Re: Specimen not in collection - usable?

[Dan Chure <danchure@easilink.com>]

The specimens on the quarry face at Dinosaur are cataloged into the 
museum collection and are given a number the same as specimens that 
reside in museum cabinets. Quarry face bones should be referred to in 
the literature by the catalog number, just like any other specimen. The 
situation is like that of a fossil, partially exposed in a block of 
rock, in a collection, only on a somewhat larger scale.

Dan


Thomas R. Holtz, Jr. wrote:
> > 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 
>
>
>
>