MILWAUKEE — You won’t find many collections of fossils around the world like the one at UW-Milwaukee. In fact, it's so scientifically and historically significant that it’s 1 of 11 globally to receive a prestigious international designation.
The Thomas A. Greene Geological Museum has around 60,000 fossils and minerals. Those fossils are from 400 to 450 million years ago. They paint a picture of life in the Midwest and North America when it was under an ocean and very few land plants existed.
Earlier in 2024, the museum was designated as a Geological Heritage Geo-Collection by the International Union of Geological Sciences. It’s one of just 11 in the world and the only one in the Western Hemisphere.
The organization has previously designated the 100 most important geological heritage areas like the Grand Canyon. Now, they are designating the 100 most important collections. the Thomas A. Greene Geological Museum is in the first group of collections to be honored.
“If you work on certain kinds of fossils from certain time periods and certain environments like reefs, this would be a place you’d want to look at these fossils from," Dr. Don Mikulic, who works at the Weis Earth Science Museum and helped write the proposal on behalf of the museum, said.
The designation means that the fossils and the way in which they were assembled are of global scientific and historical significance.
“A standing collection of fossils that you can’t find anymore because the quarries and places are all closed pretty much, so it’s very important scientifically," Dr. Mikulic said.
Here is what you need to know about the museum.
From 1870 to 1890, local businessman Thomas Greene assembled a collection of 60,000 fossils and minerals. He bought and traded for them with other collectors and with many quarry workers. The fossils he got from quarry workers are very significant. Those fossils are no longer obtainable. The sites are inaccessible, so the fossils he assembled are among the only in the world that exist.
"It really is a gem of this area that shares a lot of, you know, what is important about the geology, paleontology, and even biology of this region in the past," PhD student at UW-Milwaukee Chase Shelbourne said.
That makes the research potential of his collection of vital importance. This collection is necessary to understand the climate, animals, plants, and more from 400-450 million years ago.
On top of the scientific significance, the collection reflects how museums were created for hundreds of years. Back then, it was primarily private citizens collecting fossils versus scientists. Private citizens who had the cash could fund their hobby of collecting fossils. Furthermore, Greene thoroughly documented and preserved his collection. Some records show why he collected, who he bought from, what he assembled, and more.
Watch the story to see more of the fossils at the museum...
For all those reasons, it was named a Geological Heritage Geo-Collection.
“You just can’t replicate this sort of collection anymore," Rob Graziano, the academic program manager for the Department of Geological Sciences at UWM, said.
The gallery is open to the public Monday through Friday. What you will see inside the museum is just a fraction of the actual collection. The majority of the specimens are in storage beneath the museum.
“This collection is so important to Milwaukee for history and geo-heritage, but also for its education that it provides. It opens the door to students, middle schoolers, elementary kids, that come here and realize science is a discipline they could pursue and geology is actually a high-demand profession," Graziano said.
Going forward, the museum hopes this global designation helps write grants, attract visitors, and generate more community support.
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