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Great Strategies for Teaching Paleontology: Quaternary Faunal Environments

On the Cutting Edge - Teaching Paleontology in the 21st Century Cornell University and the Paleontological Research Institute, Ithaca, NY. Great Strategies for Teaching Paleontology: Quaternary Faunal Environments. Christopher L. Hill Boise State University, Boise, Idaho; chill2@boisestate.edu.

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Great Strategies for Teaching Paleontology: Quaternary Faunal Environments

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  1. On the Cutting Edge - Teaching Paleontology in the 21st Century Cornell University and the Paleontological Research Institute, Ithaca, NY Great Strategies for Teaching Paleontology:Quaternary Faunal Environments Christopher L. Hill Boise State University, Boise, Idaho; chill2@boisestate.edu

  2. Introduction: What is this activity? • Context • Goals • Activity Description • Adaptations Outline of Presentation

  3. Use online database FAUNMAP • Compare spatial distribution of mammals • Look at patterns of extinct and extant taxa • Create inferences about past environments Introduction: What is this activity?

  4. Designed for upper-division undergraduate course in Quaternary Paleontology • Majors in geosciences, geoarchaeology, environmental studies, anthropology • Familiarity with using online resources a basic requirement Context

  5. Use present-day (late Holocene) as a basis for understanding past environments • Link to paleoecological patterns • Use online data-sets to observe patterns and develop inferences Goals

  6. Study environments of living North American mammals • Log-on to FAUNMAP: http://www.museum.state.il.us/research/faunmap/query/ • Dowload distribution maps • Taxon • Time Interval • Evaluate patterns • Graded products: • Set of questions • Written Report Description

  7. Using FAUNMAP at http://www.museum.state.il.us/research/faunmap/query/ Query the Database • List of taxa codes • List of age codes • Faunmap Query Form (scientific names) • Faunmap Query Form (common names) Quaternary Faunal Environments

  8. Taxon: If we have it for this taxon, do you want the modern distribution?Yes No Quaternary Faunal Environments

  9. Pick the time periods you want to study (note: for some species not all time periods will be represented). [wiho][wisc][lwsc][late][ehlg][holo][emho][mhol][lmho][lhol][hiho][hist][ALL] Quaternary Faunal Environments

  10. Quaternary Faunal Environments Rangifer tarandus (caribou) ALL (Pleistocene and late Holocene) and only late Holocene

  11. Quaternary Faunal Environments Groundsloth Modern Opossum Extinct Armadillo

  12. Quaternary Faunal Environments Pronghorn Cheetah

  13. Quaternary Faunal Environments Columbia Jeffersonian Woolly

  14. Map downloading could be a team project • If computers are not available, make maps available (good for observation > inference part of the activity) • I tried letting the students pick taxa themselves (small mammals, large mammals, extinct mammals) Adaptations

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