FOSSIL MAMMALS OF PUERTO RICO: A K-12 GEOSCIENCE EDUCATION INITIATIVE

West Indian Quaternary vertebrate fossils are preserved almost exclusively in caves. Unfortunately, high human population densities in the Caribbean are significantly impacting caves, with the irreplaceable loss of both paleontological and paleoclimatic evidence. Ultimately, the survival and elucidation of the paleoecological and paleoclimatic archive in West Indian caves will depend on a collaboration of local scientists, amateur natural historians, cavers and the general public. At the present time, participation by these diverse interest groups is severely limited by a lack of access to comparative materials, which for practical and historic reasons have generally been accessioned into the collections of the major museums in the United States. As part of a larger, “digital museum” project intended to provide access to digital imagery of the fossils, we have developed a four part curriculum for Puerto Rican students in kindergarten, 5th, 8th and 12th grades, with the goal of fostering an appreciation of the value of cave and fossil conservation. Project materials include a picture book, writing assignment, hands-on fossil identification exercise and supporting teachers notes and visual aids.