Assembling Continental Biotas from the Cretaceous of Gondwana Workshop 2022
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General Information
When: November 16-17, 2022
Where: Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Organizers: Patrick O’Connor, Ohio University; David Krause, Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Expected number of participants: 20 - 30
Participant List
Click to view list of participants
Goal
To develop 21st Century perspectives, skills, and partnerships for assembling deep-time data (e.g., fossils, environments, climates) from historic and contemporary natural history collections. This workshop is designed to develop strong collaborative networks across specialties and institutions to facilitate accessibility and sustainability of current collections and the robust establishment of future collections.
Overview
Entitled ‘Assembling Continental Biotas from the Cretaceous of Gondwana’, this effort will bring together perspectives from scientists, students, museum collections and records staff, preparators, data managers, and curators from several institutions and countries in the context of the developing fossil record from many regions of the former supercontinent of Gondwana.
The 2 ½ day workshop will be held at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science from November 16th – 18th, 2022, with sessions ranging from principles and practices of 21st Century field collection and specimen preparation (physical and digital) to curation and specimen record dissemination. The attached PDF provides the conceptual framework for holding the workshop, in addition to an overview of the topics to be addressed in November.
Logistic information
Airport: Denver International Airport (DIA)
Airport transportation: RTD rail direct from Denver International Airport to Central Park Station (about 20 miles; 24 minutes); first station after (west of) Peoria station.
Take Uber, Lyft, or taxi from Central Park Station to hotel at 3203 Quebec Street (about 1 mile to the southwest; be sure to specify the address because there is another Double Tree by Hilton Hotel Denver at 4400 Quebec Street).
Workshop hotel: DoubleTree Hilton, 3203 Quebec Street, Denver
Transportation from hotel to venue: Uber, Lyft, or taxi from hotel at 3203 Quebec Street to museum at 2001 Colorado Blvd (3.1 miles; ~10 minutes). Entrance for participants will be through the security subpost (small door to left of Main Exit). Security personnel will notify staff of arrival. Staff will come to subpost to usher participants to meeting room. Once inside museum, participants will have full access to public areas of the museum.
Workshop venue: Denver Museum of Nature & Science (2001 Colorado Blvd) Community Room on 3rd floor of museum.
Wifi networks: Once on-site, workshop participants can log into the DMNS guest network for internet access.
Meals: Breakfast, break refreshments, and lunch will be catered on both workshop days. Dinner is not provided, but you will be reimbursed for meals not provided.
Invited participant support: Hotel cost covered, travel, and per diem expenses reimbursed.
Agenda
| Day 1: Wednesday November 16 | |
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| 8:30–9:00 AM | Breakfast—DMNS |
| Specimens | |
| 9:00–9:30 AM | Opening (P. O’Connor) a. Workshop Objectives b. Participants |
| 9:30–10:20 AM | Collecting Fossils: Past, Present, & Future a. Fossils from the ground into the collection (historically) b. Project Examples: Madagascar/Tanzania/Egypt/Antarctica |
| 10:20–10:50 AM | Field Collection from the Research Project Perspective: a. Fossils as data to address funded hypothesis testing, publication, and public dissemination b. Initializing fossil and data management for all stakeholders Discussion Leaders: P. O’Connor, J. Groenke |
| 10:50–11:30 AM | Break 1: Fossil Preparation Labs, Natalie Toth (DMNS) |
| 11:30 AM–12:15 PM | Field collection into repository ––Part I a. Developing data standards (e.g., digital photography, formats) in the context of fieldwork, preparation lab, and collections management. b. Coordinating specimens between prep lab, digital lab, collections, etc. |
| 12:15–1:15 PM | Open discussion leading into lunch. Lunch break (on-site) |
| 1:15–2:00 PM | Field collection to repository ––Part II a. Specimen records, from museum to aggregator (Why? How?). b. Data management software (eMu, Symbiota, Arctos) |
| 2:00–2:45 PM | Online resources to support specimen records (iDigBio, Symbiota, GBIF) Discussion Leader: T. Karim |
| 2:45–3:15 PM | Break 2: Tour of Collections & Collections Workshop (Sub-Level B2), Dave Krause, K. MacKenzie, and Pat O’Connor. |
| 3:15–3:45 PM | A Case Study: The Mahajanga Basin Project and Symbiota Discussion Leaders: D. Krause, L. Wagner, K. Mackenzie |
| 3:45–4:15 PM | Open Discussion Facilitators: P. O’Connor, D. Krause |
| 4:15–5:00 PM | Museum Exhibition Access |
| 5:00–6:30 PM | Pre-dinner Break |
| 7:00 | Dinner: On Your Own Reservations have been made at: Phoenician Kabob, 5709 E COLFAX AVE., DENVER, CO 720-477-0046 |
| Day 2: Thursday November 17 | |
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| 8:30–9:00 AM | Breakfast—DMNS |
| Extending Specimens | |
| 9:00–9:30 AM | Expanding the Specimen Record a. Beyond traditional records (e.g., incorporating 4D [geography, stratigraphy, other paleo environmental data] data; 3D data management and dissemination. |
| 9:30–10:20 AM | Keeping things connected from field to publication and beyond to access/utilization by others. a. Persistent Identifiers (extended specimen network) in 21st Century natural history collections — ensuring that things that should stay connected do stay connected. |
| Dissemination and Access | |
| 10:20–10:50 AM | Getting information out to others (researchers, educators, public) a. Role of the research teams. |
| 10:50–11:30 AM | Break 3: Archives Department (Sub-level B1), with Laura Uglean-Jackson (DMNS). |
| 11:30 AM–12:15 PM | 3D Data: MorphoSource a. Hosting/dissemination 3D data—Basics. |
| 12:15–1:15 PM | Open discussion leading into lunch. Lunch Break (on-site) |
| Skills Development I | |
| 1:15–2:00 PM | Current/Future Training Efforts a. Field Training. |
| Supporting Efforts | |
| 2:00–2:45 PM | Collections without Borders. a. Working across boundaries (national, cultural, economic). |
| 2:45–3:15 PM | Break 4: Digital Research Lab, 3rd Floor, Lindsay Dougan (DMNS) |
| 3:15–3:45 PM | What, How, and Who to fund these efforts? a. Institutional, Governmental, Private (Corporate, Individual). |
| 3:45–4:15 PM | The Global Future of Collections: Co-Creating Next Steps a. Collections management in a global context—and shared responsibilities among research teams, institutions, and governments. |
| 4:15–5:00 PM | Museum Exhibition - self-guided tours to areas if interest |
| 5:00–6:30 PM | Pre-dinner Break |
| 7:00 | Dinner: On Your Own Location TBD |