THE CINCINNATI SCHOOL OF PALEONTOLOGY: HOW AMATEUR PALEONTOLOGISTS CONTINUE THE TRADITION OF THE GENTLEMAN NATURALIST

The so-called “Cincinnati School” had no classrooms and offered no courses. Rather, the name refers to a dedicated group of amateur paleontologists active in the Cincinnati area in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries. Each was a passionate collector and scholar of our local fossils, and the fame of Cincinnati paleontology grew from the research publications of these “gentlemen naturalists.” All were associated with the Cincinnati Society of Natural History, a predecessor of Cincinnati Museum Center, and several became prominent professional paleontologists.

Scholarly research and publication is now often left up to the professionals with advanced degrees, but this overlooks the wealth of knowledge, experience, and resources amateur paleontologists can contribute to our science. In the Cincinnati region, the tradition of the amateur paleontology is thriving, and provides a foundation for collaboration beyond scientific research.

The Cincinnati Museum Center Invertebrate Paleontology collection is uniquely poised to take advantage of long-standing professional and amateur relationships to further collections-based initiatives. Due to the amazing fossil resources in this region, a strong community awareness of the value of regional geological and paleontological resources provides volunteers, both in the collections and on the museum floor, funding, and collaborative educational programming. One of the longest-running amateur paleontological society in the United States, the Dry Dredgers, along with several other important amateur societies throughout Kentucky and Ohio, have worked in collaboration with Cincinnati Museum Center to support and advance the missions of their respective organizations. Fostering these relationships has been crucial for the implementation and development of several important collections initiatives, development and installation of the exhibit “Cincinnati Under the Sea”, fieldwork support and funding for regional graduate students, and advancing the knowledge of the natural history of this region through collaborations with professionals on scientific research.