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Re: Specimen not in collection - usable?

We've published on tracksite here in southwestern Utah and in the papers we refer to the federal/state locality number. So when we record a locality, all of our information is sent to the Office of the State Paleontologist at the Utah Geological Survey. For larger tracksites we polygon the site with GPS units and map the surface. We often make latex peels/silicon rubber molds, acetate tracing, and photograph the site in detail. We indicate on our tracksite map which footprints have been replicated. Replicas and molds are sent to the appropriate repository, and tracks (or any other fossils) that remain at the site are assigned there own specimen number on the tracksite map. Simply referring to the locality number and corresponding specimen number in the publication is the easiest way to go I think.

Hope this helps!

Andrew R. C. Milner
City Paleontologist and Curator
St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm
2180 East Riverside Drive
St. George, Utah 84790
USA

Tracksite Phone: (435) 574-DINO (3466) Ext. 2
Cell: (435) 705-0173
Tracksite Fax: (435) 627-0340
Home: (435) 586-5667

Email: amilner@sgcity.org
Website: http://www.dinotrax.com
Link to a selection of pdfs: http://www.sgcity.org/dinotrax/publications.php

----- Original Message ----- From: "Pedro Andrade" <dinosauria_pt@yahoo.com>
To: <dinosaur@usc.edu>
Sent: Friday, May 16, 2008 10:18 AM
Subject: Re: Specimen not in collection - usable?


My girlfriend mentioned a big ammonite somwhere in Portugal that's not been removed from its place because removing it would require destroying the environment, so that's what got me thinking.

Matthew Miller said: "I understand the situation is hypothetical but if the geology around
the specimen is poor or just simply if you cant remove it how do you
intend to even study the specimen in the first place let alone somehow
prep part of it to even begin studying it. The only way I could see
this happening is if you have a set up similar to that of Dinosaur National Monument where the bones are housed insitu under a structure."

That's what I thought, but imagine the fossil is in a position where it's features can be identified (like an ammonite, or a trilobite, maybe even a dinosaur). I know I'm probably pushing it a bit too far, but I hope you get my point. Regarding the Dinosaur National Monument thing, it's true the fossils weren't removed from the rock, but a museum has been built around them, so it's not the situation I was imagining.

Andrew Farke said: "This happens relatively frequently in paleoichnology - in this case, a
cast is often made of the footprint and deposited in a museum."

I see, but what is the type specimen? I'd suppose it's the original fossil that remained in the field, but what happens when erosion destroys it?

Thanks everyone for the prompt replies.

Cheers
Pedro Andrade