Thomas Farm contains one of the richest concentrations of fossil horse bones in North America, and MacFadden's promise was not an idle one. Teeth, toe bones, leg bones and hoofs quickly followed. And over the three days some of my fellow diggers made some truly spectacular finds, including three jaws of the tiny and much rarer horse Archaeohippus, two jaws of ancient camels and a number of ribs of rhinoceroses, which, like horses, originated in the New World and later lumbered into Asia and Africa across ancient land bridges. In this day of ever increasing specialization in science, multibillion-dollar particle accelerators and research projects staffed by hundreds of Ph.D.'s, few are the niches that remain for the amateur scientist of old. But paleontology and archaeology remain notable exceptions, where important discoveries continue to be made by enthusiastic amateurs.
Several programs offer laypersons the chance to participate in serious scientific fieldwork.
Others were more interested in the science behind the bones and in learning what life was like on the planet millions of years ago. And others just seemed to like the thrill of discovery and had no particular interest in amassing collections of fossils themselves. Jeffrey Yaun, a senior chief petty officer stationed at the Mayport Naval Station in Jacksonville, Fla., also comes every year to Thomas Farm and probably holds the record for remarkable finds from the site. All the luck. Yaun is a dogged relic and fossil hunter who at times also seems incredibly lucky.