Bakersfield Sea Lion Skull Id

[cck]

I donated a specimen several years ago with the help of forum members to a highly regarded researcher . He promised high resolution photos, and that after study, the specimen would go to the repository of my choice. To date, I have received nothing, and for all I know, he threw the specimen away. I felt good initially about possibly contributing to science, even in a small way, but now feel it would be better off in my drawer than wherever it is now.

[Auspex]

I donated a specimen several years ago with the help of forum members to a highly regarded researcher . He promised high resolution photos, and that after study, the specimen would go to the repository of my choice. To date, I have received nothing, and for all I know, he threw the specimen away. I felt good initially about possibly contributing to science, even in a small way, but now feel it would be better off in my drawer than wherever it is now.

I assume you have contacted him and asked about the status of the research?

[cck]

Of course. Several times. I'm not trying to be a crank, and I understand my experience may not be typical, but it was my first dip in the pool, as it were, and it was not positive. Perhaps my specimen showed promise until it was in hand? I'll stress that I just posted a picture of it because I didn't know what it was, and was encouraged by forum members that it may be something worthy of study. Once the professional had it, however, he no longer had any obligation to me, which is fine, but the fact that the act of giving was forgotten, and the specimen is now lost and forgotten is a shame. Add to that, I promised my kids that it would always be in a place where they could go see it again if they got permission.

[Boesse]

Hey All,

There's some great comments in here. I will agree that personally, the knowledge that my collection is all curated at UC Berkeley is far more satisfying than being able to see them every day. Matter of fact, I really got tried of the clutter associated with maintaining such a collection at home; there are still some bits and boxes of unprepped fossils back home, which I'll quickly dispatch with when I return to the US, but otherwise 90% of the collection is at Berkeley (virtually everything that's been prepared). So, now all that makes me sweat is my copious research library. I actually ended up making a rule for myself - no more keeping fossils at home (which I violated a bit by collecting some stuff when I was home in October, but that's OK).

Otherwise, I think it goes without saying that taking this a step further - and being able to publish material right out of your own collection as a researcher - is an extraordinarily rewarding experience.

Carl brings up a good point as well: I've made plenty of "discoveries" in collections already donated to museums. The thing about museum collections is this: they may not have everything on display, but with some institutions - a lot of research visitors come through, and someone will see something that stands out. Often specimens are misidentified, and it can take years before the right person comes along for the mistake to be noticed; and sometimes a simple misidentification may further hide a diamond in the rough. This has happened numerous times to me. I recently made a significant discovery at a California museum; a fossil was misidentified as one genus of marine mammal, and ended up being the world's earliest record of a completely different family - solving a bunch of problems with the evolutionary history of the group, but that's about all I can say for now (paper is in the works as we speak).

Anyway, it can be hit or miss - some researchers don't have as much time as others do for cranking out papers (I've had a pretty good run so far, and have published a bunch of specimens collected by forum member Ron Bushell). I know some researchers that have become disillusioned thanks to unfortunate professional situations, have been too busy starting a family, have become seriously ill, and even gotten into road accidents resulting in brain damage that has stymied research progress. You never know what could be slowing a particular researcher down - we're all human too.

[Auspex]

Of course. Several times. I'm not trying to be a crank, and I understand my experience may not be typical, but it was my first dip in the pool, as it were, and it was not positive. Perhaps my specimen showed promise until it was in hand? I'll stress that I just posted a picture of it because I didn't know what it was, and was encouraged by forum members that it may be something worthy of study. Once the professional had it, however, he no longer had any obligation to me, which is fine, but the fact that the act of giving was forgotten, and the specimen is now lost and forgotten is a shame. Add to that, I promised my kids that it would always be in a place where they could go see it again if they got permission.

I am sorry to hear that...

Did you not even get the promised photographs? I can understand when plans get side-tracked, but promises still matter.

[cck]

No pictures, unfortunately. I'm the first to understand how stuff can get in the way of good intentions, but as an amateur, how far can one go pestering a professional ?

[Auspex]

No pictures, unfortunately. I'm the first to understand how stuff can get in the way of good intentions, but as an amateur, how far can one go pestering a professional ?

Good point. It's on him now.

I guess the take-away is that "everyone's the same in different ways" (meaning that acquisition of a professional degree doesn't always come with a side of conscientious comportment). I wouldn't give up hope, though!