The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology
Dear Dr. Mason:
We write on behalf of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology , an international scientific organization of ~ 2,000 researchers, educators, students and enthusiasts dedicated to the study, preservation and protection of vertebrate fossils and their geological contexts. We are deeply concerned about Fort Hays State University’s announced closure of the Sternberg Museum of Natural History and the now-published reports that the university has consulted with an auction house and commercial sales organization regarding the museum’s collections.
Such consultation is deeply troubling. Engaging a commercial antiquities and fossil sales firm to advise on, facilitate or otherwise participate in the decision-making about museum holdings would be fundamentally incompatible with academic integrity, professional museum ethics and responsible stewardship of scientific collections. At a minimum, any such consultation warrants careful scrutiny in light of the explicit requirements of FHSU’s own Collections Policy.
Indeed, Sternberg's Collections Policy provides a clear framework for legal and ethical actions related to management of the collections. The policy states that FHSU has a “fiduciary responsibility” to preserve its collections “in perpetuity for the common good.” It explicitly states that deaccessioned natural history specimens “may never be transferred from public to private ownership.” It further specifies that type specimens and significant specimens that have been figured, photographed or described in scientific publications “will not be removed from the public trust by sale or any other means under any conditions.”
These provisions are especially significant given the 37 holotype specimens housed in the Sternberg collections. Holotypes are the primary physical standards upon which formal scientific species names are anchored under the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. The policy also directs that disposition of other specimens must consider the interests of the museum, the public, the public trust and the scholarly and scientific communities, with transfer to another tax-exempt museum or educational institution preferred over other options.
These requirements are particularly important because scientific collections like those at the Sternberg are held in the public trust. Under the U.S. Paleontological Resources Preservation Act, fossils collected from federal public lands, including specimens in the Sternberg collection from Comanche National Grasslands and Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, remain federal property in perpetuity.
Such specimens cannot lawfully be sold or transferred to commercial/private ownership. It is illegal to sell or transfer such collections into commercial hands. Any attempt to commercially liquidate or improperly transfer federally owned specimens would carry serious legal consequences under U.S. federal law.
The same principle applies to the many specimens originating on private lands that are held in the Sternberg’s collections. These fossils were entrusted to FHSU by landowners and donors for preservation, education and scientific research. Sternberg’s own policy recognizes this responsibility: once donated specimens become a part of its collections, they are subject to the museum’s collection management procedures.
The scientific value of the Sternberg collections extends far beyond its holotypes. Key paratypes provide additional evidence and context for newly described species, while the museum’s permanent collections contain specimens determined to have enduring scientific value, even when they have not yet been formally described.
This distinction matters. A specimen does not become scientifically valuable only when it appears in a publication; its value may emerge decades after its collection, through examination by students, researchers and visiting specialists, and the applications of new technologies.
Permanent collections are also essential to the integrity and reproducibility of published science. Most respected paleontological journals require that fossils referred to in published research remain permanently accessible in a stable, recognized repository so that other scientists can examine the material and evaluate or replicate the study. This is the core of scientific methodology.
Removing specimens from permanent collections could therefore sever the evidentiary foundation of existing research and render unpublished research impossible to Complete.
We are aware of multiple SVP members and students with ongoing projects based on published and unpublished specimens in the Sternberg Museum’s permanent collections. Removing these specimens from the collections could disrupt or terminate active research projects, and in some cases, affect students’ academic careers. More broadly, dispersing the collections would halt the continued accumulation and dissemination of scientific knowledge based on these materials.
The impact would extend far beyond the individuals currently studying them. The scientific importance of the Sternberg collection is not limited to paleontology. The museum houses pivotal botanical and biological assets, including the historic Elam Bartholomew Herbarium; a mammalogy collection that is one of the most intensively used research collections in the U.S.; and ichthyology and herpetology collections that are major depositories for Great Plains fish, reptiles and amphibians.
The museum is also home to the largest collection of fossil grasses in the world and several named meteorites, including the Hoxie meteorite, which fell in Kansas in 1963. The Jerry R. Choate and Joseph T. Collins Natural History Library is one of the largest herpetological libraries in the country. Together, these specimens, data and resources represent an irreplaceable scientific record and provide essential opportunities for undergraduate and graduate education and research at FHSU and farther afield.
If FHSU determines that it can no longer maintain the Sternberg Museum, its own collections policy already establishes the only responsible path forward. Deaccessioning must begin with determining the museum’s legal right to dispose of each specimen and identifying any restrictions attached to its acquisition. Specimens protected by state or federal law must be handled in accordance with those laws. All specimens in the Sternberg’s permanent collections, including type specimens, must remain in the public trust.
For other specimens that FHSU can no longer maintain, the policy directs consideration of transfer or exchange with another tax-exempt museum or educational institution where they can continue to serve appropriate research, educational or exhibition purposes.
There is therefore no justification for treating the Sternberg collections as institutional assets to be liquidated. These collections were assembled over generations and held for the benefit of the public and the scientific community. Their value lies not only in individual specimens, but also in their provenance, locality data, associations with other specimens, preparation histories, research records and continued accessibility to researchers and students. If dispersed into private hands, much of that scientific value would be permanently lost to the people of Kansas and the world.
SVP therefore urges FHSU, in the strongest terms, to abandon any consideration of consultation with commercial dealers regarding the Sternberg Museum collections and to ensure that no specimens are offered or transferred to private commercial interests.
FHSU should instead (1) uphold its legal and ethical obligations and the commitments articulated in the museum’s own collections policy; (2) retain complete transparency regarding both previous discussions of the collections as well as their future; and (3) do its utmost to maintain the integrity of the collection as a whole. Our qualified membership, as well as our partners in relevant U.S. federal agencies, offer much more ethical and professional expertise than for-profit auction-house consultants.
We stand ready to provide scientifically responsible legal guidance and technical expertise to help FHSU navigate a legal, ethical, and preservation-focused solution. We welcome and urge you to contact us directly at: svp@vertpaleo.org.
