Andy Rich

Why Museums Don’t Give Away Fossils: The Importance of Public Trust and Science

During our dinosaur fossil dig expeditions, one question we frequently hear is, “Can I keep this?” We completely understand the excitement that comes with unearthing a piece of ancient history—it’s a thrilling moment, and the desire to take home a unique fossil as a keepsake is natural. However, there are critical reasons why museums don’t give away fossils.

Museums and Public Trust: Protecting Fossils for Everyone

As a museum, we operate under the principle of public trust. This concept means that fossils, like the ones uncovered during our dinosaur fossil dig expeditions, are not owned by any single individual. Instead, they belong to all of us. Fossil ownership and science are intrinsically linked to this idea; fossils are considered public resources that contribute to our collective understanding of the past. Museums serve as guardians of these invaluable specimens, ensuring they remain accessible to the public and available for future research.

If museums were to give away fossils, it would violate this trust. Fossils are irreplaceable scientific resources that belong to everyone, not just the person who happens to find them. By keeping fossils within the public domain, museums ensure that everyone—scientists, students, and the general public—has the opportunity to learn from and appreciate these ancient treasures.

Museum Fossil Collection Policies: Ensuring Scientific Integrity

Another reason why museums don’t give away fossils is rooted in museum fossil collection policies. Once a fossil becomes part of a private collection, it is often lost to the scientific community. This can be a significant issue, as private ownership can limit access to the fossil, creating challenges for researchers who might need to study it. Fossils play a crucial role in understanding Earth’s history, and their availability for ongoing research is essential to the advancement of science.

Fossil ownership and science are deeply interconnected. When fossils are kept in museums, they remain part of the public trust, available for scientific study and education. Museums have policies in place to ensure that fossils are preserved and accessible for research. These policies protect the integrity of the scientific process by maintaining open access to fossils for current and future generations of researchers.

Landowner Agreements and Legal Obligations

Finally, it’s important to consider the legal aspect of fossil ownership. During our dinosaur fossil dig expeditions, we work under agreements with landowners that specify the fossils found are donated to the public trust, not to individuals. These agreements are legally binding and reflect the ethical responsibility of museums to honor the terms set by landowners.

Maintaining this trust is essential to the continued success of our expeditions. Public trust and fossils are inextricably linked, as landowners entrust museums with the fossils found on their property, knowing that these specimens will be preserved for the benefit of all. Violating these agreements by giving away fossils would not only breach this trust but also jeopardize future fossil digs and research opportunities.

FAQs

Why can’t I keep the fossils I find during a dinosaur fossil dig expedition?

Fossils uncovered during dinosaur fossil dig expeditions are part of the public trust and are preserved for the benefit of all. Museums safeguard these fossils to ensure they remain accessible for scientific research and public education.

What does “public trust” mean in the context of fossils?

Public trust refers to the idea that fossils are public resources, owned collectively by society rather than by any single individual. Museums act as stewards of these fossils, ensuring they are available for everyone to study and enjoy.

How do museum fossil collection policies affect fossil ownership?

Museum fossil collection policies are designed to keep fossils within the public domain, preventing them from being lost to private collections. This ensures that fossils remain accessible for scientific research and educational purposes.

What happens to fossils found on private land?

Fossils found on private land during dinosaur fossil dig expeditions are typically donated to the public trust under agreements with landowners. These fossils are then preserved in museums, where they can be studied and displayed.

Why is fossil ownership important to science?

Fossil ownership and science are closely linked because fossils in the public domain are accessible for ongoing research. This accessibility is crucial for advancing our understanding of prehistoric life and Earth’s history.

Can fossils ever be legally given away by museums?

No, museums generally cannot give away fossils due to legal obligations and ethical considerations. Fossils are held in trust for the public and must remain accessible for research and education.

Conclusion

In summary, why museums don’t give away fossils boils down to preserving public trust, upholding museum fossil collection policies, and ensuring that fossil ownership and science continue to serve the greater good. By keeping fossils within the public domain, museums can protect these precious resources for everyone, allowing them to be studied, appreciated, and learned from for generations to come. While the excitement of finding a fossil is undeniable, the true value of these ancient relics lies in their ability to educate and inspire us all.

Being a Paleontologist: The Basics

Paleontologists work to understand extinct organisms. Paleontologists use their creativity to learn about past life. Paleontology blends multiple science disciplines such as geology, biology, chemistry, and more. Paleontology also has a healthy amount of artist contributions; paleoart, which reimagines fossil organisms as living specimens, and museum exhibits require an artistic eye. The ways people can approach paleontology are as diverse as the paleontologists themselves. From hobbyist paleontologists to professors, anyone can be a paleontologist.

Given that paleontology aims to understand all life through time, it is vital that many people with different focuses work together. Science is a collaborative effort after all. Research diversity comes in many forms: ranging from the fossils studied, the type of data the researcher is collecting, and how the researcher interacts with the fossils.

Many people think of a field technician when they think of paleontologists, someone working outdoors excavating fossils from the rock. While fossil excavation is crucial to the science, it is but one part of paleontology. Fossils need to be cleaned of sediment, repaired, and reinforced in a lab setting. Fossils also must be kept safely preserved in a museum exhibit or archival collection. Additionally, fossils must be used for education and research. In order to handle all of these jobs, paleontological organizations are composed of people with differing interests and skill sets.

Paleontological work may seem limited by the fossil specimens available, but truly the main limitation is imagination. Creativity keeps paleontology moving forward. Paleontology always needs more passionate people with fresh ideas and fresh perspectives. We at The Montana Dinosaur Center would love to hear what you are most passionate about in paleontology and what great ideas you have.

Being a Paleontologist: Types of Fossils

Typically the first question someone interested in paleontology asks themselves is “what type of fossils do I want to work with?”
First, let’s answer the question “what is a fossil?” A fossil is evidence of a previously living organism preserved as a geologic object. These range from bones turning into stone, to impressions of leaves being preserved in mud, to the sediment mold of a shell, and much more.

Fossils come in many forms which we have classified into helpful categories. Starting with the most broad umbrella terms for fossil types, we have body fossils, ichnofossils (trace fossils), and molecular fossils. Body fossils have a straightforward definition, these fossils were once physically part of an organism. Some examples are teeth, bones, shells, petrified wood, and sometimes soft tissues like muscle and feathers. Ichnofossils, also known as trace fossils, are preserved evidence of an organism interacting with its environment. Trace fossils come in many forms like body fossils, with some examples including eggshells, dung, footprints, burrows, and worm trails. Molecular fossils, which are often called biomarkers, are a bit more complicated. These are chemical signatures produced, typically by microorganisms, that are incorporated into sediments and sedimentary rocks.

From there, we can get more specific. For instance, paleontologists studying body fossils can be classified based on what type of organism they wish to study. Paleontologists who study animal fossils are typically divided into vertebrate paleontologists and invertebrate paleontologists, depending on if they want to work with animals with a bony skeleton or animals without a bony skeleton. Paleontologists who study plant fossils are called paleobotanists and if they focus on pollen fossils specifically they are palynologists. Paleontologists interested in studying fossil fungi are called paleomyconologists. And last but certainly not least are the micropaleontologists, those who work with microscopic fossils. These can belong to bacteria, archaeans, as well as microscopic remains of animals, plants, and fungi.

With such a broad field, everyone can find something they are truly passionate about. Some people love all dinosaurs equally, some people prefer specific dinosaurs, and some still prefer trilobites over all dinosaurs. There is no wrong choice regarding what fossils to love and study. What’s important is for paleontologists to work with what they love and to work well with other paleontologists, whether they have similar interests or vastly different ones.

Being a Paleontologist: Research Interests

In the early days of paleontology, paleontologists focused on collecting fossils and turning them into display pieces. Not much science was actually done. Paleontologists just wanted to find the new scariest monster and get famous from it. Now, we are more interested in doing proper science and sharing our findings with everyone. There are many ways for people to research fossils, which are typically based on their own personal passions. Being a paleontologist is about finding your passion and sharing it with others. Hopefully we can pique your interest with some examples of what people can do with fossils.

Taphonomy is the study of decay, fossilization, and the preservation/erosion of fossil material. Taphonomists look at the many factors occurring after the death of an organism which impacted the conditions of fossils. Taphonomic factors can impact the remains of an organism before they fossilize, during fossilization, and after they have fossilized.

Paleobiology aims to understand how fossil organisms behaved and functioned during its life. For instance, paleobiology can be used to find out the bite force of Tyrannosaurus rex. Suddenly Tyrannosaurus rex is a dynamic animal again with the right research. We can also look at the pathologies of individual specimens, the diseases and injuries that impacted an individual. What caused an injury, what healed, how did it heal, and what never healed? These are all questions to ask with pathology.

Paleoecology is similar to paleobiology. Paleoecology looks at fossil material in order to understand how life worked. Modern ecology looks at how living and non-living components of an environment interact with each other in order to create a dynamic ecosystem. Paleoecology aims to do the same thing. Paleoecologists have an additional challenge to completing this task. Modern ecologists can make direct observations on how ecosystems behave, paleoecologists cannot since the ecosystems they study are long gone. Paleoecologists have to use multiple environmental proxies to make inferences on what past environments might have been like.

Paleoclimatologists use similar methods as paleoecologists, but focus more so on the climate of the environment.

Paleoanthropologists combine paleontology and archeology. By looking at hominid fossils and artifacts, paleoanthropologists try to understand humanity’s past. Paleoanthropologists want to understand the long span of human history that was never recorded. Sometimes the material paleoanthropologists work with is so recent it is not fully fossilized.

Paleoartists combine science and art to better communicate and interpret paleontological findings. Science communication improves the impact of research. Many people are visual learners so effective paleoart comes in handy. It is one thing to draw a cartoon of a dinosaur with oversized teeth and random spikes everywhere. It is another matter to depict extinct animals in a scientifically meaningful way based on the data available.

And most importantly, we need the public. Public interest in paleontology is what keeps us going. It funds our work and gives us the motivation we need to keep pushing paleontology forward.

Being a Paleontologist: Working with Fossils

Paleontologists learn about the past by working with fossils and their associated rock formations. There are many ways to work with fossils which can be classified into broader categories. Typically we divide working with fossils into field work, lab work, and collections work. Regardless of what environment we work in and how we work with the fossils, it is important that we always handle them with care and respect. Fossils are non-renewable resources, meaning if we destroy one it cannot be replaced. As scientists, it is important that these precious resources are handled properly and with the public’s best interests in mind.

The field work aspect is often what people think of when they hear the word “paleontologist.” Images of Ellie Sattler and Alan Grant from Jurassic Park ™ come to mind. People with big hats, hiking boots, and sporting khaki pants crouched over a fossil find is an iconic image of a field paleontologist. Similar to these two icons, we put on our proper gear for the field and begin exposing fossils from the rock. First we have to find fossil bearing locations to set up dig sites at. This step is called prospecting, where we search for fossils eroding out of the ground. Once we determine a location has fossils and we establish a dig site, we begin carefully excavating the fossils. Depending on the type of rock the fossils are buried in and how the fossils are preserved, paleontologists will employ the use of various hand tools such as awls, dental picks, oyster knives, trowels, paintbrushes, and more. The goal is to expose enough of the fossil to document where it was found and the condition it was found in. We do not want to remove all the rock matrix from the fossil while in the field, as the rock is typically providing vital support for the fossil and also has useful environmental data. Paleontologists will remove enough rock so that the fossil is on a pedestal of stone. Finally, we place a plaster jacket around the fossil to protect it as we remove it from our dig site and transport it to our lab space and/or collections.

Once a fossil is removed from the dig site, it is either worked on in a fossil preparation lab or in a collection for research and/or educational purposes. In a lab setting, a fossil preparator works on fossils in a process called preparation. Fossil preparation involves removing the remaining rock matrix from the fossil, taking detailed lab notes, repairing broken parts of the fossil, and filling gaps made by missing pieces of the fossil. Fossil preparators use a mixture of hand tools and powered tools, like air scribes and air abraders. It is the preparator’s job to carefully clean and preserve fossil specimens, so they can be used for research and education for generations to come. Fossil preparators must be masters of patience. We need to move slowly and carefully when preparing fossils, rushing is how fossils get damaged irreparably. A rough conversion of time is that for every hour of work put into a fossil while in the field, that translates to 6-8 hours of work in the lab. Some fossil preparation projects take years to finish, but are well worth the wait.

Finally, we come to collection work. Collection management is where the fossil specimens are kept in archival settings and properly cataloged. By archiving specimens properly, we ensure that they last for as long as possible, keeping these resources available for future generations of scientists. This is an important step for determining what fossils can be safely displayed in a museum and how to properly display them. Museums keep fossils in the public trust. Museum displays are how the public can learn about the fossils. Cataloging fossils is important for researchers. This way they can access the scientific notes they need and find the fossil specimens easily in what can be a massive collection. The overall goal of keeping fossils archived is so that scientists may research them to better understand our past and share their findings with the public. From there, specimens may be carefully handled either within the collections or taken to a lab for a scientific study.