Dust collector
The Duke Lemur Center is home to one of only two fossil preparation labs in North Carolina. We go into the field to collect fossils, but the hard work of getting ancient lemurs ready for study really happens in the lab, where we remove the surrounding rock—a delicate process that generates a lot of dust. We train undergraduate students and volunteers to help in the fossil lab, and as we bring in more people, we generate more dust. Funding needed: $11,300.
Field work in Wyoming searching for the first lemurs
The story of lemurs begins not in Madagascar, but in the ancient landscapes of Wyoming. Each summer, the DLC Museum of Natural History supports a team of paleontologists, including students, as they search for fossils of early primates and their ancient neighbors—rhinos, horses, carnivores, and reptiles. These expeditions help us understand how primates once thrived in North America, why they vanished here, and how they survived in Africa and Madagascar. It’s a puzzle that reveals the roots of lemur diversity and extinction.
Your support will fund field transport, 4×4 vehicle rental, camping gear, fossil shipments, and advanced scanning—bringing critical pieces of this story to light. Together, we can uncover the past to protect the future. Funding needed: $12,000.
Updated specimen cabinets
The DLC Museum of Natural History houses one of the largest collections of Madagascar fossils in North America—an irreplaceable archive that helps scientists around the world understand the island’s dramatic ecological history. These fossils tell the story of species lost to human and climate pressures, including gorilla-sized lemurs and towering, flightless birds. Today, their modern relatives face similar threats. But this vital collection is at risk. Currently stored in outdated wooden drawers, the fossils are exposed to damaging temperature and humidity fluctuations. Drawers stick, specimens shift, and fragile pieces are deteriorating.
With your support, we can replace these aging cabinets with industry-standard, gasket-sealed steel units that protect the fossils from environmental stress and ensure safe, easy access for researchers. This upgrade will safeguard decades of future discovery—advancing conservation science and helping protect Madagascar’s remaining biodiversity before it’s too late. Funding needed: $45,204.
