Anna Hipp Kaplan
Pronouns: she/her
Research Mentor(s): Jennifer Bauer
Co-Presenter:
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Museum of Paleontology / LSA
Presentation Date: April 20
Presentation Type: Poster
Session: Session 2 – 11am – 11:50am
Room: League Ballroom
Authors: Anna Hipp Kaplan, Paloma Calvin, Jen Bauer
Presenter: 20
Abstract
The University of Michigan Museum of Paleontology Invertebrate Paleontology (UMMP IP) collection is made up of more than 2 million fossil specimens. Of these, approximately 15,000 specimens have been published in peer-reviewed literature, but these data have not previously been available online to the public. Our research team is working to make this type collection accessible through professional databases such as iDigBio. To accomplish this, we have focused on “georeferencing†these specimens, which consists of using the GEOLocate plugin in our Specify database to place coordinates and estimate uncertainties in relation to the collection location details of each record. To ensure that the proper permits were acquired at the time of collection, we generate maps in ArcGIS to determine land ownership and cross check this information with the collection year and local regulations. We have georeferenced about 600 of these specimens throughout this year, while simultaneously tracking our progress by creating maps of the tidied data that offer insight into the taxonomy, geography, geologic time, as well as other information of each specimen record. These maps not only make these data available to the public and other researchers, but it also has allowed us to compare our data with other globally available. The UMMP IP has great regional strengths, and the data of this type collection, once fully completed, will more than triple the amount of specimen records that offer information on species occurrences in the Michigan Basin and during the early Paleozoic.
Engineering, Natural/Life Sciences, Social Sciences
