EVOLVING PARADIGMS FOR PALEONTOLOGICAL COLLECTING AT THE FLORISSANT FOSSIL BEDS, COLORADO

Paleontological research at the Florissant fossil beds of central Colorado exemplifies changing paradigms and values in paleontological collecting, documentation, and preservation over the course of nearly a century and a half. Early publications, beginning with those of the Hayden Survey, did not provide specific locality data, or data became disassociated from collections. These enormous collections ultimately led to the description of ~1,800 species still recognized as valid in the scientific literature, documenting Florissant as one of the most species-rich fossil sites in world. These data are documented in a database website developed by the National Park Service and combining collections from ~15 museums along with original publication records, although the locality is often only indicated as "Florissant, Colorado." The lack of precise locality data associated with these early collections limits their utility in answering contemporary questions requiring precise spatial and stratigraphic context. With their limited capability for precise georeferencing, the early paleontologists of the nineteenth century should not be faulted for this failure anymore than our own incapacity to provide collections now that might fulfill the data needs for paradigms of the twenty-third century, as the methods of paleontology evolve along with technology. Recent collecting efforts since establishment of Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument have sought to document more precise spatial data to enable new research, yet new laws that limit the reporting of such data in published sources creates an ironic conundrum that threatens fulfilment of the basic tenets of scientific methodology. Routine site monitoring indicates that illegal collecting is uncommon. One major benefit for designation of important fossil sites for preservation is that it protects these sites from destructive activities, thereby enabling future collecting to expand collections in order to answer new scientific questions and apply improved methods for specimen conservation. As the Florissant fossil beds were threatened by real estate development in the 1960s, the designation of the area as a national monument in 1969 attests to the success of preservation efforts as a means for expanding collections to meet the data demands of new paradigms.