Hey, everyone! I know I’ve barely been (actively) on Tumblr in the last few months, but I’m slowly trying to get back into the swing of things. With that said, here’s a little bit of information for all you aspiring or current mineral (and fossil!) collectors out there.
It’s always good to make sure your specimens are labelled. Most minerals are bought and traded at shows, societies, online, etc. They will most likely come with all the information you’ll need to keep them organised. Though, there are the situations where you hunt for your own minerals, friends give them to you, buy unidentified specimens off other local hunters, or what have you. It’s always good to own a few guide books for those types of situations, especially when you’re unfamiliar with a new mineral you may want to purchase or need to do some detective work when a friend gives you a box full of them! There have been times I’ve run into specimens for sale with no label that need proper handling and care, so it’s always good to know what you’re looking at before you buy something.
Since they come in all sizes, displaying minerals can be really fun! I have many from the size of a fingernail up to over half a metre in height/length, and many more boxed up. Most collectors, like myself, group them by carbonates, silicates, etc. Most display props, cases, and boxes can be purchased online or at shows, depending how big your specimens are. It’s also best to not bunch them tightly together as this can damage the minerals, and can block awesome views.
Certain minerals need proper storage and care, which is another reason to have plenty of books at your disposal. Even though the internet is just a few clicks away, I enjoy having a nice stack near my specimens at all times, and I always carry a pocket guide when out in the field. Many minerals can become victims of decay, fading, morphing, breaking (due to certain crystal habits), and much more, so knowing all about your specimens will keep them well preserved! Special display cases and tools can help moderate humidity, temperature, and overall preservation of your specimens. Some minerals should be kept out of constant, direct light as they will fade over time, or others kept out of dry or humid conditions; it really all depends on the mineral as each react differently to their surroundings. I also use gloves to handle my specimens (depending) and do my best to not handle them unless I truly need to.
This generally goes for fossils too! All minerals and fossils should be handled with extreme care no matter what, but certain ones need a bit more help than others.
I hope this information is of help for anyone curious to start a collection or others wanting to know more about mineral care.
Photo by Eric Hunt. on Flickr
Being on the radar would make sense for the crazy amount of new followers. I’m so glad geology (and palaeontology) is continuing to be exposed (no pun intended!) on this site, as there are so many really awesome things to talk about.
With all that said, here is some information you guys may be interested in checking out.
Tumblr blogs I contribute to/run:
My featured tags:
Latest science posts:
As well, if you guys ever have any questions or would like me to write up a post about something, feel free to ask me! Most of my posts on geology and palaeontology are original content written by me, but I do at times post articles with and without added commentary. I as well reblog science and non-science things.
Thanks for following, everyone. I hope you enjoy all the posts.
For anyone who may have missed my posts during the past week(s), you can find them right here! Tumblr needs more Geology and Palaeontology, especially when it comes to explaining what is happening in the photo(s). I’m planning to get back into writing up original posts for you guys when I have time. You can always browse my main tags for palaeontology, geology, minerals, and science. I have lots of other tags, but those are the most relevant.
Be careful where you put those fossils. Turns out fossil hunting has other dangers besides sunburn and slips and falls. Many fossils are filled with highly enriched uranium.
How does a fossil made of bone get get turned into a fossil made of uranium?
It’s actually part of the same process that turns it into a fossil in the first place. Organic material gets buried in sediment, but it doesn’t get dried or preserved. Instead the organic material is eaten away and replaced by minerals that crystalize along the tiny pores that form in the organic material. Uranium combines with oxygen to form uranium oxides, and these dissolve in water. They flow wherever water flows, including through sediment. The water wore away at the porous organic material. The uranium oxides precipitated uranium so it lined the pores, replacing the bone or bark with rock. What was left was a fossil made of large amounts of uranium.
Read more here. And keep those fossils away from your sensitive areas!
This is something many people do not think about when they go fossil/mineral/meteorite hunting. There are many minerals out there that are dangerous to handle. You need to know where you’re hunting for these things. Not only do you need to know your surroundings, but if it is legal to even search in the first place. You may pick up an innocent fossil, but what’s around you as well?
I am planning to make a post about the safety and legal precautions when it comes to fossil/mineral hunting. There’s a lot more to it than just looking for bones or minerals. This is why I always stress to educate yourself a bit and go with well known groups/societies/museums if you’re not savvy to these kinds of things. It’s always good to know what you’re picking up or digging out of a rock (and what that rock is!) Of course, you’re not always going to run into a cluster of fossilised uranium trees haha, but again - it’s always best to not go in blind.
In response to the post I’d made yesterday asking if you guys would like a post on how to achieve college careers in palaeontology, I’m very happy to see you all would like one!
I do want to make sure that my post reflects how I view/know getting into palaeontology at universities. I know plenty of people who have gone different routes for this field, and my post will be a general idea, along with many points like, “YOU have to decided where YOU have the most interest.”
Again, anyone I’ve talked to privately about this matter has had different situations, interests, and other factors. This post will try to take everything into account all in one!
As well, I have a new tag that can be found in my header links called “Palaeo Life”. This has two posts (here and here) already up which are about palaeontology as careers and hobbies. I have other posts I will be adding when it comes to getting involved, like a master list of museums/palaeo groups you can go on digs with, how to fossil hunt on your own, what you need to know, what do you do if you find a fossil, etc.
Hopefully these past and future posts will be of help for anyone curious on how to achieve palaeontology as a hobby or career.
Palaeontology without the degrees. How do I get involved?
Written by crownedrose.
I’ve received the question by many online and offline: “I don’t have a degree in Palaeontology, but I love it a lot. Is there any way I can get myself involved without the hassle of college work?”
The answer to that is yes, there is! You don’t have to possess a degree to be good at something. I know a few people who have proven professors wrong, yet those people don’t have degrees in those fields. With that said, if you enjoy something, there are many ways to get involved to enjoy your hobby. Maybe college isn’t for you, and instead you study these types of fields on your own - that is completely fine! Whether you’re in college, graduated with degrees, or not attending, you can still do what you love. In this case I’ll mainly be discussing how to get into the Palaeontology world. Below are a few ways you can get involved.
Sign up for expeditions.
I’m currently writing up a master post with links, addresses, phone numbers, and other information on how to sign up for Palaeontology digs in North America. Many museums and other organisations hold digs (usually in the summer months) all over the world for the general public to sign up for. I’ll be focusing on the the U.S.A. and Canada in that post, so keep a lookout for that in the future! A good way to find out about these digs is to contact museums and societies to gather information.
Contact your local Paleontological Society/Group.
If you do a bit of research, you’ll probably find your area has a society for Palaeontology, Geology, and even other fields (science or not). Usually there is a member fee (which isn’t much), and it opens a lot of doors. You get to meet amazing people who share the same passions, you learn and educate others, get to go on trips, attend events, etc. There’s so much you can explore and do in a society. I highly suggest joining or looking into your local group. My experiences have been nothing but positive, and again - it’s a great way to get your foot in the door.
Go to your local museum and ask to speak to the Head of Geology or Palaeontology.
Sometimes you’ll find that you’d like to speak to the museum’s Palaeontologist, but then they might say, “Our Head of Geology will be with you shortly.” Palaeontology is a mixture of Geology and Biology, and many Palaeontologists have degrees in Geology and/or Biology as well, so don’t panic if they say something like that (it also depends on the size of the museum). Usually they are very nice and willing to speak to anyone who’d like information on how to get involved. They’ll probably tell you something like what I’m typing right now, but they also will be able to give you pointers on anything specific you may ask. Ask if they have programmes you can join or attend, and see if they have digs in the summer. You’ll never know until you speak up and ask questions!
Research online.
I know that may sound obvious, silly, or even redundant, but these days technology is ruling how we connect with each other. To get in contact with societies and museums, you’ll most likely be hitting up Google and typing in whatever will be relevant to your location and needs. But hey, there’s also forums out there, websites like Tumblr with large scientific communities, and other websites like government pages that may hold information you could need.
* * *
These are a few ways on how to find your footing to getting involved. Societies are a major way of opening up doors, along with contacting your local museums. Once you’ve done that, you’ll find new and amazing opportunities could pop up at any moment, so get exploring!
I hope this will be of help for the curious minds out there, and if you have further questions, feel free to message me.
Sure! There’s a lot out there for the general public which you can find at book stores, and then there are others for the more serious which may need to be ordered online. Here are some that come to mind, and I can always add to the list later. Perhaps I can make a page on my blog fully dedicated to books and sites to check out? If you (or anyone else) would like me to make a page like that, let me know!
Everyone has different opinions for each book, but I’ll trust you guys to read reviews and the like before buying anything (always a good thing to do). Also, palaeontology’s such a huge variety of different topics, and seeing as I specialise mainly in theropods, I may not have a book fully on the Palaeocene for example. So here are a mix of books that come to mind - and again - if you guys want me to make a page for these kind of references, I can!
- The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs by Gregory S. Paul
- Vertebrate Palaeontology by Michael J. Benton
- The Dinosaur Heresies by Robert T. Bakker
- Dinosaurs: The Most Complete, Up-to-Date Encyclopedia for Dinosaur Lovers of All Ages by Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
- The Complete Book of Dinosaurs by Dougal Dixon
- World Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Creatures by Dougal Dixon
- Digging Dinosaurs by John R. Horner
- The Elements of Palaeontology by Rhona M. Black
- Prehistoric Life: The Definitive Visual History of Life on Earth by DK Publishing
- Applications of Palaeontology: Techniques and Case Studies by Robert Wynn Jones
- Bringing Fossils To Life: An Introduction To Paleobiology by Donald Prothero
- Introduction to Paleobiology and the Fossil Record by Michael J. Benton
- Tyrannosaurus Sue: The Extraordinary Saga of the Largest, Most Fought Over T. rex Ever Found by Steve Fiffer
- Basic Palaeontology by Michael J. Benton
- Top Selling Paleogeology, Paleontology & Fossils Textbooks on TextBooks.com
- Palaeontology, Palaeobiology, & other fossils books on Amazon.com
- Palaeontology section list on GoodReads.com
- Special Papers in Palaeontology, Evolution and Palaeobiology of Early Sauropodomorph Dinosaurs by Paul M. Barrett / David J. Batten / The Palaeontological Association
- Palaeontology Journal Information : BlackwellPublishing.com
- Special Papers in Palaeontology, Studies on Fossil Tetrapods by Paul M. Barrett / The Palaeontological Association
- Special Papers in Palaeontology, Conodont Biology and Phylogeny: Interpreting the Fossil Record by Mark A. Purnell / Philip C. J. Donoghue / The Palaeontological Association
- Special Papers in Palaeontology, Silurian and Lower Devonian Thelodonts and Putative Chondrichthyans from the Canadian Arctic Archipelago by T. Märss / M. V. H. Wilson / R. Thorsteinsson / The Palaeontological Association
- palass.org The Palaeontological Association website
- paleosoc.org The Paleontological Society website
There’s a few, haha! Also, things that are just (or even more) important would be published research papers. I usually read those more than I do a book I can get at the store. It all depends on what I’m looking for, but I hope this list is of some help!
Hey followers, this is good for all you palaeontology enthusiasts out there!
How did you reblog an ask post?! Teach me your ways!
And here you guys go - for anyone else interested. I’ll be making a page fully dedicated to links for books, so keep an eye out in the future for it!
Sure! There’s a lot out there for the general public which you can find at book stores, and then there are others for the more serious which may need to be ordered online. Here are some that come to mind, and I can always add to the list later. Perhaps I can make a page on my blog fully dedicated to books and sites to check out? If you (or anyone else) would like me to make a page like that, let me know!
Everyone has different opinions for each book, but I’ll trust you guys to read reviews and the like before buying anything (always a good thing to do). Also, palaeontology’s such a huge variety of different topics, and seeing as I specialise mainly in theropods, I may not have a book fully on the Palaeocene for example. So here are a mix of books that come to mind - and again - if you guys want me to make a page for these kind of references, I can!
There’s a few, haha! Also, things that are just (or even more) important would be published research papers. I usually read those more than I do a book I can get at the store. It all depends on what I’m looking for, but I hope this list is of some help!
So You Want to Be a Palaeontologist?
“Palaeontology’s just digging up dinosaur bones, right?”
Photo source
I’ve heard this question too many times, and it seems not everyone understands the details of what it takes to become a palaeontologist. The link above is written on the SmithsonianMag.com website, so for anyone who’s curious or would like to know information on how to become one, I suggest reading the article, talking to your local university professors, and any other information you can find out there.
There are many branches of other sciences you must know to become a palaeontologist, and it sure doesn’t focus solely on dinosaurs. This is the quick definition from Wikipedia:
I suggest reading through Wikipedia’s page about palaeontology, as it goes into the related science and divisions in palaeontology. It’s a very specific field because it does require many other science fields (biology, geology, etc) to be combined. There is much to be studied in palaeontology as a whole, so it’s important to know where exactly you’d want to go with a career in this amazing field of science. Luckily for me, palaeontology combines my other favourite sciences into one awesome super-science field!
If you like ancient fossils, geology, biology and more, palaeontology’s a great field to look into, but also one that is not as broad when it comes to jobs. If perhaps you rather just be an amateur who learns without the stress of university or just to follow the news, this article also links to how you can continue your self-education by finding those great PDF research papers!
