USGS Paleontology Program

USGS Paleontology Program The USGS Paleontology Program is a federal scientific initiative within the United States Geological Survey focused on the documentation, analysis, and stewardship of fossil resources across the United States and its territories. It supports a range of activities linking fieldwork, museum curation, stratigraphic research, and public communication, coordinating with agencies such as the Smithsonian Institution, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and state geological surveys. Core efforts intersect with topics in Stratigraphy, Paleobiology, Paleoecology, and Geologic mapping to inform resource management, hazard assessment, and scientific synthesis.

History and development

The program traces roots to 19th-century initiatives associated with the Geological Survey of the Territories, the United States Geological Survey formation in 1879, and early figures connected to the Smithsonian Institution like Joseph Leidy and James Hall. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, collaboration with institutions such as the American Museum of Natural History, National Museum of Natural History, and the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia expanded fossil collecting tied to western explorations including the expeditions of John Wesley Powell and surveys linked to the Transcontinental Railroad. Twentieth-century developments included integration with national programs like the National Science Foundation grants, contributions to stratigraphic frameworks used in the Geologic Map of North America project, and responses to legislative milestones such as the Antiquities Act and policies administered by the National Park Service. In recent decades, the program has adapted to digital initiatives exemplified by partnerships with the Biodiversity Heritage Library, iDigBio, and the National Geologic Map Database.

Organization and staff

Administration resides within the United States Geological Survey and operates in coordination with regional offices and federal partners including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Scientific staff have backgrounds from universities such as University of California, Berkeley, Harvard University, University of Chicago, Columbia University, and University of Michigan, and professional societies including the Paleontological Society, Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, and the Geological Society of America. The workforce spans curators, paleontologists, stratigraphers, collection managers, and remote sensing specialists, collaborating with museum directors at institutions like the Field Museum of Natural History, American Museum of Natural History, and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Joint appointments and fellowships are often coordinated with programs such as the Fulbright Program, National Research Council (U.S.) fellowships, and the Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program.

Research and collections

Research themes include biostratigraphy tied to the Geologic Time Scale, taphonomy studies alongside scholars from University of Kansas, macroevolutionary analyses with collaborators at Yale University and University of Bristol, and paleoenvironmental reconstructions linked to work by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Collections stewardship follows standards promoted by the American Alliance of Museums and the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections, housing specimens comparable to holdings at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, and the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Databasing projects connect to the Paleobiology Database, GBIF, and regional repositories like the California Academy of Sciences collections. Specialized holdings include vertebrate paleontology comparable to work by John Ostrom and Edward Drinker Cope, invertebrate paleontology reflecting research traditions from Charles Doolittle Walcott and Alfred Romer, and micropaleontology used in petroleum exploration alongside partners in the American Association of Petroleum Geologists.

Field projects and surveys

Field programs operate across landscapes such as the Badlands National Park, Bighorn Basin, Hell Creek Formation, Chesapeake Bay, and the Gulf Coastal Plain, with field crews often coordinating with site administrators at Yellowstone National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, and Glacier National Park. Surveys include regional geologic mapping projects, paleontological inventories for Bureau of Land Management lands, and targeted excavations associated with significant localities like the Morrison Formation, Green River Formation, and Eocene-Oligocene boundary exposures. Collaborative projects involve universities such as University of Utah, international partners including the Natural History Museum, London, and conservation programs linked to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Rapid response and assessment efforts are coordinated during events involving Hurricane Katrina, Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and other environmental incidents requiring paleontological expertise for impacts on fossil resources.

Education, outreach, and publications

Outreach includes public exhibits in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution, educational programs for institutions like the National Science Teachers Association and American Geosciences Institute, and digital resources contributed to platforms such as the Paleobiology Database and the Biodiversity Heritage Library. Publications encompass professional reports in the U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper series, contributions to journals like Journal of Paleontology, Palaeontology, Geology (journal), and monographs coordinated with the Geological Society of America. The program supports workshops, teacher training with the National Science Foundation and curriculum resources aligned to standards from the Next Generation Science Standards, and public lectures in partnership with museums including the Field Museum and American Museum of Natural History.

Category:Paleontology Category:United States Geological Survey