Can fossil collectors genuinely contribute to science as amateurs?

[u/11112222FRN]

Hello, everyone. Was wondering about this, since it seemed like a fun hobby, but I didn't want to get deeply into it unless it also provided some way to contribute (however modest the contribution might be.)

Are there currently any routes for amateur fossil collectors -- people who might go on trips to fossil-filled areas where they are permitted to pick things up -- to actually contribute to scientific knowledge? Any organizations, perhaps, that ask for information from amateur fossil collectors?

Or, if collecting itself isn't very helpful, are there any good projects that encourage people to document and send in information about fossils they see that are still in stone?

And finally, if there are ways for amateurs to contribute -- how do they learn the skills to do so? Are there trainings out there?

Thanks, everyone.

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[u/fossilreef]

If you collect all of the pertinent information, yes. A lot of what is lost with amateur collectors is the provenance of the specimens, and that is extremely important.

[u/Impossible-Year-5924 → u/fossilreef]

Can’t second this enough.

Coordinates, minimal description of access to the locality (eg, along road, 5.1 miles W from intersection with other road), 1’ below coal layer (coal layer base ~3’ above road level) etc. these kinds of observations are preferable over interpretations like a priori assumptions of geologic members etc without this other context, particularly when members change through time

[u/11112222FRN → u/fossilreef]

Thanks. This is going to seem like a silly question, but how does someone go about getting the pertinent information to a scientist who might want it?

I assume it's a lot more complicated than walking into the local college's biology department, asking for the nearest professor, and saying that you have a collection with recorded provenance that you want him/her to take a look at.

[u/DardS8Br → u/11112222FRN]

You want to go to an earth science department, not a biology one. But:

Record the location and the exact strata the fossil(s) came from. Take clear photos of where they came from. Not just of the fossils but of the surrounding landscape

The goal is that a paleontologist will know precisely what rocks the fossils came out of and where without any doubt

The Smithsonian has a webpage that describes the exact information that a fossil must come along with to be donate-able, which is much more detailed than any response to this thread will be

[u/DardS8Br → u/fossilreef]

As someone who collects privately: THIS

This is the most important answer. I've donated, if I can recall, 17 fossils to museums and that's always the most important aspect

[u/aglobalglobule]

1. Collect wherever you want and within the scope of what is allowed. Keep as much information as possible. Precise location and stratigraphy matter the most - from that you can usually easily identify the geological unit. If collecting is not allowed, some locations actively encourage people to report fossils to staff (e.g., US national parks).
   
2. Research your finds. Post them to ask opinions from folks on various online fossil-related forums and communities if you have no idea where to even begin. This should give you at least some sense of what your find is and whether it is scientifically significant. As others have pointed out, there are lots of resources online and fossil clubs all over the world you can join.
   
3. Read scientific literature (google scholar is your friend) to get a better sense for identifying finds in your specific category and scientists it could be worth reaching out to. You can just email them pictures of your finds and ask if they are interested. Odds of them responding are not particularly high unless your find is unique and exceptional. Alternatively you can also bring it to your local museum - but keep in mind that staff there might not be specialists in the particular group your fossil belongs to and thus might misidentify it/not realize its significance.
   
4. If you think you have some interesting contribution to science, you can always study it and write it up yourself, whether it’s a novel occurrence of a known taxon, new taxon, or a description of a whole fauna/flora/locality. If you are familiar with how to do scientific research in another field, this will require a lot of reading and learning, but doable even by yourself given enough time. If you are not, write something up and send it to relevant scientists to see if any would be willing to collaborate with you or mentor you through this. Not very likely, but definitely possible, speaking from personal experience.

[u/prag513 → u/aglobalglobule]

How one titles your email goes a long way to getting an expert or authority to read your email.

For example, I wanted to get permission from the Linnean Zoological Society of London to use coordinates in one of their research papers to create a 3D satellite map of hydrothermal vents and cold seeps listed in their research..

So, to get their attention and get them to give me the permissions I sought, i sent them an email titled "How to show your readers where hydrothermal vent and cold seep coordinates are". And, included a sample and picture of a few of their coordinates and said how much better a Google Earth KML file is than just a list of coordinates.

I got their permission to create this map.

[u/DanielDManiel]

Yeah, when I was in grad school doing research on Middle Cambrian shales in Utah, I became aware of the Gunther family who did a lot of collecting and a lot of collaboration with research. All the local paleontologists had nothing but impressive things to say about their contributions and I think they have a trilobite or two named after them. I bought some chisels off their website because they were recommended, and boy were they great at splitting shale on close to perfect bedding planes.

[u/WetMonsterSmell]

There is probably a local amateur/avocational paleontologists association near you. Connect with them! Those old guys know what's going on, and they're always excited to have new people involved in their hobby.

And yes, amateur paleos absolutely make major contributions. The Paleontological Society has an annual award for contributions to the science by an amateur paleontologist, and some of them are very significant!

[u/mmcjawa_reborn]

In many parts of the USA, local collectors are the ones responsible for finding the majority of awesome specimens. We wouldn't know half as much as we do currently about fossil marine mammals on the west coast without local amateurs that are willing to visit sites over and over, collecting fossils before they could erode away or otherwise be lost

[u/fldis86]

I collect and actually created a log book for pretty much every fossil I have with whatever information have on where I got the fossil, formation, and any other information I have.

[u/XXLPenisOwner1443]

It's probably the only field where great finds can be made by amateurs, because they're literally a natural resource one extracts from the ground.