16 April 2004

Amateur paleontologist makes significant discoveries in New Jersey

Eve Collins has written a story for the Register-News (www.registernews.com) in New Jersey about important discoveries by Ralph Johnson, an amateur paleontologist in Mansfield, New Jersey.

Collins reports that Fred Clark and his family were approached by Ralph Johnson, who informed Clark that a ravine on his property that might be a good place to search for fossils. Johnson asked and received permission to check the ravine, where he quickly discovered Cretaceous-era fossil ammonites.

Johnson's find was so significant that Dr. Neil Landman of the American Museum of Natural History twice visited the Clark site to collect specimens, some of which are now displayed at the museum. Others are displayed by Clark and Johnson and also by the New Jersey State Museum.

There's more to this story. Ralph Johnson is co-author with Neil Landman of two papers in Novitates, a publication of the American Museum of Natural History.

Ralph Johnson, who works as a park ranger, has been practicing amateur paleontology for 30 years. Collins ended her fine article about his discovery with a quotation from Johnson: "It started out as hobby, but it has gotten to be much more than that. I am an amateur, but I'm doing research on a professional level."

The Citizen Scientist commends Ralph Johnson for his superb discoveries as an amateur paleontologist, reporter Eve Collins for her first rate reporting about Johnson's achievements and the Register-News (www.registernews.com) for sharing them with the rest of us. You can read Collins' story at http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=11266038&BRD=1091&PAG=461&
dept_id=425707&rfi=6

Forrest M. Mims III.