PROSPECTING FOSSILS FROM A DISTANCE: A STRATEGY FOR PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND EDUCATION

Fossils (i.e., remains and traces of prehistoric organisms) are nonrenewable natural resources. Collecting fossils without a permit is prohibited in National Parks. On the other hand, hobby collecting of "common fossils," such as invertebrate and plant remains, is permissible on lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the USDA Forest Service (FS). Shark teeth, although vertebrate fossils, are often regarded as "common" by hobby collectors and some land managers. "Hobby collecting" has the merits of promoting science education and providing an enjoyable recreational activity. However, such activity at poorly studied localities may lead to a permanent loss of scientifically significant data. We have begun to examine sites on the Comanche National Grassland (FS) in southeastern Colorado, including an exposure of Late Cretaceous calcareous rocks with patchily visible shark teeth. Previous researchers and land managers deemed that this location is suitable for hobby collecting. To assess the significance of the locality, the FS shipped approximately 185 pounds of fossil-bearing rock from the site to DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois. DePaul faculty and students have begun to dissolve the bulk samples and extract fossils contained therein. Preliminary results have revealed a diverse fauna consisting of cartilaginous fishes, bony fishes, and marine reptiles. Some of the recognized taxa have been formally recognized only at a few other localities (e.g., dolichosaurid lizard). Thus, this particular locality meets the FS standards for scientific significance, and is therefore not suitable for collection without a permit. This cooperative effort between the FS and DePaul University has provided educational opportunities for students and generated scientifically significant data. Such a technique (i.e., prospecting fossils from a distance) can be applied to certain fossil localities managed by other federal agencies.