Home / Institutions & Organisations / Fossil Protection

! American Museum of Natural History and The Paleontology Portal, Collections Management: A Resource for Managing Fossil Collections. This site is divided into four sections (acquiring, storing, tracking, sharing), describing the main activities in managing a fossil collection.

American Museum of Natural History:
! Fossil Preparation. This site is intended as a central resource on fossil preparation for anyone who has an interest in paleontology. Worth checking out:
Collecting (Preparing for the field, techniques in the field).

P. Appleton et al. (2015; article starts on PDF page 21): Making the most of Brymbo’s plant fossils . Earth Heritage, 43.
Still available via Internet Archive Wayback Machine.

P. Appleton et al. (2011): The Brymbo Fossil Forest. In PDF, Geology Today, 27: 107–113.
See also here.

The Association of Applied Paleontological Sciences (AAPS), River Heights, UT: The AAPS (formerly, "American Association of Paleontological Suppliers") was organized to create a professional association of commercial fossil (and mineral) collectors and preparators for the purpose of promoting ethical collecting practices and cooperative liaisons with researchers, instructors, curators and exhibit managers in the academic and museum paleontological community.

BBC News: Rare fossils in India threatened (by Salman Ravi, July 25, 2008).

M. Benton et al. (2022): Establishment of the Luoping Biota National Geopark in Yunnan, China. In PDF, Geconservation Research, 5: 261-284.
See also here.

C. Bisulca et al. (2012): Variation in the Deterioration of Fossil Resins and Implications for the Conservation of Fossils in Amber. In PDF, American Museum of Natural History.
see also here.

V. Blagoderov et al. (2012): No specimen left behind: industrial scale digitization of natural history collections. In PDF, Zookeys, 2012, (209): 133-146.

E.M. Bordy et al. (2024): Selected Karoo geoheritage sites of palaeontological significance in South Africa and Lesotho. Open access, Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 543: 431-446. See likewise here.
Note figure 3c: Palaeo-art mural of a late Permian scene (artwork by Gerhard Marx).
Figure 9f: Reconstruction of the Early Jurassic dinosaur-dominated ecosystem of southern Gondwana.

W. Douglas Boyce, Department of Mines and Energy, Geological Survey Division, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador: Fossil Protection Links. See also here.
Snapshots provided by the Internet Archive´s Wayback Machine.

D.E. Bruno et al. (2014): Paleogeography as geological heritage: Developing geosite classification. In PDF, Earth-Science Reviews, 138: 300–312. See also here.

R.J. Burnham (2008): Hide and Go Seek: What Does Presence Mean in the Fossil Record. Abstract, Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden, 95: 51-71. See also here (in PDF).

T.C. Cantwell (2023): The Fossil Forest of Axel Heiberg Island In PDF. See also here.
Note figure 1: Erosion of 40-million-year-old tree stump.
"... Over the years of study and surveying, several stumps have seemingly disappeared. In 1992, 62 stumps that had been recorded in 1988 could no longer be located
[...] Unfortunately, in addition to academic visits by careful researchers, the site was also exposed to some looting, especially fruitless hunts for amber thanks to the release of Jurassic Park in 1993 ..."

J.A. Catalani (2011): Assuring a Paleontological Legacy. In PDF, go to PDF page 24. American Paleontologist, 19.

! J.C. Cisneros et al. (2022): Digging deeper into colonial palaeontological practices in modern day Mexico and Brazil. Open access, R. Soc. Open Sci., 9: 210898.

! C.J. Cleal & B. A. Thomas: A Provisional World List of Geosites for Palaeozoic Palaeobotany. Initiated by the IUGS to develop an inventory of globally important geological sites. GEOSITES provide a provisional list of candidate Palaeozoic palaeobotany sites. The results are summarized in 40 sites, which are intended to show the broad pattern of evolution in land floras from the middle Silurian to the end of the Permian.
Still available via Internet Archive Wayback Machine.
See also here.

A. Collareta et al. (2023): Reviewing the Palaeontological and Palaeoenvironmental Heritage of the Monti Pisani Massif (Italy): A Compelling History of Animals, Plants and Climates through Three Geological Eras. Open access, Geosciences, 13

CollectiveAccess. This is a highly configurable cataloguing tool and web-based application for museums, archives and digital collections. Available free of charge!

D. DeMiguel et al. (2021): Linking geological heritage and geoethics with a particular emphasis on palaeontological heritage: the new concept of ‘palaeontoethics’. Open access, Geoheritage, volume 13.
"... This work aims at providing an overview on the meaning and scope of geoethics and how it intersects geoheritage and the practice of geoconservation. ..."

! G.P. Dietl et al. (2015): Conservation paleobiology: leveraging knowledge of the past to inform conservation and restoration. In PDF, Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences, 43: 79-103.
See likewise here.

Earth Heritage (produced by Natural England, Scottish Natural Heritage, Natural Resources Wales, the Geologists' Association and the Quaternary Research Association. GeoConservationUK and others in the voluntary geoconservation sector are major contributors).
Earth Heritage is produced twice yearly to stimulate interest in geodiversity and a broad range of geological and landscape conservation issues within the UK and further afield. It is free in pdf format.

A.R. Fiorillo and T. Hamon (2024): The dinosaur-bearing rocks of Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve: A fossil resource of global interest. Free access, Parks Stewardship Forum, 40.
Note figure 3: Upright fossil tree trunk.

! D.A. Fordham et al. (2020): Using paleo-archives to safeguard biodiversity under climate change. In PDF, Science, 369.
See likewise here.
"... Fordham et al. review when and where rapid climate transitions can be found in the paleoclimate record
[...] They also highlight how recent developments at the intersection of paleoecology, paleoclimatology, and macroecology can provide opportunities to anticipate and manage the responses of species and ecosystems to changing climates in the Anthropocene ..."

Fossil Preparation (American Museum of Natural History and The Paleontology Portal). Go to: Labeling.

Geoheritage. This journal details all aspects of our global geoheritage. It examines conservation of sites and materials.

The Geological Curators Group (GCG):
GCG is a membership organisation affiliated to the Geological Society of London. GCG strives to connect every geological collection with appropriate resources, knowledge and skills to thrive and positively impact science and society.

Geologischer Dienst Nordrhein-Westfalen (in German):
Geotope – Fenster der Erdgeschichte.
! Geologischer Dienst NRW (2022): Geologie und Boden in Nordrhein-Westfalen. In PDF.

GeologyCafe.com:
Anaglyph (3D) Imaging and Field Geology. How anaglyphs are made and the about 3D camera configuration. See also:

U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior: 3-D Tours Featuring Park Geology.
These expired links are still available through the Internet Archive´s Wayback Machine.

German Commission for UNESCO Bonn, Germany.
The German Commission for UNESCO is an intermediary of foreign cultural and educational policy. Note especially:
Geoparks weltweit (in German).
Geoparks in Deutschland (in German).
! Map of German Geoparks.
Nationale GeoParks (provided by GeoUnion Alfred-Wegener-Stiftung; in German).

C.A. Góis-Marques et al. (2019): The loss of a unique palaeobotanical site in Terceira Island within the Azores UNESCO global geopark (Portugal). Free access, Geoheritage, 11: 1817-1825.

Geoscience Centre, GZG, Georg-August-University Göttingen: Geobiology.
! Go to: Deutschsprachige Paläontologische Gesellschaften nehmen Stellung zum Regierungsentwurf der "Kulturgutschutz-–Novellierung" und zum Schutz von paläontologischem Kulturgut.
! See also: Kulturgutschutzgesetz-Regierungsentwurf. PDF files, in German.

J.E. Gordon et al. (2023): Valuing the Quaternary – Nature conservation and geoheritage. Open access, Proceedings of the Geologists' Association, 134: 375–387.

David R. Greenwood, Environmental Science Program, Brandon University, Brandon, Manitoba, Canada: Fossil collecting etiquette.
Can be still accessed through the internet wayback archive.

! C. Haug et al. (2020): Comment on the letter of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (SVP) dated April 21, 2020 regarding "Fossils from conflict zones and reproducibility of fossil.based scientific data": the importance of private collections. Open access, PalZ.

R. Heady (2012): The Wollemi Pine—16 years on. In PDF, Chapter 15: Australia’s Ever-changing Forests VI: Proceedings of the Eighth National Conference on Australian Forest History. Brett J. Stubbs et al. (ed.).
Snapshot provided by the Internet Archive´s Wayback Machine.

Marguerite Holloway, Scientific American May 2002 issue: Trees of the Triassic. In the Painted Desert of Arizona, a story of how forests turned to stone and how the stones are walking away.

Icon (The Institute of Conservation).
Icon raises awareness of the cultural, social and economic value of caring for heritage and champions high standards of conservation. Please take notoice:
So you want to be a conservator? 10 traits you need to succeed.

The International Commission on Geoheritage (ICG) (a permanent commission of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS)):
! The First 100 IUGS Geological Heritage Sites. In PDF, 153 pages. This collaborative achievement is authored by more than 350 experts from more than 40 countries. Breathtaking photographs! Superbly done! Don't miss:
Site 031: The Fossil Cliffs of Joggins (on page 94; PDF page 49).
Site 040: The Early Miocene Petrified Forest of Lesvos (on page 112; PDF page 58).

D.M. Jarzen, Florida Museum of Natural History: Paleobotany Collection Policies.

International Palaeontological Association (IPA): PaleoParks Initiative. The preservation and conservation of fossil sites worldwide.

The Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), Peterborough, UK. The JNCC is the UK Government's wildlife adviser, undertaking national and international conservation work on behalf of the three country nature conservation agencies English Nature, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Countryside Council for Wales. Go to: Earth Heritage > Geological Conservation Review (GCR) > GCR Database,
! Palaeozoic Palaeobotany,
! Mesozoic Palaeobotany,
! Tertiary Palaeobotany.
The GCR sites represent the British fossil record of vascular land plants. Excellent!
These expired links are available through the Internet Archive´s Wayback Machine.

Glen J. Kuban, Kuban´s Paleo Place: Fossil Legislation and Ethics. Internet resources on fossil-related legislation, collecting rights, and ethics.
Can be accessed through the internet wayback archive.

J.G. Larwood et al. (2022; start on PDF-page 104): Fresh perspectives on paleontological heritage and the stewardship of non-renewable fossil resources. In PDF, Parks Stewardship Forum, 38.
See also here.

D. Lewis (2019): The fight for control over virtual fossils. Palaeontologists have been urged to share 3D scans of fossils online, but a Nature analysis finds that few researchers do so.
Nature News Feature.

! Jere H. Lipps and Bruno R.C. Granier (eds.), 2009 (e-book, hosted by Carnets):
PaleoParks - The protection and conservation of fossil sites worldwide.
This volume reviews the International Paleontological Association's activities and plans, and provides examples of successful protection (six chapters) and of endangered or unprotected possible sites of importance ( four chapters). Invited contributions based on presentations given at the three PaleoParks Workshops at the International Geological Congress in Florence (2004) and Oslo (2008) and the International Paleontological Congress in Beijing (2006).

! Jere H. Lipps and Bruno R.C. Granier (eds.), 2009 (e-book, hosted by Carnets): PaleoParks - The protection and conservation of fossil sites worldwide. (HTML and PDF versions). Also available from here (scroll down for table of contents).
This volume reviews the International Paleontological Association's activities and plans, and provides examples of successful protection (six chapters) and of endangered or unprotected possible sites of importance ( four chapters). Invited contributions based on presentations given at the three PaleoParks Workshops at the International Geological Congress in Florence (2004) and Oslo (2008) and the International Paleontological Congress in Beijing (2006).

P.C. Murphey et al. (2014), on PDF page 7: A foundation for best practices in mitigation paleontology. In PDF. Proceedings of the 10th Conference on Fossil Resources Rapid City, SD. Dakoterra, 6: 243–285.

! P.C. Murphey et al. (2004): Georeferencing of museum collections: A review of problems and automated tools, and the methodology developed by the Mountain and Plains Spatio-Temporal Database- Informatics Initiative (Mapstedi). In PDF, PhyloInformatics 3: 1-29.

The National Park Service (NPS), U.S. Department of the Interior (the Museum Management Program (MMP), part of the National Center for Cultural Resources Stewardship):
! NPS Museum Handbook. This is a reference guide on how to manage, preserve, document, access and use museum collections. Go to:
Part I: Museum Collections.
Part II, Museum Records.
Part III, Museum Collections Use.
All files are in PDF format. See especially:
! Appendix U: Curatorial Care of Paleontological and Geological Collections (in PDF).
Appendix K: Photography (in PDF).

North Coast Fossil Club, Cleveland, Ohio:
North Coast Fossil Club Safety Rules, and
Field Trip Safety (by Glen J. Kuban).
This expired link is still available through the Internet Archive´s Wayback Machine.

! The Paleontological Society.
The Paleontological Society is an international nonprofit organization devoted exclusively to the advancement of the science of paleontology.
Code of Fossil Collecting.

! The Paleontology Portal (produced by the University of California Museum of Paleontology, the Paleontological Society, the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, and the United States Geological Survey, with funding from the National Science Foundation). The Paleontology Portal is a website providing a central, interactive entry point to North American paleontology resources on the Internet. Go to: Collecting and Legalities. Information on where and how to collect fossils legally.

Paleontological Research Institution (PRI), Ithaca, NY: (PRI was founded by Gilbert Dennison Harris, 1865-1952):
The Paleontological Research Institution pursues and integrates education and research, and interprets the history and systems of the Earth and its life. Go to:
Conservation Paleobiology. Opportunities for the Earth Sciences. In PDF, Report of an NSF-Funded Workshop, 2011. Table of contents on PDF page 04. Worth checking out:
PDF page 09: "Major Science Themes in Conservation Paleobiology".
PDF page 17: "Frontiers in Conservation Paleobiology".
PDF page 19: "Emerging Opportunities for the Earth Sciences" (i.e. Analysis and Modeling of the Near-time Fossil Record, Scaling and Other Issues for Merging Neo- and Paleobiological Data, etc.).

! PaleoParks - The protection and conservation of fossil sites worldwide. Organized by Jere H. Lipps, Carnets de Géologie.
This special volume consists of invited contributions based on presentations given at the three PaleoParks Workshops at the International Geological Congress in Florence (2004) and Oslo (2008) and the International Paleontological Congress in Beijing (2006).

W.G. Parker et al. (2024): New perspectives on NPS paleontological resource stewardship: Scientific, curatorial, and educational outcomes at Petrified Forest National Park. Free access, Parks Stewardship Forum, 40. https://doi.org/10.5070/P540162930.

M.G. Passalia et al. (2023): The Valcheta Petrified Forest (Upper Cretaceous), northern Patagonia, Argentina: A geological and paleobotanical survey. In PDF, Journal of South American Earth Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2022.105395.
See also here.

E. Pijet-Migon and P. Migon (2022): Geoheritage and Cultural Heritage—A Review of Recurrent and Interlinked Themes. Free access, Geosciences, 12, 98. https://doi.org/ 10.3390/geosciences12020098.

Lisa M. Pinsker, Geotimes June 2003: European Geoconservation. Now 12 parks strong, the European Geoparks Network spans Ireland, France, Spain, Italy, Greece and Germany, with scenes ranging from petrified forest to coastal cliff.

! S.E. Pratt (2014): Benchmarks: September 1, 1957: Fossil Cycad National Monument is dissolved. Earth, September 01, 2014.
See also here (National Fossil Day).
These expired links are now available through the Internet Archive´s Wayback Machine.

C. Salcido et al. (2024): Research put into action: How a fossil inventory informed paleontological resource monitoring efforts preceding road construction at Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Free access, Parks Stewardship Forum.
"... Theodore Roosevelt National Park (THRO) in western North Dakota that comprises badlands
[...] Results of monitoring included the discovery of new paleontological material, including bird material and well-preserved angiosperm fossils ..."

V.L. Santucci et al. (2023): The price of neglect: Revisiting Fossil Cycad National Monument (1922–1957). Free access, Parks Stewardship Forum, 40.
"... Previously unknown records continue to emerge, helping to expand and reshape the understanding of the monument’s unfortunate history, and also raising new questions. Some of the newly uncovered information is presented here ..."

V.L. Santucci et al. (2023): The National Park System fossil record: Uncovering significant new paleontological discoveries through inventory, monitoring, research and museum curation. Free access, Parks Stewardship Forum, 40.
Note figure 1: Map of the United States showing the location of the 286 National Park Service units where fossils have been documented.
"... The fossil record preserved throughout the parks, monuments, and other areas administered by the National Park Service spans at least 1.4 billion years and reveals rich and diverse paleontological resources available for scientific research and public education ..."

Vincent L. Santucci, National Park Service, Kemmerer, WY, and Marikka Hughes, Peabody Museum of Natural History, Paleobotany Division, New Haven: Fossil Cycad National Monument: A Case of Paleontological Resource Mismanagement. This expired link is available through the Internet Archive´s Wayback Machine.

! Vincent Santucci and Lindsay McClelland (eds.): National Park Service, Paleontological Research. Reports documenting the multi-park-based Morrison Ecosystem Project, the fossil bee´s nest at Petrified Forest National Park, and fossil mollusks from Alcatraz Island at Golden Gate National Recreation Area. This volume contains the first reports on paleontological inventories for Bryce Canyon National Park, Denali National Park, Great Smokey Mountains National Park, Mammoth Cave National Park, and Ozark National Scenic Riverway and the unfortunate story regarding the abolished Fossil Cycad National Monument.
Also availabe in PDF.

! S. Simonsen (2020): Fossilien und Recht. In German, Deutscher Kulturrat e.V., Berlin.

Els Slots, The Netherlands: World Heritage Site, Categories. Go to: Geological formation, Paleontology.
These expired links are now available through the Internet Archive´s Wayback Machine.

V.S. Smith and V. Blagoderov (2012): Bringing collections out of the dark. In PDF, ZooKeys, 209: 1-6.
Note here as well.

The Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC). SPNHC is an international organization devoted to the preservation, conservation and management of natural history collections. Go to:
Guidelines for the Care of Natural History Collections. This document is meant to serve as a tool for institutions and their staffs to continue to elevate the standards of managing and caring for natural history collections. It has been particularly gratifying that the review and comments have involved individuals from all of the professions associated with the use and care of natural history collections: collection managers, curators, conservators, administrators, research scientists, registrars, archivists, etc.

A.R.T. Spencer and C. Strullu-Derrien (2017): Photogrammetry: preserving for future generations an important fossil site situated in Maine-et-Loire (France). Poster, in PDF.
Large 1–9m lycoposid stems and branches, rhizomes and leaves, preserved as carbonized adpressions or 3D mold/casts.

Steinkern.de: For preserving the right to collect. See also here (in German).
See especeally: ! For preserving the right to privately collect fossils.

Die Süddeutsche (a German nespaper): Fossilien als Wertanlage - Ein Knochenjob. (by Jannis Brühl, 13.01.2012). About fossil trading in Germany (in German).

I. Szente et al. (2019): Managing and Surveying the Geological Garden at Tata (Northern Transdanubia, Hungary). Open access, Geoheritage, 11: 1353–1365.

B.A. Thomas (2016): A Carboniferous Fossil Forest in North Wales: Problems and Potentials Associated with Developing and Conserving a "Soft-Rock" Site. Geoheritage.

I. Tomelleri et al. (2022): The plant fossils in the paleontological collection Georg Gasser (1857–1931). In PDF, Geo. Alp, 19. See also here.

! M.J. Tyler et al. (2023): Calamities causing loss of museum collections: a historical and global perspective on museum disasters. In PDF, Zootaxa, 5230: 153–178.
See also here and there.

! D. Uhl et al. (2024): Deep-time maar lakes and other volcanogenic lakes as Fossil-Lagerstätten–An overview. In PDF, Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments, 104: 763–848. See here as well.
"... Maar lakes and other volcanogenic Konservat-Lagerstätten occur in a large number of volcanically active regions worldwide, although older deposits are often difficult to access as they are more likely to be eroded or covered by younger deposits.
[...] Although currently some of these deposits have at least some kind of legal protection as monuments of natural heritage, others remain in danger of being exploited commercially for natural resources and hence, ultimately destroyed ..."

Division of Earth Sciences, UNESCO, Paris: International Network of Geoparks. In response to the perceived need for an international initiative for the recognition of sites and terrains specifically of earth science interest, UNESCO launched the International Network of Geoparks programme. This programme has the dual objective of enhancing the value of sites which act as key witnesses to the Earth's history whilst creating employment and promoting regional economic development. See also: World Heritage List. It focuses on the protection of cultural and natural sites of outstanding universal value. Go to: UNESCO World Heritage List. The following properties have been approved by the World Heritage Committee to be included on UNESCO´s World Heritage List.

Steve Wagner, Paleocurrents.com, Denver Museum of Nature and Science (DMNS): Fossil Protection Links and Fossil Show Controversy. A look at the debates surrounding commercial fossil excavations and public shows.

J.W.F. Waldron et al. (2016): Building an Outdoor Classroom for Field Geology: The Geoscience Garden. In PDF, Journal of Geoscience Education, 64: 215-230.
See also here.

Xiaoming Wang (2013): Mortgaging the future of chinese paleontology. PNAS, 110.

J. Weber (2016): America´s Lost National Park Units: A Closer Look. In PDF, The George Wright Forum, 33: 59-69.
South Dakota´s Fossil Cycad NM among other delisted national park units. See also here (Wikipedia).

Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor: Skullduggery among Russia's old bones. Disappearing fossils leave a trail of unanswered questions.
Snapshot provided by the Internet Archive´s Wayback Machine.

R.T. Wells: Earth´s geological history: a contextual framework for assessment of World Heritage fossil site nominations. Free access.
See also here.

! Whirl-i-Gig (a software development firm working in the varied worlds of museums, biological research and conservation, natural history, material culture, and art history):
CollectiveAccess (formerly known as OpenCollection). This is a full-featured collections management and online access application for museums, archives and digital collections. CollectiveAccess is freely available open-source software.

P.J. Whybrow (1985): A history of fossil collecting and preparation techniques. In PDF.

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
Geopark,
Global Geoparks Network,
Protected areas.
Fossil trade.

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
Category:Paleontological protected areas in the United States.

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
Category:Fossils.
Category:Paleontological sites.
List of fossil sites.
Category:Lagerstätten.
! Lagerstätte.
Category:Crato Formation.
Rhynie chert.
Joggins Formation.
Mazon Creek fossil beds.
Green River Formation.
London Clay.

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (in German):
Kategorie:Fossillagerstätte in Deutschland.
Grube Messel.
Fossillagerstätte Rott.
Fossillagerstätte Geiseltal.

W.A.P. Wimbledon et al. (2000): Geosites, a IUGS initiative: science supported by conservation. PDF file, pp. 69-94. In: D. Barettino, W.A.P. Wimbledon and E. Gallego (eds.): Geological Heritage: its conservation and management. Madrid. Including a list of geosites in the UK (Appendix 1, PDF page 13).
Website outdated, download a version archived by the Internet Archive´s Wayback Machine.
See also here.

Ewan Wolff, Montana State University Geoscience Education Web Development Team: Advances in Paleontology.
Still available through the Internet Archive´s Wayback Machine.

P. Wolniewicz (2009): Easily-accessible digital palaeontological databases - a new perspective for the storage of palaeontological information. In PDF, Geologos, 15: 181-188.