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Research Grants

This page is used to provide your assessment scores for each application. Please use the rubric below the application details to enter your name, your scores, and any notes on the application.

Early Cretaceous Monkey-puzzle seed cones (Araucariaceae) from Northwestern Gondwana

Project summary:

The extant distribution of Araucariaceae is mainly restricted to the southern hemisphere, yet its fossil record indicates a nearly global presence during the Mesozoic. This project investigates Early Cretaceous seed cones from the La Paja Formation (Barremian–Aptian, 120–112 Ma) of northwestern Gondwana (Colombia). This rare low-latitude fossil assemblage has the potential to provide further insights into the family's evolutionary and biogeographic history. This research will utilize X-ray micro-computed tomography to generate detailed three-dimensional internal reconstructions.

First Name:

Hector

hector.palmaxi@gmail.com

Highest degree:

Msc. Biology

Year obtained:

2024

Applicant Status:

Current student

United States

Gymnosperms, Fossils

Relevant publications (minimum 1, maximum 4):

Palma-Castro, H. D., Benavides-Cabra, C. D., and Herrera, F. (2025). A new conifer record from the late Aptian of La Paja Formation from Veléz, Santander (Colombia). Acta Palaeobotanica, 65(2), 131–145. https://doi.org/10.35535/acpa-2025-0005

Palma-Castro, H. D., Carvalho, M. R., Mason-Gamer, R. J., Bomfleur, B., and Herrera, F. (2026). A century of paradox: Re-investigating paradoxopterid ferns with new material from the Early Cretaceous of Northwestern Gondwana. International Journal of Plant Sciences (in press). https://doi.org/10.1086/740565

Palma-Castro, H. D. (2024). Palaeodiversity of the fossil flora from the La Paja Formation, Lower Cretaceous of Colombia. Thesis Master in Sciences – Biology. Bogotá, Colombia: Universidad Nacional de Colombia. https://repositorio.unal.edu.co/handle/unal/85645

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Scoring Rubric

Your name:

c1. Scientific Merit

 

  • Scientific impact of the study in the proposed taxonomic group or the flora and funga of a geographic region – up to 10 points

  • Contribution to the generation of novel systematic/taxonomic/floristic data – up to 5 points

  • Quality and significance of questions being addressed – up to 10 points

  • Adequacy of methods for testing the research question (data collection/analysis/use of different tools) – up to 10 points

This proposal scores:

/35

C2. Community Building

 

  • Applicant’s potential for completing goals of the proposal within the time frame, and of professional success (based on CV, considering career stage) – up to 10 points

  • Explicit inclusion of (a) the use and generation of collections, and (b) conferring with taxonomic/nomenclatural experts – up to 10 points

  • Perceived need where more points are given for applicants from low- or middle-income countries – up to 5 points

This proposal scores:

/25

C3. Broader Impacts

​

  • The proposal will yield durable benefits and be disseminated through publications (e.g., taxonomic revisions, checklists, new data provided for existing databases, websites) – up to 20 points

  • The proposal involves taxonomic training, fieldwork, and herbarium visits  – up to 10 points

  • The proposal involves outreach, mentoring, and mobility exchange  – up to 10 points

This proposal scores:

/40

Applicant Details

email:

Country:

Target organism/s:

Previous publications

Budget (USD):

2000

University of Illinois Chicago

Affiliation:

Grant Assessment

Last Name:

Palma

No

Has the applicant applied for an IAPT Research Grant previously?

Year of previous application:

0

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