THINKING OUTSIDE THE (BLACK) BOX: BUILDING PALEONTOLOGICAL DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE FOR NON-SPECIALIST, DOWNSTREAM USERS

Digitization of natural history collections is increasingly important in the museum community. In the age of ‘Big Data’, many of these projects have added a needed, deep-time perspective to the challenges facing modern societies. However, digital tools created as part of these projects are not one-size-fits-all solutions, and it is often difficult to transition digital products to reflect other goals, smaller scales, or different content.

The Gray Fossil Site (GFS) in northeast Tennessee has been the focus of paleontological research and education in Southern Appalachia for almost two decades. As a complex paleontological site under excavation for multiple years, there is a huge amount of technical and historical data associated with the physical results of excavation, including: geospatial coordinates, historical imagery, preparation records, sample results, 2D images and 3D models. Internally, we have adopted a scalable, flexible, integrated system for managing datasets. However, there is a need to re-package and distribute these data to downstream users in a flexible and extensible format. Building flexibility into the design of digital infrastructure is key to providing relevant, authentic scientific data to non-specialist end-users, whether they are students, educators, the interested public or developers of creative applications (e.g., video games). Digitization infrastructure at the GFS has kept these goals in mind throughout development. Pilot projects focused on these end-users include specimen and map-based virtual reality experiences for students and museum visitors, K-14 educational resources, and the ongoing development of inquiry-based programming for on-site and off-site implementation.