27 Experts Dig into Science, Bone Count Tops 4,000
A group of 27 scientists has joined the 50-person dig team at
the Ice Age fossil site near Snowmass Village. With one week left
in the dig at Ziegler Reservoir, the fossil excavation is
accelerating to its completion. Crews from the Denver Museum of
Nature & Science have now pulled 4,056 fossils from the site
since work resumed this spring.
"While much of our activity has centered around salvaging fossils
from the core of the dam site, we are now entering a phase of
intense scientific investigation about the origin of the Ice Age
lake and its history," said Dr. Kirk Johnson, the leader of the
excavation team and vice president of the Research and Collections
Division at the Museum.
The scientists are among 37 experts from 15 institutions in the
United States, Canada, Spain, and England who are involved in the
project and whose work will make the most of the site's scientific
potential. Their onsite activities include collecting cores of
sediment from the ancient lake bed, studying the sediment that
fills the ancient lake, making high-resolution scans of in-place
fossils, and collecting various samples for analysis.
SEDIMENT CORES
"Sediment cores are a very important way for us to sample the
complete sequence of lake sediments and preserve them for future
research," said Johnson. "They are a critical piece of the science
that can be archived and studied for climate information such as
temperature changes and drought."
A small drill rig, operated by scientists from the U.S. Geological
Survey offices in Lakewood, Colorado, is drilling 20 to 30 feet
into the sediment and pulling cores that are two inches in diameter
so scientists can access and study all the sediment layers that
accumulated in the ancient lake. These cores will first be studied
in Denver and then move to the University of Minnesota where they
will be permanently stored at the National Lacustrine Core
Facility. Funded by the National Science Foundation, this facility
was established in 2000 to archive high-quality sediment cores from
lakes all around the world and make them available for
research.
HIGH RESOLUTION SCANS
A team from the Colorado Water Science Center is collecting LIDAR
ground laser scans of select fossils. These scans are precise to
within a few millimeters and will allow scientists to reconstruct
parts of the site with high resolution 3D models. These scans are
particularly useful for mapping areas where numerous fossils occur
together and where this information may shed light on the burial
history of the fossils. For example, the team has located a portion
of the ancient lake shoreline, which contains a partial mastodon
skeleton interlocked with driftwood logs up to 35 feet long. The
LIDAR scans provide a detailed map of the site that allows the dig
teams to document the site rapidly before continuing their
excavation.
SAMPLES
The team of scientists is also gathering thousands of samples from
the site, to study fossil pollen and spores, insects, plants, and
the character and chemistry of the lake sediment. These samples
will provide critical information about the ecology and climate of
the ancient landscape. By working together at the site, the
different specialists are able to coordinate their sampling and
assure that the scientific results will be integrated. Moving
forward, the Denver Museum of Nature & Science will serve as
the coordinating organization to ensure that the scientific team
capitalizes on the amazing opportunities presented by this sequence
of high-elevation ice age ecosystems.
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27 Experts Dig into Science, Bone Count Tops 4,000
June 24, 2011
A group of 27 scientists has joined the 50-person dig team at the
Ice Age fossil site near Snowmass Village. With one week left in
the dig at Ziegler Reservoir, the fossil excavation is accelerating
to its completion.
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