I have a small collection of fossils I have been gathering
in the last 10 years. I have about 100 fossils. So, I just don’t put them in a
drawer and forget about them. I study my fossils and gather information to
learn more about each specimen and to
make my collection more complete, just like a museum would do.
Some of my fossils are collected by me, by going in the
field and getting them after a previews research of each site and some of my
fossils are purchased. Purchasing fossils makes lots of sense because that
would be the only way you can have a fossils from a faraway locality or
collected in an inaccessible place. Museums purchase specimens.
So what do I do with my fossils?
If I have collected the fossils on my own, I need to take
geologic maps and Google each location to get the geology of the site. By
knowing the geology you also know the Rock formation and the lithology, and if
you know that then you will also know the age of the fossil.
If I purchase the fossil then I always need to know three
things:
1.
Where does it comes from
2.
What is the geologic formation of the site and
3.
What is the scientific name of the specimen.
Each fossil is numbered by painting a white square on the
rock and a number in indelible ink. I also have a data base in excel where I
record each specimen with its number and all the information I can get.
Some of that information is the common name of the
organisms, the scientific name, location where it comes from, Geologic era, epoch
and period and in addition the formation and any other information I can get
from the seller, maps, my books or the web.
I also carry a journal where all my fossils are introduced.
Each fossil is listed separately, and all kinds of pertinent information is
written on the pages. That includes maps, pictures of the specimen, drawing I
make and anything else I find.
I spend time taking pictures of my fossils and making
drawings of details. I like to research what other organism were living with my
specimen and the ecology and biology of the site. You would be surprised of how
much paleontology and biology I learn from these fossils.
Recently I purchased a small fish, Dastilbe spp. at the
Springfield Rock and Mineral Show. This show happens once a year and I have
purchased many of my fossils there. The fossil came with a tag that game me
information of the Formation and the age of the specimen. (Cretaceous age and
from the Santana Formation in Brazil).
First thing I did is I gave the fossil a number, # 37, and
enter the information on my data base in my computer. That is very important
because if the tag separates from the rock then you will be in trouble but if
the specimen has a number and the data base identify that specimen then you can
never lose the information.
Next I Googled for information on the Santana Formation and
learn many things that I added to my Journal. I read one scientific paper
written by Samuel Davis and Davis Martill were according to the information
this small fish appears on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, in Western Africa
and in Brazil, just where the rift between the two continents happed years ago
with the help of Plate Tectonics.
So at the end I had a small prize on this fish as is not
just a specimen but a result of the separation of continents during Godwana. I
now have a story to tell!
I have added two pictures, one of my Fossil Natural History Journal
with the information and one of the fish. So next time you start to collect
fossil maybe you can add lots of fun to your collection.
