RAPID: High-Fidelity 3-D Digitization of Paleocene Vertebrate Fossils from Colombia: A Unique Opportunity for Science and Education

GSTDTAP

项目编号	1839102
	RAPID: High-Fidelity 3-D Digitization of Paleocene Vertebrate Fossils from Colombia: A Unique Opportunity for Science and Education
	Jonathan Bloch
主持机构	University of Florida
项目开始年	2018
	2018-08-15
项目结束日期	2019-07-31
资助机构	US-NSF
项目类别	Standard Grant
项目经费	74170(USD)
国家	美国
语种	英语
英文摘要	Fossils from the Paleocene (~58 million years ago) in northeastern Colombia provide the oldest evidence of tropical rainforest ecosystems in South America and include many new species of side-necked turtles, crocodyliforms and the largest known snake Titanoboa, estimated to have been 40-50 feet long. These fossils were collected over a seven year period and are now on loan to the Florida Museum of Natural History (FLMNH) where they are being described and studied. Specimens must now be returned to Colombia, requiring that research quality reproductions be produced and stored at the FLMNH for continuing and future study. Many of the specimens are large and fragile and the time frame for the completion of specimen preparation, reproduction and return to Colombia is short. The project team will develop K-12 lesson plans that incorporate 3D printed fossils for use in the classroom. All visualizations and associated data will be available through Morphosource and freely available to researchers, educators and the public. With recent advances in 3D scanning and printing technology, it is now possible to more efficiently create both virtual and physical models that are far more useful than traditional molding and casting techniques. This project will create high-fidelity 3D scans of all of the Colombian fossils on loan to the FLMNH. These scans will facilitate quick completion of scientific studies focused on cranial osteology, body size, life history, systematics, and ecology of Titanoboa. Additionally, making these data freely available on-line through Morphosource will have a lasting impact on educational communities. For example, K-12 lesson plans will be further developed to extrapolate the size of Titanoboa from measurements of 3D printed vertebrae and infer past climatic conditions based on estimated body length. Free access to these data will provide the basic resources for countless important future studies that could catalyze rapid and innovative advances in the field of vertebrate paleobiology. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
文献类型	项目
条目标识符	http://119.78.100.173/C666/handle/2XK7JSWQ/73050
专题	环境与发展全球科技态势
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714	Jonathan Bloch.RAPID: High-Fidelity 3-D Digitization of Paleocene Vertebrate Fossils from Colombia: A Unique Opportunity for Science and Education.2018.