Overview of the geology, paleontology, and geoscience education opportunities of the University of Tennessee at Martin Coon Creek Science Center for visitors, researchers, and docents

Abstract

The Coon Creek Formation is an internationally recognized Upper Cretaceous (Campanian, 76 million-years-old) marine clastic lagerstätten deposit with over 500 identified species of nearly perfectly preserved invertebrates, vertebrates, plants, and trace fossils with original shell geochemistry and paleoecological fidelity preserved. The type-locality and type-section, located in rural McNairy County, Tennessee, was preserved for research and education in 1988 when the Memphis Pink Palace Museum constructed a 232-acre geoscience education facility on the site, now run as the University of Tennessee at Martin Coon Creek Science Center. Visitors to the site participate in a wide variety of geoscience education programming and citizen science research that is based upon open-ended inquiry methodology. On the occasion of the 46th Biennial Convention, hosted at the site by the Eta Alpha Chapter of Sigma Gamma Epsilon (SGE), this paper summarizes the overall geologic setting, general paleontology, geoscience education history, and opportunities of the site for SGE field trip participants, potential researchers, visitors, and potential interns. Additionally, this paper highlights some of the numerous geoscience education programs for docents and research opportunities available for geology students who wish to participate in ongoing research at the site.