2017 public fossil digs - north dakota...we are excited to announce another year of public fossil...

Weareexcitedtoannounceanotheryearofpublicfossildigs,whichprovideopportunitiesforpeopletojoinusinthefieldtohelpdis-coverNorthDakota’spast.Budgetconstraintshaveresultedincutbackstothenumberofpublicfossildigswewillofferinthesummerof2017,buttherearestillthreeexcitinglocationsfromwhichtochoose.Allfossildigsarefree,thoughafullyrefundabledepositof$10perpersonisrequiredtoholdyourspot.Aquicknote,whiledinosaursmaybethefirstthingthatcomestomindwhenyouthink“fossil dig,”mostofourdigsarenotdinosauroriented. Only theBismarckAreadigmaycontaindinosaurs.Formoreinformationonthesedigspleasevisithttps://www.dmr.nd.gov/ndfossil/digs/.

Dickinson Area, June 26-30: Thisdigfocuseson30-to40-million-year-oldmammalsitesandinvolvesprospectingfornewfossils,sobringyourhikingboots.WemeetinBismarckeachday,thencara-vantothesitesouthofDickinson.Alternatively,ifyouarealreadyintheDickinsonarea,youcanmeetusthere.Iftheweatherdoesnotcooperate,wewillhavespacesforpeoplebackinourpaleontologylab inBismarck toworkon fossilpreparationandcleaning. Maxi-mumof10participantsperday.Minimumageis12years;partici-pantsunder18musthaveanaccompanyingadult.Youmustprovideyourowntransportation,food,andlodging(ifneeded),butalltoolsforthedaywillbeprovided.

Medora, July 13-16: Afternon-aviandinosaurswentextinct,crocodilesbecamethedominantpredator inNorthDakota,and theenvironmentturnedswampy.InMedora,wewillbedigginginSentinelButteFormationrocks,55-60millionyearsold.ThisNorth

Dakotaevergladesenvironmentincludesavarietyofswampdeni-zens,includingcrocodiles,champsosaurs,giantsalamanders,fish,clams,snails,birds,mammals,andmore.TheruggedbadlandsinthenearbyTheodoreRooseveltNationalParkmayalsobeadrawforthosenotinterestedindigginginthedirt.Youwillbestayinginonespotworkingatanestablishedfossilquarry.Maximumof14participantsperday.Minimumageis12years;participantsunder18musthaveanaccompanyingadult.TherewillalsobeafamilydigdayonJuly15thwhenchildren10andoldercanattend.Fam-ilydayisdividedintoamorningandanafternoonsession,soyoucansignupforwhicheverbestfitsyourschedule,orbothifyouwouldliketojoinusallday.TransportationfromandtoMedorawillbeprovided.Youmustprovideyourownwaterandlunches.Ashadetent,port-a-potty,andalltoolsneededforthedaywillbeprovided.

Bismarck Area, July 24-28:WewillbeworkingatahandfulofsitesonthebluffsoverlookingtheMissouriRiverthatpreserveaplethoraofHellCreekcreatures. TeethfromTyrannosaurus,bones from Triceratops and Edmontosaurus,pluscrocodilesandothercreaturesabound. Thisexperiencewill includeacombi-nationofhikingaroundtodiscovernewfossilsandsittingandworkingtoexcavateatknownsitesdependingonhowtheweekgoes. If theweatherdoesnotcooperate,wewillhavespacesfor people back in our paleontology lab in Bismarck to work on fossilpreparationandcleaning.Maximumof10participantsperday.Minimumageis12years;participantsunder18musthaveanaccompanyingadult.Youmustprovideyourowntransporta-tion,food,andlodging(ifneeded),butalltoolsforthedaywillbeprovided.

2017 Public Fossil Digs

16 GEO NEWS