A PALEONTOLOGICAL MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN: THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY AND THE FLORISSANT FOSSIL BEDS NATIONAL MONUMENT

The University of Colorado and the Florissant Fossil Beds have a long history together. TDA Cockerell, one of the founders of the University of Colorado’s Museum of Natural History, spent much of his career describing the rich fossil insect assemblage found in the lacustrine shale beds that would eventually become the heart of the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument. Over one hundred years later, the two institutions have a partnership that is even stronger than ever. Central to this partnership are the significant paleontological resources that originate from the Florissant Formation and the common mission that the National Park Service and University of Colorado share, which include the preservation of natural resources/collections and the importance of education and outreach.

There are over 1,600 insect and plant species described from the late Eocene Florissant Formation. Significant collections, including important holotype and figured specimens, are housed at the University of Colorado. Data sharing and exchange of information regarding curatorial best practices are frequent between the institutions. Collaboration on digitization, imaging and accessibility has further facilitated curation, documentation and increased accessibility to specimens and associated data for researchers, educators and the public. Working together and in partnership with other institutions has led to a diverse community of Florissant researchers who study history, biodiversity, geochemistry, sedimentology and stratigraphy, paleoecology, taphonomic processes, and climate change. Education and outreach efforts have been focused on presentations and seminars for public audiences, permanent and temporary exhibits at both locations, the development and implementation of K12 teacher training programs, Florissant’s highly successful internship program and the CU Museum’s graduate program in Museum and Field Studies. Thus, continued strong collaboration between the University of Colorado and the Florissant Fossil beds in paleontological resource management, research and education/outreach has allowed both to accomplish more together than either could have accomplished alone.