Texas-Tunnel Rat Posted August 28, 2011 Share Posted August 28, 2011 (edited) Hey fellow fossil folks, I am writing this becuse I have run into bit of a snag and need some help on an upcomming research paper for one of my college classes and having issues trying to brainstorm and actually make it a outstanding paper. So I was hoping to create this thread to help get a small think tank of what I can research. Science orintated research papers are no problem but this is for a senior (4000+) history class. PLEASE NOTE YOU ARE SUGGESTING IDEAS I WILL BE CONDUCTING THE ORIGINAL STUDIES. Requriments - US History Aspects - Intrests the author...yeah hence the Paleontology theme - Since 1945 The only thing I see to be thinking that was really important was the 1960+ "Second Renascence of Paleontology". The "Bone Wars" were done in late 1800's. I think my problem is I worked to much into the science of Paleontology but not the physical history per se. Than you for the suggestions. Off to the library to start looking though books to get ideas. Ill keep this thread going for 24-48 hours. Edited August 28, 2011 by Texas-Tunnel Rat PUBLICATIONS Dallas Paleontology Society Occasional Papers Vol. 9 2011 "Pennsylvanian Stratigraphy and Paleoecology of Outcrops in Jacksboro, Texas" Author Texas Paleontology Society Feb, 2011 "Index Fossils and You" A primer on how to utilize fossils to assist in relative age dating strata" Author Quotes "Beer, Bacon, and Bivalves!" "Say NO to illegal fossil buying / selling" "They belong in a museum." Education Associates of Science - 2011 Bachelors of Science (Geology & Biology) - 2012 est. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted August 28, 2011 Share Posted August 28, 2011 How 'bout the watershed in laws and "applied ethics" triggered by the "Sue" case? "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted August 28, 2011 Share Posted August 28, 2011 How about the effect of Jurassic Park on Paleo and on fossil hunting. This goes sort of hand in hand with the Sue Effect... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracer Posted August 28, 2011 Share Posted August 28, 2011 sometimes attempting to work your biggest personal interest into your schoolwork isn't the most effective approach to success. now on the other hand, working the professor's biggest personal interest into your task can be very successful... always write for your audience. especially if they have red pens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas-Tunnel Rat Posted August 28, 2011 Author Share Posted August 28, 2011 well folks back from the Library, still kinda thinking. @ Auspex, I like the idea of investigating various watershed laws and the interaction with not just sue but maybe for general fossil collections? Maybe a time trangress from 1945 - 20011? And throw in Sue (Are you refering to T.Rex named Sue?). @jpc, Maybe instead of JP you can also see Hollywood's portrayal of our scaly and feathered friends during 1950's to 1990's +. Reasoning behind this is becuse it seems to be taking alot of ques from pre-"Second Renaissance of Paleontology" which is 1960-today with not only professional researchers work but college students like myself. Before that it was the "stuffy rich guy / antiquarian" making the press. And then combine it with Auspex's idea. @Tracer, I understand that fully. Maybe its becuse I am jumping the gun on this seeing tomarrow is the 2nd day of the class. I dont know the professor outside of his intro. But he earned his PHD writing about 1960's protest music. I just want to work with what I know but alot of the good information is pre 1954 (along with my familairty of US History, cant chose EU History) so thinking outside the box. Just not sure, and that is a change I usally write for myself than send it out to committees and get it reviewed / accepted / published in science and maybe its just Im rusty when its not in my academic niche. PUBLICATIONS Dallas Paleontology Society Occasional Papers Vol. 9 2011 "Pennsylvanian Stratigraphy and Paleoecology of Outcrops in Jacksboro, Texas" Author Texas Paleontology Society Feb, 2011 "Index Fossils and You" A primer on how to utilize fossils to assist in relative age dating strata" Author Quotes "Beer, Bacon, and Bivalves!" "Say NO to illegal fossil buying / selling" "They belong in a museum." Education Associates of Science - 2011 Bachelors of Science (Geology & Biology) - 2012 est. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted August 28, 2011 Share Posted August 28, 2011 ...(Are you refering to T.Rex named Sue?)... Yup; Pete Larson's trip down the rabbit hole of awakening US fossil laws, and what it meant to American Paleontology. (I'd avoid the subjective politics and concentrate on the aftermath). "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracer Posted August 28, 2011 Share Posted August 28, 2011 or wait, maybe you could morph-meld auspex' and my thoughts combined with your knowledge of the guy's own experience and write about how the peter powell and larry version of "puff the magic dragon" resulted in an anthropomorphic skewing of u.s. feelings toward giant lizards which made us all empathize with and relate to sue even though she would have killed the snarge out of us if she'd gotten the chance. historical revisionism can be traced from there through that "barney" stuff, and don't get me started on "baby bop".... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas-Tunnel Rat Posted August 29, 2011 Author Share Posted August 29, 2011 (edited) Hey thanks for th suggestions folks, If something else comes around feel free to give it a shout. I think I proably will work the ideas all together into something good (going with 1954 fossil collections with laws vs 2000+ collections), maybe something to get posted somewhere. I might be asking for some "horror stories" to add some more fluff down the road. I am currently learning more about rules and regs when it comes to some other side projects. Ex: A site that has postive growth of speciemens that is in the middle of the city and only real way is to Tunnel Rat through some of the sewer-ways to get to the locality faster without climbing fences and that suff. Thank goodness I have a city works that wants to promote my studies. Edited August 29, 2011 by Texas-Tunnel Rat PUBLICATIONS Dallas Paleontology Society Occasional Papers Vol. 9 2011 "Pennsylvanian Stratigraphy and Paleoecology of Outcrops in Jacksboro, Texas" Author Texas Paleontology Society Feb, 2011 "Index Fossils and You" A primer on how to utilize fossils to assist in relative age dating strata" Author Quotes "Beer, Bacon, and Bivalves!" "Say NO to illegal fossil buying / selling" "They belong in a museum." Education Associates of Science - 2011 Bachelors of Science (Geology & Biology) - 2012 est. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolmt Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 How about the impact of the Internet on paleontogy. It also makes it easier for the amatuer to be in the same league as the career paleontologist. You can now research more in a week than people could in their lifetime. At one point having access to journals, and specimenns was a process that took quite a bit of effort. I remember doing research for a univercity paper on the gunflint chert back in the early 70's and I spent the better part of a month getting copies of relevant articles. I suspect I could now write just as good a paper in a matter of days because of the ease of finding bonafide reference material. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobWill Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 Nathen How about the impact of the theory of punctuated equlibrium to address the problem of matching the fossil record with phyletic gradualism? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas-Tunnel Rat Posted August 30, 2011 Author Share Posted August 30, 2011 @ Bobwill, that could work out seeing I might have to discuss a bit to inform the audience on the 2nd renesance. Those ideas are mostly from the later schools of thinking. Maybe also how to old school thinkers disagreed with the new generation of post-Ostrom thinking. @ Malcomt. That would most defiantly work very nicely. However I might need to include some data to have to reader understand better. Afterall there are "Armchair Scientist" with there Wiki<Subeject Here> vs Tradional Scientists vs Casualists. keep it following! PUBLICATIONS Dallas Paleontology Society Occasional Papers Vol. 9 2011 "Pennsylvanian Stratigraphy and Paleoecology of Outcrops in Jacksboro, Texas" Author Texas Paleontology Society Feb, 2011 "Index Fossils and You" A primer on how to utilize fossils to assist in relative age dating strata" Author Quotes "Beer, Bacon, and Bivalves!" "Say NO to illegal fossil buying / selling" "They belong in a museum." Education Associates of Science - 2011 Bachelors of Science (Geology & Biology) - 2012 est. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NC George Posted September 6, 2011 Share Posted September 6, 2011 Hi, not sure if you have started your research yet or not, but the general trend of allowing collection of invertebrates, but that someone in academia needs to sign off on collection of vertebrates.... Just another thought. George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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