Geosciences in Alaska (cont.)(page 2 of 3) |
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its cool river
and a terrific, though challenging, hike shared with a flock of Dall sheep.
The road trip ended at Deadhorse, just south of the Arctic Ocean, where
the group traveled on to the Colville River site via a small bush plane. Joining other
faculty and staff from UAF who had arrived earlier, the teachers immediately
fell into the field routine. Each day they piled into the motorboat and
took the short trip to the Liscomb Bone Bed, where they spent the day
sprawled in various positions in order to excavate the quarry to which
they had been assigned. Excavation included working within a meter by
meter
 Teachers Phil Wharton, Janet Alpert, Peg Dabel, and Rena Cutright (left to right) busy at work excavating their quarry. |
site, carefully documenting the position of every fossil, making
measurements, identifying and extracting each fossil, and then labeling
and packaging the fossil for its trip back to UAF.The Liscomb Bone
Bed is named for Shell Oil Co. geologist Robert Liscomb, who discovered
a collection of fossilized bones and bone fragments in 1961. More than
20 years passed before a joint scientific team from the U.S. Geological
Survey, the UCMP and the UA Museum launched a full research program. UAF
has expanded this research to include further evaluation of the original
bone beds, discovery of the first dinosaur trackways, the first pachyrhinosaur
bone bed, and the first evidence of a pachycephalosaur. The work this
particular season was part of a taphonomic study—a detailed analysis
of the fossilization process in order to determine the circumstances under
which these dinosaurs met their demise. The days were long andshowers
became just a fond memory, but spirits remained high. Even the challenges
of the Arctic weather (nearly 90 degrees on one day and snow flurries
only five days later) did not dampen the determination to get the job
done. There were also causes for celebration—the occasional DEET-free
day when the winds kept the mosquitoes at bay, the appearance of fresh
fish for dinner, a birthday, and some exceptional fossil finds, including
a possible insect wing. Nonetheless, when the three Army Chinook
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