How To Make A Fossil Collection
People who live in the Cincinnati area are very lucky with respect to fossils. The rock of the area is abundantly supplied with well preserved fossils, and, because of the many hillsides, the rocks containing the fossils are well exposed.
The great abundance of beautifully preserved fossils sometimes is bad for local collectors. They become so used to finding essentially perfect specimens that they ignore fossils that aren't complete and fully eroded from the rock. That's really sad, because commonly it is the broken or incomplete specimen which can tell us most about the original animal. Such a specimen might give clues about the soft-part anatomy of the creature or tell us how the animal constructed its shell. Such a specimen might even provide evidence as to how the creature met its death long ago. Moreover, there are fossils, some of which are very rare, that almost never are found free of rock matrix.
Whenever collecting fossils you should keep fossils from different localities carefully separated from one another. Even fossils from the same locality but from different layers at that locality should be kept separated by layer. Each fossil or group of fossils from a given locality and stratum should have a label telling just exactly where and when it was collected. This can make the specimen or group of specimens scientifically valuable, because the paleontologist armed with fossils, complete with accurate and precise collecting data, can add significantly to our understanding of the past of our Earth. Fossils without such information are just so many rocks — pretty maybe, interesting perhaps, but generally worthless scientifically. (A good way to keep fossil and data together is to enclose the collecting information inside the newspaper or whatever you use to wrap the fossil to keep it safe in the journey home from the field.)
A couple of practical notes about fossil-collecting are in order here. Firstly, be a good citizen: obtain the landowner's permission before going on to private property; if a gate is closed, leave it closed behind you; if the gate is open, leave it that way; don't throw unwanted rocks onto streets, sidewalks, or driveways; don't bother others with your noise. Second, be safety conscious. No fossil is worth risking life or limb — either yours or anyone elses's. Use proper clothing, equipment, and procedures; and, above all, "use your head".
Okay, so you've got your fossils and data safely home; now what?
Probably some or all of the specimens need cleaning. Alas! There is no miracle chemical which will strip away rock matrix. Oh! water and a tooth-brush might work on some fossils, but all too often one must scrape and pick away the matrix oh-s o-caref u l ly with a needle, or dental tool, or tiny chisel. And you can't hurry or become overly enthusiastic, because delicate features of many fossils are very easily destroyed. It's better to leave some rock matrix than to ruin the specimen.
Stay away from coating specimens with shellac or lacquer. Don't glue everything to cardboard or mount them in plaster, either. All these substances can be very difficult to remove, when later you wish to look at the specimen as it originally was. (In cases where specimens need repair, reinforcement, or protection from deterioration, seek some good advice from a paleontologist or in books.)
Always bear in mind that a specimen without locality data is virtually worthless to the scientist. Keep that information with each and every fossil you have. A good way to do this is to put a number on each specimen with India ink and keep a card-file or note-book with the locality data meticulously recorded by number. And always keep that file or note-book associated with your collection. If you do, your collection truly can be a valuable scientific tool.
Which brings up another point: Suppose you find an especially rare fossil or one which is better preserved than any other of its kind? Such unique specimens should be made available to the scientists studying the group concerned. Your specimen may provide the key to unlock some important pa l eo n t o l og i c problem. It may give an unequalled glimpse at a major aspect of our planet's past. Who knows? More than one amateur fossil-collector has had a fossil named after him. In other words, don't "hog" the fossil for you alone. Share it with everyone. After all, that's what f o s s i l - c o l l e c t i n g is all about — knowledge. And knowledge hidden is knowledge wasted.
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