Tapestry of Times Past - Request for a Planning Meeting

University Of California-Berkeley, Berkeley CA

Investigators

Abstract

ABSTRACT Tapestry of Times Past A Paleontological Portal for North America David Lindberg EAR-0102826 The University of California Museum of Paleontology (UCMP) will host a meeting of representatives of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, the Paleontological Society, and the United States Geologic Survey (USGS) in order to plan the development of a paleontology portal for North America based upon the color-coded geologic map developed by the USGS. Using web-based technology and relational databases, the map and its associated stratigraphic column can be made interactive, allowing access to information about particular geographic regions, geologic time periods and environmental depositions - the flora and fauna, major events, fossil evidence, etc. This portal will be enhanced by links developed by individual museums and institutions, specific to particular geographic regions and/or time periods. Because it is dynamic, the map becomes a scalable portal for all current exhibits (both real and virtual) as well as those yet to be developed. Such a paleontology portal will provide personalized access to researchers, teachers, and to the inquisitive learner. Consider the following scenarios: A researcher clicks on a section of the Permian in Texas to learn about current research efforts related to Permian exposures in that state. A middle school class in Florida uses the maps to construct and test hypotheses as to why most dinosaur fossils are found in the Midwest rather than Florida. A user clicks on the map and finds himself in the Devonian of New York. Besides the generalized information of the time period, the local site link is to the Geologic History of the State of New York, a project of the Paleontological Research Institute. This project provides a unique opportunity for paleontological societies to come together for a unified purpose-the sharing of their research with the public. The portal becomes a single entry point into the paleontological history of the United States - the flora and fauna, the events, the processes at work. It will facilitate and integrate an exploration through geologic time and geographic location.