Volunteer Dig at Thomas Farm (UF Vertebrate Fossil Locality GI001)

The Spring 2016 Volunteer Dig at Thomas Farm will run from April 4 through 14. We will begin accepting applications from present and past volunteers in late February and from new volunteers in early March. Volunteers must be 18 years of age or older. Contact the FLMNH Vert Paleo Collections Manager, Dr. Richard Hulbert, at [email protected] for more information.

Background: The Thomas Farm site is an ancient sinkhole with an associated cave system. Fossils recovered from the site are about 18 million years old and correspond with the early Miocene (early Hemingfordian land mammal age). Thomas Farm is likely the single most important vertebrate fossil site in Florida, and a good case could be made that it is the most important vertebrate fossil site of Cenozoic age from the eastern United States. At the time of its discovery, very little was known of early Miocene terrestrial faunas in eastern North America. Thomas Farm has extremely large samples of both small and large vertebrates, including types of animals that are often rare elsewhere, such as birds, carnivores, and bats. Except for fish, all other types of vertebrates are well represented. Many dozens of new species have been named based on specimens from Thomas Farm.

NOTE: Thomas Farm and the surrounding property is owned by the University of Florida and no access or digging is allowed except as part of organized excavations lead by Florida Museum paleontologists.