THE MILWAUKEE PUBLIC MUSEUM DIG-A-DINOSAUR PROGRAM: A MODEL FOR EFFECTIVE PARTICIPATION OF AMATEURS IN PALEONTOLOGICAL RESEARCH

The Milwaukee Public Museum Dig-A-Dinosaur (MPM DAD) program was conceived by Robert M. West and Diane Gabriel to assist in construction of a new geology hall by recruiting volunteers to help recover fossils for exhibits. The performance and enthusiasm of the volunteers was remarkable. Indeed, their accomplishments precipitated an invitation to have DAD field-crews conduct a survey of Dinosaur National Monument. In 1986, MPM and associated paleontologists designed an ambitious research project to study the controversial K/T extinction event. Although it was well established that dinosaurs and other vertebrates went extinct 65 million years ago, the rarity of terrestrial fossils made it difficult to determine whether the extinction was abrupt or gradual. The unique experimental design required a comprehensive survey of biological, sedimentological and geographical data on a statistically meaningful sample of in-situ fossils in order to allow resolution of ecological diversity patterns at the close of the Cretaceous Period. To generate the required database, DAD field-crews were once more summoned to action. The role of the carefully trained and supervised volunteers was to systematically search predetermined study areas for all fossils, so that project scientists could ascertain the significance of each in the context of the research objectives. The inexperience of the volunteers shielded data collection against preconceived biases. By the end of the three-year project, 15,000 hours of fieldwork was logged and data on thousands of fossils were amassed. Analyses have resulted in peer-reviewed reports that have provided key insights into this pivotal event in the evolutionary history of life. Volunteers gained hands-on experience in paleontology and geology and more significantly in the construction and testing of scientific hypotheses. Volunteers described their participation as rewarding and an effective continuing education venue. This was evident in that many reenlisted for fieldwork, became active in project organization and specimen curation and/or developed outreach activities based on their experiences.