RE: Specimen not in collection - usable?

["Thomas R. Holtz, Jr." <tholtz@umd.edu>]

> From: owner-DINOSAUR@usc.edu [mailto:owner-DINOSAUR@usc.edu] 
> On Behalf Of Andrew A. Farke
>
> Pedro Andrade wrote:
> > Hi!
> >
> > Just had this question: imagine a specimen worthy of study 
> is found in the field, but removing it from its location 
> would be impossible given the geology of the place (too 
> risky, too expensive, etc... it's just a thought experiment). 
> Could it still be studied, given it couldn't be taken to a 
> museum collection and given a specimen number? If so, how 
> would someone publish it?
> >
> > Cheers
> > Pedro Andrade
> 
> This happens relatively frequently in paleoichnology - in 
> this case, a cast is often made of the footprint and 
> deposited in a museum.

DOCTOR Farke (I am assuming he passed...) took the first set of words out of
my mouth (er, fingers...)

Additionally, various institutions (Dinosaur National Monument; Dinosaur
Provincial Park; Ashfall; Ichthyosaur State Park; etc.) have skeletons
protected but in the field. I would imagine there is a protocol for these
institutions to record specimen numbers for them even if they aren't
physically stored in a museum.

Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
Email: tholtz@umd.edu   Phone: 301-405-4084
Office: Centreville 1216                        
Senior Lecturer, Vertebrate Paleontology
Dept. of Geology, University of Maryland
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/
Fax: 301-314-9661               

Faculty Director, Earth, Life & Time Program, College Park Scholars
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~jmerck/eltsite/
Fax: 301-405-0796

Mailing Address:        Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
                        Department of Geology
                        Building 237, Room 1117
                        University of Maryland
                        College Park, MD 20742 USA