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Marmarth Research Foundation: In the Hell Creek Formation of North Dakota

Marmarth Research Foundation: In the Hell Creek formation of North Dakota

Palatobaena cohen
Turtle Graveyard Excavation, 2006
Hell Creek Formation

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Palatobaena cohen

<em>Triceratops</em> squamosal

Triceratops squamosal
Homer
2005

I have had some pretty exciting moments working in the entertainment business, but few can compare to standing on an 18-inch ledge, 75 feet in the air...digging a Torosaurus out of the side of a hill.

Steve Cohen
Retired Broadway Producer

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Mosasaur

Mosasaur pelvis and back paddle
An articulated pelvis and both back paddles were uncovered.
Lou Tremblay
Lou Tremblay works around the articulated pelvis and back paddle.
Mosasaur excavation
A large crew of volunteers worked on the Mosasaur excavation.
Tom Tucker
Tom Tucker guides the Bobcat into place to flip the field jackets.
Large field jackets
The Mosasaur was taken out in two large field jackets. The jackets were reinforced with steel rods and 2X4's.
Float material
A number of Mosasaur vertebrae were found on the surface.
Removing the excess field jacket
An angle grinder was used to trim the flipped field jacket.
Flipped field jackets
Once the jackets were flipped, matrix from the bottom was removed to reduce the weight of the field jacket and the excess jacket, including the rebar rods, were cut away.
Articulated tail vertebrae
Over 80 vertebrae, many of which were articulated, were uncovered at the Mosasaur site.
Jacket retrieval
Ranse used the Bobcat to load the two large jackets onto a trailer.
Brett Woodward
Preparator Brett Woodward works around a series of articulated tail vertebrae.
Mosasaur back paddle
Volunteers uncovered an articulated hind paddle at the Mosasaur site.
Flipped field jacket
A novel technique was used to collect the field jackets. Holes were drilled underneath the jacket and rebar was inserted and jacketed into each hole creating a metal cage underneath the jacket.
The crew
A large crew worked on the Mosasaur site.