Fossils effectively delineate paleoenvironment, evolution, climate change, geologic time and the sedimentary record. Fossils are key indicators for modern studies of climate change and many serve as “parakeets in the coal mine” for human survival. In the midst of what many scientists now consider the sixth major extinction, emphasis on fossil analysis and evolutionary change continues to diminish in the undergraduate curriculum of many universities. In this undergraduate research program, we explore the increasing role that the UWSP Geoscience and UWSP
Natural History fossil collection can serve in educating K-12 students and the undergraduate population regarding fossil life forms, paleoenvironments, geologic time, climate change and the sedimentary record in a variety of outreach programs performed in the 2014-2015 academic year.
• Delineating past environments (Fig. 1)
• Indicators for oil and natural gas
• Fossils are valuable climate proxies and climate change indicators (Fig. 2)
• Fossils represent physical repositories of biodiversity and delineate extinction events (Fig. 3)
• Provides evolutionary evidence
Figure 1. Fossils such as this jellyfish
Medusae show evidence of past sandy beaches in Stevens Point quarries
Figure 2. Foraminifera represent a valuable tool used by climatologists to help date past climate altering events.
The Ordovician Event 443 Myr 86% species Loss
The Devonian Event
The Permian Event
The Triassic Event
359 Myr 75% Species Loss
251 Myr 96% Species Loss
200 Myr 80% Species Loss
The Cretaceous Event 65 Myr
The Sixth Extinction Present
%76 Species Loss
Unknown
Figure 3. There have been 5 major extinctions in the past
500 million years. Biologists now believe a sixth major extinction is under way given species loss over the past few centuries. Fossils represent a physical record of these speciation and loss events.
1) Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-15
Edition , Geoscientists, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/geoscientists.htm
(visited April
27, 2015 ).
2) Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-15
Edition , Anthropologists and Archeologists, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/anthropologists-andarcheologists.htm
(visited April 27, 2015 ).
3) Kemp, Christopher. "The Endangered Dead." Nature 518 (2015): 292-94. Nature.com
. Nature
International Weekly Journal of Science, 18 Feb. 2015. Web. 5 Mar. 2015.
<http://www.nature.com/news/museums-the-endangered-dead-1.16942>.
4) Adapted from E. Dale, Audiovisual Methods in Teaching, 1969, NY: Dryden Press.
5) Pennock, Robert. "Scientific Integrity and Science Museums." Museums & Social Issues 1.1 (2006): 9-
20. Print.
6) Rorschach, Kimberly; D.B.T, Mary; Semans, James H.; “Why do Universities Have Museums”
7) Dirzo, Rodolpho, Hilary S Young, Mauro Galetti, Gerardo Ceballos, Nick J. B. Isaac, and Ben Collen.
"Defaunation in the Anthropocene." Science (2014): 401-06. Print.
8) Barnosky, Anthony D., Nicholas Matzke, Susumu Tomiya, Guinevere O. Wogan, Brian Swartz, Tiago B.
Quental, Charles Marshall, Jenny L. McGuire, Emily L. Lindsey, Kaitlin C. Maguire, Ben Mersey, and
Elizabeth A. Ferrer. "Has the Earth's Sixth Mass Extinction Already Arrived?" Nature (2011): n. pag.
Web.
9) Micheal Jurmu, August 8th 2014 (Online), (2015) Incorperating an Introductory Service-Learning
Experience in a Physical Geography Course, Journal of Geography, 114:2, 49-57, DOI:
10.1080/00221341.2014.918638
10) Monastersky, Richard. "Biodiversity: Life- A Status Report." Nature 516 (n.d.): 159-161. Web. Apr.
2015.
• 12 Teams competed on February 14, 2015 to identify 20 fossils and their time periods
• Most teams had minimal fossil experience
• Team that excelled in fossil identification had prior hands on fossil experience (Fig. 4,5)
Team
Athens
Denmark Purple
Denmark Gold
N Score (required, tie-breaker) Fossils Background (self-reported at inquiry)
2 4.5/20.0, 0.5/5.0
None in class; Science Olympiad study guide
2 4.0/20.0, 0.5/5.0
0 No show
None in class; self-taught
None in class; self-taught Lakeland Union A 1 4.0/20.0, 1.5/5.0
Lakeland Union B 0 No show
Marshfield A
Marshfield B
2 6.0/20.0, 0.0/5.0
2 4.0/20.0, 1.0/5.0
None
None; Science Olympiad coached
Mosinee
Neenah
Medford A
Medford B
Medford C
Medford D
Medford E
Stanley Boyd
Stevens Point
Tomah
Wausau West
Menominee
0
2 5.0/20.0, 0.0/5.0
2 4.5/20.0, 0.0/5.0
2 4.5/20.0, 0.0/5.0
2 8.0/20.0, 0.0/5.0
0
0
No show
No show
No show
2 8.0/20.0, 0.0/5.0
0
0
No show
No show
2 14.5/20.0, 1.0/5.0
2 14.5/20.0, 0.0/5.0
None
None; binder development
None; Science Olympiad coached
Half day class; self-taught
One day; Science Olympiad study guide
Two day class; Science Olympiad coached
None; Science Olympiad study guide & coached
Figure 4. (Left) The attendance of the schools in teams, number of students in a team, Score, and Fossil background.
Figure 5. (Right) Results from state competition.
Figure 6. (Top Right) Two students identifying a fossil.
WSO Div C State Tournament
2015 Top Ten Results
1. Menomonie
2. Madison West
3. Medford
4. Boyceville
5. Verona
6. Prairie School
7. Waunakee
8. Wausau West
9. Brookfield Central
10. Platteville
To improve the quality of K-12 science education throughout the nation by changing the way science is perceived and the way it is taught (with an emphasis on problem solving and hands-on, mindson constructivist learning practices). This goal is accomplished through in-depth core curriculum training workshops and the distribution of curriculum materials.”
Science Olympiad Score Comparison
10
8
6
4
2
0
16
14
12
13.50
6.20
Average
14.00
11.50
Max
13.00
4.00
Minimum
0.71
2.28
Standard
Deviation
With
Experience
Without
Experience
Figure 7. Scores are based on a total of receiving half a point for knowing either the taxonomical class or order as specified and half a point for knowing the time period or era of the fossils peak existence in the geologic record. Every team had only 50 minutes to identify the fossils and they were judged based on the authors basis of his own identification of the fossil and knowledge of its time periods. All were allowed to use a fossil identification publication or their own prepared notes.
• “College days for kids” represents an important part of UWSP community outreach. It promotes the STEM fields and serves as an important service learning opportunity for 6 th grade students.
• On April 10, 17, and 24 th of 2015 6 th grade students from throughout
WI learned about minerals & fossils in the UWSP geology lab
• Students performed physical tests and observed the physical properties of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks
Figure 8. (Left) Geoscience students help 6 th graders identify minerals and their use during
UWSP college days for kids.
Figure 9. (Right) UWSP Geoscience students, Tony and Alex, help students identify sedimentary rocks and their environments of deposition
• UWSP College of Letters & Science Museum of Natural history displays research science collections for public viewing
• April 11, 2015 the Geology Department Fossil Collection of minerals and fossils was a featured stop
• 2014 and 2015 attendance was over 1,000 people
•
•
•
• Although in the UWSP collection since the 1980’s, this turtle shell was recognized as valuable and tentatively identified as
in Spring 2015 undergraduate research project.
• It’s uniqueness is due to the completeness of shell with some remaining bone fragments within the fossil (Fig. 13)
Figure 13. Specimen completeness plays an important role in naming and further identifying species.
Figure 14. The Geology collections rare Hadrianus sp. (Left) compared to multiple other known collected shells of Hadrianus sp. (Right)
Figure 15. Biogeoscience student,
Bryan Hoff, was key in tentatively identifying and recognizing this fossil as Hadrianus sp .
• Fossil displays offer students exposure to research collections outside of class
• Over the 2014-2015 academic year, the geology department’s fossil displays were updated and labelling increased by over 140%.
Figure 16. Fossil displays were updated outside of Geology Lab in
Science D324
Figure 17. New display developed and labeled by geoscience students over the spring 2015 semester
• As UWSP fossil collection continues to improve and progress, more original research and species identification will take place
• Utah-Wyoming field trip based on stratigraphy and sedimentary environment research in late May, 2015.
• May 4, 2015 UWSP Geoscience class visits Madison elementary school to provide hands on experience
• Field trip fossil accessioning and collaboration
with other universities.
Figure 18. Bryan Hoff on March 24,
2015, talks to St. Thomas 6 th grade science class.
Fossils increase learning potential for students through physical interaction with research collections
An expansive and unique fossil collection gives UWSP a highly competitive geoscience and biology program compared to other universities
Strong fossil utilization promotes scientific literacy and scientific stewardship at the university
Figure 19. (Top) Collection of leaf fossils.
Figure 20. (Bottom) Families and students enjoy public displays from the Museum.
Figure 10. A child enjoys the display of bones and antlers from the museum.
Figure 11. Geoscience student Nick helps a father and two sons identify metamorphic rocks from the
Geology lab.
Figure 12. UWSP Museum director, Dr.
Ray Reser, talks to families about the museum displays and artefacts.