Association of Applied Paleontological Sciences

What Association of Applied Paleontological Sciences does

The Association of Applied Paleontological Sciences (AAPS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional association founded in 1978 and incorporated in New Mexico, with an administrative mailing address in Logan, Utah. It unites commercial fossil dealers, individual collectors, academic paleontologists, and natural history clubs under a shared Code of Ethics aligned with the National Academy of Sciences recommendations, and serves as the de facto trade body for the commercial paleontology community. Its six-tier membership structure spans Business ($65/year), General ($45/year), Club ($65/year), Additional Member ($15/year), Associate (free for academic faculty and students), and Honorary (free, for retired members or nominees), with 160+ business members listed in the annual Tucson Show Guide.

AAPS's core programs are event-driven and community-based rather than technology-driven. It publishes the annual Tucson Show Guide: Fossil Dealers and Events (since 2006) distributed across 50+ show locations during the two-week Tucson Gem and Fossil Show; administers six named research and education grants and two graduate scholarships (totaling $5,000+ disbursed annually); runs the long-running PaleoBond Lab Coat auction (32 iterations since 1995, cumulative proceeds over $25,000); and provides paper-based and downloadable resources including a Sample Collecting Contract template and waterproof Photo Scales for member welcome packets.

Revenue is sourced primarily from annual membership dues supplemented by the annual auction and ad hoc charitable fundraising (e.g., the 2026 Lyme Regis Museum fundraiser). Members join online via Stripe/PayPal or by mail-in application. The association is governed by an elected Board of Directors with no external ownership, no funding rounds, and no disclosed financial statements; it currently operates with 1-10 staff and an annual operating budget that the available data suggests is well under $100,000.

Name

Association of Applied Paleontological Sciences

Legal name

Association of Applied Paleontological Sciences

Website

https://aaps.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AAPS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional association founded in 1978 that unites 160+ commercial fossil dealers, collectors, and academic paleontologists around a Code of Ethics and publishes the annual Tucson Show Guide. It funds its operations through membership dues, an annual auction, and charitable donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

Keywords

• Professional paleontological association
• Fossil dealer membership
• Paleontology ethics education
• Fossil research grants
• Tucson fossil show guide

Headquarters

HQ city

Logan

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: AAPS generates revenue primarily from annual membership dues. Business Membership is $65 per year, General Membership is $45 per year, Club Membership is $65 per year, and Additional Member is $15 per year. Associate and Honorary memberships are free.
2. Annual Meeting and Auction: The organization holds an annual association meeting and auction in Tucson where the PaleoBond Lab Coat is auctioned and funds are raised. This event also distributes the annual AAPS Guide.
3. Charitable Fundraising: AAPS conducts community fundraising campaigns, such as supporting the Friends of Lyme Regis Museum's auction for Mary Anning memorabilia.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

AAPS is a nonprofit professional association that supports ethical commercial paleontology through a tiered membership program (Business, General, Club, Additional Member, Associate, and Honorary tiers), publishes the annual Tucson Show Guide: Fossil Dealers and Events, and administers privately funded research grants and graduate scholarships worldwide. The association also provides member resources including a Sample Collecting Contract template and Photo Scales used for fossil documentation.

Product overview

The Association of Applied Paleontological Sciences (AAPS) is a nonprofit professional association supporting paleontology through ethical commerce, education, and cooperation. The organization operates as a membership-based platform offering six membership types (Business, General, Club, Additional Member, Associate, and Honorary) and publishes the annual Tucson Show Guide: Fossil Dealers and Events since 2006. Additional offerings include a grants and scholarships program supporting researchers and educators worldwide with multiple named funds, the Sample Collecting Contract legal template, and Photo Scale resources for documentation purposes. The organization connects commercial fossil dealers, collectors, enthusiasts, and academic paleontologists.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tucson Show Guide: Fossil Dealers and Events Annual publication since 2006 listing AAPS business member dealers and show locations during the Tucson Gem and Fossil Show, distributed at over 50 show locations and at Tucson International Airport welcome tables.
• AAPS Membership Program Six-tier professional association membership: Business ($65/yr), General ($45/yr), Club ($65/yr), Additional Member ($15/yr), Associate (free for academics/students), and Honorary (free for nominated/retired members), providing voting rights, networking, and access to member resources.
• AAPS Grants and Scholarships Program Award portfolio of six annual grants (up to $1,000 each) and two $1,000 graduate scholarships (James R. Welch for invertebrate paleontology; Charles H. Sternberg for vertebrate paleontology) funded by donations and corporate sponsors for researchers and educators worldwide.
• Sample Collecting Contract Sample legal contract template for academic and commercial collectors engaging with private landowners, provided to members for modification and attorney review.
• Photo Scale Waterproof artificial paper photo scales with inch, centimeter, and millimeter gradations, distributed in new-member welcome packets and at gem shows to provide size reference in fossil photography.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 160 professional paleontological businesses listed in the annual AAPS Fossil Dealers Guide
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Friends of Lyme Regis MuseumminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 24 March 2026AAPS is strongly advocating for support from the paleontology community for a charity fundraiser benefiting the Friends of Lyme Regis Museum in Dorset, UK. The museum, built on Mary Anning's former home site, is raising funds to bid on a rare Anning letter and signature at auction.
• Jason Cooper (AAPS Member)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 July 2024Jason Cooper, an AAPS member, excavated and prepared the Stegosaurus specimen 'Apex' which sold for a record $44.6 million at Sotheby's in July 2024. AAPS recognized Cooper's achievement as a positive outcome demonstrating the value of commercial paleontology to science.
• John and Tracie Bennitt (PaleoBond)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJohn and Tracie Bennitt took over day-to-day operations of PaleoBond in 2012 and have continued Bill Mason's legacy of providing fossil adhesives and stabilizers to the paleontology community. PaleoBond products are integral to fossil preparation workflows of AAPS members.
• Science Museum of MinnesotaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBill Mason volunteered at the Science Museum of Minnesota for nearly 55 years, serving as preparator, collector, and docent. PaleoBond products were developed to serve museum preparation needs, including those of this institution.
• National Academy of SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAAPS conforms to the recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences Report on Paleontological Collecting, and this framework informs its Code of Ethics, which members agree to in writing.
• Triebold PaleontologyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMike Triebold of Triebold Paleontology invited Bill Mason to join dinosaur digs and co-founded the annual 'Beer Week' gathering of paleontologists. Mike Triebold received the Charles H. Sternberg Medal in 2019. John and Tracie Bennitt (PaleoBond) also have connections with Triebold Paleontology.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bone Clones: Manufacturer of osteological and paleontological replicas serving museums, educators, and collectors; an AAPS business member and direct peer as a commercial supplier in the fossil trade ecosystem AAPS represents.
• Black Hills Institute of Geological Research: Co-founded by Neal Larson (now AAPS board member) and a founding AAPS member itself; a leading commercial paleontological preparation and supply company that is part of AAPS's business membership base and the broader fossil-dealer ecosystem AAPS organizes.
• Triebold Paleontology: Commercial paleontology company specializing in fossil preparation, casting, and skeleton mounting; Sternberg Medal recipient Mike Triebold is closely tied to AAPS and PaleoBond/AAPS social ecosystem, functioning as a peer commercial member.
• GeoDecor / Lindgren Fossils: Premium fossil and decorator specimen dealers (Tom Lindgren, Anthony Lindgren) who are prominent AAPS members and multiple-time PaleoBond Lab Coat / AAPS Advocate recipients; a direct peer commercial member within AAPS's dealer directory.
• Heritage Auctions (Natural History): Major auction house handling record-breaking fossil sales including the $44.6M Stegosaurus Apex; explicitly listed as an AAPS business member and is a key B2B channel where commercial paleontology inventory is monetized.

Broad incumbents

• International Palaeontological Association (IPA): Global scientific organization coordinating paleontological research, conferences (IPC), and publications; comparable to AAPS in mission to promote paleontology internationally but is academic/government-affiliated rather than commercial-focused.
• Paleontological Society: International nonprofit scientific association for paleontology with a broader academic membership base (researchers, educators, students) and journal (Journal of Paleontology); overlaps with AAPS in education, grants, and member services but does not represent commercial dealers.
• Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (SVP): The preeminent international scientific society for vertebrate paleontology; SVP is similar to AAPS in convening an annual meeting, publishing a peer-reviewed journal (JVP), and administering awards/grants to paleontologists, but it focuses on the academic/research side whereas AAPS bridges commercial dealers with academics.

Others

• PaleoBond (Uncommon Conglomerates, Inc.): Manufacturer of fossil preparation adhesives and stabilizers whose founder Bill Mason's lab coat is the centerpiece of AAPS's annual fundraising auction; a strategic supplier/ecosystem partner to AAPS members rather than a direct peer.

Emerging players

• Gem, Lapidary, and Mineral Society of America (GLMS): A nonprofit hobbyist society for mineral/fossil collectors with overlapping membership profile to AAPS General Members; comparable in dues-funded nonprofit structure and club-level engagement but focused on lapidary/minerals rather than commercial paleontology.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/AAPSPaleo
• Instagraminstagram.com/aapspaleo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Association of Applied Paleontological Sciences