Talk:Sclerochronology

As stated at the top, this article needs more in-text citations in its entirety to be verified as trusted. A few spots that are lacking in citations are the end of the first paragraph (talking about how Sclerochronology focuses on varying growth patterns), as well as the 2nd and 3rd paragraphs, as there are no citations there period to show that the information given there is even reliable.Connorlemons (talk) 18:42, 2 March 2017 (UTC)

In the third paragraph, otoliths are listed as one thing that is studied in sclerochronology, but because fish are vertebrates this could cause some confusion. A small explanation here on why fish, which are vertebrates, come into play in sclerochronology, which is the study of invertebrates and algae (at least that is what is stated at the top of the article). Connorlemons (talk) 19:10, 2 March 2017 (UTC)

GEOG 3900: Updating Sources and Adding Visuals
This article provides a brief but strong introduction into the subject of Sclerochronology and describes how it is an important study overall in the field of proxy data or as defined in the GEOG 3900 course as a natural recorder of climate or as described in this article as helping understand life cycles that occurred in the past. Even though it is a very specific study there still needs to be improvements made to the page as this is a growing scientific field as most fields. One of the suggestions that I have got the article is that it could include recent discoveries in the field as the latest reference is from 2009 and the oldest reference in the article is from 1972. This isn’t to say that the sources are reliable but there are many changes that are made in the science overtime and some findings from the 1970s may not be relevant anymore. What could help to include this information though is to break the article into parts by adding a “History” section that includes some of these older sources. A section on recent discoveries and conferences could also be added as I found from a simple google search a website that in July 2007 there was the 1st International Sclerochronology Conference in St. Petersburg, Florida. June 5th-9th, 2016 the most recent 4th International Sclerochronology Conference also occurred and produced various abstracts.

2007 Conference Information Page: https://conference.ifas.ufl.edu/sclerochronology/#purpose 2016 Conference Information Page: https://isc16.las.iastate.edu/

To make the page more informative and intriguing to read it would also be beneficial to include some visuals on the page to show what is studied in Sclerochronology as it is a study of the physical and chemical variations in accretionary hard tissues of organisms and can be shown in a photograph easily. The link from the 1st International Conference Sclerochronology Conference in St. Petersburg, Florida that they included many different pictures on their website. Additionally these sources from the University of Florida and Nova Southeastern University.

Sources with Images Quimyer, IR and DS Jones. 2012. Annual incremental shell growth patterns in hard clams (Mercenaria spp.) from St. Catherines Island, Georgia: A record of seasonal and anthropogenic impact on zooarchaeological resources. pp. 135-148. In: E.J. Reitz, I.R. Quitmyer, and D.H. Thomas, eds https://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/envarch/research/methods/sclerochronology/ Kevin P. Helmle1, Richard E. Dodge2 1 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Miami, FL, USA 2 National Coral Reef Institute, Dania Beach, FL, USA http://cnso.nova.edu/forms/kevin_helmle_sclerochronology_encmodcorreef_2011.pdf

RachelBeery (talk) 02:56, 3 March 2017 (UTC)Rachel Beery

GEOG 3900 Evaluation
-This article describes the proxy method effectively, and although the article is decently short, it is concise and indicates that it is part of a series on paleontology as a whole. The explanation as to the methods and basis of sclerochronology mainly bounces off of better-known examples like dendrochronology/uses examples to better highlight what the method itself entails. The article does a good job of addressing the data analyses: specifying the observed increments of time and what specifically is observed/measured. However, assumptions when it comes to data collection are not mentioned at all. Strengths and weaknesses in the method itself are not evaluated either, although the last sentences address “improvements in imagining techniques” with sources linked for more information on implications with the new developments. -The peer reviewed articles listed really help elaborate the minimal text of the article, the sources were well selected but it would be beneficial to have more of the information incorporated in the article itself. -Some improvements that could be made to the quality of this article in regards to content are: including an evaluation of the effectiveness, problem areas, etc. of this method of climate data collection; in addition to any discoveries made using sclerochronology. Images of the bandings in coral skeletons could also be supplementary to aid the understanding of how sclerochronology is observed.

- Abigailwerner (talk) 03:55, 3 March 2017 (UTC)