged in a porous thin support, thus resulting in a significant reduction in the device volume and good interface between each component.
Two-dimensional ZnO for the selective photoreduction of CO2
Authors: Zhao Yanyan , Liu Nanshu , Zhou Si , Zhao Jijun
Published: June 2019

2D ZnO sheets possess unique surface activity for CO2 photoreduction with selectivity intrinsically determined by the number of layers.
Crystal structure and photoluminescence tuning of novel single-phase Ca8ZnLu(PO4)7:Eu2+,Mn2+ phosphors for near-UV converted white light-emitting diodes
Authors: Yan Jing , Zhang Ziwang , Wen Dawei , Zhou Jianbang , Xu Yiqin , Li Junhao , Ma Chong-Geng , Shi Jianxin , Wu Mingmei
Published: June 2019

A single phase color-tunable white light emitting Ca8ZnLu(PO4)7:Eu2+,Mn2+ phosphor with high color rendering index has been rationally designed via combination of cyan and red emissions.