Donation Criteria

[Uncle Siphuncle]

Here is another discussion that really hinges on personal preferences. What types of material would you consider donating, and under what conditions? I prefer to restrict donations to two types: significant and extremely insignificant. First of all I don't mind subverting my own collecting interests to make a donation in the name of science if I happen to encounter a new species of some type. However I like to spell out my conditions in writing and have them agreed upon in writing before handing off anything significant.

First of all I'd like to have any new species bear my family name. Secondly I like to have 2 casts of the holotype (plastotypes) so that I have one to throw in my safe and one that I can show people and let them handle (over the carpet!). Third, I only make these donations to educational or scientific organizations with 501© status so I can write this off as a bona fide charitable donation. If it is something truly significant, get it appraised by a dealer before donating it. After consulting with one of my collecting buddies who is also a tax attorney, I learned that it is advisable to hang onto your find for at least a year so that your writeoff is not diminished by short term capital gains. I like to hold onto my finds until somebody is not just willing to work on them, but get on it immediately. I figure if nobody is going to work on it in my lifetime, it is best off in my collection for the time being. This also minimizes the chances of your specimen disappearing, which can and does happen. Finally, I like to get a copy of the paper describing the species in the journal in which it was published.

On the other end of the spectrum are kiddie fossils. I often grab lots of muck encrusted specimens for a quick bath and scrutiny at home. Good finds sometimes come to hand this way, but more often not. I cull out this material as well as the stuff that, considering the limited space I have available for storage, looked good a couple years ago but after lots more collecting of better stuff has lost its appeal. I sell a little bit of stuff from time to time to help pay for diesel but the stuff that is too hard/incomplete/ugly to sell and is still cool to kids gets donated to schools, museums, and clubs, again for a tax writeoff.

Any other strategies out there worth mentioning?

[jkfoam]

Dan,

This is an interesting topic. Let me add some different perspectives borne from personal experience.

I have been fortunate in my collecting to find several specimen that had not been described in the literature. They were small gastropods and pteropods that would have no significant monitary value. I donated them(gave) to a paleontologist friend that I knew who was actively studying the formations from which I had found the specimen. He had published papers on the paleontology of the formation and was planning future papers. I gave him the specimen without any restrictions. I personnally feel that the investigator who writes the paper for publication has the right to name the specimen anything he wants. For me, an acknowledgement of my small contribution at the end of the publication would more than suffice. I did not give the specimens to an institution or museum because I had no knowledge of active research projects in the subject strata.

I did not personnally try to write a paper for publication describing the specimen as I felt completely out of my depth. However I do know several fossil collectors who have written several papers that have been published that have described knew species they have found. In fact one friend wrote a significant paper that describes over 100 new species from a particular Eocene formation here in Texas that had only been briefly studied and reported. Though my friend was not a graduate paleontologist his publications are equal to anything I have seen. Incidently, he is keeping posession of his type specimen until such time as he cannot care for the collection and then he will pass them on to an institution that has agreed to take them. I believe it is the institution that published the paper.

Now, if I found a fossil that had a significant monitary value I might reconsider my positions.

JKFoam

[Uncle Siphuncle]

In my limited experience I have found these guys pretty easy to deal with and readily receptive to reasonable terms if they want the material badly enough. Often you have several options as to what institution will take the material. In that case obviously only one institution gets the holotype and the others get plastotypes. If you were head of the Paleo program which would you prefer in your museum? They know this and it is a point worth noting.

[PrehistoricFlorida]

My donation criteria: Don't do it.

[Mike Murphy]

Dan:

I would guess that the disposition of specimens really depends on the reasons that fossils are collected in the first place. Personally, I collect fossils for the fun of it and for the knowledge that I have gained over the past 33 years from the collecting of fossils. Like you, I prefer to collect myself or to acquire specimens through trade with other collectors. I do purchase specimens periodically to improve and expand my collection, but I do not sell specimens. I do not even consider the monetary value of the specimens that I collect. I have never thought of selling specimens that I have collected for a profit or as donating more valuable specimens for tax write-offs. I, however, do not criticize those that do.

Like you, I have donated lots of common specimens to schools for school teaching aids. I have also donated lots of common specimens to gem and mineral societies for giveaway or auction items. Other than keeping those specific specimens that I feel have scientific value to my collection, I generally donate the balance out to others. I have even given away specimens that I collected to others that I meet collecting in the field many times. I have given trilobites, crinoids, cystoids and paracrinoids to other collectors that were having less luck in collecting than I.

Regarding those specimens that might represent new species or new occurrences, I have always made an effort to contact scientists and researchers that could use the specimens for research or description. For example, I found 2 edrioasteroids in the Winchell Formation in the Brownwood Spillway in 1997. I contacted Dr. Sprinkle at the University of Texas since no edrioasteroids had previously been found in Texas. Dr. Sprinkle had Collin Sumrall, one of his former students who was at Tulane University, contact me. I forwarded the edrioasteroids along with all of the collecting data to Collin with no conditions attached other than returning the specimens to me for my collection if they were not being placed in a university collection. The specimens were not only unique to Texas, but they also represented a new genus and species of edrioasteroid according to Collin. Collin asked that he be allowed to describe the specimens and include them in a paper that he was co-authoring on Pennsylvanian edrioasteroids. I agreed and then was asked about donation of the edrioasteroids as type specimens to either the USNM, Tulane University or to the Texas Memorial Museum. Because the edrioasteroids were found in Texas, I asked that the specimens be placed in the Texas Memorial Museum. The specimens were described and published in the January 2000 Journal of Paleontology in a paper entitled "The Systematics of Postibullinid Edrioasteroids" authored by Collin Sumrall, John Garbisch and John Paul Pope. The edrioasteroids were named Parapostibulla murphyi for me and I was given credit in the paper for the specimens although I had not requested any naming or credits for the edrioasteroids. In addition, I was given copies of the manuscript and the original photographs for my collection along with a 2 year subscription to the Journal of Paleontology. I was also provided copies of other papers by Dr. Sprinkle and by Collin Sumrall on newly described edrioasteroids. The specimens were placed in the Texas Memorial Museum as I requested as 1890TX1 (holotype and genotype) and 1890TX2 (paratype).

More recently, I donated a slab of matrix from the Upper Cretaceous Ozan Clay in the North Sulfur River in 2000 that contained 9 more or less complete crinoid crowns of an undescribed isocrinid to Dr. Sprinkle for preparation and future description. The slab has yet to be prepared due to the delicate nature of the crowns, the stems and the cirri. Dr. Sprinkle recently advised me that the specimens are being studied by some of his research associates and will be prepared for description. He also advised me that I will be credited for the specimens whenever they are described. These will also be placed in the Texas Memorial Museum collection.

Currently, I am preparing to send a specimen of Archaeocidaris from the Colony Creek Shale to Dr. Sprinkle at his request because the echinoid is articulated and has intact ambulacra. This specimen is included in Charles Finsley's "A Field Guide to Fossils of Texas" in Photograph 336, Plate 82. According to Dr. Sprinkle, I will be credited for any description and publication of the specimen and the specimen will be placed in the Texas Memorial Museum collection. I have received a number of published papers on Paleozic edrioasteroids and Pennsylvanian echinoids in return.

As a result of the donations, I have no representativess of the donated specimens in my personal collection other than photographs, but I have the satisfaction of credit for the specimens and for the expansion of paleontological knowledge because of the donations. Having one named after me to this point is an added bonus.

Eventually, I hope that the key specimens from my personal collections end up in university or museum collections for research purposes since my children have had no more than passing interest in fossils, nor do my grandchildren. My collections become my wife's possessions upon my death for her to dispose of as she sees fit. Some of the specimens will undoubtedly end up on eBay, although I will not put them there myself.

By the way, the 3 Corsicana echinoids that I purchased from you recently have been added to my Texas echinoids collection. I am looking forward to comparing the specimens from the Corsicana Marl to those same species from from the Saratoga Chalk of Arkansas already in my echinoid collection.

[Uncle Siphuncle]

Mike

I've been at this fossil gig primarily out of scientific interest, a thirst for adventure, and the feeling that my success or failure is to a large part due to my own research and preparation or lack thereof. It presents a unique challenge as well as a way to flex my brain in a direction that doesn't parallel what I do for a living (mechanical engineer currently designing HVAC systems for classic cars, hotrods, and OEM performance vehicles like the Ford GT). I figure in 5 years since I travel extensively in pursuit of new collecting experiences and continually strive to build my paleo library, plus prep my own finds, I must have spent at least 30 grand or more including vehicle maintenance for fossil related mileage. For most of those years I never sold anything, but did make B grade donations for kids programs. I figured I could get them to kids by direct donation and get nothing out of it or go through schools and clubs and take a tax writeoff. I have no problem poking Uncle Sam in the eyes whenever I can legally. In my opinion, why leave money on the table when I can have the satisfaction of doing something for other people and benefitting personally at the same time.

Fuel got expensive so I began selling a few things not to generate profit but to cover collecting expenses. So far that is working out as planned with the added benefit of spousal endorsement of the hobby (hehehe). Scientific interest aside, I can't keep up the collecting pace I so enjoy without the hobby supporting itself if only partially. The only collectors I truly and outspokenly detest are the ones that whine until you take them to a site and then backstab you by commercializing the sites. Everyone else is OK by me, no matter what their collecting, donating, or small scale commercial aspirations may be.

As for significant donations I've made only one, a new species of Permian stem reptile represented by a cool little skull from the Dolese Quarry in OK. They were amenable to all my requests and were just happy to get the donation. Description is still pending. I had it appraised at $3500, making my fossil donation writeoff that year $4500. Benefit to my bottom line was something I could really feel in the wallet and I'm glad I worked it the way I did. I may have a new species of Hemiaster in my collection as well and a guy willing to study it. I'll send the specimens on loan for study and if they are indeed new I'll formally donate them under the terms listed previously. I'll retain enough to represent the species in my collection.

I'm confident I can get you a better Linthia variabilis once conditions cooperate. They aren't terribly common as 90% of the echinoind fauna is dominated by Hemiaster bexari, but the next good L. variabilis is earmarked for you.

[MB]

Hi everybody,

I don't have any problem in donating new sp. fossils to the museums, in fact, I'm happy doing it.

[geofossil]

I've never been associated with or know of any insitutions that accept specimens with conditions. Also any type specimen would need to be in a recognized curation facility accesible upon request to fellow researchers.

There is a myth that potential new species are rare. They aren't. There are tens of thousands of unstudied specimens. A study of almost any formation will yield new species from microfossils to larger fauna. Researchers can be kept busy for many lifetimes just examining the material in current collections. Reseachers may have an interest in new specimens and are certainly eager to examine something new when it peaks their interest. Perhaps its upper paleozoic echinodermata or Devonian atrypid brachiopods, etc.

Having said all this, paleontolgists are humans and thus have social skills. Most won't resist reasonable requests. Sometimes names of species follow a pattern, etc. there may be reason for calling it 'parvaoblatus' as opposed to after someone's daughter. Sometimes it doesn't matter.

A lot of the misconception of paleontology is from the high profile dinosaur and other large vertebrate publicity. That makes up a small 'bit' of research. Most paleontolgy is unassuming stuff far from the public eye. Some fellow spends 35 years cutting and studying valves of Carboniferous brachiopods, etc. There's a potential hundred studies to fill his platter. It's the same in most natural history fields today including entymology, botany and soon. shake a tree in the amazon and a hundred new species might fall out but try and find someone who wants to spend 6 months doing a study of 3 of them when they are stillstudying the bugs that fell out of the last dozen shaken trees.

What we do like is when a collector comes through the door with an interest in the subject and is willing to help in some way. The word 'amateur' doesn't need mean second rate. A keen paricipant actually can infuse some enthusiasm into a project

[Guest solius symbiosus]

I donated numerous pieces to the Grad Student Assoc. at my alma mater for their sales drives at the local malls and such, and have loaned three pieces for inclusion in papers. There is one more special circumstance in which I "gave" 13 pieces of an undescribed trilobite to the Uni.

As note elsewhere, all of my collection will be donated upon my demise; until then, they will stay in my collection.