26 Old Collections, New Tricks

This session highlights how re-examination and contemporary analysis of geoscience collections (i.e., rock, fossil, and archival collections, or geologic maps) can advance science, rewrite historical narratives, and contribute to discussions on social justice.

Monday, 23 March 2026
1:30 PM - 5:30 PM
CCC, Room 25

Hidden in Plain Sight: Shedding New Light on a Forgotten Holotype at the Rutgers University Geology Museum

Paper number: 26-8
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 3:50 PM – 4:10 PM

Authors

Abstract

Hallipterus excelsior is a species of Devonian eurypterid whose fossil was first discovered in Delaware County, New York in 1882 by a student of Rutgers College. This specimen was examined by the New York State Geologist, James Hall, before being returned to the Rutgers Geology Museum, where it remains to this day. A second fossil of the same species was discovered and reported by Edward Claypole after James Hall’s first reported name was designated as a nomen nudum. What followed was more than a century of scientific debate over the official taxonomic designation, naming, and holotype status of both specimens (Kjellesvig-Waering, 1963; Tetlie, 2008). Today, both specimens are accepted under the genus and species of Hallipterus excelsior, with the specimen at the Rutgers Geology Museum holding holotype status.

Despite its historical and geological significance, the eurypterid fossil remained underappreciated and forgotten in museum storage. Over the past couple of years, a thorough archival review triggered by NAGPRA has unearthed the significance of this and many other forgotten specimens within the Rutgers Geology Museum collection. The museum initiated revitalization efforts that enabled undergraduate interns to experience the entire exhibit building process, shedding new light on local historic geological discoveries. Through the creation of a new display integrating both the historic and paleontological aspects of the specimen, the Hallipterus excelsior has been given new life educating the public.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 58, No. 2

doi: 10.1130/abs/2026NE-411140

© Copyright 2026 The Geological Society of America (GSA), all rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to the author(s) of this abstract to reproduce and distribute it freely, for noncommercial purposes. Permission is hereby granted to any individual scientist to download a single copy of this electronic file and reproduce up to 20 paper copies for noncommercial purposes advancing science and education, including classroom use, providing all reproductions include the complete content shown here, including the author information. All other forms of reproduction and/or transmittal are prohibited without written permission from GSA Copyright Permissions.