| NSF Org: |
EF Emerging Frontiers |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | May 14, 2013 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | May 14, 2013 |
| Award Number: | 1305070 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Roland Roberts
rolrober@nsf.gov (703)292-7884 EF Emerging Frontiers BIO Directorate for Biological Sciences |
| Start Date: | May 15, 2013 |
| End Date: | October 31, 2015 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $135,103.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $135,103.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
110 INNER CAMPUS DR AUSTIN TX US 78712-1139 (512)471-6424 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
10100 Burnet Road Austin TX US 78758-4445 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): |
Digitization, Sedimentary Geo & Paleobiology |
| Primary Program Source: |
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| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.074 |
ABSTRACT
The invertebrate and plant fossil collections of the University of Texas at Austin document geological research spanning the last 150 years. These four million fossils range in age from Precambrian to the Holocene, encompassing critical intervals of geologic time and geographic areas and certain well-studied organisms. Such huge collections are of little value unless the objects along with related documentation, images, and analytical data are digitized and made globally accessible. This project will connect digital data from these UT collections to institutions that are part of the Paleoniches TCN and ultimately to the national data resource (iDigBio.org). The geologic "deep" time slots that have been selected are the Cambro-Ordovician, Pennsylvanian and Paleogene-Neogene. The major groups of organisms will be brachiopods, echinoderms, and molluscs. The digital record will link the specimen's scientific name to its collection site and geological time period. The collection site will be recorded in current and deep time geography, thus allowing the researcher to examine organisms from the perspective of distinct "plate" configurations. High quality multi-focus imagery with digitally embedded scales will provide researchers with a functional image that can be analyzed in open source software. The final data resource will provide a more robust database for future analytical studies on a broad range of topics within the history of life.
This data set will make visible long-term effects of major global changes in the distribution, migration, and extinction of organisms. Using a web interface that will allow for mobile platforms, this rich geological record will become available to researchers, educators, and the general public. The project will provide training for students. This award is made as part of the National Resource for Digitization of Biological Collections through the Advancing Digitization of Biological Collections program and all data resulting from this award will be available through the national resource (iDigBio.org).
PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH
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PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
The invertebrate and plant fossil collections of the University of Texas at Austin document geological research spanning the past 150 years. These four million fossils range in age from Precambrian to the Holocene, encompassing critical intervals of geologic time and geographic areas and certain well-studied organisms. Such huge collections are of little value unless the objects along with related documentation, images, and analytical data are digitized and made globally accessible. This NSF project connected digital data from these UT collections to institutions that are part of the PaleoNICHES TCN and to the national data resource (iDigBio.org). The geologic ‘deep’ time slots selected were the Cambrian-Ordovician (530-420 million years ago [Ma]), the Pennsylvanian (350-300 Ma), and the Paleogene-Neogene (65-0 Ma). The major groups of organisms included brachiopods, echinoderms, and molluscs. These digital records link the specimen’s scientific name to its collection site and geological time period. The collection site is recorded in current and deep time geography, thus allowing the researcher to examine organisms from the perspective of distinct ‘plate ‘configurations. High quality multi-focus imagery with digitally embedded scales provides researchers with a functional image that can be analyzed in open source software. The final data resource presents a more robust database for future analytical studies on a broad range of topics within the history of life. This data set illustrates long-term effects of major global changes in the distribution, migration, and extinction of organisms. The rich geological record is available to researchers, educators, and the general public. The project has provided training for many students and volunteers.
Specific scientifically important collections held at the Non-vertebrate Paleontology Laboratory (NPL) at the University of Texas at Austin were digitized. The selected collections were transferred and upgraded into our database, Specify 6, thus expanding and enhancing the data resources available to the PaleoNICHES TCN. All collecting localities were georeferenced in both present-day and paleo geographies, and a selection of key specimens imaged. The project continued our strategy to conserve rare and important collections in the repository and make digital surrogates available for collaborative research. We also continued to stimulate public interest and education in science through the use of innovative web and mobile broadband technologies. Our project extended the work previously restricted to type specimens and historic collections. New specimen images along with supplemental metadata (from interviews with emeritus curators and professors, field notebooks, peels, and thin sections) are attached to the specimen records.
Collection records are accessible through our types PaleoCentral.org web access with remote access to view and download images and related data, and the flexibility to explore collection localities in a variety of contexts, including geology and global paleogeography. They are also available through GBIF and iDigBio data aggregators enabling multi-collection and cross-discipline searches. The repository GIS system is updated and increasingly a user can view the contents of drawers linked to the relevant data for specimens.
Intellectual merit:
This project has furthered objectives to digitize useful fossil records by fostering connection to and growth of the NSF HUB (iDigBio) and TCN strategic goals. It encouraged innovative research: images and geocoding for dynamic and scholarly analysis of specimens by on-and off-site students and researchers. We have improved the underlying infrastructure with a stable database with p...
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