CASE STUDY: HOW A FAMILY OF CITIZEN SCIENTISTS IS UNEARTHING SPECIMENS ONLINE, DONATING THEM TO MUSEUMS, AND HELPING PALEONTOLOGISTS DISCOVER NEW SPECIES

We are two high school students who have joined our family in finding scientifically important fossils and helping paleontologists discover new species. We search eBay and fossil dealer websites to find unusual specimens, research whether they may be new to science, and track down paleontologists interested in studying them. If a fossil is scientifically important, we buy the specimen and donate it to a museum or university for study. Our goal is to make sure important fossils get into museums -- and are not lost to private collections.

So far, paleontologists have described 10 new species based on fossils our family has donated -- including a new species of Miocene crab, a Cretaceous insect and a Devonian placoderm. Many more are being studied for publication.

Our efforts could be replicated by other citizens scientists. To spur interest, paleontologists and museum curators might consider reaching out to fossil clubs, online groups, and collectors through social media and other avenues (club meetings, online forums, museum days, etc.). The message: Be on the lookout for interesting fossils and alert scientists to any that may be scientifically important. You, too, could help discover a new species.