Amateur paleontologists are hoping to bring ancient history to the 21st century.
UF researchers will use a four-year, $1.97 million National Science Foundation grant to create a national network of amateur and professional paleontologists.
“Here’s an opportunity where we can get people from different parts of the country that have like interests to communicate,” said Bruce MacFadden, the vertebrate paleontology curator at the Florida Museum of Natural History.
The FOSSIL Project — Fostering Opportunities for Synergistic STEM with Informal Learners — will create connections with fossil clubs and societies around the country to educate amateurs and help digitalize fossils for collections.
The project’s long-term goals include an interactive website where users can input data, submit requests for information and connect with other paleontologists.
“It creates an interface between researchers and amateur collectors, which can be used as an outreach opportunity for the general public,” said Arianna Harrington, a UF biology graduate student and research assistant.
To begin building the relationship, amateur paleontologists have been invited to participate in the North American Paleontological Convention on Saturday at the Florida Museum of Natural History.
Harrington said the community seems excited about the potential.
“Now with social networking and information being so permeable from one region to another … the digitalization of fossils can be considered a direct result of how global things are getting,” she said.
[A version of this story ran on page 3 on 2/13/2014 under the headline "Grant to fund creation of FOSSIL network"]
