Forwarded with the kind permission of Dr. Meers.
>>> "Meers, Mason" <[log in to unmask]> 04/24/01 12:22PM >>>
Dear Ms. Tomlinson,
Your e-mail to Museum-L was forwarded to another list from Sally Shelton (see below). I'm a vertebrate paleontologist currently at Florida Gulf Coast University, just south of you about an hour.
Manatee fossils, particularly ribs, are indeed very common in the area. Your donor likely pulled them from the Peace River (though likely upstream from you - near Zolfo Springs is a good spot). The material is not likely valuable, so you should keep that in mind if the donor asks for a receipt for tax purposes.
I'm pleased you inquired about the ethics and other ramifications. There are both legal and ethical issues here.
Legally: From the Florida Museum of Natural History web site: "Florida Statute § 240.516 sets forth the State of Florida's declared intent to protect and preserve vertebrate fossils and vertebrate paleontology sites. All vertebrate fossils found on lands owned or leased by the state belong to the state with title thereto vested in the Florida Museum of Natural History." See http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/natsci/vertpaleo/vppermit.htm
If the fossils come from the Peace River (likely), then they were collected on state easements. The statute makes exception for sharks' teeth only, so manatee bones are protected.
Ethically: The sale of vertebrate fossils removes them from the scientific community, placing them in private hands. As a result, they become unavailable for study and further learning. So, by and large it is considered unethical to participate in the sale of vertebrate fossils.
On a practical level, however, the Florida Museum of Natural History does not want every scrap of material found in the Peace River. They simply don't have the room for the stuff, and much of it is scientifically uninformative. They are happy to look over specimens for possible scientific value, and I've provided some contact info for you below. The ethical issue above, however, remains a consideration. I would suggest you first establish whether or not the specimens are scientifically valuable through consultation with the FLMNH. If not, giving them away to visiting children in conjunction with an exhibit on paleontology might be a worthwhile use for the material. My field work currently generates buckets and buckets of unidentifiable vertebrate fossils which we donate to some of the museums in Ft. Myers. They, in turn, are giving the stuff away in programs and hands-on exhibits.
Let me know if I can be of any additional help.
Sincerely,
Mason B. Meers, Ph.D.
Asst. Prof. of Evolutionary Biology & Anatomy
College of Arts & Sciences
Florida Gulf Coast University
phone: 941-590-7227
fax: 941-590-7260
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
Contacts at FLMNH:
Dr. S. David Webb
Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
Dr. Richard Hulbert
Collections Manager, Primary person to contact
regarding discovery and identification of vertebrate
fossils.
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
-----Original Message-----
From: Sally Shelton [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Tuesday, April 24, 2001 10:29 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: selling fossils
Forwarded from MUSEUM-L.
Sally Y. Shelton
Collections Officer
National Museum of Natural History
Smithsonian Institution
Washington, DC 20560-0107
phone (202) 786-2601, FAX (202) 786-2328
email [log in to unmask]
List owner, PERMIT-L
>>> [log in to unmask] 04/24/01 09:54AM >>>
Hi Listers!
Our museum was recently offered several five-gallon buckets full of fossilized manatee bone, found locally. I have been told that these types of fossils are quite common in this area. The potential donor has suggested that we package and sell them. We already have a few examples of these fossils in our collections. I have very limited experience working with fossils, and I am not sure about the ethics of selling them, even when the donor has given permission. Any advice?
Thanks in advance!
Lori Tomlinson
Executive Director
Florida Adventure Museum
Punta Gorda, Fla.
[log in to unmask]
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