Beyond memorization: an intermediate-level paleontology activity that integrates anatomy, ecology, and macroevolutionary theory using trilobites

Abstract

Here we present a stand-alone, upper level undergraduate laboratory exercise that integrates organismal ecology and evolutionary concepts and minimizes the need for student memorization. This laboratory seeks to integrate both anatomical and conceptual content into paleontology lab pedagogy by demonstrating how taxon-specific anatomical information are the fundamental data by which scientists evaluate big picture questions related to the study of macroevolution and ecology. Real specimen photos are provided to familiarize students with a relatively limited suite of anatomical terms and taxonomic detail while allowing schools lacking large paleontology collections to participate in specimen-based inquiry. A matching exercise requires students to assign various trilobite morphologies to their interpreted ecological niches, thus reinforcing the students' new anatomical knowledge and helping students to distinguish between primary and secondary interpretation of scientific evidence. The use of trilobites as a macroevolutionary case study introduces students to questions still being actively investigated by scientists and provides an effective refutation of creationist arguments. By deemphasizing systematics and highlighting intriguing patterns from the recent published literature, this laboratory hopes to promote paleontology as a vibrant and relevant field, and avoid the misconception that paleontologists are simply stamp collectors, intent on naming and categorizing fossils. We hope that the broad implementation of this laboratory exercise will generate the data necessary to evaluate the validity of this approach and its ease of use in the classroom.Keywords: Macroevolution; Trilobita; Volatility; Ecological niches; Mass extinction Learning goals and pedagogyWe have developed a trilobite laboratory for college students; here we describe aspects and elaborate on the background and pedagogical philosophy behind the formulation of this lab. The complete version of the lab itself and the key are available as a pdf downloadz at the end of this article (Additional files 1 and 2). However, since the pedagogical and background elements pertaining to the development of the lab are not provided therein, we felt it important to present this information in the context of a broader discussion about the best way to teach paleontology and evolution to undergraduates. The trilobite lab we developed is intended for an upper level undergraduate paleontology course enrolling mainly sophomores and juniors who have already taken historical geology or its equivalent but may also be appropriate for introductory college biology or advanced high school biology courses provided that concepts such as geologic time, phylogeny, and trace fossils are familiar to students. It aims to comprise an exercise for one week in what would be a multi-week lab, though it can also serve as a standalone exercise as well. This lab will be particularly helpful to those institutions that lack a large teaching collection by providing color photographs ...

The Digital Atlas of Ancient Life: delivering information on paleontology and biogeography via the web

“…The digital atlases on their own are useful resources for students in university paleontology classes tasked with identifying a set of specimens collected in the field. In addition, exercises appropriate for college-level historical geology or paleontology laboratories have also been developed (e.g., Casey and Lieberman, 2014) and more are in development. For instance, one of these will begin with a digital scavenger hunt, which will require students to explore the digital atlases in search of taxa that show particular morphological features.…”