Frequently Asked Questions

Questions

Do I need to be trained in paleontology or geology to participate as a member of the Paleontological Society of Austin?

The short answer is no. The club includes members with widely varying backgrounds and interests. Primarily we are amateurs. Many of us just like getting out and collecting, experiencing the amazing diversity of the fossil record in congenial company. Some of our members have become well educated in areas that interest them and some have even published papers and presented at professional conferences. But the extent to which you want to dive into the literature is up to you.

Equipment - or What to Bring on a Field Trip

Generally you don't need a great deal of equipment to collect fossils. Nor do you have to spend a lot of money. The only two pieces of equipment that are specific to geology or paleontology would be a rock pick and a chisel. Beyond that everything else is pretty much an everyday item and you have a wide choice of how you fill the list.

The absolute minimum equipement list.

A more typical starter kit is listed below. After you have gone on a few field trips and seen what others use you will have a better idea how to fill the list out to suit your own needs.

Beyond this there are all sorts of other items for collecting and comfort that can be very specific to what/where you are collecting and what you find makes for a pleasant trip.

You should also consider eventually buying geologic maps and fossil field guides to help inform you about where, what age and what fossils you are collecting.

You might consider joining the Fossil Forum and doing a search for collecting gear. There have been some very good discussions and it is probably the best online forum for fossil collecting. There are lots of Texans on the list as well, so you can get good local information.

Good Field Trip Etiquette

Where I Can and Can't Collect Fossils in Texas

One way to be sure you are collecting legitimately is to join one of the paleontological or geological societies in the state and attend their field trips.

Where Not to Collect

In general, fossils may not be collected from National Parks, State Parks, and US Interstate road cuts. Collecting on private property is only to be undertaken with permission from the landowner. Other Federal lands have varying restrictions, though they in general limit amateur collecting without a permit to invertebrate fossils. See below. Corps of Engineers' property typically requires permission from the responsible manager of that property. This includes many reservoirs in Texas.

Where to Collect

Every collector is responsible for determining legal access to any collecting site. Typically these would include road cuts within the accepted public right of way, navigable streams, fossil parks, private land with permission of the landowner, and Corps of Engineers properties with permission. Invertebrate collecting on BLM and National Forest land is allowed.

BLM regulations permit "the collecting of a reasonable amount of common invertebrate and plant paleontological resources for non-commercial personal use". Vertebrate fossil collecting on BLM land is limited to qualified researchers and requires a permit as described here. National Forests have similar regulations, though they seem to have a much more limited interpretation of "limited".

And for those of you collecting outside of Texas, here is a much more detailed set of references, many that go state by state.

Invertebrate vs. Vertebrate Fossils

Many of the rules regarding collecting fossils make a distinction between vertebrate and invertebrate fossils. If you remember your biology, vertebrates are animals with backbones - these include mammals, dinosaurs, etc. In Texas 99% of what you are going to find are marine invertebrates - things like clams, corals, and sea urchins.

On federal lands where you may obtain permission to collect it is normally the case that vertebrate specimens are excluded - if you find them you are expected to report them, but not collect them. Make sure you understand what you have agreed to.

For most amateurs, collecting a serious vertebrate specimen (a significant portion of an articulated skeleton) is not something you want to take on. Removing the specimen without damaging it can take days or weeks. Capturing the scientifically important data from the site requires special skills. Proper preparation can take years. The approach to this kind of find is something you would want to discuss with personnel at a nearby university or museum.

Fossils vs. Artifacts

There is one final distinction that often causes confusion.

There is a huge difference between collecting archeological artifacts and paleontological specimens. The laws on artifacts are much more restrictive, for two good reasons.

  1. There are vastly fewer archeological artifacts than there are fossils. As such, the scientific importance of an archaeological site is typically much greater in a relative sense than most fossil localities.
  2. Secondly, archeological sites may include human remains, funerary and sacred objects, or other objects of cultural patrimony.

There are federal laws governing the collection of artifacts. See in particular NAGPRA which governs repatriation and forbids the sale of human remains and culturally significant items.

There is also a Texas state law concerning collection of artifacts. It is important to realize that this law provides wide latitude to land owners. "In fact, these sites and their contents belong to property owners to manage as they choose." That being said, responsible landowners should act as stewards for archeological sites on their property.