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So you want to collect fossils, eh?
Fossil collecting is easy
Believe it or not, there are probably fossils to be collected
within a few miles from where you are right now! The best way to find
these localities is to join a fossil
club. Most clubs cost only a few dollars to join, or are
free, and give back much in return. In a fossil club, you'll get
to attend informative meetings on fossils in your area and beyond,
meet knowledgeable collectors, and even take field trips to dig
fossils you may keep for your own private collection!
See Prehistoric Planet's Fossil Clubs Central section for a growing
directory of fossil clubs on the web.
Your help is needed
There are so many fossils—yes, even dinosaur fossils—that in
some localities fossils are eroding out of the ground and crumbling
into sand because nobody is there to collect them. The fossils are
definitely out there, and many times amateur fossil collectors
make big discoveries. Remember Sue, the largest T. rex ever
unearthed? She was discovered by an amateur fossil hunter!
Care and caution
While it is easy to get started fossil hunting, collecting
fossils does come with great responsibility
to the paleontological community and to those on who's land you
collect. Never collect unless you have permission. This means
contacting the land owner first (fossil collecting on federal land,
for example, is prohibited without a permit). Always respect the land
you collect on. Be careful to leave no trace of your visit,
especially in wild areas.
Be a good scientist
Most important in terms of the science of collecting, always
document carefully the location of the fossils you collect. This
is absolutely necessary for any level of understanding about the
original organism's environment, historical age and scientific
significance. If you are not skilled to extract a certain type of
fossil, please do not attempt to remove it on your own. Some fossils
require years of work in the field to be properly excavated without
damage. Seek a professional instead of compromising a valuable
paleontological find.
Please read the Paleontological Society's Code of Fossil
Collecting below, and take it to heart. Fossil collecting is
ultimately about understanding our natural heritage and passing that
heritage to future generations. To squander that opportunity because
of improper fossil collecting methods speaks poorly of ourselves and
shows a contempt for that magnificent heritage. So collect with care
and responsibility. You'll enjoy the experience and benefit the
science of paleontology in the process!
The Paleontological Society Code of Fossil
Collecting
The Constitution of The Paleontological Society (Article I) states
"The sole purpose of the Society shall be, and all of its
assets and earnings shall be exclusively devoted to, the advance of
the science of Paleontology."
In order to pursue this goal, the Society recognizes that:
1. The principal importance of fossils is for scientific,
scholarly, and educational use of both professionals and amateurs.
2. The numbers of specimens of fossils vary widely but certain
fossils in all taxonomic groups are rare and that conserving and
making available for study significant fossils and their contextual
data is critical.
3. To leave fossils uncollected assures their degradation and
ultimate loss to the scientific and educational world through
natural processes of weathering and erosion.
The Society therefore adopts the following practices associated
with the collection and curation of fossils:
1. Prior notification will be made and permission or appropriate
permits will be secured from landowners or managers of private or
public lands where fossils are to be collected.
2. All collections will be in compliance with federal, tribal in
the case of Native American lands, state, and municipal laws and
regulations applied to fossil collecting.
3. The collector(s) will make every effort to have fossil
specimens of unique, rare, or exceptional value to the scientific
community deposited in or sold to an appropriate institution that
will provide for the care, curation, and study of the fossil
material.
The Paleontological Society adopts this Code of Fossil Collecting
in keeping with the goals of the Society's Constitution.
Courtesy of the Paleontological
Society |
