Great Strategies for Teaching Paleontology:Great Strategies for Teaching Paleontology: Paleobotany – Paleobotany –

200,000 Years of Pollen and 200,000 Years of Pollen and Environmental ChangeEnvironmental Change

Christopher L. HillBoise State University, Boise, Idaho;

chill2@boisestate.edu

On the Cutting Edge - Teaching Paleontology in the 21st Century On the Cutting Edge - Teaching Paleontology in the 21st Century Cornell University and the Paleontological Research Institute, Ithaca, NYCornell University and the Paleontological Research Institute, Ithaca, NY

Outline of PresentationOutline of Presentation

Introduction: What is this activity?ContextGoalsActivity DescriptionAdaptations

Introduction: Introduction: What is this activity?What is this activity?This is a “virtual lab” homework asignment

Students experience the scientific process by:◦ Observation, identification◦ Data organization and analysis◦ Final product is a report

Students use online resources◦ Identification key◦ Pollen slides to count◦ Basic table format and isotope curve provided

ContextContext

Designed for upper-division undergraduate course in Quaternary Paleontology

Majors in geosciences, geoarchaeology, environmental studies, anthropology

GoalsGoalsIntroduction to Palynology; Students will…

◦ 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”◦ Observation, identification, counting◦ Organizing data◦ Analysis of data◦ Interpretations and Write-up

DescriptionDescription

Pre-activity introduction to paleobotanyProvided online via BLACKBOARD:

◦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 ProjectPaleobotany ProjectIn 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 ProjectPaleobotany 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 Pollen Type 2 Pollen Type 3 Total Sample 1 Sample 2 Sample 3 Sample 4 Sample 5

Paleobotany ProjectPaleobotany Project

Climate Set 1 Climate Set 2 Sample 1 Sample 2 Sample 3 Sample 4 Sample 5 Sample 6 Sample 7 Sample 8

Can they be grouped into sets based on what kinds of environments or climates they might indicate?

Paleobotany ProjectPaleobotany Project

Stable Isotope Curve to Compare with Pollen Diagram

Paleobotany ProjectPaleobotany Project

Written Report: “Guide to Paleobotany (Pollen) Assignment Report for Quaternary Paleontology”

1. Title2. Introduction3. Materials and Methods4. Results5. Interpretations/Discussion/Conclusion6. Bibliography

AdaptationsAdaptations

Most students used EXCEL although this wasn’t part of the required assignment

Some students presented data in an unconventional manner◦Emphasize “standard” pollen chart?

Different regions or timescales

Links to other paleo-proxy data