FossilPlot References

 

About FossilPlot 1.1
I initially developed this software while a Ph.D. student and teaching assistant for Prof. Tony Ekdale at the University of Utah. Thanks to Tony's commitment to innovative teaching, he allowed me to beta-test an earlier version of FossilPlot in his Paleobiology course. This trial run was crucial in developing user-friendly aspects of the program and I am indebted to my former students who provided constructive and pragmatic suggestions on how to improve version 1.0.

In the fall of 2006, version 1.1 was produced and demonstrated at the Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America (Tapanila, 2006), and it is featured in the March 2007 issue of Journal of Geoscience Education (Tapanila, 2007).

FossilPlot is now integrated in paleontology courses at both the University of Utah and Idaho State University – and I hope it can be of use to other teachers. If making reference to this program, please cite the current URL or Tapanila (2006) and acknowledge Sepkoski (2002) as the foundational publication for this program.

Sepkoski's Compendium
FossilPlot uses the compendium of marine animal genera compiled by Sepkoski and his associates at the University of Chicago. Any citation of FossilPlot should acknowledge Sepkoski (2002) as the core dataset on which the program is built. It was Sepkoski's wish to make his life's work publically available: FossilPlot facilitates this goal by providing the entire dataset within a framework amenable to classroom teaching.

Sepkoski, J.J., Jr., 2002. A compendium of fossil marine animal genera. Bulletins      of American Paleontology, v. 363, p. 1–560.

Other Useful References
Gradstein, F.M., and Ogg, J.G., 2004. Geologic Time Scale 2004 - why, how,      and where next? Lethaia, v. 37, p. 175–181. [absolute dates]

Okulitch, A.V., 1999. Geological Time Chart. GSC Open File 3040, supplement      to Geolog, v. 29. [absolute dates]

Sepkoski, J.J., Jr., 1981. A factor analytic description of the Phanerozoic marine      fossil record. Paleobiology, v. 7, p. 36–53. [classic paper using family      database]

Sepkoski, J.J., Jr., 1982. A compendium of fossil marine families. Milwaukee      Public Museum Contribution to Biology and Geology, No. 51. [family      dataset]

Sepkoski, J.J., Jr., 1992. A compendium of fossil marine families, 2nd Ed.      Milwaukee Public Museum Contribution to Biology and Geology, No. 83.      [family dataset, revisited]

Tapanila, L., 2006. Using FossilPlot graphing software to complement lecture,      lab and field teaching of paleontology: GSA Abstracts with Programs, v.      38(7), p. 499.

Tapanila, L., 2007. FossilPlot, an Excel-based computer application for teaching     stratigraphic paleontology using the Sepkoski Compendium of fossil marine     genera: Journal of Geoscience Education, 55(2):133-137.

Fig3 for dendrinid paper