Parque Natural Mexiquillo

8.17.2012

Triceratops Dig II


Pat is an expert fossil collector and camp cook for all of Barbara's digs

This is Pat's truck. Pat has attitude in spades



These are macro fossils that Pat collected from ant hills. These fossils tell you what the paleo-environment was 65 million years ago. In this case there are turtle & amphibian bones/teeth and fish scales. This was a coastal environment much like the Louisiana coast of today. Pat has a very trained eye to be able to pick these fossils out all the small rocks on the ant hill


Mike is creating a site map


After the bones are exposed, you dig down around the bones leaving about 4 fingers width of matrix around the bones. 



Next comes the toilet paper. Lots of TP. You put is on wet and push it into all the nooks and carnies. The TP make it easy to separate the bones from the plaster jacket.


All TPed and ready for plaster


Burlap soaked in plaster is next applied to the top and sides.


Identification comes next 
Some of the bones with their top jackets

Next the bones are under cut so you get a mushroom type shape. Then you roll it and hope the bones don't fall out the bottom.


Rock is removed from the bottom until you reach bone.


Then the bottom is jacketed. 

The large and fragile frill gets extra attention and support from 2x2 lumber added to the jacket. 



All hands on deck for the flip. A complete success

This Triceratops horn, not from our dino, was found a short distance away.  


Very carefully exposing the horn

This is the tip of the horn and about a 1/4 of the full length.


A great time was had by all. 



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