Fossil Fever

              Dr. Bakker’s presentation on mass extinctions Ever wonder why large animals such as the dinosaurs and wooly mammoths became extinct while small animals like tiny prehistoric mammals and pond turtles survived? A size comparison of the modern day elephant, wooly mammoth and the columbian mammoth (the species found at the Waco site) The excursion group learns about the features of the Columbian Mammoth as well as the story behind the site yet to see Entering the building enclosed site, a life size Columbian mammoth mural awaits to greet you. The edifice built around the site is air conditioned and kept at a constant temperature all year long to help preserve the site and bones. The building around the site is also impermeable, thanks to the construction design, to floods that could cause potential damage to the bones. 

  Saturday, March 31st, 2011 Lysorophus: Permian (287 million years ago) burrowing carnivorous amphibian. They would estivate to escape the heat and the dry season. At this site they are found varying in shape and size, curled up in half donut looking burrows. Lung fish and a jaw (may be sillerpeton or Phlegethontia) in same area.  Lysorophus skeletons curled inside semi-donut shaped burrows The first bone found at site Area 51 was actually a neural spine bit from a larger amphibian called Eryops, a carnivore with primitive ear drums. The piece of neural spine was approximately two inches long, lying completely exposed on the east side of Area 51. I spotted the neural spine on my way back to join Dr. Bakker after visiting an "Adventure Bush". Many other bone bits from Eryops were found with the neural spine. A bit further from the Eryops remains appeared to be rocks scattered all over the hill. After taking a closer look, each of these rocks were full of

3-10-11 First day of the Spring Break dig in Seymour, Texas. Arrived Thursday and Dr. Bakker and Kathy are with us (my mom and I) We went out prospecting for bones. I found a fossilized fern tree and got to name the site! I did not know what to call it but it became known as “Apple”.                     My mom found the first two bones of the day and named her new site “Nutmeg” (After our dog). We went back to the cars for lunch and spent some time skipping rocks across a small lake. Dr. Bakker taught me how to pick and skip rocks!       The four of us went to a new area we had never been before. I found part of a dimetrodon rib that resembled porcelain. Dr. Bakker found more of the porcelain bone while I found a bit of neural spine (porcelain style). It was a specific kind of dimetrodon because the spine was shaped like a figure 8. Kathy helped with the name of the site and it was decided to be called the “Lazy 8”    Eve's R