The Role of Museum Collections in Specimen-Based Research and the Challenges for the Future

Museum collections are one of the most important resources available to paleontologists. They serve as vast repositories of data on fossils, including potential data for future paleontological research. Collections are essential to research in all areas of paleontology, including specimen-based studies. The main goal of collections is to provide the physical documentation of paleontological research by making available, through curation, representative samples of and information about every taxon in the history of life. Specimens are the key data in the field and how they are curated affects their use and importance to the paleontological community.

Based on a survey of curation procedures in 23 invertebrate paleontology collections there are four major areas of concern that need to be addressed in moving these collections toward the future: data capture and uncurated backlogs; type organization; secondary type designations; and preventative conservation practices. The major issues with curation procedures very much relate to the accessibility and use of collections. Specimen-based researchers should be aware of these issues since their knowledge of the specimens can help curatorial staff address common problems, moving both museum collections and the science of paleontology toward the future.