Paleo Lab Thursday 12.1.16

Hi there! I hope everyone had a yummy Thanksgiving! Welcome back to our blog. 

Today was Paleo Lab Day and we have some picture updates for you! (Remember you can click them and make them bigger.)

 Jodie had an extra hour between our last update so this first picture is of her fossil. This is how it looked when we started today. Pretty great!

Jodie 2:00pm start.

When we arrived today at the lab Rick taught us a bit about a new scribe which has an ability to be incredibly accurate in removal of matrix. With this new tool in hand, we made significant progress.

New Scribe Tool

The new tool is thinner and lighter in weight. It is quieter than the others we had been accustomed to and much much sharper.

Jodie- 12.1.16 Scribe progress in 2 hour time block.

It has given us the chance to move significantly faster and with far more precision. The down side being that it is easier to leave tool marks on the fossils now, so we are extra cautious!

Jodie- 12.1.16 4:00pm Close-up right side of her fossil cleaned by the new air-scribe.

Sara- 12.1.16 4:49pm Cleaned by the new air-scribe.

Sara- 12.1.16 4:49pm Closeup .

Needless to say, we are thrilled. The image below is a collection of Diplodocus caudal vertebra, or tail vertebra. They are similar to those of this Barosaurus and should give some reference to the shape of the fossils we are currently uncovering.

Tschopp and Mateus (2016: fig. 1). More anterior of the only two reasonably complete caudal vertebrae of the type specimen of Diplodocus longus (YPM 1920) in dorsal (A), anterior (B), left (C), posterior (D), right (E), and ventral (F) views. The neural spine is lost. The estimated position within the caudal column is caudal vertebra 17â24. Note the transverse ridge between the prezygapophyses shared with AMNH 223 (1).

Can't wait to get back in there next week and see what we uncover! Thanks for stopping in!