Fossil Dig 2010
Update 30 June 2010
We had a thunderstorm last night after a searing hot day in the field at the Tinker site. I did not write the blog entry because of the power fluctuations. I was afraid I might lose my work, so that is my excuse. The following is a brief re-cap of the day.
Dig. Dig. Pick. Dig. Dig. Pick. Dig. Drink water. Dig. Pick. Dig. Dig. Eat lunch. Dig. Pick. Dig. Drink water. Pick. Dig. Drink water. Rest in the shade. The team spent the day on the site doing variations on this theme. Some spent more time in the shade than others. Some chatted while leaning on shovels or sitting on the dirt. Some worked all day. I think you get the picture.
The team was divided into quadrants to work down the overburden. At some point Steve designated a small section as a test site and they lowered it further than the others to try to determine if there was fossil material in it. By mid afternoon the temperature was hovering around 95 and the humidity was building with very little breeze. The team was hot and tired and the work pace had slowed measurably. Wisely, Steve called quitting time around 3:30.
The site had more visitors including another of Ron's lawyers (Jane) and two of her sons. As we were getting our gear together to prospect for an hour (Steve gave us permission), Ron called us over to an unfamiliar truck to meet Cliff and Sandy Linster. They are famous for many dinosaur discoveries including Bambiraptor and Maiasaurus. Cliff stepped out of the truck to speak with us and he is vibrant and enthusiastic about fossil collecting and dinosaurs. He showed us fabulous photos of the dinosaurs he has discovered and how they have been mounted for display at the Childrens Museum of Indianapolis and the American Museum of Natural History. It was truly a thrill to get to meet them.
We decided to drive closer to the formation we collected the day before and gather the Triceratops frill we had seen. I located the frill and gathered and wrapped the pieces in foil for cleaning after I get home. It is going to be a challenging puzzle. There are a few pieces the size of the palm of a hand, but the majority are much smaller. In addition, I found one small fragment of ossified tendon. In some species this was part of the anatomy that helped support the tail. I am not sure if it had the same purpose in the Ceratopsians. Will do some research on that.
Since we were hot and tired and sore, we headed back to the car and drove to the market for dinner supplies. Back at the motel we had very welcome hot showers and a quick dinner. The thunderstorm was dramatic...lots of lightening and thunder and rain. (Some concern for the site since nothing was tarped) I had a wonderful long talk with Walt and then did some stretches before retiring. Tomorrow promised to be more of the same, with the hope that the bone layer would be revealed. The novelty is beginning to wear thin, for some.
Cheers,
Christine, Momasaurus
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