Otago alumni in America support fossil project

Carefully collected by Geology researchers over the past 150 years, the University of Otago’s Geology Museum holds more than 60,000 catalogued fossil vertebrate, invertebrate, and plant specimens.

Starting in 2021, the Geology Department started Phase One of the massive project of digitising this internationally recognised fossil collection, and in late 2023 the Alumni of the University of Otago in America (AUOA) approved a one-year grant to support advancing this invaluable work.

In February 2025, AUOA generously granted a further two years of funding to support Phase Two of the project, entering all published fossil vertebrates, invertebrates and plant specimens across the three collections into the database and physically reorganising the collections.

AUOA Secretary Jacinta Calverley says the AUOA Board is delighted to be in a position to extend the US alumni organisation’s endorsement of this very important effort.

“A number of our supporters and generous donors have strong ties to the Geology Department and understand the significance of the Department’s collection and assets locally and internationally,” Jacinta says.

“Many graduates from the Department continue on to successful careers across North America and the knowledge and skills they developed at Otago stand them in great stead with employers.

“AUOA recognises the unique and important place the Geology Department has in a global setting and we are pleased to be able to offer some financial support for the Museum Digitisation Project.”

In addition to holding many significant specimens from a wide range of taxonomic groups, the collection also contains hundreds of holotype specimens.  Holotypes are immensely valuable as they provide information on which a new species is based and are used to accurately record features. Phase Two of the project will also involve the publication of lists of all holotype specimens held in each collection.

Paleontologist Emeritus Professor Daphne Lee is very appreciative of the AUOA support and describes the funding as an investment in securing critical knowledge.

“The digitisation project will bring the collection into the 21st century so it can be shared in the spirit of collaboration, scientific endeavour, and evolving understanding of these unique fossils for generations to come,” Professor Lee says.

Led by paleontologist Dr Jeffrey Robinson, the project’s aim is to develop a web-accessible interface that will enable researchers worldwide, and the public, to access information about the valuable collections.

Using the taxonomic database software Specify that’s used by many major museums and research institutions globally, by February 2025, information on 6,000 specimens across the three collections has been uploaded.

The vision for the digitisation project is to be a leading teaching and research resource, both domestically and internationally Dr Robinson says.

“It will enable ease of sharing information and facilitate new opportunities for collaboration between our own staff and students, and researchers and specialists globally. It will also extend the current outreach opportunities of the Geology Department by being readily accessible by the public, schools and other institutions.”

A significant legacy of the collection is the result of the work of the late Emeritus Professor R Ewan Fordyce. His colleague, Professor Lee, says that Ewan's contributions over 40 years led to Otago having the most thriving and productive teaching and research programme in paleontology in Aotearoa New Zealand. The R. Ewan Fordyce Paleontology Fund has been set up to honour Ewan and his extraordinary legacy.

Running parallel with the digitisation project, the extraordinary fossil materials held in the Department will be the subject of an Ebook with the working title Treasures of the Geology Museum.

“The book will highlight 100 of our best and most interesting specimens,” Emeritus Professor Lee says. “Our goal is for it to be a useful resource for researchers, amateur paleontologists, for schools and school projects, and to allow everyone to appreciate New Zealand’s wonderful fossil history.”