Scientific Journal Publishes Research Paper by Webb Students

“PaleoBios,” a peer-reviewed scientific journal, has published a research paper coauthored by Webb students Yaoran Shi ’21 and Vicky Gu ’21 that explores the significance of ancient horse fossils.

The students are part of Webb’s advanced paleontology program conducted through the Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology, the only accredited paleontology museum on a high school campus.

Shi and Gu are the paper’s senior authors, working with Dr. Andrew Farke, the Alf’s Augustyn Family curator and director of research and collections.

Farke, in praising the duo for their work, noted that some of the specimens used – fossilized toe bones – were collected over decades by Webb students from the Barstow Formation as part of the museum’s unique student-centered research program.

The paper focuses on the differences in fossil preservation of fossil horse toe bones in sites like Barstow and the La Brea Tar Pits.

“This paper highlights the research strengths of Yaoran and Vicky as well as the extraordinary collection of specimens gathered by Webb students over the years,” Farke said.

The Alf research program is one of the signature programs of The Webb Schools. Over the last 30 years, nearly 50 such papers co-authored by students have been published by scientific journals.

Review the collected research on our Alf Museum research and discovery page.

Details
April 26, 2021

10:51 AM PDT