FIGURE 1. Map of the study area showing the location of inland exposures of the Santa Margarita Sandstone and coastal exposures of the Purisima Formation in northern California.
FIGURE 2. Typical localities and collecting in the study area. A) amateur collector Claudio Argento prospecting for marine vertebrates and echinoderms in the upper Santa Margarita Sandstone in Zayante Quarry, near Zayante, California; B) the author dry screening for shark teeth in the former Santa Cruz Aggregates Co. quarry (Bean Creek 1, =UCMP locality V4004), photo by Eric Holt; C) the author excavating an odontocete mandible from a fallen block of Purisima Formation near Capitola (UCMP locality V99868) with playwright Claudia Stevens (photo by S. Michalies); D) prospecting for fossil vertebrates amongst fallen blocks of Purisima Formation near Capitola (UCMP locality V99869) with amateur collector Linda Meneses.
FIGURE 3. Comparison of amateur versus professional collected specimens at SCMNH and UCMP from the Santa Margarita Sandstone and the Purisima Formation. A) Pie charts showing proportion of amateur v. professionally collected fossils from each rock unit and each institution; B) Comparison of the proportion of fossils collected by amateurs and professionals between each rock unit (institutions pooled); C) comparison of the proportion of fossils collected by amateurs and professionals between museums for the Santa Margarita Sandstone; D) comparison of the proportion of fossils collected by amateurs and professionals between museums for the Purisima Formation.
FIGURE 4. Examples of rare, scientifically significant specimens collected from challenging Purisima Formation exposures in Santa Cruz, California, by amateur collectors. A) Globicephaline dolphin periotic, UCMP 219487, collected by S. Jarocki; B) alcid bird humerus, UCMP 168879, collected by S. Jarocki; C) sulid (Morus sp.) bird skull, UCMP 119463, collected by G. Macy; D) lipotid dolphin skull (Parapontoporia sp.), UCMP 219673, collected by F. Sheperd; E) baleen whale skull (Parabalaenoptera sp.), SCMNH 9990.15, collected by W. Miller; F) walrus skull (Valenictus sp.), UCMP 219091, collected by F. Sheperd; G) fur seal skull (Thalassoleon macnallyae), SCMNH 9975.1, collected by G. Macy.
