Fossil Collector
Insider Info
Fossils are our connection to the distant past. They link us to plant and
animal life that flourished on Earth millions of years ago.
"Fossils are a gateway to a world where all the continents were in one
giant land mass, where giant lizards walked the land, and where sharks that
swam the seas were over 27 metres in length," says New Mexico fossil hunter
Ray Morris.
Paleontology is the collection, study and identification of these fossils
and the attempt to use them to reconstruct the past. Fossil collectors are
people who make a hobby of paleontology.
Fossil collecting usually involves plenty of hiking, scaling up and down
cliffs, choosing a place to search and digging around for signs of a bone
or two. Fossils can be found in many different environments, but usually the
best hunting grounds are somewhat isolated. Often collectors will camp on-site.
"You learn to look at the material, to search for certain features -- to
spot even the tiniest speck of evidence that somewhere inside the material
a fossil is lurking," says Iowa fossil collector Lonny Stark.
If the signs of a fossil exist, a chisel or a pickaxe will be used to uncover
or remove the fossil from its rock casing, or matrix. Sometimes collectors
end up hauling several pounds of rock on their backs to get the fossils home.
All this hiking, digging and hauling is hard work, so fossil collecting
is a good hobby for people who enjoy a physical challenge and don't mind getting
dirty.
"To me, the physical experience of fossil collecting is like a challenging
sport, and actually hunting for the rocks is like gambling. The two predominant
features are a balance of hard work and the luck of the draw," says Stark.
This isn't an expensive hobby, but you do need a few basics to start out:
- geologist's hammer: $10 to $20
- backpack: $10 to $30
- water bottle: $3 to $5
- cold chisels, for opening rocks: $3 to $5 each
- crowbar, for separating rock slabs: $5 to $12
- hard hat, for protection from falling rocks in quarries: $10 to $15
- books, for identification of fossils: $5 to $50
The value of a fossil is its ability to teach us about history. Since it's
difficult to learn much about remains by looking at fossils in isolation,
collectors carefully document information about where it came from, its environment
and look for clues that would help associate the material with other creatures
that lived at the same time.
"Documenting the information about the fossil when you find it can mean
the difference between a worthless collection and a great one," says Nova
Scotia fossil collector Jean MacFarland.
More and more, amateur paleontologists are educating themselves about the
best way to preserve the historical evidence fossils provide. The emphasis
of collecting has shifted towards finding quality evidence, rather than a
large quantity of fossils.
There are a number of career paths which would be easier to travel with
the skills of a fossil collector. The most obviously related field is paleontology
-- the professional study of fossils. However, archeology and geology are
also very closely related. People in all of these fields may work for universities,
government agencies or private consulting or research firms.
Getting Started
This whole fossil collecting thing sounds like fun, but where does one
find fossils? It's not like a person can just walk out the back door and start
picking up fossils, is it? "Of course not," says MacFarland. "The hardest
part is figuring out where to look!"
As with any activity, getting started first means doing some research.
It's also helpful to get involved in a group, and then do more research!
Once you have a very general idea of the rules of the paleontological road,
your next step is networking with people who have a little experience. A local
university geology department or a rock and fossil club would be good places
to start.
"Look around and check out your resources," says Ray Morris. "If there
are fossils nearby, chances are there are several people already collecting
them and they are usually the best sources of knowledge."
Associations
American Federation of Mineralogical Societies
Internet
:
http://www.amfed.org/
Florida Fossil Hunters
Internet
:
http://www.floridafossilhunters.com/
Links
Paleontology Resources
Links to collections, exhibits and publications, posted by the
University of California, Berkeley
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
Fantastic collection of resources from the Department of Paleobiology
How to Become a Paleontologist
Great information about the many areas of paleontology and where
to focus your interests
Back to Career Cluster