On the Cutting Edge - Teaching Paleontology in the 21st Century
Cornell University and the Paleontological Research Institute, Ithaca, NY
Great Strategies for Teaching Paleontology:
Paleobotany –
200,000 Years of Pollen and
Environmental Change
Christopher L. Hill
Boise State University, Boise, Idaho;
[email protected]
Outline of Presentation
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Introduction: What is this activity?
Context
Goals
Activity Description
Adaptations
Introduction:
What is this activity?
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This is a “virtual lab” homework asignment
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Students experience the scientific process by:
◦ Observation, identification
◦ Data organization and analysis
◦ Final product is a report
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Students use online resources
◦ Identification key
◦ Pollen slides to count
◦ Basic table format and isotope curve provided
Context
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Designed for upper-division
undergraduate course in Quaternary
Paleontology
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Majors in geosciences, geoarchaeology,
environmental studies, anthropology
Goals
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Introduction to Palynology; Students will…
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Identify different fossil forms (pollen taxa)
Link pollen to vegetation/climate
Recognize changing patterns over time
Compare local pollen change to global isotope record
Skills: “Scientific Process/Critical Thinking”
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Observation, identification, counting
Organizing data
Analysis of data
Interpretations and Write-up
Description
Pre-activity introduction to paleobotany
 Provided online via BLACKBOARD:
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◦ Pollen key
◦ Pollen slides
◦ Step-by-step instructions for data organization
and analysis
◦ Stable isotope curve for last 300,000 years
◦ Guide for report
A Pollen Key for
Quaternary
Paleontology
Ambrosia
- Spherical
- Exine: Echinate (short spines)
- Favors warm, temperate climates
Ragweeds (Ambrosia), also called bitterweeds
and bloodweeds, are a genus of flowering plants
from the sunflower family (Asteraceae)
Picea
- Vesiculate
- Reticulum Bladders
-The cap exine is a verrucate
texture
- Favors cold climates
A spruce is a tree of the genus
Picea, a genus of about 35
species of coniferous evergreen
coniferous trees in the Family
Pinaceae, found in the northern
temperate or boreal regions.
Paleobotany Project
In this exercise you will 1) study a set of samples collected from the
western North America, 2) compare your result to the global isotope
climate record. The samples are from a sediment core from a lake basin.
There are 8 samples. The top of the core dates to today, the bottom of
the core extends to about 220,000 years ago.
Sample 1
Today (or Recent)
Sample 2
Sample 3
20,000 years ago
Sample 4
Sample 5
130,000 years ago
Sample 6
Sample 7
Sample 8
220,00 years ago
Paleobotany Project
Make a chart with the raw counts. Convert these into relative
frequencies (percentages) for each slide (time level). Here is an
example of a count sheet:
Pollen Type 1
Sample 1
Sample 2
Sample 3
Sample 4
Sample 5
Pollen Type 2
Pollen Type 3
Total
Paleobotany Project
Can they be grouped into sets based on what kinds
of environments or climates they might indicate?
Climate Set 1
Sample 1
Sample 2
Sample 3
Sample 4
Sample 5
Sample 6
Sample 7
Sample 8
Climate Set 2
Paleobotany Project
Stable Isotope Curve to Compare with Pollen Diagram
Paleobotany Project
Written Report: “Guide to Paleobotany (Pollen)
Assignment Report for Quaternary Paleontology”
1. Title
2. Introduction
3. Materials and Methods
4. Results
5. Interpretations/Discussion/Conclusion
6. Bibliography
Adaptations
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Most students used EXCEL although this
wasn’t part of the required assignment
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Some students presented data in an
unconventional manner
◦ Emphasize “standard” pollen chart?
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Different regions or timescales
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Links to other paleo-proxy data