Paleontology collections: a vital component of geo-heritage

The cabinets and drawers of the Provincial Museum hold an increasing number of important fossil specimens from throughout Newfoundland and Labrador, including many "type specimens". Of particular importance is the Geological Survey's Paleontology Reference Collection (the "Boyce Collection"), which dates back to 1976 and comprises at least 3000 samples. A recent cooperative agreement between the Museum and the Survey has seen the transfer of the bulk of the collection to The Rooms' Natural History Annex for secure, uninterrupted, long-term storage and study. Some samples temporarily remain at the Howley Building, but because of deterioration of the plastic sample bags, these samples will need to be re-bagged before removal. Recent processing of a fossiliferous block of Indian Islands Group from the Glenwood area (central Newfoundland) has yielded fossils -- including a rare trilobite -- that were not recorded in the field, a typical occurrence in collection studies.