Fossil Labeling

[xonenine]

Trying to nail down as much as possible a format to use for my fossil labels and data.

It would seem if I aspire to have all my specimens ID'd to my satisfaction I will need to have a small individual label, coded to reference a more detailed data sheet, whether it's on Trilobase or some other format, and a hard copy.

Ditto w the boxes, just going to make/fold a template or 2 out of card stock to house the many fragile shells.

Any pointers welcome...Carmine.

[tracer]

here's another topic on that - link

you want to store your fossils in archival/inert containers. paper should be acid-free, and some cabinet and case material can be problematic also, as it can off-gas damaging fumes.

[xonenine]

TY tracer, and recent too, I'll search better next time.

[Ordovician_Odyssey]

here's another topic on that - link

you want to store your fossils in archival/inert containers. paper should be acid-free, and some cabinet and case material can be problematic also, as it can off-gas damaging fumes.

thats my post

anyway, i use labels directly on the fossil, the # corrisponds with another number in my documenst/records

hope this helped

-shamus

[xonenine]

I made this for my small labels...

Edit:made it smaller file size...next I'll work on a nicer sheet w more details.If I made it any bigger, odds are I wouldnt do my data sheets...

Edited December 14, 2010 by xonenine

[palaeopix]

I made this for my small labels...

Edit:made it smaller file size...next I'll work on a nicer sheet w more details.If I made it any bigger, odds are I wouldnt do my data sheets...

That's a great start Carmine!

I've been thinking a lot about labeling my collection lately. Most of my specimens are currently in Ziplock bags with all of the relevant information written on the bag with a Sharpie. Yesterday I made a label template in Photoshop that I am able to edit as needed. My labels are tailor made to fit in plastic boxes where my specimens will ultimately reside. Of course each specimen will have its own unique catalogue number written with permanent ink!

Here's an example of my label for comparison to yours.

My next project is to transcribe all of my field data into a data base that will be stored on a portable hard drive and a hard copy will be printed for easy reference.

Dan

[xonenine]

Nice label, Dan.I want the data sheet header to look a little nicer, like that, I just have to resist the urge to add any images, and keep it as printer friendly as possible.

[palaeopix]

Hey Carmine,

how large are those labels? I see you have twenty on a page. I presume that you are using a standard sized page (8.5 x 11) to print them on. If so how do read them? I know my eyes couldn't handle such small text. I made mine 2 x 3 inches(13 fit on a 8.5 x 11) and even that is a bit small!

Just thinking out loud!

Dan

[xonenine]

They are tiny, maybe I could drop a comment line, (or both, leave that for the data sheets, also) and make them more readable, I think I will, good idea!

Edited December 14, 2010 by xonenine

[palaeopix]

Yeah,

I think I'm going to have to tweak mine a bit more too! Either that or I'll need glasses!!

I purposely left the comments line off my label because I felt that information was better left for the master data base.

Dan

[xonenine]

Another less cluttered one...no doubt tastes will run different, and I'll leave all the templates posted. Carmine

Edited December 14, 2010 by xonenine

[erose]

xonenine,

Your labels are great except for one, and the most, important piece of info: LOCATION. Location, location, location.....make that your mantra. The name of the species and even genus can change, the name of the formation can be changed and the age can also be changed. BUT if we know WHERE you found it, it will still have scientific value. Some folks number their collecting sites and have a reference number for each. That way you can have much more detailed info on file for the site than you could cram onto a small label.

[xonenine]

TY erose, I will make that prominent in the next one.

[jpc]

I agree... locatity, locatity, locatity. I would take paleopix's labels one step further. Since I have a different locality number for each site I collect from (I'm up to about 900 these days), I owuld include the loc # on the labls. Leave the location on there, or not, but include a Locality Number. I haven't actually gotten around to making labels, but when I do....

My specimen numbers are all coded to locality... so JPC-446-12 is the twelfth fossil form JPC-446, which my field notes (and my memory since 446 is a fun, oft-collected site) know exactly where it is on Mr. X's Ranch in the Lance Fm. So my specoimen number include the localtiy numnber, but if yours don't, use the localtiy number on the labels if you use localtiy numbers.

Edited December 14, 2010 by jpc

[palaeopix]

That's great advice jpc,

I have already included a spot for the locality number on my labels. Fortunately for me I have far fewer than 900 sites.

Dan

Edited December 14, 2010 by palaeopix

[John]

here's another topic on that - link

you want to store your fossils in archival/inert containers. paper should be acid-free, and some cabinet and case material can be problematic also, as it can off-gas damaging fumes.

Second that. I only recently learned that oak cabinets can accelerate pyrite decay.

[Terry Dactyll]

Initially I thought of a labelling concept applicable to link fossils to the particular temporary exposure I was collecting at the time... being positive and negatives (nodules) in many cases I opted for an a & b option at the end of the same number.... all these numbers were typed and printed off on the pc then cut out and stuck on the back of the nodules using undiluted PVA glue....

next these fossils needed Id'ing and logging in some way.... I did them in the order as I found them ....I thought I would link this to also providing photos and information about the collecting site, coal seams, even arial photos off google earth all in the same place like an ' Exposure Specific Fossil Log' .... That way nothing gets lost in the future and hopefully it will make some sense to whatever institution gets the fossil collection when i eventually pass it on for research or whatever.....

Heres my exposure specific fossil logs with a couple of photos showing the typical arrangement of the specimen Id lists and a couple of photos.......

the lists contain the specimen number, the ID name and the coalseam from which the fossil came from above and age of the carb shales....this could be improved on I suppose with more information, but with it all coming from one hole... I think thats enough....

[xonenine]

Wow Steve, that's a sweet setup.I only recently saw Google earths' new street view.It sure would be nice to add a few pics like that for each collection site.

As for the label template, I'll try a medium size now 'stead of small, maybe 12 to a sheet, w a little more info.

Very sound advice that I have been ignorant of, names and classifications change but the location does not.Thanks, Carmine

Edit:ok, maybe a third small label...

Edited December 14, 2010 by xonenine

[xonenine]

...and 1 medium label.I will just probably work w this and see.

[grampa dino]

You could always try and find out how the your local museum dose it.

I do what the Tyrrell museum dose up here

[jpc]

That's great advice jpc,

I have already included a spot for the locality number on my labels. Fortunately for me I have far fewer than 900 sites.

Dan

(My bad... I see it now).

I also use a and b for part and counterpart. I do all my lableing by hand so I underline the a and the b so that the b, especially, doesn't get confused for a 6. Terry dactyl's techniqure is the way many museums do it. Printed labels, PVA as glue etc...

[Wrangellian]

I used to print up labels like that with all the data on them for each specimen, but compared to the smaller fossils, of which I have a lot, that label was way too big and took up too much space. For display purposes they would be fine but not for storage - space is at a premium here so I try to cram everything together as tightly as possible, so small fossils need small labels.

I haven't cataglogued my 'bought' fossils (yet), so I still write out a label to accompany each one, with all the data I have for it - and because space is limited the labels can be pretty small and I'm getting good at writing small! (For display I would type them out in larger text.)

As for the fossils I collect myself, I've been trying to keep a catalog - but not on the computer, I want a hard copy, and I find it's easier to just write it by hand. Maybe someday it will all get done nice and tidy with a word processor, but for now I write everything in a spiral-bound notebook. I've been applying a number to an inconspicuous spot on each specimen (pref. on the matrix) with whiteout and a permanent marker (is whiteout OK? So far it seems to be. It's got to be white so the black marker shows up).. or if the specimen is too small I put it in a small box with a piece of paper with the cat.# on it.

For localities, I have given each one a 1- or 2-letter code, for example 'TR' for Trent River, to be followed by the specimen number, in the order I found them. It took me a while to settle on a system for the pos and neg sides, now I just write +/-, and for separate fossils that go together I write a/b/c/etc.

Well that was a long boring treatise, I hope it helped anyway.

[palaeopix]

I used to print up labels like that with all the data on them for each specimen, but compared to the smaller fossils, of which I have a lot, that label was way too big and took up too much space. For display purposes they would be fine but not for storage - space is at a premium here so I try to cram everything together as tightly as possible, so small fossils need small labels.

I haven't cataglogued my 'bought' fossils (yet), so I still write out a label to accompany each one, with all the data I have for it - and because space is limited the labels can be pretty small and I'm getting good at writing small! (For display I would type them out in larger text.)

As for the fossils I collect myself, I've been trying to keep a catalog - but not on the computer, I want a hard copy, and I find it's easier to just write it by hand. Maybe someday it will all get done nice and tidy with a word processor, but for now I write everything in a spiral-bound notebook. I've been applying a number to an inconspicuous spot on each specimen (pref. on the matrix) with whiteout and a permanent marker (is whiteout OK? So far it seems to be. It's got to be white so the black marker shows up).. or if the specimen is too small I put it in a small box with a piece of paper with the cat.# on it.

For localities, I have given each one a 1- or 2-letter code, for example 'TR' for Trent River, to be followed by the specimen number, in the order I found them. It took me a while to settle on a system for the pos and neg sides, now I just write +/-, and for separate fossils that go together I write a/b/c/etc.

Well that was a long boring treatise, I hope it helped anyway.

Hey Eric,

sent you a PM with details that you may find helpful.

Dan

[palaeopix]

Here's something I found about applying labels to paleontological specimens.

Davidson_et_al_2006.pdf

There's a bunch of great information within that will be useful to everyone!

Dan

[xonenine]

Nice, Dan, thanks.Hope I don't have nightmares now after seeing all those failed labels, hehe.