Connecting paleosciences and society: How Wikimedia platforms facilitate global engagement with the Messel Pit's scientific dimensions

A presentation given at the Messel 2025 Conference in Frankfurt on 11 December 2025. A copy of this file is also available on Wikimedia Commons, and the abstract has been published in the conference proceedings.

Abstract:

As we commemorate the anniversaries of the Messel Pit’s scientific discovery, systematic excavation, and UNESCO World Heritage designation, this talk examines how digital knowledge-sharing platforms - particularly Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, and Wikidata - shape public understanding of this unparalleled fossil site. These open-access resources serve as critical bridges between scientific research and global audiences, transcending language barriers, disciplinary silos, and geographic limitations.

Through detailed case studies and building on experiences with both paleontological research [1] and partnerships between Wikimedia and expert communities [2], we explore how Wikimedia projects document Messel-related topics across the conference’s seven key themes. We assess the strengths of current coverage - such as Wikipedia articles in dozens of languages, richly annotated entries in the Wikidata knowledge graph, and detailed illustrations on Wikimedia Commons - while identifying gaps, including uneven representation of non-English content, inconsistencies in technical accuracy, and underutilized opportunities for expert collaboration. 

A central focus is the dynamic interplay between academic specialists and the Wikimedia community in curating reliable, up-to-date content. We highlight successful partnerships, such as museum-led edit-a-thons and researcher contributions to Wikidata, and propose scalable strategies to further enrich these platforms. By fostering stronger ties between paleontologists, cultural heritage institutions, and open-knowledge communities, the Messel Pit’s scientific dimensions can reach broader audiences, help inspire future research, and remain an enduring resource for education and public engagement. 

Keywords: science communication, science education, expert-public collaboration, digital
public sphere, knowledge dissemination

References:
[1] Mietchen et al. (2008) Three-dimensional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of fossils across taxa. Biogeosciences, 5, 25–41, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-5-25-2008 .
[2] Mietchen et al. (2021) Developing a scalable framework for partnerships between health agencies and the Wikimedia ecosystem. Research Ideas and Outcomes 7: e68121, https://doi.org/10.3897/rio.7.e68121 .

The conference participation was supported by Wikimedia Deutschland.