After the thunderstorm left behind a double rainbow, which coincidentally lined up with our porta-potties, we resumed the digging at a site in the Little Snowy Mountains of Montana (about 2.5 hrs north of Billings). The site was discovered a few years ago by a rancher who was sharp enough to realize he was looking at the fossilized remains of a dinosaur. The Judith River Dinosaur Institute in Billings was contacted, and Nate Murphy headed up a team of interns and volunteers to initiate the dig. The rancher had stumbled upon the remains of a 100 million year+ sauropod along with a number of stegosaurs. I joined the team for a week in the field, helping excavate the area surrounding the original find.
The mystery of the site is that all these dinosaurs died in the same place at the same time. There is no evidence of any other fossil remains, suggesting that no other lifeform inhabited the area, which is unique in the world of paleontology. Other little critters are always present... but not at this site. What I came across was a small fossilized bone fragment, often referred to as a 'floater,' a specimen likely not belonging to any of the creatures at the site, but one that may have floated into the site. The wear pattern on this floater suggests a smoothing caused by running water, which is in direct contradiction to the current view that these animals died as a result of harsh conditions (even poisoned water) due to drought. The floater suggests running water, which simple deepens the mystery.
The experience of digging out a dinosaur was incredible and provided me a deep appreciation for what it takes to recover such fossils. The Judith River program invites folks from all walks of life to join their annual digs and I highly recommend them.
The mystery of the site is that all these dinosaurs died in the same place at the same time. There is no evidence of any other fossil remains, suggesting that no other lifeform inhabited the area, which is unique in the world of paleontology. Other little critters are always present... but not at this site. What I came across was a small fossilized bone fragment, often referred to as a 'floater,' a specimen likely not belonging to any of the creatures at the site, but one that may have floated into the site. The wear pattern on this floater suggests a smoothing caused by running water, which is in direct contradiction to the current view that these animals died as a result of harsh conditions (even poisoned water) due to drought. The floater suggests running water, which simple deepens the mystery.
The experience of digging out a dinosaur was incredible and provided me a deep appreciation for what it takes to recover such fossils. The Judith River program invites folks from all walks of life to join their annual digs and I highly recommend them.
