Paleontology: Can You Dig It? Days 2-3

Dinictis

Day 2

Today we learned a lot about fossils . we went and dug fossils in the bad lands. We went up the monument and went on a hike down. We saw a bull snake. We met a park ranger name A.J. our group dug up a fossil that was descoved 4 years ago and we finished the job. The fossil was a 32 million year old land tortoise shell. we made plaster and put it on the shell to get it out with out breaking it.

 Dinictis group carefully removing a 32 million year old tortoise shell

Using chisels to remove the dirt from around the tortoise shell

Day 3

Today we dug up micro fossils. We figured out which  fossils were what.  We had to have partners to dig up fossils. We made our own dinosaurs. We made posters about how not to steal fossils. We also chiseled off the extra rock on the fossils. We went on the gps to find location numbers. We played lots of games and we made casts out of plaster.

Lonesome Georges (the giant tortoise)

Our second day of camp we went to the badlands to excavate fossils. After digging a trench around the fossil, we covered the fossil with toilet paper then with plaster.

Then we ate lunch. A park ranger talked to us about why we needed to protect the Monument’s fossils. We also took a long hike down the monument while another ranger talked to us about the layers of the monument and how they represent what happened long ago.

 

Day 3

This morning we worked on getting the dirt off of the jacketed fossils. After that we poured plaster fossils. We played fossil tag then no laugh game. We screened for micro fossils. We made “Anti fossil theft” posters. This afternoon we made our own dinosaurs. We are going to do a global positioning system scavenger hunt this afternoon. 

 The Lonesome Georges screening for microfossils

Paleocastors (digging beavers) Can you dig it!?!?     

On Tuesday we dug fossils in the bad lands of Nebraska. We were assigned to work on a giant turtle shell. I collected an Oreodont finger bone and Sal got some turtle shell fragments.  Later we went to Scott’s Bluff National Monument. We first listened to a presentation from a protection ranger. Then we hiked all the way down.  Next we looked at some off-site fossils. We also did a timeline in geographic time like eons and periods, etc. Today we dug some microfossils and made our own prehistoric creatures.

 Examining fossil fragments collected in the badlands

Syndyocerous

Yesterday we went to the badlands. The bones we got to dig up were an oreodont jaw, and two turtle shells. To dig up these fossils we used chisels, brushes, hooks and hammers. We also found fossilized burrows. The reason we had to be careful with the fossils was because we didn’t want them to break. They were so fragile because they were millions of years old. After we were done digging, we wetted toilet paper and set it on the fossil. Then we put medical tape on it to form a plaster.

After digging up fossils, we went back to the monument and listened to one of the rangers speak about why we shouldn’t take fossils. We don’t want to take fossils because the fossils belong to everyone. After the seminar, we played a timeline game, that showed the different stages of earth and what was created in those time periods. We then went inside to look at fossils. We looked at turtle shells and other fossilized parts.

 Syndyocerous working on digging out fossils at the badlands helped by Shane Tucker (NE Dept. of Roads)

Day 3

 The first thing we talked about was rocks and gems with Le Roy. Any crack in rocks can be filled with minerals.

Titanothere 

Day 2-3

                                                     

We went to badlands and dug up fossils and bring back a turtle shell.

We dug for microfossils in soft sand it was fun.

We had a good time walking down the monument on saddlerock trail.

We made plaster casts today.

There was a bull snake in the tree.

 Fossilized titanothere jawbone.