79-4 Uses for the "Useless": Finding Utility in Specimens Without Collections Data

Abstract:

A major problem for long-running fossil collections is the reliance on physical catalogs for keeping record of locality information and other types of collections data. If a physical catalog is the only repository for specimen information, its loss represents the erasure of crucial data for a vast number of specimens. Digitizing collection records can help prevent this from occurring. However, small universities and museums often lack the sufficient staff and funding to support the digitization process. Wichita State University is one such example. Its fossil collection was established nearly a century ago and, since then, collections data has been stored exclusively in physical catalogs and specimen cards. In recent decades, most of the catalogs and specimen cards were lost. The majority of WSU’s specimens now lack accessible collections data. Due to staff shortages, efforts to digitize the remaining physical records have only recently begun.

Ordinarily, specimens without collections data are viewed as having limited scientific utility. Without knowing where a specimen was collected, it becomes much more difficult to place it within a geologic framework. This precludes a specimen’s use in most types of paleontological study. However, there is another approach that can be taken to these specimens that gives them significant utility. Physical attributes, be they anatomical characters or erosional effects, are retained. This means that these supposedly-useless specimens can be used to help teach students the methods of paleontology. Such attributes also allow these specimens to be used to great effect in outreach. During the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 academic years, several outreach events were run on the WSU campus that utilized “useless” fossils to engage with students and the general public. Such events have proven a useful aid in fostering interest in geology and encouraging enrollment in geology courses. Thus, broadening the scope of specimen use in this manner can bring new “life” to old specimens.   

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