Collaborative Student Research Project in Applied Paleontology:

Course Capstone Exercise

Michael SavareseMichael SavareseFlorida Gulf Coast UniversityFlorida Gulf Coast University

Whitaker Center for STEM EducationWhitaker Center for STEM Education

OverviewCollaborative, semester-long research project that serves as the course’s capstone experience.

Project is comprehensive and apply numerous and apply numerous concepts, topical units, and methodologies from concepts, topical units, and methodologies from the course.the course.

Project typically concerns some application of Project typically concerns some application of paleontology to current environmental or paleontology to current environmental or restoration science problems of local concern.restoration science problems of local concern.

Follows “collaborative undergraduate research” Follows “collaborative undergraduate research” model.model.

The Audience . . .

Upper class undergraduate majors in Marine Science, Environmental Studies, Biology.

Not a geology course / no geology major.

Geoscience as a supportive discipline for environmental science.

An “applications of paleontology” course.

Offered once every 2 years as an elective.

Activity’s Goals

Conduct a complete scientific investigation in Conduct a complete scientific investigation in paleontology.paleontology.

Collect, analyze, and interpret data.Collect, analyze, and interpret data.

Prepare an abstract and a poster for presentation Prepare an abstract and a poster for presentation at a scientific meeting.at a scientific meeting.

Collaborative work.Collaborative work.

Engage as many concepts and methods from Engage as many concepts and methods from course as possible.course as possible.

Appreciate the value of geoscience & paleontology Appreciate the value of geoscience & paleontology to understanding and solving environmental to understanding and solving environmental problems.problems.

Collaborative Undergraduate Collaborative Undergraduate Research ModelResearch Model

Course based. Focus on your research program. Course based. Focus on your research program. Students given a basic problem or question, then guided Students given a basic problem or question, then guided to a design.to a design.Project worked to completion collaboratively; results Project worked to completion collaboratively; results shared; tasks delegated.shared; tasks delegated.““Project manager” concept.Project manager” concept.Students prepare final product as paper or poster.Students prepare final product as paper or poster.Generate seed data for more formal studies.Generate seed data for more formal studies.Products often high enough quality for submission.Products often high enough quality for submission.Spawn undergraduate or graduate student theses.Spawn undergraduate or graduate student theses.Alternative to independent senior research.Alternative to independent senior research.

Past Projects

The tracking of Everglades watershed changes reflected in the history of late Holocene oyster reef development.

Impact of water management practices in the Caloosahatchee River on the benthos as revealed through life and death assemblage comparisons.

Ecological succession in vermetiform gastropod – oyster reefs in response to estuarine development.

Time averaging in estuarine death assemblages: the temporal fidelity of the estuarine record.

Most Recent Project . . .

Holocene history of watershed change in Everglades’ estuaries.

Implications for anthropogenic effects on freshwater flow.

Involved stratigraphy, sedimentology, taphonomy, faunal analysis.

Presented at 2009 SE GSA meeting

Southwest Florida Coast

Broad River

IPCC 2001

Characteristic Grade I Grade II Grade III Grade IV

Articulationstill articulated with

ligaments in tact

valves held together in life position with

sediments

valves in close association but not in

life positiondisarticulated

Valve Margin complete; unalteredminimal

thinning/breakagemoderate

thinning/breakageexcessive damage

Interior Borings absentminimal microboring and

etchingmoderate microboring

and etchingextensive microboring

and etching

Internal Luster nacreous layer present some nacreous layer

presentminimal nacreous layer nacreous layer absent

Muscle Scarpresent with color and

lusterpresent; loss of some

color and lusterpresent; little to no

color or lusterabsent or only outline

recognizable

Pallial Line distinct indistinct nearly absent absent

Color all color retained significant loss of color traces of color retained mostly absent

Encrustationno encrustation on

interior surfaceminimal encrustation on

interior surfacesignificant encrustation

on interior surfaceextensive encrustation

on interior surface

Overall Grade I II III IV

 Excellent preservation, no or minimal alteration

Good Preservation, slight alteration

Fair Preservation, moderate alteration

Poor Preservation, extensive alteration

IVI IIIII

Assessment

Strive to have data analyzed, interpreted, figures ready, and abstract composed by end of semester. Poster preparation in subsequent semester. This all done collaboratively.

Students required to independently write a Discussion as a final paper or such an essay is asked on the final exam.

Often run short on time and don’t make it to the Abstract.

Adaptability

Difficult to transfer to other institutions.

Coastal settings are best suited: settings with a subfossil record, Holocene sediments, and coastal management problems.

The collaborative undergraduate research model is adoptable even if environmental problems cannot be engaged.

Food For Thought

1. How feasible is it to introduce environmental science applications to a paleontology course?

2. How relevant are environmental science applications to your institution’s setting?

3. How relevant are environmental science applications to your research interests?

4. How difficult is it to reconfigure your course to accommodate a large research experience?