tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457085236381362712024-03-08T00:19:44.849-08:00Strange Woman Standing in Mud, Looking at BirdsPaleontology, life in the sciences, and a pinch of humor.Lisa Buckleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05999611419393598550noreply@blogger.comBlogger106125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1545708523638136271.post-70243419936670754612018-09-05T13:07:00.002-07:002018-09-05T13:07:42.534-07:00I'm Moving...To a New Website!Hello Dear Readers!<br />
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I have finally created <a href="https://lisagbuckley.com/" target="_blank">my professional website</a>!<br />
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On my site, you will see what is essentially my curriculum vitae, or CV. I outline my work experience, my and coauthors' publications (I still need to attach downloadable PDFs), and my portfolio of Bird Glamour images and videos.<br />
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I am also moving this blog over to my new website! My blog is as much a part of my professional communication activities as is my publication record. I also like having all of my activities under one digital roof, so to speak. This will be my last post for the foreseeable future at this site, but the old posts will still be here!<br />
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My Twitter contacts generously shared their experiences and recommendations on their websites of choice for constructing their own professional web pages. Based on their recommendations I chose Wordpress, and so far I am quite pleased with its performance and layout.<br />
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If you are thinking of constructing a professional or personal website and are unsure where to start, here's the tweet (and resulting thread) where I received all of my recommendations.<br />
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Hello Tweeps! I need to make a personal website for myself (work, FAQs, CV, etc.) Can you recommend websites that you use for this purpose?</div>
— Dr. Lisa Buckley 🦃🐾 (@Lisavipes) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lisavipes/status/974852504004452352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Join me over at my new blog site <a href="https://lisagbuckley.com/blog-birds-in-mud/" target="_blank">Birds in Mud</a>! Hope to see you there!Lisa Buckleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05999611419393598550noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1545708523638136271.post-84990616708330961252018-07-21T17:11:00.001-07:002018-07-21T17:11:42.228-07:00Favorite Sci-Fi Movies: THEM!Hello Dear Readers!<br />
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I've made it no secret that I watch plenty of movies and TV programs. Familiar movies and TV shows are less distracting for me than listening to music while I am writing. Audiobooks are right out when I'm writing: it feels like the mental equivalent of trying to drink a glass of water and talk at the same time.<br />
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I enjoy classic monster and science fiction movies. Thing From Another World (also John Carpenter's The Thing, which is awesome on its own and compliments "Who Goes There?," the novella on which the movies are based), The Day The Earth Stood Still (I have not yet viewed the remake...according to my mom, I need not bother), War of the Worlds (I watched the remake: ten minutes in and I was cheering for the aliens to hurry up and take over humanity), and Beast from 20,000 Fathoms: they are all part of our household's go-to movie selections.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-y1-9h-R6W-d5ug5a9rW7NC78ItOb64n0SCFFDmLXNzlmf7FkqdoCdO1Exw96l4L3upW3eQxgvGXsWcE7EkFFUNLXf_abqmKcgemZSd81Ba0cSn-xktmEZSOjQV8KCtAk09AO8QaHsGd6/s1600/painting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="190" data-original-width="266" height="457" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-y1-9h-R6W-d5ug5a9rW7NC78ItOb64n0SCFFDmLXNzlmf7FkqdoCdO1Exw96l4L3upW3eQxgvGXsWcE7EkFFUNLXf_abqmKcgemZSd81Ba0cSn-xktmEZSOjQV8KCtAk09AO8QaHsGd6/s640/painting.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Original monster and science fiction movies (left) and what the remakes show me (right). Image is of "Ecce Homo," by 19th-century painter Elías García Martínez on the walls of the church of Santuario de Misericordia before (left) and after (right) the unsanctioned "restoration" by Cecilia Gimenez.</td></tr>
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My all-time favorite classic monster sci-fi movie is THEM!, a black-and-white monster movie released by Warner Bros. Studios in 1954.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh5QMsEK7rU3eSlQ7jPipoPPdIDpsavbwqsyVMCJDzH3OyNGov15tZhLU70ioWzDiqyF0657tMHPBTc5XeT0BAMVzCiBZRwuGsKzuJaV9Ow5LlSp-1CCTA9KyHYUhrzb8_BjLuPjGg3FrD/s1600/Them02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="393" data-original-width="254" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh5QMsEK7rU3eSlQ7jPipoPPdIDpsavbwqsyVMCJDzH3OyNGov15tZhLU70ioWzDiqyF0657tMHPBTc5XeT0BAMVzCiBZRwuGsKzuJaV9Ow5LlSp-1CCTA9KyHYUhrzb8_BjLuPjGg3FrD/s400/Them02.jpg" width="257" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Movie poster for THEM! (1954).</td></tr>
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My great-aunt Molly (the aunt who got me interested in paleontology) had an extensive movie collection, including science fiction and horror. You would not picture a rather proper, senior British woman who had very definite ideas about what it was to be "lady-like" having the entire run of the Halloween movies. Before I had seen THEM!, Molly regaled Child Me with the more chilling scenes from the movie while I listened with rapt attention.<br />
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I'm going to nerd out over all of the ways in which I love THEM! I'll also point out the areas where I think that, if the movie were to be remade, that would make it better (in my not-so-humble opinion).<br />
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Without further ado, here are the two main reasons that THEM! is my favorite black-and-white sci-fi monster movie of all time!<br />
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1. ICHNOLOGY!<br />
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Much to my chagrin, it was difficult to find a decent image of the ichnology involved in THEM! online. Oh dear me, I had to actually watch the movie to create this blog post. It was a trial for me, Dear Readers, to watch this movie yet again, but for you I completed this great labor. (Tee with a side of Hee.)<br />
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We start THEM! by following two New Mexico State police officers on their route to investigate a patrol plane report of a shocked and non-responsive little girl wandering glaze-eyed through the desert in her pyjamas. On tracing the girl's origins to a camper trailer, we see that it was torn to pieces from the outside-in, no money or valuables were stolen, blood on shredded clothing and her family missing. The officers noticed a strange mark outside of the trailer. They start thinking about what could have made that enigmatic mark in the sand. Was it a bobcat? We don't know! Welcome to ichnology!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8mWBKDYLOgxGQkh2R49uVswq7IWD5osCAJ1DZVnnBDLFjPeJJCjJONunQ_YhR7KdDggalFK0oMuCU8zue8O1ANQMwL75NxOV-eOo46EQ3p4SB4tnAjoGQIrY6dHTrhIAhxJ0Q9PllaKH4/s1600/THEM+footprint+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="758" data-original-width="1140" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8mWBKDYLOgxGQkh2R49uVswq7IWD5osCAJ1DZVnnBDLFjPeJJCjJONunQ_YhR7KdDggalFK0oMuCU8zue8O1ANQMwL75NxOV-eOo46EQ3p4SB4tnAjoGQIrY6dHTrhIAhxJ0Q9PllaKH4/s400/THEM+footprint+1.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Minute 7:20 in to THEM! where we first see the mystery mark. The New Mexico State Patrol is quite right: no bobcat made this mark.</td></tr>
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A larger team arrived to investigate the trailer-crime scene. A member of the forensic team is seen dusting sand away from a white substance that was applied to the mystery track in soft sand using...a putty knife. Ideally, they would have gently misted the surface with water, and then poured a very thin consistency plaster into the track. If these tracks can be destroyed by wind, guaranteed that smooshing putty-consistency plaster into the track will do just as much damage.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcRZv9dCf0gOXCNsqH3gd0bERL0BUHY4e3Co5x5GEDfGcafh36FugFNWmoU-VKkX5OfCkI5MrDcJvpRoxcqI1wLmH0vTzNIqw4cCgdhkGDuworFDFhMyGERFicz_3CA-yQm1nPpkX6QK60/s1600/Plaster+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="618" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcRZv9dCf0gOXCNsqH3gd0bERL0BUHY4e3Co5x5GEDfGcafh36FugFNWmoU-VKkX5OfCkI5MrDcJvpRoxcqI1wLmH0vTzNIqw4cCgdhkGDuworFDFhMyGERFicz_3CA-yQm1nPpkX6QK60/s400/Plaster+1.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">8:35 mark in THEM!, where the forensic team is smooshing a thick plaster into the very soft sand. This is not the standard operating procedure for making neoichnology casts.</td></tr>
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Other than the consistency of the plaster, this is really no different than how I collect neoichnology, a.k.a. present-day track samples...<br />
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<b>[WARNING SIRENS SOUNDING]</b> <b>ICHNOLOGIST'S RANT:</b> Do not ever, EVER, pour any kind of plaster into a fossil track. There are likely exceptions to this but those are case-by-case instances, and the action would have to be overseen by an experienced paleontologist. Every year (Every. Dang. Year.) I hear about fossil tracks on public lands that are irreversibly damaged by someone using plaster. Check out this article about the <a href="http://www.eartharchives.org/articles/the-skye-dinosaur-footprint-vandal-lessons-for-assault-on-us-national-monuments/" target="_blank">tracks on Scotland's Dinosaur Isle</a>, and <a href="https://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/moab-dinosaur-tracks-found-vandalized/article_160ded38-4f5c-53a3-9bc4-aeff3afb5f9e.html" target="_blank">a similar case near Moab in Utah</a>. I am going to be uncharacteristically* understanding and think that most people don't really want to damage the track they are trying to copy, but want a memento. I'm also going to give the benefit of the doubt and suggest that the people making these mementos believe that they are going about it the proper way. However, actions outweigh intent, and the result is that irreplaceable heritage is damaged.<br />
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*Uncharacteristic in that I've seen too many acts of selfishness regarding fossil tracks and too much lost and damaged heritage that my Benefit of the Doubt Box is empty. It's full of dust bunnies and the echoes of my quiet weeping over lost heritage.<br />
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"But Strange Woman, they rubbed Vaseline on the fossil track surface before they poured in the plaster, doesn't that protect..."<br />
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No NO NO! First, how are they going to clean the petroleum jelly off of the track when they are finished? Did they pack water? Brushes? Soap? I think not. Second, that jelly is going to catch lots of organic material. That organic material is going to attract other organic material to grow on the surface, which can speed up natural erosion. Third, the track surface is HARD. Plaster sets up HARD. Adding petroleum jelly will not help hard plaster dislodge from under hard rock undercuts, overhangs, and jagged surfaces. Here's what I have seen happen: either the plaster cast gets stuck, breaks, and the broken bits remain inside the track, or the unstable rock surface of the track breaks and pieces of the track are ripped up with the plaster cast. Please please please PLEASE leave track casting to the professionals. Support your local museums and purchase one of the track replicas they provide, which have been made with the respect and skill that our fossil heritage deserves. <b>[END ICHNOLOGIST'S RANT]</b><br />
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...and what you end up with is like a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cameo_(carving)" target="_blank">cameo engraving</a>: the replica sticks out at you, whereas the original track that you pour the plaster in to is like an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engraved_gem" target="_blank">intaglio engraving</a>, where the image is recessed into the surface. The cast is also the mirror image: what looks like a left toe is really the right toe, for example. I've long promised to do a step-by-step post (oh yes, pun completely intended) on how I make neoichnology casts: this may be my summer to finally do that post!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYoiRf8Q0sj2T07xlRw48gPru-sz7xpUkI0movy19I6Hrd7_Z3ZuInWrMpp8zG-nxSjNa_fOevfy_HB14Sr8SyqAKxcoQ_q0NZYcIXqv37oQxJ_txaiILrPArcHSBaduEydcugGZL8R768/s1600/Plaster+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="824" data-original-width="1143" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYoiRf8Q0sj2T07xlRw48gPru-sz7xpUkI0movy19I6Hrd7_Z3ZuInWrMpp8zG-nxSjNa_fOevfy_HB14Sr8SyqAKxcoQ_q0NZYcIXqv37oQxJ_txaiILrPArcHSBaduEydcugGZL8R768/s400/Plaster+2.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">9:48 mark in THEM! What do you think, Dear Readers? Should I wear a fedora whilst making plaster neoichnology replicas?</td></tr>
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The finished replica of the mystery track is shown to us when James Arness (character name Special Agent Robert/Bob Graham) is assigned to the case, as the girl's missing (and presumed dead) grandfather was a retired FBI agent. As a bit of monster movie trivia, James Arness played The Thing in "Thing From Another World," which only lost to "THEM!" as the best black-and-white monster movie of all time by an ant's antenna (a non-atomic ant's antenna).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJgLsNV2P4Th-3_iAAXjD7l_YiLtu5zN4PZINJxlWeFdWAYaTzuC-4foxZhjkczKA9vZmDwFVsBOsUEClQUdO-NY0OiBgJAy3cL01uWEtLrE1uz-eNRPJoajDvwKaYS19hBAxKzPPb_zd6/s1600/Ant+Track.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="493" data-original-width="538" height="586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJgLsNV2P4Th-3_iAAXjD7l_YiLtu5zN4PZINJxlWeFdWAYaTzuC-4foxZhjkczKA9vZmDwFVsBOsUEClQUdO-NY0OiBgJAy3cL01uWEtLrE1uz-eNRPJoajDvwKaYS19hBAxKzPPb_zd6/s640/Ant+Track.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished plaster replica of the mystery track at mark 17:50 in THEM! I can't tell from the image if the dark spots are larger grains of sand, or if they are the dreaded air bubbles that plague plaster replicas. Air bubbles are bad because they are areas that are missing surface detail.</td></tr>
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When Robert sends the track to the Bureau, and they send it along to the Department of Agriculture, it attracts the attention of two eminent vermicologists, the Doctors Medford. We would likely call the Doctors Medford entomologists nowadays, a.k.a. scientists who study insects like ants. The Doctors Medford are the second reason I consider THEM! as the best old monster sci-fi movie of all time, but we'll get to that later on in Point 2.<br />
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Once the Doctors Medford arrived on the scene and interviewed the little girl, they insisted on seeing the original crime scene, where they continued their neoichnology investigation. From the fresh track they found at the scene during a sandstorm, the Doctors Medford determined that the trackmaker was 2.5 meters in length. If you have a rough idea of what the trackmaker is (for example, the track of a theropod) the size of the track will correspond to the size. A rough calculation often used for theropod dinosaurs is that Height at the hip = 4 x Footprint Length. How the proportions would work for giant radiation-mutated ants, I do not know.<br />
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Once their hypothesis is confirmed, the Doctors Medford gave the FBI and the New Mexico State Patrol a crash-course in ant nests. Insect nests and burrows also fall into the realm of ichnology. Dr. Pat Medford spotted the nest during the aerial search.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXsBp0p_W4NWmbwYtRcEMMZcP7Xuon6o38_p5FvVZY1BfJ_IEQpLqQRADCzOZHLxX8VlMrBIzaC-bQhunTk1by-NtyXeuaXTTy9LuXk4GXo7IBlenBZm-LMppeTatKonzOfJdmZDXlFEEP/s1600/Nest+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="570" data-original-width="669" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXsBp0p_W4NWmbwYtRcEMMZcP7Xuon6o38_p5FvVZY1BfJ_IEQpLqQRADCzOZHLxX8VlMrBIzaC-bQhunTk1by-NtyXeuaXTTy9LuXk4GXo7IBlenBZm-LMppeTatKonzOfJdmZDXlFEEP/s400/Nest+1.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mark 34:02 in THEM! showing the first aerial view of the giant ant nest.</td></tr>
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See the camera with three lenses that Dr. Pat Medford is holding? That's a stereo camera. They produce paired images that can be viewed under a stereo viewer*, which our eyes and brain transform into a three-dimensional image.<br />
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*Apologies to my fellow geology majors if my mention of stereo viewers brought back horrible memories of poorly aligned topography photos and eye strain from endless hours of geology labs.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha8G7B2aGV6B3Fjev-lN66UWiOOGZs8imlHoqs7WNq0UxBIVBgPt9tMuQiNdR89fMxiXJb9j0SzryBGCJbNOdbuLUobV1guR_veYdKY_EpjLbYKh7Q8DB1zDLU7yc_GFwzBCYYU9J-Q3Rx/s1600/Stereo+camera.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="578" data-original-width="679" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha8G7B2aGV6B3Fjev-lN66UWiOOGZs8imlHoqs7WNq0UxBIVBgPt9tMuQiNdR89fMxiXJb9j0SzryBGCJbNOdbuLUobV1guR_veYdKY_EpjLbYKh7Q8DB1zDLU7yc_GFwzBCYYU9J-Q3Rx/s400/Stereo+camera.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Medford is about to document the giant ant nest with a stereo camera.</td></tr>
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Viewing tracks (and anything, really) in 3D has advanced a great deal since stereo cameras. My colleague Dr. Richard McCrea has two stereo cameras, and used to publish stereo pair images of dinosaur tracks in his scientific papers. Now he uses 3D digital images and a process called photogrammetry, <a href="https://www.blm.gov/nstc/library/pdf/TN428.pdf" target="_blank">pioneered by Neffra Matthews and Tom Noble</a>. Check out the photogrammetry images in <a href="http://birdsinmud.blogspot.com/2016/02/stubbed-toes-and-blood-owies-footprint.html" target="_blank">our work on foot injuries preserved in theropod tracks</a>!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC7XrOUqRLDzZbkFTPI4pIyxYFL8ZdHSSgJ6MkT1tFGGtHj2P6xTIbTIt3nrOS6NY-eC67fpP_8_A7bzWBekH0h0GMLBkprPepVBuJyjnE0p5Sb03LKZmjEL7VAssm2noGxqkLQGz5dO0Q/s1600/ANT.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="565" data-original-width="667" height="542" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC7XrOUqRLDzZbkFTPI4pIyxYFL8ZdHSSgJ6MkT1tFGGtHj2P6xTIbTIt3nrOS6NY-eC67fpP_8_A7bzWBekH0h0GMLBkprPepVBuJyjnE0p5Sb03LKZmjEL7VAssm2noGxqkLQGz5dO0Q/s640/ANT.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">None of my 3D photogrammetry images will ever be this exciting. Dr. Pat Medford wins for all time.</td></tr>
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Dr. Pat Medford lead the expedition into the nest and discovered that there were two queen ants that flew the coop...er...nest before the colony was gassed. It is the team's knowledge of ant ichnology that leads them to direct staff to scour the news for reports of large tunnels and strange flying objects. With that knowledge, they eventually discover the last nest in the drains under Los Angeles. Take home message: ichnology can save the day. If you are facing an attack from a Giant Whatever, get a consulting ichnologist. We'll set you on the right track (still not sorry!)<br />
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2. WOMEN IN SCIENCE!<br />
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The Doctors Medford are my favorite characters in the movie (besides the giant ants, of course). The Doctors Medford are a father-daughter team of entomologists: Dr. Harold Medford, played by Edmund Gwenn, and Dr. Pat(ricia) Medford, played by Joan Weldon.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Harold Medford (Edmund Gwenn), the father of the Doctors Medford in THEM!.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Pat Medford, the daughter of the Doctors Medford in THEM! James Arness gives us a not-so-subtle example of "The Male Gaze."</td></tr>
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I'll deal with the parts that annoy me first. The sexism that Dr. Pat Medford experiences will be tiresomely familiar to my women in STEM readers. When we are first introduced to Dr. Pat Medford, the scene is contrived so that her travel skirt gets caught on the plane ladder. Her leg gets several seconds of screen time before we ever see her face. Welcome to the movie, Male Gaze, where women are introduced to the audience using their parts rather than as people. Unfortunately, recent movies are still using this tired trope: <a href="http://msmagazine.com/blog/2015/06/18/jurassic-world-is-prehistorically-sexist/" target="_blank">Jurassic World is cringe-worthy for its Male Gaze moments</a>.<br />
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Then we get the sexist jokes between the police sergeant and the FBI agent. "If she's the kind of doctor that treats sick people, I think I've got a fever" style of comment is not funny, not witty, and definitely not original. They're tiresome because we hear that kind of nonsense A LOT. If you refer to women in science using sexual tones like this, realize that we're going to call you out, relentlessly mock you, and add you to the list of people not to trust.<br />
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The initial conversation between Bob Graham and Dr. Medford is equally annoying. He referred to her as "Miss," then stutters around as though he's unsure of what to call her when he had absolutely no problem calling Dr. Harold Medford "Dr." Dr. Pat Medford lets him off the hook by saying "If the Doctor bothers you, call me Pat." Every time I see this part my brain screams "HECK NO! You tell him the correct name is 'DOCTOR.'"<br />
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But hey, this is a monster movie from 1954. Surely no one has a problem calling a scientist who is a woman by her professional title in 2018, right? RIGHT!?!<br />
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Sadly, no. It might as well be 1954. <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/mansplaining-woman-doctor-title-arrogant-professional-name-twitter-fern-riddell-a8399076.html" target="_blank">Dr. Fern Riddell angered insecure men on Twitter by posting that she wanted to be referred to by her professional title, not Mrs. or Miss.</a> Friends, the replies from the whiny and the insecure were phenomenally pathetic, and those tweeting them should know they were roundly mocked for sniveling excuses for adults that they are. We see you.<br />
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It is Dr. Harold Medford that redeems the interactions that Dr. Pat Medford experiences. He often calls her "Doctor" when asking her opinion on the investigation. He also supports her decision to lead the expedition into the giant ant nest. When the FBI agent and the Doctors Medford are giving an Ant 101 seminar to the military personnel, Dr. Harold Medford asks Bob to turn out the lights, not Dr. Pat Medford. Dr. Harold Medford, as the principal investigator, leads most of the presentations, but he does not interrupt, talk over, or dismiss Dr. Pat Medford when she speaks in these meetings. In short, Dr. Harold Medford treats Dr. Pat Medford like a colleague. I know, a radical notion, right?<br />
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The way Dr. Harold Medford treats Dr. Pat Medford is pleasantly similar to my introduction to vertebrate ichnology. Dr. Rich McCrea was my first mentor - oh, and he also pointed out that Dr. Pat Medford is the opposite of the typical "damsel in distress" writing that plagues lead women characters in such movies. Rich helped me train my eye to recognize fossil tracks, how to collect data, and what we can do with that data. When I started attending ichnology conferences and being invited on to expeditions, my male colleagues were welcoming AND respectful: I was treated like a colleague. Dr. Martin Lockley, my other ichnology mentor, has published extensively on Cretaceous bird tracks. We often have long discussions on issues surrounding the naming of bird tracks (there are issues, friends) and it is always friendly, fun (the bad puns fly fast and fierce), yet respectful. See? No need for gross jokes to have fun! We have a good ichnology group.<br />
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On investigating the initial attack site, Dr. Medford's travel outfit is going to come back to haunt her. I have been known to stalk the occasional bird or two while dressed in a skirt and heels, but it was bloody awkward. Dr. Medford experiences the same awkwardness: walking in soft sand in heels is tricky. Trying to run away from a giant ant that is trying to kill you in heels is darn near impossible.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yeah, I'd probably trip and fall as well.</td></tr>
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In reality, this scene was likely put there to include the classic trope of "woman runs, trips, falls, and screams." It doesn't meld with what we see later of Dr. Medford when she leads the exploration of the giant ant nest. There she is cool-headed and logical. It also doesn't match with what the Doctors Medford already know they are up against: all of the data was pointing towards 2 meter long ants. THEM! could have done with a rewrite of this scene.<br />
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When we get to the scene where the team is about to descend into the giant ant nest, Dr. Pat Medford is in her field gear, which prompts all sorts of manly displays by Bob Graham, who tells Dr. Pat Medford, a trained entomologist, that an ant nest is "no place for any woman." Dr. Pat Medford is having none of this. After trying to logically explain to Bob that there needs to be a scientist in the nest to make proper observations, she ends up having to forcefully tells him "There's no time to give you a crash course in insect pathology, so let's stop all the talk and get on with it!" Bob grumps off.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I know that facial expression on Dr. Medford. It says "Oh FFS, here I am justifying my presence on this expedition." Walk off, Bob.</td></tr>
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We have a present-day example of this: Laura Dern, a.k.a Dr. Ellie Sattler in "Jurassic Park," has to say to Hammond "Look, we can discuss sexism in survival situations when I get back."<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Sattler's expression says it all.</td></tr>
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Dr. Medford also takes charge inside the nest. She tolerates no argument when she tells Bob to burn the still-living larvae in the nursery chamber. "I said burn it! Burn everything!" Thankfully, no one argues further with her. They actually do their job and burn the darn thing.<br />
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I am also pleased that the one woman main character in THEM! is not there solely for the character development of the main guy, Bob Graham, nor is there any focus paid to whatever personal relationship that may have developed throughout the movie. The characters are all fairly stable: they do not go through a roller-coaster of emotional development. The only real change in character perspective is "Holy Owls, there REALLY ARE giant ants!" Also, we do see a subtle shift in the non-scientist characters in respect for the Doctors Medford and their expertise. This is all to the movie's credit. In a remake, I would bet my dermestid beetle colonies that Dr. Pat Medford would be reworked as a plot device to 1) be the focus of Bob Graham's overt (and likely annoying) romantic interest, regardless that she is there to do a job; 2) prompt Graham to become a better whatever in order to earn her wuv, and 3) eventually come to see that she was cold and aloof and business-like (because, um, that whole "there on a job" thing) but harrowing danger has revealed twue wuv was there all along!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wuv...twue wuv...</td></tr>
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3. REPRESENTATION!<br />
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OK, THEM! is a very white movie. The only time we really see a person of color in the movie is near the end, when Los Angeles is being proclaimed under martial law. We see military vehicles zoom by a shoe-shining stand, and the shoe-shine person is a person of color. So, not a main character. A remake would (hopefully, in the right hands) show that scientists, state troopers, and FBI agents exist who are not white men. If Ava DuVernay (director of "A Wrinkle in Time") ever wants to remake THEM! I would watch the heck out of it.<br />
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All in all, THEM! gets 4.75 Giant Ants out of 5. I Googled "five ants" and now I can't get this song out of my head, so enjoy your new Ear Worm...er, Ear Ant! You're welcome!<br />
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<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zoyTo_ICWj0?rel=0" width="560"></iframe><br />Lisa Buckleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05999611419393598550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1545708523638136271.post-51363983653259403382018-06-07T13:46:00.000-07:002018-06-08T14:18:21.381-07:00Rocking On In Career TransitionHello Dear Readers!<br />
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Whenever I'm asked, "Do you want the good news or the bad news?" I choose to receive the bad news first. There are two reasons for this. One, I want to know the exact nature of the challenge I must face. This appeals to the collections manager in me, as a lot of what I did as a collections manager involved picturing plausible threats to the fossils for which I am a steward, and then doing my best to mitigate those threats. Two, I am pretty good at turning the good news I receive second into an opportunity to mitigate the bad news. So for this particular post about my in-progress transitioning from Collections Manager & Curator to ????, I'm going to start with the "bad news."<br />
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There is still no long-term solution for the continuation of the Peace Region Palaeontology Research Centre since the Tumbler Ridge Museum Foundation's (our parent non-profit organization) f<a href="http://birdsinmud.blogspot.com/2018/04/" target="_blank">unding for 2018 was denied by the District of Tumbler Ridge</a> in March.<br />
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This is the definite low point of the year for paleontology in our part of the world (northeast British Columbia), and this particular low point brought friends. The first Low-Point Tag-Along is the imminent threat to the continuation of the fossil archives (a.k.a. collections) at the PRPRC. Anyone who follows my Twitter account (@Lisavipes) has seen me tweet with some ferocity and vigor on the importance of stable, well-supported natural heritage archives. This isn't for self-serving reasons: museum archives are still poorly understood and little appreciated by the public (although I see this changing) and by the administrators who decide which areas of museum life get support (that I do not see changing as quickly as I would like).<br />
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I'll share one of my Twitter threads on the importance of supporting natural heritage archives here.<br />
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1st: SPECIMENS ARE BASIS FOR EVERYTHING PPL ASSOCIATE MUSEUMS WITH. <br />
If specimen care goes underfunded, you lose everything they've built.</div>
— Lisa Buckley, Ph.D. 🦃🐾 (@Lisavipes) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lisavipes/status/895669728781361153?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2017</a></blockquote>
This tweet and the associated thread describe why the collections are the foundation of a museum's activities: educational outreach, high-profile research, student opportunities, marketing, displays. Sure, you can have an interpretive center that shows some nice displays of, say, birds in your area (also part of our natural heritage), but all of the information that goes along with the visual imagery of the display <b>originates from research and a collections facility</b>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Anyone familiar with my Twitter feed also knows that I communicate in gifs. True Story.)</td></tr>
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The "who what where when why and how" of those birds was figured out from a bird scientist (a.k.a ornithologist) looking at birds in the wild and in a museum's collections. Collections don't just preserve individual specimens: they preserve patterns. Collections reveal to you what birds were once common in an area, but are no longer common. Collections reveal that what we thought was one bird was actually two really similar-looking species after the genetic information was studied. Collections preserve specimens collected throughout the years so we can see what toxins might be contributing to the decline of a bird species.<br />
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What us scientists call research is really just us figuring out the detailed story of the critters that we study. The collections are the library of ideas and information that make the story (scientific papers, displays, educational programming) possible.<br />
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But what we do, as scientists & educators is use OMG discoveries to tell a story thru displays, talks, ed programs.<br />
No specimen, no story.</div>
— Lisa Buckley, Ph.D. 🦃🐾 (@Lisavipes) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lisavipes/status/895675942466670593?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2017</a></blockquote>
We don't really describe the step-by-step detail of how discoveries are made. We usually present the Highlights version of the journey because, let's be brutally honest here, reading about the step-by-step, day-to-day grind of data collection, data analysis, surveying, etc. would be a tedious read. When I was a graduate student, our lab would informally hold a "Tedious-Off" competition. The person doing the most tedious task to tell the story of their fossil research would "win." There were no prizes, but we did get to share with our colleagues some of the slogging that we did to get from idea to science story. Common Tedious-Off entries were editing noise out of 3D model images, finding the one bad data entry in a spreadsheet of 10,000 entries, and counting all of the bumps on the cutting surface of a theropod tooth (that one never won, because we were looking at an actual specimen so that was still cool.) TL:DR is that collecting information and getting the story ready to tell isn't all excitement and surprised gasping at discoveries.<br />
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Maybe that's why collections are taken for granted: we don't see every dang step for weeks/months/years specimens are involved in to get OMG</div>
— Lisa Buckley, Ph.D. 🦃🐾 (@Lisavipes) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lisavipes/status/895677706687307781?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>When I document fossil bird footprints on rock slabs, it's a pretty mellow scene.<br />
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Take a look at the above picture. This is a small part of the large bird and dinosaur track surface of the <a href="http://birdsinmud.blogspot.com/2018/02/tracking-cretaceous-birds-in-south.html" target="_blank">Gajin-ri Track Site in South Korea</a>. The paleontologists who study this site made a trackway map (basically a drawing of all of the footprints as they appear on the surface) by spending hundreds of hours crouched on the surface finding and tracing each individual footprint in low-angle light. This is the standard operating procedure for studying small tracks. I've spent many a day in collections, pitch black save for one lamp, lying on foam pads on the concrete floor as I trace out bird tracks and invertebrate burrows on to plastic sheets.<br />
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I can't speak for everyone, but for myself, I am not looking for a new discovery when I'm documenting tracks. I'm simply transcribing what I see on to plastic and paper. It's only when I keep seeing the same "different" thing over and over that my brain starts to think "Hey, that's odd. something's going on here." It's not scientific montage process typically shown in movies, where scientists are looking for X, struggle to find X, and then - against all odds - find X. Perhaps this is why collections do not receive the respect they deserve: their use (except for display specimens: those are part of the collections) is behind the scenes and progress is careful and slow.<br />
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A curiosity question for me: is there anyone out there that would truly be interested in seeing an unedited video of a researcher like a paleontologist doing the Tedious-Off portion of their work? My working hypothesis is that the answer to that question will be chirping crickets.<br />
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When I gave the occasional tour of the collections facility, there are one of two reactions:<br />
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"Oh my God this is so important! Look at all of our heritage!"<br />
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...or...<br />
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"So how can we make money off of this?"<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJjDWGYHaPLxDiy83PpSccperkDGxqg8KE5n5LtlNPByeANWBz_mmJbakpZz1gRlFgRLKe9HYucQMX57oLZ6jYCesdgzwyXD9xNVB84IKMSzBYgHzE8tOHqORi1cFXQSKDmfEQSB8Tbp1I/s1600/head+blanket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJjDWGYHaPLxDiy83PpSccperkDGxqg8KE5n5LtlNPByeANWBz_mmJbakpZz1gRlFgRLKe9HYucQMX57oLZ6jYCesdgzwyXD9xNVB84IKMSzBYgHzE8tOHqORi1cFXQSKDmfEQSB8Tbp1I/s320/head+blanket.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maia demonstrating the Head Blanket, because sometimes Head Desk is too hard.</td></tr>
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When I attempt to explain to this type of responder with how collections are the source of the displays and discoveries, I see eyes glaze over. I have not yet found the right combination of words that can break through this attitude.<br />
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As a result, I am now faced with the very real scenario of having to find a stable home for the fossil archives. We do not "own" the fossils. The town does not "own" the fossils. They are technically the property of the Province of British Columbia, and my colleague (and fellow termination notice holder) and I are the qualified stewards of the fossils.<br />
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The second Bad News Tag-Along is that there will be no paleontology field exploration done this summer. <a href="http://birdsinmud.blogspot.com/2017/08/the-000-field-budget-season-heavy-bird.html" target="_blank">One misconception that I encounter is that field paleontology is cheap/free to do</a>. This might be because the field survey methods are not necessarily high-tech. Fuel to get to field sites costs money. If you find something large, moving that specimen costs money. Also, our time has a cost associated with it. Just as artists can't pay the bills using Exposure Bucks, paleontologists can't pay the bills using Excitement of Discovery Bucks. And no, despite what people believe, making big discoveries does not make it easier to find funding to continue work. Media exposure =/= money in paleontology.<br />
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So, those are the Bad News items. Now on to the Good News items.<br />
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1. Tomorrow is my one year Bird Glamourversary! To celebrate this milestone in my journey as a science communicator, I will be launching a Bird Glamour YouTube channel that will combine me applying the Bird Glamour looks with cool facts about the featured bird! Once the link is live I will include it in this blog post!<br />
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UPDATE: Here is the link to the Bird Glamour YouTube channel!<br />
<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8xBc8CY5LwI" width="560"></iframe><br />
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2. I am working on two non-fiction book proposals! One book is purely in the proposal stage, while the other book has a couple of sample chapters already written. When I feel a bit more certain about the process and the progress, I'll talk about those projects here!<br />
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3. I am collecting the information I need for gaining certification as a professional geoscientist in British Columbia. It's a long process, but with the combination of schooling and 15 years of experience as an active paleontologist, I think that I have a great chance at succeeding.<br />
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4. I will be working on some post-secondary program development. Once the details of that project are ironed out, I can talk a bit more about the projects.<br />
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5. Of course, I am applying for jobs. I'm constantly reminding myself that it is not my job to tell myself I'm not right for a posted position...within reason, of course: I'm not going to apply for a physics or a botany position. I am making a conscious effort not to select myself out of potential opportunities.<br />
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That is my life in the sciences at this point in time! I am excited that I have the opportunity to explore options and opportunities within science communication through Bird Glamour and book writing. Who knows where these opportunities will lead?Lisa Buckleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05999611419393598550noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1545708523638136271.post-64061861216868622052018-05-11T16:42:00.000-07:002018-09-15T14:27:24.327-07:00The Ivory Tower of Buying FossilsIt has been a couple of years since I've written about the commercial fossil trade and its erosive impacts (oh yes, I went there) on the science and public access of vertebrate paleontology heritage. Here's the usual scenario that inspires one of these posts:<br />
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There is media coverage of the high-profile sale of a dinosaur skeleton, and that skeleton is typically the skeleton of a theropod skeleton. There will be an opening line of "If you have Floppity Million dollars to spare, you could buy a dinosaur skeleton." Someone will be quoted as a paleontology expert. That expert will state that the skeleton is new to science, which justifies the million to multimillion-dollar price tag. There are some hazy references to the sellers and some quotes that portray how they were so excited to find such an amazing find. There is little consideration given to the future of the specimen once it is purchased.<br />
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And scene.<br />
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I was simultaneously frustrated and amused about <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/may/11/dinosaur-skeleton-therapod-auction-paris?CMP=twt_a-science_b-gdnscience" target="_blank">The Guardian's "Rare dinosaur skeleton for sale - along with the rights to name species"</a> piece. Amused because not only did it follow the tired formula of reporting on high-profile fossil sales, but it added the twist of buying the naming rights. Frustrated because, no matter how flippantly the naming of a fossil is described in the article, the realities are just not that simple. Let's get to the bare bones of the issue.<br />
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First, there are definite spins being played in this situation to make it appear above controversy. There is mention of charities that will receive a portion of the proceeds of the sale, but what's the amount? What percentage of that sale of 1.2 million euros is going to actually go to charities? 1 percent? 10 percent? 50 percent? Is this going to be a meaningful chunk of change, or is it the least possible buy-in for good optics?<br />
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The next spin tactic is the "fingers crossed it goes to a public display" pleading, in this case, quoted by "dinosaur expert" Eric Mickeler:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">'Mickeler said he hoped the skeleton’s new owner would put it on public display.<br /><br />"Dinosaur skeletons used to be bought by museums or collectors but recently there’s interest from a whole range of people. Thankfully in all the sales I have handled there’s never been one where the skeleton has ended up in a private place. Buyers like to share their pleasure, and there’s the size to consider," he said.'</span><br />
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I'm pleased that every sale this person has handled resulted in the specimen ending up in a public museum, but make no mistake: that is not guaranteed. This is why the commercial fossil trade is fraught with critique: there is no guaranteed stability for fossils that are purchased by private collectors.<br />
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Museums, in general, tend to be more stable than one person or a company. Museum archives are held in the public trust: this means that the fossils (or stuffed birds, or pickled spiders, or artifacts) are being cared for by specially-trained people for all of us. Museums and archives are caretakers of our common heritage. The archives are (ideally) a stable home that will care for a fossil specimen indefinitely. Two hundred years from now, we should be able to know exactly where that fossil is stored, and hear about the new discoveries that have been made because of that fossil over the years.</div>
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This is the other key part of a museum archive: scientists will be able to see that specimen ten or a hundred years from now to make new discoveries or to update science done by older technology. For example, our head curator, Dr. Richard McCrea, spent time at the Canadian Museum of Nature archives looking at the dinosaur footprint collections made by Charles Mortram Sternberg from the Hudson's Hope. C. M. Sternberg wrote up his finds in 1932. Eighty years later, Rich was able to see the exact footprints that C. M. Sternberg saw and apply new study techniques to those very specimens. That's the kind of stability a museum archive promises.</div>
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An individual human, or family, or even a business cannot promise the same long-term stability or access. The buyer - unless it is a museum - is under no obligation or code of ethics to keep the specimen in one place. The buyer could purchase the skeleton, get their name on it (more on that below), and then resell it. The buyer is under no obligation to disclose what they do with the specimen after they buy it. </div>
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The buyer is also under no obligation to open their home/business to scientists wanting to study the specimen. They could deny access for personal or political reasons. For example: what if a scientist thinks "Hey, this newly named Bobosaurus might actually be an Allosaurus after all, so it doesn't need a new name." The buyer, if they have their name attached to the critter, might not want to see "their dinosaur name" be made defunct.</div>
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This brings me to the purchase of specimen naming rights. I'll quote the handler for this situation:</div>
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'[Mickeler] added: “The rule for all scientific discoveries that are confirmed to be new, the person who owns it can give it its scientific name. It can be the name of a company or a person. Then they just add an ‘-us’ on the end.”'<br />
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I do not know Prof. Mickeler: I have not heard their name through any of the other vertebrate paleontologists who I know. However, it's a comment like the one above that causes me to question their familiarity with how new specimens are named. I sincerely hope that Mickeler was misquoted because this statement ignores all of the conditions that must be met to name a new fossil specimen. I also do not know who the "unnamed paleontologists" are. I hope that they have a long, careful read of the <a href="http://vertpaleo.org/Home.aspx" target="_blank">Society of Vertebrate Paleontology</a>'s Code of Ethics. If they are members in good standing with the SVP, they should be familiar with Section 6:</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Section 6. Commercial sale or trade -</b> The barter, sale or purchase of scientifically significant vertebrate fossils is not condoned, unless it brings them into, or keeps them within, a public trust. Any other trade or commerce in scientifically significant vertebrate fossils is inconsistent with the foregoing, in that it deprives both the public and professionals of important specimens, which are part of our natural heritage.</span><br />
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First, one does not simply buy a fossil specimen and then announce in a press release "I NAME THEE BOBOSAURUS!" For a name to stick to a fossil (think <i>Tyrannosaurus rex</i>), that fossil first must be compared to all of the similar-sized and shaped fossils that are already named. If the bones are indeed different, then you can think about a new name.</div>
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Second, all of that comparison work has to be written up in a scientific paper. This paper can't just be published on my blog or in a newspaper. That scientific write-up has to be submitted to a scientific journal. That journal starts the process called peer-review, where the paper is then sent to specialists in that area of study. In this case, the paper would be sent to experts in large carnivorous dinosaurs. It is the job of those experts to pull that paper apart, identifying all of the areas that the paper is weak: faulty reasoning, leaps of logic, and opinion being stated as fact. The reviewers and the editor might agree there's not enough evidence to justify giving the specimen a new name. </div>
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Third, more and more scientific journals are making it a requirement that specimens being published in their journal must be cared for in a public-trust archive, like a museum archive. There's a very good chance that studies of this specimen won't be able to be published unless the specimen finds its forever home in a museum. </div>
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Fourth, naming new fossils is more than just sticking an "-us" on the end of your name. There is a whole instruction manual for naming new critters called the <a href="http://www.iczn.org/iczn/index.jsp" target="_blank">International Code for Zoological Nomenclature</a>. Names have been made defunct just over not following the naming rules. For example, you can't name your new fossil "<i>Brentisajerkosaurus iruleyoudroolensis</i>" because there are rules against being a jerk to someone in a fossil name. [Apologies to Brent. I'm sure you're not a jerk.]</div>
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Fifth, there's no guarantee that your named specimen that you spent a floppity jillion dollars on isn't going to be renamed on you. As my friend and colleague Dr. Andrew Farke pointed out on Twitter, there's a lot of naming and renaming that is done on theropods (a.k.a. carnivorous dinosaurs) without needing to physically see the specimen. Just because you spent money on that name doesn't mean that name is going to be used forever.</div>
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Oh, and a funny bit about the science of naming things: if you give a new name to a specimen, and someone proves that the specimen is something that already has a name, your new name can never be used again. At best, your fancy expensive name will be given the title of "nomen dubium," which means that experts doubt the validity of the name. </div>
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<i>The Ivory Tower and The Dinosaur</i></div>
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One critique I hear, invariably whenever I write or speak about responsible fossil stewardship, is that I'm an Ivory Tower socialist elitist who wants to hoard all of the fossils and make sure that no one else gets to see them because of Reasons. I have an excellent long laugh at comments like these. We are advocating that fossils be kept in the public trust for the benefit of the largest number of people possible. The private sale of fossils, with large price tags, is such a succinct example of exclusion and elitism. Only a select few benefit from the sale of a fossil. You depend on the motives of the buyer as to whether that specimen will be available to the public. If we're going to label those actions that are elitist and exclusionary, that only benefit a select few as Ivory Tower, then I cannot think of a more perfect recipient of that label than the commercial fossil trade. When your actions support turning the specimens that are our common heritage into luxury collectibles, you have abandoned all illusion that the selling of fossils is altruistic, that it is for the common good, if you aim only to benefit the few. "</div>
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<i>What are options other than selling a fossil specimen?</i></div>
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Use that money to fund research programs, museum operations, and archives upgrades. A 1.2 million euro donation to a museum's or scientist's work will ensure several years of discoveries are made. Science and discovery is not something that happens without support, and that support means money. Fieldwork to exciting locations costs money. Removing a new fossil from the ground costs money. Cleaning and restoring that fossil costs money. Visiting other museums to see if your fossil is new costs money. Putting that fossil on display costs money. This might sound like justification for selling one fossil for 1.2 million euros, but the difference is that a donation to a museum has the potential to make multiple such discoveries, not just the one. A research lab would be able to train multiple future paleontologists and share the many discoveries that you funded with the world. A donation is a better bang for your buck</div>
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Another method to "make money" off of a fossil specimen is to sell replicas. Fossil replicas are wonderful! They are lighter and less fragile than the original fossil. Fossil replicas can be displayed in a variety of ways and under a variety of conditions. Fossil replicas are the same size and shape of the original fossil so they will look just as impressive. The largest benefit is that replicas are replaceable: as long as the original specimen and the molds are being cared for in a long-term archive, you can make replacement replicas. Oh, and fossil replicas are a lot less expensive than the asking price for fossils being sold at auction, so there is more chance that museums - particularly small museums - can afford to put such replicas on display for their public. The revenues of replica sales can be recycled into the mechanisms that make the discovery of fossils possible: research and archives.</div>
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I do hope that the specimen ends up in a public collection, but the data to support such a hope is mixed. I do hope that the paleontologists involved have thought past the quick flash of their promotional idea to what such actions mean for the respect of fossil heritage as a whole.<br />
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For more of my thoughts on the commercial fossil trade, please see:</div>
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<a href="http://birdsinmud.blogspot.ca/2013/11/dinos-for-dollars-needs-to-change-to.html" target="_blank">"Dinos for Dollars" Needs to Change to "Dollars for Dinos"</a></div>
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<a href="http://birdsinmud.blogspot.ca/2014/10/how-to-appreciate-fossils-without.html" target="_blank">How to Appreciate Fossils Without Ruining it for Science</a></div>
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<a href="http://birdsinmud.blogspot.ca/2016/09/responsible-fossil-stewardship-you.html" target="_blank">Responsible Fossil Stewardship: You Might Not Get To Do Exactly What You Want With Fossils</a></div>
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<a href="http://birdsinmud.blogspot.ca/2014/03/fossil-commercialism-and-threat-to.html" target="_blank">Fossil Commercialism and the Threat to Paleontology</a></div>
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<a href="http://birdsinmud.blogspot.ca/2014/04/" target="_blank">Fossil Commercialism and the Threat to Paleontology: The Rebuttal</a></div>
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Lisa Buckleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05999611419393598550noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1545708523638136271.post-79108724750698971412018-04-18T16:20:00.002-07:002018-04-18T16:20:22.408-07:00Bird Glamour and Scicomm: The Almost One Year ReviewHello Dear Readers!<br />
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I'm not going to try to gloss over the situation, but March and April have been less than glamorous. The District of Tumbler Ridge denied the annual operational funding request of our parent organization, the Tumbler Ridge Museum Foundation, because...well, I'm not really sure why Dear Readers. The reasons we are given (and that are stated in the media) keep changing in moving goalpost fashion. There's potential for a "because...Reasons" meme here. So, I'm sitting here with a termination notice in my pocket (the TRMF had no choice but to issue all of its employees, including me, the notices.) I'm not done writing about this, but that will be a future post, and one filled with more information than the "because...Reasons" that we have been given. Stay tuned.<br />
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This development happened in conjunction with a series of talks me and my colleague Dr. Richard McCrea gave in Vancouver and on Vancouver Island. First, we helped open the Beaty Biodiversity Museum's newest permanent exhibit <a href="http://beatymuseum.ubc.ca/whats-on/exhibitions/permanent-exhibitions/dinosaur-trackways/" target="_blank">Footprints In Time (link to the Beaty Biodiversity Museum website here</a>) on the University of British Columbia campus. This was an excellent partnership: we made the trackway replicas, and then worked with their display and scicomm team to create the interpretive text. The displays look spectacular! Below is a picture of one of the trackway replicas, a 130 million-year-old track slab from northeast British Columbia that contains the natural cast (track infills) trackways of a large theropod (likely an allosaurid) and an ornithopod (likely similar in size and shape to <i>Iguanodon</i>.) That evening Rich gave a talk on dinosaur tracks from British Columbia (with a focus on the <a href="https://youtu.be/e_8EmzsdXhM" target="_blank">Six Peaks Dinosaur Track Site, follow the link for our YouTube video</a>) for the Beaty Biodiversity Museum's Nocturnal lecture series.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtb7oIrC1wU68Gh6CsuYul0TgXbt0mgZc6lDAziNqVVmd3zblcskvADpGyF0J9_BOY_MeR1s4K3mVjiX6iGDACHspjJvndw39C1ziI6CTqetJwrVYOzw9duKgXwhPb7n8ZzwljL3krEDtR/s1600/IMG_20180401_164012_716.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtb7oIrC1wU68Gh6CsuYul0TgXbt0mgZc6lDAziNqVVmd3zblcskvADpGyF0J9_BOY_MeR1s4K3mVjiX6iGDACHspjJvndw39C1ziI6CTqetJwrVYOzw9duKgXwhPb7n8ZzwljL3krEDtR/s400/IMG_20180401_164012_716.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of three dinosaur trackway slab replicas (original specimens currently curated at the PRPRC) now on display at the Beaty Biodiversity Museum on the University of British Columbia campus!</td></tr>
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I gave four talks over two days at Science World in Vancouver (that may also be the subject of a future post), and then I gave a presentation on what we know about dinosaur behavior from tracks and traces (a.k.a. ichnology) for the Beaty Biodiversity Museum's "Way Cool" series. Then we gave talks on track research in British Columbia in Courtenay for the <a href="http://www.vips-fossils.com/" target="_blank">Vancouver Island Paleontological Society</a>.<br />
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Whew.<br />
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I can now talk about the subject of this post, which is my reflections on my almost one year anniversary of when <a href="http://birdsinmud.blogspot.ca/p/birdglamour.html" target="_blank">#BirdGlamour</a> took flight! Bird Glamour is a scicomm and sciart project that I developed to introduce people to the wonderful diversity and life history of our present-day theropods, a.k.a. birds, using a rather unconventional medium...COSMETICS!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBlw__Bd20NsTM5FhpwRTdQjIadRKRaBvHymDR6lTZymBYwP67MFGALTx2AqsKSU3AuXAxUjCqddYqYL5FCUEPHzalkDxfOy5ENta8D2tVpaxAQSanMZCXF7fnjmXFIFbpUHHqfPSAbR-r/s1600/Osprey+Bird+Glamour.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1182" data-original-width="1181" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBlw__Bd20NsTM5FhpwRTdQjIadRKRaBvHymDR6lTZymBYwP67MFGALTx2AqsKSU3AuXAxUjCqddYqYL5FCUEPHzalkDxfOy5ENta8D2tVpaxAQSanMZCXF7fnjmXFIFbpUHHqfPSAbR-r/s640/Osprey+Bird+Glamour.jpg" width="638" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My most recent #BirdGlamour is the Osprey (<i>Pandion haliaetus</i>)!</td></tr>
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Each Bird Glamour post comes with a cool fact about the life history of the subject bird, ranging from migration to food preferences to feather pigments: basically, any tidbit of information that I think people would connect with. I launched Bird Glamour on June 9, 2017, with a very simple post.<br />
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I'm new to eye makeup, so I'm asking birds for tips! Short-eared Owl (Sibley image) recommends & uses a Dramatic Smoky Eye! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BirdGlamour?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BirdGlamour</a> <a href="https://t.co/9o2DJDxov5">pic.twitter.com/9o2DJDxov5</a></div>
— Lisa Buckley, Ph.D. 🦃🐾 (@Lisavipes) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lisavipes/status/873309796228710400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 9, 2017</a></blockquote>
To be honest, I had no idea how the linking of ornithology with cosmetics would be received. <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/careers/2018/03/why-i-dont-use-instagram-science-outreach">Some people in science are not exactly open to the idea of Science Selfies</a>; however, <a href="http://www.fromthelabbench.com/from-the-lab-bench-science-blog/2018/3/25/why-we-scientists-do-instagram">read the strong rebuttal to this on the blog From The Lab Bench entitled "Why We Scientists Do Instagram.</a>" My concerns were unfounded. Bird Glamour is a hit!<br />
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There have been great highlights in the short life of Bird Glamour. One was my first video tutorial, <a href="http://www.audubon.org/news/heres-how-become-bohemian-waxwing-halloween" target="_blank">developed with Audubon</a>, for a Halloween-themed Bohemian Waxwing Bird Glamour!<br />
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I was also asked to do a promotional Bird Glamour for <a href="https://www.theurbaninterface.com/" target="_blank">The Urban Interface</a>, a non-profit wildlife and nature education center. They have lovely wildlife Ambassadors for which they care and train for educational purposes. <a href="https://www.theurbaninterface.com/pandora" target="_blank">Their Ambassador Pandora, a Swainson's Hawk</a>, is a lovely Bird Glamour model.<br />
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Meet our <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BirdGlamour?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BirdGlamour</a> model Pandora, Swainson's Hawk Ambassador for <a href="https://twitter.com/TUIWildlife?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TUIWildlife</a>! Swainson's Hawks do long-distance migrations from summer breeding grounds in North America to winter homes in Argentina! Learn more about (& support!) the Ambassadors here: <a href="https://t.co/bSGretxubO">https://t.co/bSGretxubO</a> <a href="https://t.co/ejSySTYUmU">pic.twitter.com/ejSySTYUmU</a></div>
— Lisa Buckley, Ph.D. 🦃🐾 (@Lisavipes) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lisavipes/status/974677721614659584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2018</a></blockquote>
Now that I'm nearing the one-year Glamour-versary (oh yes, I went there) of Bird Glamour, I wanted to fly a few ideas past Twitter to see if some new styles or techniques would ruffle any feathers. I went to the polls!<br />
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1. Most respondents were quite eager to see me migrate to other continents to glam it up!<br />
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Question 1: With the exception of the vultures and the Harpy Eagle, to date my focus has been on birds of North America. Would <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BirdGlamour?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BirdGlamour</a> (makeup + facts) for birds from other areas/continents be of interest as well?</div>
— Lisa Buckley, Ph.D. 🦃🐾 (@Lisavipes) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lisavipes/status/976474415121580032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
I definitely agree! There are so many exciting birds and cool bird diversity to explore!<br />
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2. In addition to my usual style of Bird Glamour, people are interested in seeing me do makeup tutorials while I chirp about the bird being glamoured!<br />
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Question 2: Would watching/hearing me talk about the birds featured in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BirdGlamour?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BirdGlamour</a> as I apply bird-inspired makeup in video format be of interest, like a tutorial for the specific finished looks I post?</div>
— Lisa Buckley, Ph.D. 🦃🐾 (@Lisavipes) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lisavipes/status/976476472046108672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
YouTube will be a new adventure for me. I'll admit that I feel nervous on camera. I also recognize that I shouldn't feel this way: I've been interviewed many times for documentaries and media. I'm hoping this nervous feeling will fade with familiarity.<br />
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3. There is interest to see how these Bird Glamour looks could be transformed to every day looks, or at least a fun evening look!<br />
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Question 3: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BirdGlamour?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BirdGlamour</a> looks are VERY dramatic (as are the birds!) However, these looks could be tailored for experimental "everyday" wear. Being forewarned that I am new to makeup, would me experimenting w "everyday" versions of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BirdGlamour?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BirdGlamour</a> looks be of interest?</div>
— Lisa Buckley, Ph.D. 🦃🐾 (@Lisavipes) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lisavipes/status/976478231598579713?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
I will definitely experiment with everyday Bird Glamour looks. I am not an expert in applying cosmetics, so if you're also new to makeup, we can learn (and possibly laugh) together.<br />
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4. This poll on incorporating female coloration into Bird Glamour was almost neck-in-turkey-neck. To date, the looks have focused on male plumage (or those birds that have similar male and female plumage).<br />
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New poll question! I've focused <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BirdGlamour?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BirdGlamour</a> looks on male breeding plumage bc, for ppl new to birds & birding this is a good intro to bird ID. Female/non-breeding plumage is often subtle, w many species looking alike. How would you like to see female plumage glamoured?</div>
— Lisa Buckley, Ph.D. 🦃🐾 (@Lisavipes) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lisavipes/status/977224623149301761?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2018</a></blockquote>
I agree with keeping the male and female plumage colors separate. However, I will glamour cases of <a href="http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20150916-these-animals-are-male-on-one-side-and-female-on-the-other" target="_blank">gynandromorphism, the condition where an animal shows both male and female characteristics</a>. Animals with bilateral gynandromorphism look male on one side and female on the opposite side. A recent case of bilateral gynandromorphism that hit the bird news was the <a href="http://www.sci-news.com/biology/science-northern-cardinal-cardinalis-cardinalis-half-male-half-female-plumage-rock-island-illinois-02449.html" target="_blank">gynandromorph Northern Cardinal</a>.<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "graphik" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: -0.16px;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><br />
</span></span> </span> 5. My last question involved beak color. Given the array of lipstick colors available, I think people wouldn't mind part of my makeup bill being used for Bird Glamour lipstick!<br />
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New question! Some birds have very distinctive beak colors. What would you think of adding lip colors (aka beak colors) to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BirdGlamour?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BirdGlamour</a>?</div>
— Lisa Buckley, Ph.D. 🦃🐾 (@Lisavipes) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lisavipes/status/978370631900123136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 26, 2018</a></blockquote>
You'll be proud of me, Bird Glamour fans: I have started acquiring fun lipstick colors!<br />
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Which birds do you think I will glamour with this lip color? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BirdGlamour?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BirdGlamour</a> <a href="https://t.co/8uti809pdl">pic.twitter.com/8uti809pdl</a></div>
— Lisa Buckley, Ph.D. 🦃🐾 (@Lisavipes) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lisavipes/status/981287814871498752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
I also did my first Bird Glamour post that includes lip color: the Herring Gull.<br />
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Herring Gull gives <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BirdGlamour?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BirdGlamour</a> tips for looking for food! A species of Low Concern (populations decreased 3.5% per year from 1966-2015) Herring Gull uses no-nonsense white & grey, with a dab of red on the bill, for feasting on invertebrates and taking opportunities to scavenge! <a href="https://t.co/DnZB6clLn2">pic.twitter.com/DnZB6clLn2</a></div>
— Lisa Buckley, Ph.D. 🦃🐾 (@Lisavipes) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lisavipes/status/982310782602891265?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
Gulls are the perfect bird for incorporating lips into the Bird Glamour look. Many species of gull have a fairly standard adult head color - grey-white - but there is color variation in the stripes and spots on their beaks!<br />
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<b>Reception of Bird Glamour</b><br />
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</u> <u>Online Reception</u> - The sheer number of positive comments and encouragement online is both staggering and humbling. I am thrilled that Bird Glamour speaks to people. Science art (sciart) is a powerful tool in science communication: there's a reason for the saying "A picture is worth a thousand words." Images are a powerful and effective way to transmit complex ideas. <a href="http://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2016/11/25/make-a-sketchnote-of-science/">The idea of Sketchnoting relies on the information-delivery power of illustrations to highlight key concepts</a>. Using a different style of illustration - makeup - allows me to highlight birds that people might want to know more about.<br />
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Bird Glamour also starts some great conversations about bird lives and biology. The most frequently asked question is "Why do so many birds have a black stripe around their eyes?" That's a good question! <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn21591-zoologger-unmasking-the-zorro-of-the-avian-world/">There was a study done on what the Masked Shrike uses its bold black eyeliner for</a>. Is it to reduce glare for hunting? Does it make the eyes of the shrike appear bold and scary to deter predators? Does it help the shrike camouflage itself for sneak attacks, or hide the eyes so its prey doesn't know it's being watched? When researchers temporarily painted some Masked Shrike's masks from black to white (they Bird Glamoured an actual bird!) the shrikes with white eye masks had more trouble snagging prey and did most of their hunting facing away from the sun. It turns out black eye masks act as sunglasses for birds, at least for Masked Shrikes.<br />
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<u>Public Reception</u> - How do people react when they see me in public all Bird Glamoured up? It depends on the setting. I did a Bird Glamour version of the <a href="https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/02/anchiornis-bird-like-dinosaur-feathers-lasers-soft-tissue-science/">feathered theropod <i>Anchiornis huxleyi</i>, know for its striking black, white, and rusty red plumage</a>, for attending the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Annual Auction.<br />
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Anchiornis is at the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/2017SVP?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#2017SVP</a> auction! Anchiornis is a feathered dinosaur for which we know color: black, rust red, white!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BirdGlamour?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BirdGlamour</a> <a href="https://t.co/CZEi8J5PM0">pic.twitter.com/CZEi8J5PM0</a></div>
— Lisa Buckley, Ph.D. 🦃🐾 (@Lisavipes) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lisavipes/status/901266048682401792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
I had several people who approached me to say they enjoyed the Anchiornis Bird Glamour. There were also some smiling looks, but perhaps starting the conversation of "Hey, why is your makeup like that?" felt too socially awkward for them. I completely understand. Starting conversations with people I don't know is difficult for me as well. Running up to people, waving my arms and shouting "HEY WANT TO TALK ABOUT MY EYES AND <i class="">ANCHIORNIS</i>?" seems a bit intense, so I need to work on that approach. There were also some unsmiling stares and quick look-aways. That I also understand: Bird Glamour doesn't have to appeal to everyone. Or perhaps they thought I was unprofessional or strange. Well, as my readers and social media friends know, I am strange, but I am completely comfortable with expressing my interests and passions.<br />
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Family audiences are very receptive to Bird Glamour. When I did a presentation for families at the Goseong Public Library on Cretaceous bird track types found in both Canada and South Korea, the public reception was great! I had my picture taken with a lot of families! The people in the makeup department at our closest Shoppers are also interested: more than once I've gone in with a picture of a bird and asked "I'm looking for this color. Do you have anything like this?" On seeing some of my Bird Glamour posts, one commented: "Wow, so you're an artist!" That took me by surprise: I have never identified as an artist before. I can pencil sketch with enough accuracy to satisfy my eye, but art is not something that I have ever done professionally. All I could do was stammer for a bit and then say "Huh. Yeah, I guess I am!"<br />
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I am planning something super fun for my official one-year Glamour-versary in terms of setting and the bird, and a great bunch of Bird Glamour pictures to share from our West Coast trip.<br />
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What birds would you like to see for future Bird Glamour pictures? Do you have a science specialty that would make a great Glamour? Itati (@itatiVCS) has started #EcoGlam #MachineFacts to share how she uses various equipment to do ecology research! I'm going to enjoy following this hashtag!<br />
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The Licor6400 is a portable photosynthesis system that uses gas analysis in real time to measure rates of gas exchange on whatever plant you clip it on. You can also convert it into a soil respiration measuring device by replacing the head w a chamber <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MachineFacts?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MachineFacts</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EcoGlam?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EcoGlam</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZSMIo8TKzK">pic.twitter.com/ZSMIo8TKzK</a></div>
— itati “toby” vasquez chavez santamaria (@itatiVCS) <a href="https://twitter.com/itatiVCS/status/986019266280304640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Stay tuned for more Bird Glamour!<br />
<br />Lisa Buckleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05999611419393598550noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1545708523638136271.post-29073633992808474532018-03-03T18:10:00.002-08:002018-03-03T18:10:58.825-08:00Tracking Cretaceous Birds in South Korea: Goseong Public Library TalksHello, Dear Readers!<br />
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We've made it to September 16, 2017, when our Ichnology Heros are scheduled to give talks to the public at the Goseong Public Library! When we go to another country to do research, we always offer to give a local talk on the work we do in Canada, and how the local fossil record fits in with our work on a global scale.<br />
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Giving a talk in another country where the language is not your primary language is not that different (in my experience) than tailoring an academic talk to a public audience:<br />
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1. Keep the jargon to a minimum. There's always a way to explain even a highly technical test or feature using non-technical language.<br />
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2. You may understand your graphs, but remember: you've been staring at them for months or years. No blob of ambiguous data points on a graph with itty-bitty axes, no series of fifty graphs that only have really subtle differences. If you use graphs, make sure the meaning of the graph is crystal clear.<br />
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3. Pictures are worth a thousand words. If you can describe it, see if you can also show it. Outline hard to see details for your audience. If you're showing a picture of a single bone or a footprint, also show an image of the animal it came from (or the closest representative).<br />
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4. Remember - especially when your audience is in another country - that jokes/witticisms are often colloquial and have local or specialized meaning. it may fall flat. Also, "those jokes" (which are really just methods used to belittle groups who have less representation and/or power) about gender, race, jokes about sex, sexual innuendos, or sexual imagery, or jokes about political situations are in really poor taste, no matter your audience. They have no place in a talk communicating science to any audience. No one wants to see that nonsense.<br />
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5. If a translation is necessary, remember that this will (at least) double the time it takes to give your talk. Make sure you are not talking in huge paragraphs: your translator is going to have to remember what you've said and be forced to summarize your long rambling monologue to a more concise sentence or two.<br />
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We were told ahead of time that the audience would be a mix of children and adults, so I made sure to travel with my <a href="http://birdsinmud.blogspot.ca/p/birdglamour.html" target="_blank">Bird Glamour</a> makeup kit! I don't often have an opportunity to do a Bird Glamour for an extinct species of bird or avian theropod (although I did rock <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/dinosaurs-now-in-living-color-63116194/" target="_blank"><i>Anchiornis</i></a> at the 2017 Society of Vertebrate Paleontology meeting during the auction/social event!) I was excited to do an ichnology-themed Bird Glamour.<br />
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This ichnology Bird Glamour was inspired by Ignotornis gajinensis, the bird trackways that have spoonbill-like "swooshes" preserved. These "swooshes" are similar in shape to the bill marks made on sediment by present-day spoonbills stirring up the sediment to catch fish and invertebrates.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKIGsj2c8QbVxzAH7TICg695tH2sFFGxsdJccf9TFf8sk1gv7Q3VohRSBtYHHOJZGeVFDz50QGYDsLbR2FAQ9aLXeUPNLQjomsbN6nmYHAxjcFYewr49AfdU_SBZHUB5blKWeJPoyGuR4_/s1600/SWOOSH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="576" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKIGsj2c8QbVxzAH7TICg695tH2sFFGxsdJccf9TFf8sk1gv7Q3VohRSBtYHHOJZGeVFDz50QGYDsLbR2FAQ9aLXeUPNLQjomsbN6nmYHAxjcFYewr49AfdU_SBZHUB5blKWeJPoyGuR4_/s640/SWOOSH.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaPm6UWDfo_HVChyphenhyphenEg56VBtH9Ugcrhyphenhyphenv8HQeZ4c3rxtAxigN-RAB4Oqr7v9F8NWMAuc6ZgAJGER6xJwkmZKwjd3HU6Mo0WeWPkqHRXzZSOlLAi5gTrsGuGqLmAS6Gped0WqK7isHP2gkqO/s1600/Spoonbill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="612" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaPm6UWDfo_HVChyphenhyphenEg56VBtH9Ugcrhyphenhyphenv8HQeZ4c3rxtAxigN-RAB4Oqr7v9F8NWMAuc6ZgAJGER6xJwkmZKwjd3HU6Mo0WeWPkqHRXzZSOlLAi5gTrsGuGqLmAS6Gped0WqK7isHP2gkqO/s640/Spoonbill.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spoonbill with its namesake spoon-shaped bill.</td></tr>
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I decided to go with the Black-faced Spoonbill for this Bird Glamour. We arrived at the Goseong Public Library after a nice lunch with the Library's curator, public programming coordinator, and some of the Library staff.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE1dKZsGp5WQvNgpsCy_8B0hag_kmBMwP6TKB6_vRE40wf3-P-pTy9MeNAOCznoNgpbMJwQ_FtGlBrBfF7Am1srLKpuZebWRyJxXh6REzykDL-idjWsaoCu_qmqQE9RE7f_NfZz5A1dxax/s1600/20170916_142214.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE1dKZsGp5WQvNgpsCy_8B0hag_kmBMwP6TKB6_vRE40wf3-P-pTy9MeNAOCznoNgpbMJwQ_FtGlBrBfF7Am1srLKpuZebWRyJxXh6REzykDL-idjWsaoCu_qmqQE9RE7f_NfZz5A1dxax/s640/20170916_142214.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The poster advertising our public talks at the Goseong Public Library!</td></tr>
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While the rest of the Ichnology Team had coffee and snacks with the curator, I applied my Black-faced Spoonbill look.<br />
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These looks can take anywhere from twenty minutes to an hour to create. Once I was done, Sujin asked if I could do her eyes up as an owl. Sujin chose a Long-eared Owl, and I was kindly given the use of the curator's office to apply Sujin's Long-eared Owl look.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me (left) with Black-faced Spoonbill eyes and Sujin (right) with Long-eared Owl eyes. </td></tr>
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This was the first time I had given a public talk while wearing Bird Glamour. I admit to being a trifle nervous about it: people sometimes have a very specific stereotype image in mind when they think "scientist," and that image does not typically involve makeup, let alone bird-inspired makeup. Nevertheless, I opened my talk by introducing Bird Glamour and used the link between the Black-faced Spoonbill and Korea's fossil bird tracks to talk about the bird tracks of western Canada.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Martin Lockley talking about his track work in South Korea.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3L3vSdaT8f5gbD0HwhMDrSHZt90jJIffIQgAvdvKHj2CX0Yg3KjLbRDMeGj-g5jqIXzvUkRCfrwvbQ1A5hagtDkcTM4FdLYvBtNja51fDdfIcqQr1Bg_fmOJ2tGv21i-CRT6STyOAtLgk/s1600/20170916_151501.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3L3vSdaT8f5gbD0HwhMDrSHZt90jJIffIQgAvdvKHj2CX0Yg3KjLbRDMeGj-g5jqIXzvUkRCfrwvbQ1A5hagtDkcTM4FdLYvBtNja51fDdfIcqQr1Bg_fmOJ2tGv21i-CRT6STyOAtLgk/s640/20170916_151501.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Richard McCrea talking about dinosaur tracks from western Canada.</td></tr>
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The talks were very well-received: there were a lot of interesting questions from both the kids and adults in attendance. We went out for our last dinner in South Korea: bulgogi! After dinner, we went to Dr. Kim's lab for one last push to get as many tracks documented in our time remaining. We were at the lab until at least 11:00 pm local time.<br />
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Our flight from the Incheon Airport wasn't until the early afternoon, but we were scheduled to take a bus from Jinju to Incheon. The bus was scheduled to leave Jinju around 5:45 am. We were up, packed, and waiting in the hotel parking garage for our ride to the bus station at 5:10 am.<br />
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Things got...interesting. We saw some of the Jinju night-life as young people started returning home from what I assume was a fun Saturday night. Then a young woman staggers down the road. She is still in a partying mood and is very eager to give us cigarettes. She tells us in her limited English that she is from Russia, and that she doesn't speak [insert derogatory term here]. To directly quote my field notes from that morning "Charming that one of the few English words she knows is a slur. :| " While this interaction was taking place, I was scanning down the road to make sure that she was not distracting us so that an unseen companion could rob us. Before long Sujin arrived with an additional cab to take us and our luggage to the bus station. Rich gave his gift of cigarettes to our cab driver.<br />
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We arrived with plenty of time to get our boarding passes for the bus. These buses are glorious: truly comfortable seats with nice headrests and copious leg room. We slept until our rest stop about halfway between Jinju and Incheon Airport. We breakfasted on roasted chestnuts purchased at the concession. If you've never had roasted chestnuts, they have a soft texture that is slightly sweet.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVaGngK1By2IU8kzq0joTwbPSWCAghjfvEE82odThxv6YCbnIPoFT-phcGgEQ7jf9esOW9Qr10uNfK9QIb8ML2GnfxlkzKhlQQyAABrwUKB90C764tmfsfwKgSAflB44no9K34KIcPxs9_/s1600/Bus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="486" data-original-width="864" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVaGngK1By2IU8kzq0joTwbPSWCAghjfvEE82odThxv6YCbnIPoFT-phcGgEQ7jf9esOW9Qr10uNfK9QIb8ML2GnfxlkzKhlQQyAABrwUKB90C764tmfsfwKgSAflB44no9K34KIcPxs9_/s640/Bus.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Since all of the buses look the same, we made sure to remember in which space our bus was parked. </td></tr>
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We arrived at the airport with plenty of time to spare. This was good because it gave us a chance to repack our bags to make sure we didn't have power sources, like a solar battery charger, in our carry-on luggage. We found this out when Martin (who was flying out of Incheon first) was pulled out of line during his bag scanning to repack his bags. Oops. You can travel a million times and still miss an item or two.<br />
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Our flight back to Canada was uneventful, which is the best kind of flight! Usually, on a flight and while waiting in airports I type away on writing projects and papers. Sometimes I try to read if the jetlag isn't too powerful. I felt the jetlag start to hit me hard while we were waiting for our flight from Vancouver to Fort St. John. Jetlag gives me a very disconnected feeling: I feel as though I'm moving at a different tempo than that of the rest of the world. I also tend to feel as though all of my sensations have been muted.<br />
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Then, of course, there's the struggle to reclaim your original sleep schedule. This can take anywhere from a couple of days to over a week. My advice: don't try to do a hard reset on your sleep schedule. Day Three after we had arrived home, we forced ourselves into a "normal" day by doing a day trip into another community. We were out of the house at 9:00 am and in bed around 11:30 pm. The next thing we knew, we were waking up the next day at 3:45 pm. Just let the jet lag run its course.<br />
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That is the end of our tracking adventure in South Korea! Now we have several scientific papers to write on all of the data we collected! Hopefully, I'll be able to give you updates on those papers soon!Lisa Buckleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05999611419393598550noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1545708523638136271.post-68686941422332916052018-02-17T16:43:00.002-08:002018-02-18T09:24:09.532-08:00Tracking Cretaceous Birds in South Korea: Goseong Dinosaur TracksHello Dear Readers!<br />
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I'm excited to continue with our tale of Cretaceous tracks in South Korea! September 15 was our day to check out the coastal dinosaur track sites in Sangjogam County Park, a heritage site. This was a track site that Dr. Richard McCrea had visited back in 2000 on his first trip to South Korea. He said to me "I did not expect that I would ever get a chance to visit this site again."<br />
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A LOT had changed since Rich's visit in 2000. At that time the area was newly discovered and in the process of being documented. Let's just say, the progress made on the site was impressive!<br />
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After breakfasting and grabbing some Starbucks (science runs on caffeine all over the world), we drove to the parking area next to the coastline. We were immediately greeted by a great sauropod sculpture surveying the gorgeous shoreline.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3QHvY1i3MDtIFO-vE4innUtDPOvOdOKSs3XCI-PK4pM55hGgqkiFTg5LFkXB22JEqS0KE6qyVVUOHhvyKNK4onYOJ60l6wR6g2Wlm2qPvd3MBUxKTKxCOAwO5LjtrX8Z6XjSBgmH9j7b5/s1600/Goseong+1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="875" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3QHvY1i3MDtIFO-vE4innUtDPOvOdOKSs3XCI-PK4pM55hGgqkiFTg5LFkXB22JEqS0KE6qyVVUOHhvyKNK4onYOJ60l6wR6g2Wlm2qPvd3MBUxKTKxCOAwO5LjtrX8Z6XjSBgmH9j7b5/s640/Goseong+1.jpg" width="436" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"I am Lord/Lady of all I survey!" said every sauropod everywhere.</td></tr>
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The entire area around the Goseong Dinosaur Museum was developed to celebrate the dinosaur track sites. The sidewalks also celebrate their fossil heritage.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUrItWMjjbaSZvlyfmRwm7AwBo8NpcC_zedIiWJ2lGnVzF_aKFtH5hBYv4cZi3gxADkuhM_09XLJfxHW0DzEfnDsvHyWPZnqAqD7kVnHwO_PujCMdXe7U4AYqVbZQQbgKHobsBZ64X03nX/s1600/Goseong+4.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="900" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUrItWMjjbaSZvlyfmRwm7AwBo8NpcC_zedIiWJ2lGnVzF_aKFtH5hBYv4cZi3gxADkuhM_09XLJfxHW0DzEfnDsvHyWPZnqAqD7kVnHwO_PujCMdXe7U4AYqVbZQQbgKHobsBZ64X03nX/s640/Goseong+4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting ready leave the walkway to stroll along the beach to see the sauropod tracks.</td></tr>
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Of course, a sandy beach is a glorious place to look for present-day bird tracks. Today was a day for gull tracks.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZVrevQ7AT3y1VddE6PYwLJBSe5cKS2ELoWQbG6ADECfzbRuiyPnU9d8PKTnTtSkJGLwB2Dw0ou0RspCHlt1o1zJFS0CE595mE82R-WdRWvJIVHHodtb7JKptQGQMdSI4riw8jGsreQxi8/s1600/Goseong+3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="548" data-original-width="900" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZVrevQ7AT3y1VddE6PYwLJBSe5cKS2ELoWQbG6ADECfzbRuiyPnU9d8PKTnTtSkJGLwB2Dw0ou0RspCHlt1o1zJFS0CE595mE82R-WdRWvJIVHHodtb7JKptQGQMdSI4riw8jGsreQxi8/s640/Goseong+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of these days, I'll be able to afford a decent lens for photographing birds. September 15 was not that day. Neither is today, actually.</td></tr>
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This was the best picture I could get of one of the gulls roaming around the beach that morning. It's carrying a mussel in its beak, so the appearance of a black ring on the bill is artificial. I also didn't pack my binoculars that day, so my identification of this gull is "gull." The gulls did leave some nice trackways.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQVaamO3GG3B-KMCqMdKtW-ZH6-s5ZUdWsBANhOpXfH3n1OY8KACdwUTbsN0lILTD9Zrxf175mY51CIVE2EZdks4SXsY3zYYs_y0qH_JMQPdmJCGPUBS0TFHCDIuVtVjbl4VralvQUIgWT/s1600/Goseong+2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="900" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQVaamO3GG3B-KMCqMdKtW-ZH6-s5ZUdWsBANhOpXfH3n1OY8KACdwUTbsN0lILTD9Zrxf175mY51CIVE2EZdks4SXsY3zYYs_y0qH_JMQPdmJCGPUBS0TFHCDIuVtVjbl4VralvQUIgWT/s640/Goseong+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sand is damp enough that the webbing impressions are preserved. We can clearly see the claw impressions and occasional toe impressions.</td></tr>
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There was also some interesting behavior exhibited by the gull tracks. Check out this landing trace of a gull: you can see the long drag mark left by the hallux (backward-facing toe) running down the middle of the scuffed-looking footprint. I used this image for my weekly Twitter ichnology game #NameThatTrack.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqFpYYDUWidN41ZzvDX3CTEUfa4ellNASYP6bMvsYjtenNyw3MdeBpVcll9c0Hyu3QpiPSlWzgPfY6zLhX5NLqSSRFAF57HylmZi_jHQiTAzxSONLL1OEgAGURfXrFzKDJJPhl4WoQCyN3/s1600/NameThatTrack+2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqFpYYDUWidN41ZzvDX3CTEUfa4ellNASYP6bMvsYjtenNyw3MdeBpVcll9c0Hyu3QpiPSlWzgPfY6zLhX5NLqSSRFAF57HylmZi_jHQiTAzxSONLL1OEgAGURfXrFzKDJJPhl4WoQCyN3/s640/NameThatTrack+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Of course, I couldn't spend all day on the beach taking pictures of modern footprints (although this would be a worthy ichnology project.) We made our way over to the Goseong Track Site.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjobubPJeGcmHcbfH96r-bvPQEbaHNEZCoT21FjfvV26uRybHRClz-zPPRNVYFsZP4K07AUPe388aeicsVHUZupElgSXi1VENoBeNKZnFEzoA7d7K8oRs-GfJe20mALLCF_P5OjVglKC-R7/s1600/Goseong+5.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="900" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjobubPJeGcmHcbfH96r-bvPQEbaHNEZCoT21FjfvV26uRybHRClz-zPPRNVYFsZP4K07AUPe388aeicsVHUZupElgSXi1VENoBeNKZnFEzoA7d7K8oRs-GfJe20mALLCF_P5OjVglKC-R7/s640/Goseong+5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goseong Dinosaur Track Site in Sangjogam County Park. Drs. Kim Kyung-soo (left) and Richard McCrea (right) taking initial observation notes.</td></tr>
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The most obvious trackways on the site are sauropod trackways.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrdSm2GNsRRfcX0vkVEk90PaCOR2R7khk2rgtnTgbdOE1_YAEajDl8idSqd4CE7UHPh7bLN-gNWXjKUoh2APTFeqQOUaBV4tvrqaIZ7PbS2TOCMHzP6y7m6aI8am-qvJegZ8dLVcWs_lCe/s1600/Goseong+6.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrdSm2GNsRRfcX0vkVEk90PaCOR2R7khk2rgtnTgbdOE1_YAEajDl8idSqd4CE7UHPh7bLN-gNWXjKUoh2APTFeqQOUaBV4tvrqaIZ7PbS2TOCMHzP6y7m6aI8am-qvJegZ8dLVcWs_lCe/s640/Goseong+6.jpg" width="356" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The circled areas are the sauropod tracks. Scalebar in the picture is 10 cm.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV0c1j12s1Zr4PArIlDR1iHoKvNlVDcGVvGA8Bs_kerwyrR0fOr7Sq8Wsi5aL1FPX_K9MeywW_6E6AQ3SOJUbLf0nS3QwC9_UTb39xSLGWnYMrtO2r5OnM2MbO9yy2G277g6i82XO5IeOX/s1600/20170915_102032.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV0c1j12s1Zr4PArIlDR1iHoKvNlVDcGVvGA8Bs_kerwyrR0fOr7Sq8Wsi5aL1FPX_K9MeywW_6E6AQ3SOJUbLf0nS3QwC9_UTb39xSLGWnYMrtO2r5OnM2MbO9yy2G277g6i82XO5IeOX/s640/20170915_102032.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close-up of the sauropod tracks with a 10 cm scale (and my feet) for scale.</td></tr>
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While we were on the site, we found ourselves in the middle of a couple of school groups doing a geology-based field trip assignment and tour on the track site. We ended up being part of the tour, with the students watching us take photos and asking us questions. We also ended up signing autographs on their site brochures! That felt...odd. I mean, I was not involved with finding or developing the site, but I suppose they appreciated the chance to interact with dinosaur track scientists on the site.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEEwp6PnhL5syBVTdtGhV9dHM9w4pFqFOdfH1nZZbv1M9RICSM_MB8G1sV6MkHz2pKAFodPIDA4XGQsiBA5o05eXTTHpj0-4mZUzJo6NRwpLS2ijeBXHGpwB1ZAizYaXYk51-GyE4DzPey/s1600/Goseong+7.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="900" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEEwp6PnhL5syBVTdtGhV9dHM9w4pFqFOdfH1nZZbv1M9RICSM_MB8G1sV6MkHz2pKAFodPIDA4XGQsiBA5o05eXTTHpj0-4mZUzJo6NRwpLS2ijeBXHGpwB1ZAizYaXYk51-GyE4DzPey/s640/Goseong+7.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drs. Martin Lockley and Richard McCrea somewhere in the middle of the tour group!</td></tr>
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There are several track types on the Goseong Track Site. Here is an ornithopod trackway, with the tracks outlined with dashed lines.<br />
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With coastal rock exposures, particularly those that are periodically covered by tides, we don't expect that tracks will "last" that long. Tides are powerful, running sand and shells over track surfaces. They also form tidal ecosystems: it's not uncommon to see dinosaur footprints doubling as tidepools. Given that tidal-influenced areas are generally high-energy, I was not expecting to see bird tracks at this site. I moved a little farther away from the shoreline to check out some fine-grained surfaces. I was not disappointed!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMuSajrts7jB9z2KnW33FaDYsEJ1uf0QQwPh4J6oZbnLDWGYSbjYAuEALp1auC4cbhksQOtTYvsAKQBatFjCRiiv0f69Fd95_OmtrJMR0HUXz5SbxWGAIo8hkpzk0JBYhRalJ8ZybT_I3F/s1600/Goseong+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="900" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMuSajrts7jB9z2KnW33FaDYsEJ1uf0QQwPh4J6oZbnLDWGYSbjYAuEALp1auC4cbhksQOtTYvsAKQBatFjCRiiv0f69Fd95_OmtrJMR0HUXz5SbxWGAIo8hkpzk0JBYhRalJ8ZybT_I3F/s640/Goseong+9.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They are shallow, but there are small bird tracks!</td></tr>
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It was an overcast day, so the light was fairly dim and there few shadows being cast on the track surface. These were great conditions for getting photogrammetry images of the sauropod and ornithopod trackways, but the dim light made seeing bird difficult. Like I've mentioned before, lighting is everything when it comes to recognizing tracks.<br />
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The Goseong Track Site was impressive for another reason: the level of resources and development that went into making the site accessible to the public. When I show these images, remember that only 17 years prior this area didn't have the track sites developed or a dinosaur museum built.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7FrFm3O54Plugk1tjPNXvlmSAkdIRyAW_HkWxaXLXXaUk2jqRvobbbeA9CtYrJN6rrdeRFghzGhDMEm7vn0wTicDVHJL5SR2Pjt34Z5wWOfpTfcT_6IEAnT1sJtguVj3-ABm0XUyu_VOM/s1600/Goseong+11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="900" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7FrFm3O54Plugk1tjPNXvlmSAkdIRyAW_HkWxaXLXXaUk2jqRvobbbeA9CtYrJN6rrdeRFghzGhDMEm7vn0wTicDVHJL5SR2Pjt34Z5wWOfpTfcT_6IEAnT1sJtguVj3-ABm0XUyu_VOM/s640/Goseong+11.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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First, there are the extensive walkways built along the coastline so that people can look over the track surface. There are several kilometers of these walkways! At key points along the walkways are informative signs that direct visitors' attention to key geologic and paleontologic views.<br />
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<b>Editorial Note:</b> OK, friends, I need to go on a bit of a rant. Look at this sign. It gives out science information without talking down to the reader. Do you see any cheap, lazy Jurassic Park-themed lettering? Any sensationalized attempts to use giant waves in "storytelling"? You do not. I did not see ANY sign of the North American-style insulting "tourism marketing" in South Korea. This is because the organizations that made these signs actually respect the intelligence of the people who are visiting natural history sites. They don't assume that there is "too much science" in the information provided, or that the public needs to be "talked down to." Each time I see a fossil heritage site that blatantly uses Jurassic Park imagery and/or sensationalized "stories" to interpret a site, I assume the organization that created those signs does not respect their visitors OR the fossil heritage they exploit. Respect for fossil heritage or those interested in natural history isn't even on the radar for those particular organisations: fossils are merely a thing to selfishly use, and the public are just their dupes with wallets. It makes me feel angry and ill. Oh, and the fact that, since Rich's 2000 visit, a museum and outdoor interpretive sites had been fully developed? It is extremely frustrating to see the slow progress of getting similar dinosaur track sites developed in North America. We've been in the Peace Region full-time since 2004 and we still struggle year-to-year to have fossil heritage conservation funded.<br />
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We hiked up to another track site that was not yet interpreted: one of the aspects of coastal geology is that it changes a lot, with new rock surfaces constantly being exposed. Rocky cliffs are also a tricky place to do ichnology, mostly because of the ever-present threat of those tracks using gravity to make face-time with you. Here are some bird tracks exposed on the underside of a rock exposure. We couldn't get a close-up view of them, but we could tell they were the ichnogenus <i>Jindongornipes</i>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil1wZJUWijbWIWISgUrZPLbLt4BdAOU_pJoxdNSPcw94fSuBXleRn6UNNwg8K8uZDmllAKd_SoHW0nukfIBlezveaP3YSNH3NLsRP7HxKV_9RK9qf6XUkt_vS7gY1QlqYUTedb5agNL1O7/s1600/Goseong+15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="862" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil1wZJUWijbWIWISgUrZPLbLt4BdAOU_pJoxdNSPcw94fSuBXleRn6UNNwg8K8uZDmllAKd_SoHW0nukfIBlezveaP3YSNH3NLsRP7HxKV_9RK9qf6XUkt_vS7gY1QlqYUTedb5agNL1O7/s640/Goseong+15.jpg" width="444" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The preservation of these large bird tracks (<i>Jindongornipes</i>) is amazing! We can even see webbing impressions!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTgzygVy-Z9aA1-mpPlYIpUPS3sycxlTRXBZRrnIHuCTqOMuFnLoeekIqwj1C32FQ7s8DGoJVQmkgOQH1JZk0y9-EWyXcFbSMZovqjicwk-BmBqVhmoRo7nniO9mpl6_83WLTiEgIZccGx/s1600/Goseong+14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="927" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTgzygVy-Z9aA1-mpPlYIpUPS3sycxlTRXBZRrnIHuCTqOMuFnLoeekIqwj1C32FQ7s8DGoJVQmkgOQH1JZk0y9-EWyXcFbSMZovqjicwk-BmBqVhmoRo7nniO9mpl6_83WLTiEgIZccGx/s640/Goseong+14.jpg" width="414" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rich attempting photogrammetry on the Jindongornipes tracks. It becomes more tricky when you can't get something for scale on to the track surface.</td></tr>
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We continued our hike up from the coastline boardwalk to connect with the outdoor trails and displays of the Goseong Dinosaur Museum. Again we were treated to a glorious sight: great outdoor displays that did not shy away from interpreting science.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnUlat8D4RpvBRC-CLLUZGEyCw0stUHfYn8IjO78P-ONiCISnuwZPrR8CFkYHi3pLztIGgmgN6E94RIekuXv7fKZsLsQTG1l2j8MDN43_4kZoYcH16CyW0hhmN_mPw-mgJbJ5BPkKMlDHm/s1600/Goseong+16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="900" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnUlat8D4RpvBRC-CLLUZGEyCw0stUHfYn8IjO78P-ONiCISnuwZPrR8CFkYHi3pLztIGgmgN6E94RIekuXv7fKZsLsQTG1l2j8MDN43_4kZoYcH16CyW0hhmN_mPw-mgJbJ5BPkKMlDHm/s1600/Goseong+16.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boardwalk trail joins up to the Goseong Dinosaur Museum outdoor trails.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ5M6s-OOi5Njfbbb9263esSvL2nOQJasMYvPGaX6bHIWB4g88z8cUD3_OiDm_J3iZA4AD8wPuqttO1HdJNmsTqsOCBsSN4sPMRs_KBbE0vBHOuDu0DIS_ChEDcd_xYGbhEZ4iGge7hE3V/s1600/Goseong+18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="900" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ5M6s-OOi5Njfbbb9263esSvL2nOQJasMYvPGaX6bHIWB4g88z8cUD3_OiDm_J3iZA4AD8wPuqttO1HdJNmsTqsOCBsSN4sPMRs_KBbE0vBHOuDu0DIS_ChEDcd_xYGbhEZ4iGge7hE3V/s640/Goseong+18.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Um, friends? There's a <i>Utahraptor</i> watching you!</td></tr>
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All of the outdoor dinosaur sculptures were time-appropriate to the age of the tracks exposed at the Goseong Dinosaur Track Site: Early Cretaceous in age, roughly 120-100 million years old. We did not see any <i>Tyrannosaurus rex</i> or <i>Triceratops</i> models, which are 66 million years old. This was another sign (to me) that the Goseong Dinosaur Museum wasn't relying on sensationalism (a.k.a. all cool dinosaurs are <i>T. rex</i>!) to interpret their fossil heritage.<br />
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The Goseong Dinosaur Museum also had some fun with their outdoor displays. I love this cartoon bird pointing out the names of the bird tracks.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4JNUGzKphyphenhyphenOP8jyOgFSfnyX4jN-iekaJcFKwKeuTqZyNcmRPtIsanswpI6NchKt4XUgYAjaeSX1ZO15gp5sQrmKJiLA_10XsWp9C88-jctH7hj_HJENPrSEUBfhI7aH1XsJhFkltt8Ler/s1600/Goseong+22.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="900" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4JNUGzKphyphenhyphenOP8jyOgFSfnyX4jN-iekaJcFKwKeuTqZyNcmRPtIsanswpI6NchKt4XUgYAjaeSX1ZO15gp5sQrmKJiLA_10XsWp9C88-jctH7hj_HJENPrSEUBfhI7aH1XsJhFkltt8Ler/s640/Goseong+22.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
We stopped for lunch with the <a href="https://museum.goseong.go.kr/index.goseong" target="_blank">Goseong Dinosaur Museum</a> curator at the museum's cafe, and were treated to a wonderful beverage: quince tea that the curator made! We found out the recipe, but darn it! We can't seem to find quince anywhere in grocery stores. The hunt continues!<br />
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After lunch we spent some time in the collections facility of the Goseong Dinosaur Museum, collecting data, photogrammetry images, and track slab tracings.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDCSZFp4qCJr3paWRVvM8ztIaneWRIQ8a2ENKL5p9FURANwYmIiq_9HtYX2wHUntmxuYl6eGfYG8LPkYaeRvYFAGuAjDfEplV0mWh2BkKTWAg3pctOeq1EpRo2EgzUiyvPkMUlEYnHBCFG/s1600/20170915_154149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDCSZFp4qCJr3paWRVvM8ztIaneWRIQ8a2ENKL5p9FURANwYmIiq_9HtYX2wHUntmxuYl6eGfYG8LPkYaeRvYFAGuAjDfEplV0mWh2BkKTWAg3pctOeq1EpRo2EgzUiyvPkMUlEYnHBCFG/s640/20170915_154149.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Martin Lockley making a plastic sheet tracing of a bird track slab.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN_Q9H2srOGYk2V-dZP8T_acfu3NTz52K7aQbohC2_B_Hz92ENHRh0zNccbmjWq25UgcseHQiP96rqUHyfBOriOcj-xXXKuju9eI8Hlj6w8ZMQpVVY3BHL-RDJeZZJa_v8ktfAjl5pietd/s1600/Goseong+24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="690" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN_Q9H2srOGYk2V-dZP8T_acfu3NTz52K7aQbohC2_B_Hz92ENHRh0zNccbmjWq25UgcseHQiP96rqUHyfBOriOcj-xXXKuju9eI8Hlj6w8ZMQpVVY3BHL-RDJeZZJa_v8ktfAjl5pietd/s640/Goseong+24.jpg" width="556" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sometimes you meet the local fauna when you work on tracks. Here's a wolf spider, who was not impressed when I disturbed its cozy hideout. It was ceremoniously moved outside.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5vh8J15e3rRW1tqtcPTx_VBzzG_h9O0xmKIwg0Z3k6KgWPDYK9Mv1vYJT4SpjGSkusHYxCbVzwdVz2kYf-rf2D7EAFUbVZMKwJp_tR8FMsL_4t1fRGF2o0zC1MSesKPhOhX742AH_pIJn/s1600/Goseong+30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="900" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5vh8J15e3rRW1tqtcPTx_VBzzG_h9O0xmKIwg0Z3k6KgWPDYK9Mv1vYJT4SpjGSkusHYxCbVzwdVz2kYf-rf2D7EAFUbVZMKwJp_tR8FMsL_4t1fRGF2o0zC1MSesKPhOhX742AH_pIJn/s640/Goseong+30.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the many bird track slabs in the Goseong Dinosaur Museum collections.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2skQvJXaVl97ppI7V0UbGygNyWomPsDh-AnTdLd7CgSAD4bj3J_PxhqBT47LVxmDZrrTaAZ91t2U0ILoZGChhUNbdDjJpsK7lkbIfcVP8362rkk8mDId9SBBPg_cIB6jUSmyrHz2zqze-/s1600/Goseong+28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2skQvJXaVl97ppI7V0UbGygNyWomPsDh-AnTdLd7CgSAD4bj3J_PxhqBT47LVxmDZrrTaAZ91t2U0ILoZGChhUNbdDjJpsK7lkbIfcVP8362rkk8mDId9SBBPg_cIB6jUSmyrHz2zqze-/s640/Goseong+28.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drs. Martin Lockley (left) and Richard McCrea (right). If you like groaner-puns, these are the two to go into the field with.</td></tr>
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We worked until evening, and then went out for dinner at a restaurant whose name roughly translates to "The Broken Bone Restaurant." It was a great dish of stewed meat on the bone, served with fried rice.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmuXQJra8bj5IGN16HAfBKzENqec0occGdLiJqhtmscx3CqCdcN3befXF5mYNZANxhMW9k6xnxnLsLIlBp3hPjUNNuUdcbRCh5dqlgnFIdl9HKwwYDstCqvHiXARHSZ8bESo5rrTj1gvkQ/s1600/Goseong+29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="900" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmuXQJra8bj5IGN16HAfBKzENqec0occGdLiJqhtmscx3CqCdcN3befXF5mYNZANxhMW9k6xnxnLsLIlBp3hPjUNNuUdcbRCh5dqlgnFIdl9HKwwYDstCqvHiXARHSZ8bESo5rrTj1gvkQ/s640/Goseong+29.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Broken Bone Restaurant. </td></tr>
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It's no secret that I like spicy foods. Do you see the green chilis on the dish to the left? Up until this point, I had been munching on these peppers like they were candy. Tonight was the night that I found out there are two types of long green chilis: mild and spicy. I caused a great deal of amusement as I sat there, eyes streaming, face flushed, laughing at my luck of the draw. I found out that the smooth-skinned green chilis are the mild ones, and the green chilis with wrinkled skin near the stem are spicy. Live and learn!<br />
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The next day we were scheduled to give public talks on our work in Canada and South Korea at the Goseong Public Library! Tune in next week to find out how our talks went!Lisa Buckleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05999611419393598550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1545708523638136271.post-1565521414861859582018-02-06T15:22:00.002-08:002018-02-06T15:22:38.229-08:00Tracking Cretaceous Birds in South Korea: Gajin-ri SiteHello, Dear Readers! I'm back! Well, sort of back. I have been down and out with that nasty flu that is going around. It's a bad one. Friends, if you happen to catch it, please please please take the time to get the rest you need to recover. I've taken the time off that I need, and darn if I don't feel the least bit guilty about it.<br />
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We last left our intrepid ichnology adventurers enjoying a lunch of mul-naengmyeon. Here our party split up. Martin went back to Dr. Kim Kyung-soo's lab at Chinju University with Sujin to continue collecting data, making latex peels, and tracings of track slabs on to plastic sheets. Rich and I accompanied Dr. Kim to the Fossil Heritage Hall of the <a href="https://www.gnse.kr/home2-1.html?num=1" target="_blank">Gyeongsangnam-do Institute of Science Education</a>. We were here to see the famous Early Cretaceous Gajin-ri track site. This site was written up scientifically by Kim Jeong-yul and coauthors in 2012 (Dr. Kim Kyung-soo was one of the authors), and it is famous for two main reasons. One, there are SO MANY BIRD TRACKS, with an estimated 600 bird tracks per square meter!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3t9o-IpMJ3KhZKX6uW1JS6-uwWQeaH2ufkVugpgY1o8DEg5F7u2RdYQbEDM8ck7hl3JIBX5sbRkzhP6av1LIN_Br5i0GBZKoO8-CTip61dAcXSmV1whsVV7dWGleYur5dqyoqhH4Hefbz/s1600/So+many+birds.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="454" data-original-width="724" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3t9o-IpMJ3KhZKX6uW1JS6-uwWQeaH2ufkVugpgY1o8DEg5F7u2RdYQbEDM8ck7hl3JIBX5sbRkzhP6av1LIN_Br5i0GBZKoO8-CTip61dAcXSmV1whsVV7dWGleYur5dqyoqhH4Hefbz/s400/So+many+birds.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 3 from Kim et al. (2012). Each one of those marks is an individual bird footprint. This is glorious.</td></tr>
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Second, the Gajin-ri site is where <i>Ignotornis gajinensis</i> was found! This is a bird track type has the classic Ignotornis look - three forward-pointing toes with webbing in-between them, one long reversed toe (hallux) - but it also has bill scrape marks!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDIUn3D03JEo4odMo4ygRXCwIltEmpor-eHtV4U0IInIL6rCsciZENx7MwZ2FAeE06NgLgAegKTrU_aN7d49nuaz42ZzMX5EYwoNLI1QBN4kDbQYydfM_BDYy9llWOXb8SVwKdChBNiyW0/s1600/SWOOSH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="576" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDIUn3D03JEo4odMo4ygRXCwIltEmpor-eHtV4U0IInIL6rCsciZENx7MwZ2FAeE06NgLgAegKTrU_aN7d49nuaz42ZzMX5EYwoNLI1QBN4kDbQYydfM_BDYy9llWOXb8SVwKdChBNiyW0/s640/SWOOSH.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tracks of <i>Ignotornis gajinensis</i>, with the bill scrape marks. I like to call them swooshes!</td></tr>
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These bill scrape marks are very close in shape to those of modern-day spoonbills. Spoonbills get their name from their spoon-shaped bill, which they use to search for food by swooshing their bills through the water and the underwater sediment, stirring up fish and invertebrates.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNglLewlxBseQIdQ0fppKGksZSlGLm-lHvmUJSIKbIGVzVrsbB5Ry19Mtz5mTVFu2qNxgjao3LETVwImJ3offM4JLXpVNKfnlbmPrb_rjYvxHBCS12nXOPMNY95_63GPoywP8s29Dt7gnu/s1600/Spoonbill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="612" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNglLewlxBseQIdQ0fppKGksZSlGLm-lHvmUJSIKbIGVzVrsbB5Ry19Mtz5mTVFu2qNxgjao3LETVwImJ3offM4JLXpVNKfnlbmPrb_rjYvxHBCS12nXOPMNY95_63GPoywP8s29Dt7gnu/s1600/Spoonbill.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love this image of a Eurasian Spoonbill for two reasons: a great view of the bill, and its showing off its foot.</td></tr>
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This site is one of many sites in the Republic of Korea that has been designated a Natural Monument (No. 395), but an entire center was built over the site to offer top-notch science outreach and education. I need to show you how wonderful this center is: this is what I dream of happening in northeastern British Columbia.<br />
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First, here's entrance sign. Do you see the bird tracks on the sign?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw_Fr_vH8-yTcpMJYdOHnE6CJIcfiPOWZcBiFozGga6LhfEM6WORTdD3S4PeqGI39C1IIRLnebP1dx7YzTbWtTm_g5NWDb_KaEO5EZbTCyYJwJlborEC2CDRz320uo6IE0wjltPZJ8LsIB/s1600/Sign+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="710" data-original-width="900" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw_Fr_vH8-yTcpMJYdOHnE6CJIcfiPOWZcBiFozGga6LhfEM6WORTdD3S4PeqGI39C1IIRLnebP1dx7YzTbWtTm_g5NWDb_KaEO5EZbTCyYJwJlborEC2CDRz320uo6IE0wjltPZJ8LsIB/s640/Sign+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There are three different bird track types on this sign, including the iconic <i>Ignotornis gajinensis</i> and the bill swooshes!</td></tr>
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Once we were in the Center, we immediately saw a sign for <i>Ignotornis gajinensis</i>!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_h-9GkgD41xemVgClki1s3pvhO6MGHe9sqE5WsEZZmSnVYtrZ-AmoaqusqC6-eKWIl_-V4oUhBiDUxnGeB30d2c5-09wWfHaSsML4YdZfsVRNxctKZA380cJ-Bvw42br57H0zC9l1P3MA/s1600/Spoonbill+sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="900" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_h-9GkgD41xemVgClki1s3pvhO6MGHe9sqE5WsEZZmSnVYtrZ-AmoaqusqC6-eKWIl_-V4oUhBiDUxnGeB30d2c5-09wWfHaSsML4YdZfsVRNxctKZA380cJ-Bvw42br57H0zC9l1P3MA/s640/Spoonbill+sign.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We were eager to see the track surface, which the Center set up so that visitors can walk around the entire exposed surface at an upper and a lower level.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE69mfmakrKIAgn4GWXiCmmPG50B41CTjbuJzQYEMLyZBdC0cm7Qvkn3jQ-qRUJYCU_P8ZvAF0xqnCFDxJEnAEDfdppIFAG3v9TkGx1JZwnnCIf43XGkv2eYKyVb7yTrj5eaNQUVc1yhqJ/s1600/Site+levels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="774" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE69mfmakrKIAgn4GWXiCmmPG50B41CTjbuJzQYEMLyZBdC0cm7Qvkn3jQ-qRUJYCU_P8ZvAF0xqnCFDxJEnAEDfdppIFAG3v9TkGx1JZwnnCIf43XGkv2eYKyVb7yTrj5eaNQUVc1yhqJ/s400/Site+levels.jpg" width="310" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lower level allows visitors to get up close and personal with the track surface.</td></tr>
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There are several track types on this surface, displaying a whole track ecosystem from the Early Cretaceous Period. Here is one of the sauropod trackways.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKXiW4YcLNhjfrUvywdoV85ipzuDT0bjzmUFLLo75La7SKTB9rtRHufGOwMJHkDjvhFLfRDfzVOZaCTY-RpC-GQGfYXzsdzbyeBlFalzW8OD0_jFLmOE3qBxZ-zpHbEQE-Pjoofxek6q8I/s1600/Gajinri+sauropods.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKXiW4YcLNhjfrUvywdoV85ipzuDT0bjzmUFLLo75La7SKTB9rtRHufGOwMJHkDjvhFLfRDfzVOZaCTY-RpC-GQGfYXzsdzbyeBlFalzW8OD0_jFLmOE3qBxZ-zpHbEQE-Pjoofxek6q8I/s400/Gajinri+sauropods.tif" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sauropod trackway walking towards me.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzXR3hehE9lLtMMtSUUBHEJt2A3VIIl9HOWLqnHwXAS4VfJCKNE7kdpPSd0Z9oWnzdvezeClqYI98XQRluUfGcRJwNzblWieWL20oziVftikLgAZoTjz81NyHgdsr5O7Di9_BwrWg6mvi5/s1600/sauropod+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzXR3hehE9lLtMMtSUUBHEJt2A3VIIl9HOWLqnHwXAS4VfJCKNE7kdpPSd0Z9oWnzdvezeClqYI98XQRluUfGcRJwNzblWieWL20oziVftikLgAZoTjz81NyHgdsr5O7Di9_BwrWg6mvi5/s640/sauropod+2.jpg" width="356" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small (left) and large (right) sauropod trackways.</td></tr>
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You'll notice how dark the pictures are. It seems counter-intuitive that a dark room is the best way to see dinosaur and bird footprints, but it really is. Bright, direct lights wash out all of the details, while a dark room with a low angle light shining over the surface makes the details pop.<br />
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Here is the trackway of a small non-avian theropod, walking among the trackways of sauropods and birds.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm379jO_2_gmgYFK_5-VkDxAOk8pCBWMb55DEQ_3eyrXPxObMrCPaxIaaKcXIpVejZZzXj88Eyp65dkDG2Hn2wk631eWGNpaS_qvwuCtPwn_Dg4U3nwvJl5i_YvEU9k4Wcn-Ys-WDDTMOa/s1600/theropod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm379jO_2_gmgYFK_5-VkDxAOk8pCBWMb55DEQ_3eyrXPxObMrCPaxIaaKcXIpVejZZzXj88Eyp65dkDG2Hn2wk631eWGNpaS_qvwuCtPwn_Dg4U3nwvJl5i_YvEU9k4Wcn-Ys-WDDTMOa/s400/theropod.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birds, theropods, and sauropods, oh my!</td></tr>
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If you look at the upper left-hand corner of the above picture, you'll see my shoes. We got to crawl all over the track surface, but I sure as heck wasn't going to drag my rough shoes - with abrasive grit and dirt stuck in the treads - over a fine-grained track surface. It was socks for us!<br />
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Since some of the tracks on the middle part of the surface are hard to see, a series of cameras that project a close-up image of the <i>Ignotornis gajinensis</i> tracks on a huge projection screen. It also shows a projection of anyone working on the tracks, putting research on display. In this case, people got to see our socked feet.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCK0G4Vb_JZA0fLAv722nEk6vHxlz314USPalisCoIJQZSBH_-2mn1RTAm6MZnuvycuSl_sutWGtALSiUyPqbPE-5O1NlnjY9KFiGLOGS7ChBkARfKHGlX8ITDF1vOZNBEBaERep4iYl1I/s1600/Screen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="462" data-original-width="796" height="369" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCK0G4Vb_JZA0fLAv722nEk6vHxlz314USPalisCoIJQZSBH_-2mn1RTAm6MZnuvycuSl_sutWGtALSiUyPqbPE-5O1NlnjY9KFiGLOGS7ChBkARfKHGlX8ITDF1vOZNBEBaERep4iYl1I/s640/Screen.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The socked foot of Dr. Richard McCrea next to the trackway (and bill swooshes!) of <i>Ignotornis gajinensis</i>. Dr. Kim and I had a bit of a chuckle over this picture.</td></tr>
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Not only was there was a track surface live cam, there was a gorgeous mural depicting the Early Cretaceous paleoenvironment, showing the shoreline of the lake complete with sauropods and flocks of birds!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigiOnPEZvlzLUsXjmdQtPXZikVsrclAK522XAk7S8VhabMmpG_dtCRXIJ1CKNElpmcX6duPmwBCSC9wFYnfF8kqejNnD2gW7DD2SYsavWIjcJ5KsGBfjvZpEp-ipnnwS2FYPKi_H7n3uux/s1600/mural.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="900" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigiOnPEZvlzLUsXjmdQtPXZikVsrclAK522XAk7S8VhabMmpG_dtCRXIJ1CKNElpmcX6duPmwBCSC9wFYnfF8kqejNnD2gW7DD2SYsavWIjcJ5KsGBfjvZpEp-ipnnwS2FYPKi_H7n3uux/s640/mural.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spoonbill and sandpiper-like birds fly over the future Gajin-ri track site 117 million years ago.</td></tr>
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I didn't want to see <i>Ignotornis gajinensis</i> just because it is a famous bird track type: I have research reasons for wanting to see the real deal. I had an idea that I wanted to test: if we didn't have the glorious bill swoops, would we be able to tell <i>Ignotornis gajinenesis</i> apart from <i>Ignotornis mcconnelli</i>? Before visiting this site and seeing the tracks firsthand, I had to rely on measurements and photographs from publications. Now, data and pictures are good, but there's a lot of information that gets washed out in two-dimensional photos. It didn't take me long to abandon the idea that <i>Ignotornis gajinensis</i> and <i>Ignotornis mcconnelli</i> were the same track shape: there are just too many small differences that separate them.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgizs9p9WlMMb_xRIXTiQm9Bk7qoB4BVJRdB48eWw7mWOwFIAkVvewoPsC7M9vqjgMKzdBEMAjsxfGxKlFz9-qZBXVsTydVpg1Frk5EWRrtRmNaQp6Enoa88ixnymJvSbix1fR9nf4VUWqd/s1600/Me+on+site.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="978" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgizs9p9WlMMb_xRIXTiQm9Bk7qoB4BVJRdB48eWw7mWOwFIAkVvewoPsC7M9vqjgMKzdBEMAjsxfGxKlFz9-qZBXVsTydVpg1Frk5EWRrtRmNaQp6Enoa88ixnymJvSbix1fR9nf4VUWqd/s640/Me+on+site.jpg" width="392" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The untrained eye might think I'm pointing out sauropod tracks, but we all know I'm pointing out a really long bird trackway!</td></tr>
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We also saw lots of tracks of a track type called <i>Koreanaornis</i>. These are small, three-toed tracks that sometimes - but not all the time - have a small reversed digit impression. These tracks show many individuals skittering all over a wet sandy surface, much like we would see sandpipers at the beach doing today.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHwzUT3atiqD1Ih9Ow_29EFeyGXgMULcrrtX9mRUeicXjgPTpFWaZqOw1SThTsxcqkYv9sxQ7f57vx8Q_ZtANqoZCe5PyCarZ2DuSjRG80mkaA60VaUnIkJUOTzVUX9Pg9iS5tnjc3ZTiF/s1600/Koreanaornis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="900" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHwzUT3atiqD1Ih9Ow_29EFeyGXgMULcrrtX9mRUeicXjgPTpFWaZqOw1SThTsxcqkYv9sxQ7f57vx8Q_ZtANqoZCe5PyCarZ2DuSjRG80mkaA60VaUnIkJUOTzVUX9Pg9iS5tnjc3ZTiF/s640/Koreanaornis.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A flock of <i>Koreanaornis</i> track makers, likely running all over the lakeshore, looking for food.</td></tr>
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We also saw the other fossil interpretive displays. My favorite one (of course) was the interpretive display for <i>Ignotornis gajinensis</i>. This is a good time to point out another similarity between the work our colleagues in South Korea and the work we do in the Peace Region: the scientists design the interpretive displays! Dr. Kim designed this awesome display.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1r-bj5bsY_JXnwuX7vvMLzi6AdXYhP7D54y-nqVrV259sO0vK45q1vFRJTxlvDFVfWwisGmGd7VmGdLV43v6dkawX4rrgugUzeN26guL46T_iMatHmHIRu4GdgElQ-UHlvvh335fW1Myv/s1600/Dr+Kims+display2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="900" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1r-bj5bsY_JXnwuX7vvMLzi6AdXYhP7D54y-nqVrV259sO0vK45q1vFRJTxlvDFVfWwisGmGd7VmGdLV43v6dkawX4rrgugUzeN26guL46T_iMatHmHIRu4GdgElQ-UHlvvh335fW1Myv/s640/Dr+Kims+display2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scientists like Dr. Kim Kyung-soo make awesome science interpretive displays.<br />Scientists are great at communicating their science to the public.<br />Check out those awesome spoonbills!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQhm-o0moTzWYZj5ubK6NkYcq88n63U4tZzmUqEKR_N0rcQHjguH5qFQ3ZdZTYAQwnQ2aCU12Lz0Zye8waSQ8B7y5x0wyPSFfL56jS9y9uhZ6GtP_3zl-pjcWTE5Qmkx46VKPTIsKdbPwD/s1600/Ignotornis+display.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="900" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQhm-o0moTzWYZj5ubK6NkYcq88n63U4tZzmUqEKR_N0rcQHjguH5qFQ3ZdZTYAQwnQ2aCU12Lz0Zye8waSQ8B7y5x0wyPSFfL56jS9y9uhZ6GtP_3zl-pjcWTE5Qmkx46VKPTIsKdbPwD/s640/Ignotornis+display.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From left to right: Drs. Kim Kyung-soo, Lisa Buckley (me), and Richard McCrea. </td></tr>
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After taking many pictures, and many photogrammetry pictures, and seeing many, many specimens, we drove back to Chinju University to pick up Martin for dinner. Of course, I had to take pictures of these lovely shed exoskeletons of cicadas attached to a quince tree.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM7oXZUMwWGm9n4kfTFIfSvnx4EimSrG2RA9JqIODxcP3UXhULvs66eVtr2ypMAT80yV_jPv_vftb8_tbxhCPdZvtLoBKCS_HL3kuQdB7Ldiyyqond2FAZrie1wSJom51r_GnyQUYopq74/s1600/Cicada.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="744" data-original-width="900" height="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM7oXZUMwWGm9n4kfTFIfSvnx4EimSrG2RA9JqIODxcP3UXhULvs66eVtr2ypMAT80yV_jPv_vftb8_tbxhCPdZvtLoBKCS_HL3kuQdB7Ldiyyqond2FAZrie1wSJom51r_GnyQUYopq74/s640/Cicada.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We went to a restaurant that only serves two dishes: two variations of stewed ribs. Let me tell you: when a restaurant focuses on one specialty, they do it up right. These ribs were delicious!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-e_isYOl7IDPOQFzoWzXbTxoZ_vUniGG3cKmywc_w7Eh4JRkJhLz-TYsMe9zjCdBv4NUO1IXVoTBoZ_NUtPzl7mmOyM00hNjeU1gGPo3AdGUMyzkK1vxZxmbw_jVHa4ChM7bY12ND3qa/s1600/stewed+beef.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="221" data-original-width="432" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-e_isYOl7IDPOQFzoWzXbTxoZ_vUniGG3cKmywc_w7Eh4JRkJhLz-TYsMe9zjCdBv4NUO1IXVoTBoZ_NUtPzl7mmOyM00hNjeU1gGPo3AdGUMyzkK1vxZxmbw_jVHa4ChM7bY12ND3qa/s640/stewed+beef.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I cannot begin to describe the mouth-watering aroma that came from this dish. I have not had better ribs.</td></tr>
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That was the end of a very busy day! The next day (September 15) we were scheduled to visit the field sites and collections of the Goseong Dinosaur Museum! Stay tuned!<br />
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References<br />
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<a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10420940.2012.660414" target="_blank">Kim JY, Lockley MG, Seo SJ, Kim KS, Kim SH, Baek KS. 2012. A paradise of Mesozoic birds: the world's richest and most diverse Cretaceous bird track assemblage from the Early Cretaceous Haman Formation of the Gajin Tracksite, Jinju, Korea. Ichnos 19(1-2): 28-42.</a>Lisa Buckleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05999611419393598550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1545708523638136271.post-18592589451639963882018-01-20T12:36:00.001-08:002018-01-20T12:36:28.454-08:00Tracking Cretaceous Birds in South Korea: Chinju Innovation City and Sangcheong-gunHello, Dear Readers!<br />
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When we last left our heroes, they were finishing up a long day (September 13) of laboratory and field work in Chinju (Jinju) University and Bito Island, respectively. September 14 would also prove to be an exciting field- and museum- day, full of bird tracks! Don't worry: I won't forget the non-avian dinosaur and pterosaur tracks!<br />
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Once again I'm forced to break our day into the field component and the museum component because there is just so much to talk about. This week's September 14 post will cover our field activities, and the next post will cover the spectacular <a href="https://www.gnse.kr/home2-1.html?num=1" target="_blank">Gajin Track Site</a>.<br />
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We start off our day with a 7:30am wake-up and met Sujin for breakfast at a local Starbucks around 8:30am. After breakfast, we met Dr. Kim Kyung-soo at the hotel and drove to one of the in-progress construction sites of Jinju Innovation City. Remember in my last post, when I said that one of the similarities between studying tracks in British Columbia and South Korea is that many discoveries were (and continue to be) made as a result of industrial activity? Jinju Innovation City is a perfect example of industry significantly contributing to paleontology discoveries.<br />
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Excavations are uncovering track surface after track surface, and with a mandate to preserve national heritage, paleontologists in South Korea have to not only archive these large track-bearing blocks, but they also have to collect them! In the spirit of "necessity is the mother of invention," Dr. Kim designed a novel method for removing and transporting track blocks weighing several hundred kilograms...in one piece. Oh yes: and every picture in which you see a "KS" label on a track specimen? That specimen was collected and documented by Dr. Kim Kyung-soo.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXpW7bbM9DtC9m-BE2hl7_wbm4odiNTDBQEa_6CXe7YbI7Or9B5fH8ZDQQLEDlOF6eZsiDw1fC94WhAHLyeOaYkuqSJ_W2s8zXwnRSYxtk0PuPbewxHcoqfpgyP86h1n_sgvl29yJnedLa/s1600/Dr+Kim%2527s+Amazing+Track+Cradle.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="720" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXpW7bbM9DtC9m-BE2hl7_wbm4odiNTDBQEa_6CXe7YbI7Or9B5fH8ZDQQLEDlOF6eZsiDw1fC94WhAHLyeOaYkuqSJ_W2s8zXwnRSYxtk0PuPbewxHcoqfpgyP86h1n_sgvl29yJnedLa/s640/Dr+Kim%2527s+Amazing+Track+Cradle.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">People with visible faces: Drs. Kim Kyung-soo (left), Martin Lockley (center) and Richard McCrea (right) examining one of Dr. Kim's amazing track cradles for a large specimen ready to be removed to collections.</td></tr>
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When we have the resources, we are going to bring Dr. Kim and his team over to visit track sites in British Columbia: I would love to see his track slab cradle technique in action!<br />
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Not all of the track-bearing surfaces are removed. One of the great approaches we witnessed in South Korea (take note, North America) is that people recognize - and act on - the value of preserving track localities as interpretive sites to educate the public. At this one construction site, two interpretive buildings are under construction for small interpretive centers.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmG1cAs_anLe6OVIoan3LGK_9CLiILozVMi7XszGV-UamBJFdLefRyDcLpO7PBPXgyIC6A_MjQztaX-i3PI-i3MoTfXy3S6e6fxPvjHbWJyqBnt2iX0mRhmd3MjKAAIs6hnAFEb_A0-PE4/s1600/JIC+Interpretive+building.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="720" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmG1cAs_anLe6OVIoan3LGK_9CLiILozVMi7XszGV-UamBJFdLefRyDcLpO7PBPXgyIC6A_MjQztaX-i3PI-i3MoTfXy3S6e6fxPvjHbWJyqBnt2iX0mRhmd3MjKAAIs6hnAFEb_A0-PE4/s640/JIC+Interpretive+building.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I am just going to add an editorial note: this is the Republic of Korea. The country has a population of in a land area of 51,446,201 (with a density of 507 people per square kilometer) in a 100,210 square kilometers. Land, and space on which to develop, is valuable, and yet the Republic of Korea STILL finds ways to preserve and showcase their fossil heritage with respect. Now look to Canada. We have a population of 35,151,728 people spread over 9,984,670 square kilometers (population density of 3.92 people per square kilometer, albeit concentrated near the border with the United States.) So how come there is so much reticence towards protective buildings such as this one installed over important fossil sites? Take your time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYyqgbDFfSCjRD-ewJc1h3B_f7Gzky_yZmocBDPj-sptFEph6X6s2K0M2iaVGLoOHfO-gwdYRQ91JFxHHU04zpVfdZPynMYmDtA6OEoPCszeSX4Kny6ggizVITXdchpzwqVbArBO7PYEDD/s1600/Morticia+tea+gif.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="152" data-original-width="240" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYyqgbDFfSCjRD-ewJc1h3B_f7Gzky_yZmocBDPj-sptFEph6X6s2K0M2iaVGLoOHfO-gwdYRQ91JFxHHU04zpVfdZPynMYmDtA6OEoPCszeSX4Kny6ggizVITXdchpzwqVbArBO7PYEDD/s400/Morticia+tea+gif.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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The track surface is covered to protect it during construction, so we pulled back the layers of tarps and thick felt-like cushioning to visit the surface.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjugyxSNxFKBeXqRrVG3FoC5oLqka1K2tHj-R31IECZOdLq3mAkywXU5tjuyDZgDOvWSvupPNO8qsY-gWMq2B81kDyR-Woxh53mkgacqlOIJbGS7py5_M-oKffMFRPyJI-DnoXreOXUrCMJ/s1600/Inside+the+building.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="405" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjugyxSNxFKBeXqRrVG3FoC5oLqka1K2tHj-R31IECZOdLq3mAkywXU5tjuyDZgDOvWSvupPNO8qsY-gWMq2B81kDyR-Woxh53mkgacqlOIJbGS7py5_M-oKffMFRPyJI-DnoXreOXUrCMJ/s640/Inside+the+building.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vertebrate ichnologists LOVE seeing surfaces like this...these are great surfaces for tracks!</td></tr>
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We swept off portions of the track site to reveal some tracks with exquisite detail. The track type that has fascinated me (let's be honest: they all fascinate me) are trackways of pterosaurs. Yup: tracks of flying reptiles! When they weren't soaring through the air, pterosaurs walked on surfaces as quadrupeds, leaving wing finger impressions! HOW COOL IS THAT?!?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZVGw6qm4FevxqKom280LHowngY30RqCoQ89TIVYGvhXVelLB1Sc05DXzAKu4Et8JUnfuMdmjMiDFA04GilrI9h9TAzIyn4k-m0lq6fGR9a9EYvX-Bl5Dhf8iuGCHeDJPuF-4viRjbTxZz/s1600/pterosaur+track.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="414" data-original-width="767" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZVGw6qm4FevxqKom280LHowngY30RqCoQ89TIVYGvhXVelLB1Sc05DXzAKu4Et8JUnfuMdmjMiDFA04GilrI9h9TAzIyn4k-m0lq6fGR9a9EYvX-Bl5Dhf8iuGCHeDJPuF-4viRjbTxZz/s400/pterosaur+track.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A pterosaur handprint! Guess what the loooong digit impression is from? (Psst: it's the wing digit!)</td></tr>
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<b>Editorial Note:</b> You may want to Google pterosaurs. I don't blame you: they are fascinating archosaurs! However, you may encounter two websites in your search. One is called "ReptileEvolution.com" and the other is called "Pterosaur Heresies," both of which are run by the same person. Both of these sites are full of interesting artwork, but the information they provide on "radical" new ideas about pterosaurs is not supported by information from the fossils. Neither site should be a go-to site for accurate, data-supported information. Read the <a href="https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/tetrapod-zoology/world-must-ignore-reptileevolution-com/" target="_blank">Tetrapod Zoology blog</a> post on the issue.<br />
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One part of Dr. Richard McCrea's work is to refine photogrammetry techniques, particularly with small, low-relief tracks. This little pterosaur handprint is a perfect test subject!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCpf5d4COuqgHynYpa1Oktj0hqrClLFNdYYuQvzYgMf9uH4IHnaNzJO-u4BEukwN-7vKYAenXi-SELBSLBuFtVY41XRBiILOkorcGLmYjF7Y1oj3DbfdE0oUMrmF-t1Ypp2Mc6fLe6GhmO/s1600/Photogrammetry.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="405" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCpf5d4COuqgHynYpa1Oktj0hqrClLFNdYYuQvzYgMf9uH4IHnaNzJO-u4BEukwN-7vKYAenXi-SELBSLBuFtVY41XRBiILOkorcGLmYjF7Y1oj3DbfdE0oUMrmF-t1Ypp2Mc6fLe6GhmO/s640/Photogrammetry.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Richard McCrea takes photogrammetry images for creating a 3D digital model of small tracks.</td></tr>
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With a surface that preserved detail like pterosaur tracks, I was very hopeful for bird tracks. I was not disappointed! We didn't have a lot of time at the site, so this is the only definite track I could see, but where there's one, there's likely more!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOUCBtpGrUPZtXKAY7f9YVx53Ryhtm4ViCep6VZbPgnnXdI75BCz78dyhvCHBlL5mdsRObPLW-uf6b25aF9zMFsI9dO34B1AwRY7RiZGjrTQV6tubnOZW-ywR-lK4AiGm4BwdO3UgN9nLq/s1600/Bird+track.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="482" data-original-width="634" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOUCBtpGrUPZtXKAY7f9YVx53Ryhtm4ViCep6VZbPgnnXdI75BCz78dyhvCHBlL5mdsRObPLW-uf6b25aF9zMFsI9dO34B1AwRY7RiZGjrTQV6tubnOZW-ywR-lK4AiGm4BwdO3UgN9nLq/s320/Bird+track.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This isn't the best picture (the room was under construction and unlit) but it is very birdie!</td></tr>
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We drove to Sangcheong-gun (Sangcheong County) to check out a track site that was relatively close to the highway. It was a HOT day: the track surface was almost burning hot. It was a great contrast to the raindrop impressions we saw.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBNLZDuMYGMz2dPnEwZQgJczZgXb-4j_KWRmn8MWf3hJIVmuN8mapwR-vmR0G4fBPHIsYWL-d1dG7WjR-7z10S38N2tacfuyKnXvwBt4oQox2KRL63x60tSHW9iCPt7xXYcObnF6fLK7vH/s1600/Sangcheong+raindrops.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="507" data-original-width="628" height="515" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBNLZDuMYGMz2dPnEwZQgJczZgXb-4j_KWRmn8MWf3hJIVmuN8mapwR-vmR0G4fBPHIsYWL-d1dG7WjR-7z10S38N2tacfuyKnXvwBt4oQox2KRL63x60tSHW9iCPt7xXYcObnF6fLK7vH/s640/Sangcheong+raindrops.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh yes, that's a bird track in the center of all of those rain drop casts.</td></tr>
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This was a lovely track surface for fine details. The bird tracks were exquisite. The bird track in the center of the image above has slight digital pads and a lovely hint of a webbing impression!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghJgFQNSeV4Cn9M-d_K7IB7PqTi1R4ywE6TN7igbebVLCyEdMOG7RfjqmeDAsiSoG_GHH8qC2o-9pyywPPtWUFC8HaxnrDewn4X_Gq3zZGF3mWj643shE4euMyh0Q_Ks-C8Jr6xJg7q7aB/s1600/Webbing.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="836" data-original-width="1600" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghJgFQNSeV4Cn9M-d_K7IB7PqTi1R4ywE6TN7igbebVLCyEdMOG7RfjqmeDAsiSoG_GHH8qC2o-9pyywPPtWUFC8HaxnrDewn4X_Gq3zZGF3mWj643shE4euMyh0Q_Ks-C8Jr6xJg7q7aB/s640/Webbing.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You know you have a nice track surface when fine soft tissue details, like skin impressions and webbing impressions, are visible!</td></tr>
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There's a lot we can tell about this trackmaker by looking at its footprint. One, this is a small bird (footprint length about 2.5 cm). Two, it doesn't have a well-impressed hallux (or reversed toe), so we know it didn't look or behave like a small crane or egret. Three, this bird only has a little bit of webbing between the middle and outer digit: this isn't a webbed bird like a duck. Four, this bird meandered, stopped, and started again, all over the track surface. This bird, if we were to take a time machine back to the Early Cretaceous, would have looked and behaved a lot like one of our present-day sandpipers. This was another track site exposed by industrial activity (construction of a highway), although our time machine shows us a peaceful scene of a very quiet, silty bank next to a small lake or slow-moving stream.<br />
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Also, we would have had to watch out for being stepped on by sauropods! Another thing we know from the tracks is that the sauropod came through first, and then the birds walked on the surface. We know this because the bird trackway actually walks around the sauropod track! How cool is that?<br />
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We then drove to a small cafe where we would eat what would be my favorite meal in Korea: <a href="https://www.koreanbapsang.com/2016/07/naengmyeon-cold-noodles.html" target="_blank">naengmyeon, cold noodle soup</a>! (Note: this is only one of many recipes I found online.) Most of the soups we tried in Korea had two versions, a regular version and a spicy version (I went spicy!) This is now a soup I make regularly for dinner, or at least the closest version I can make living in a remote area with limited shopping options.<br />
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Stay tuned for our visit to the Gajin-ri track!Lisa Buckleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05999611419393598550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1545708523638136271.post-82202057808536217492018-01-04T12:12:00.000-08:002018-01-04T12:22:06.908-08:00Tracking Cretaceous Birds in South Korea: Bito IslandHappy New Year, Dear Readers!<br />
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I'm going to forgo the usual "Here are my goals for the New Year" post because...well, things are still up in the air, plan-wise. We still have no funding to continue the field documentation and excavation (a.k.a. research) of the <a href="http://realscientists.org/2016/05/02/visiting-a-dinosaur-tracksite-in-northeast-british-columbia/" target="_blank">Six Peaks Dinosaur Track Site</a> (guest blog post on Real Scientists) near Hudson's Hope, British Columbia. This will be Year 2 of an uncertain field season. Right now, I'm just taking my work one day at a time, working on projects that I'm excited about. Some projects are research, while another is more literary in nature.<br />
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One of the projects I'm excited about is my science communication, and I must continue, Dear Reader, with my tale of Cretaceous bird tracks from South Korea!<br />
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We last left our ichnology heroes on September 13, 2017, at lunch at a Chinese restaurant after a morning of <a href="http://birdsinmud.blogspot.ca/2017/12/tracking-cretaceous-birds-in-south.html" target="_blank">documenting tracks at Dr. Kim Kyung-soo's lab at Chinju University</a>. We timed our lunch and travel to get from the University to Bito Island to hit the right part of the tide cycle, as our prospective field stops were all along the shoreline of the island. Doing field work in a tide-influenced area means you have to be aware of the local tide tables if you want to see outcrop. Our outcrops would be exposed during mid- to late afternoon.<br />
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The drive to Bito Island was lovely, with lots of coastal scenery (that does not photograph well at highway speeds). When we arrived at Bito Island around 2:45pm, Dr. Kim pointed out imagery of the Hare and the Tortoise, representing the Korean folktale of "The Hare's Liver." The Hare (representing the peasantry) had to be clever and quick to escape the Tortoise (representing nobility), who was tasked with fetching the liver of the Hare to cure the Dragon King. <a href="http://www.korea.net/NewsFocus/Culture/view?articleId=120938" target="_blank">Here's a link to the story</a> of "The Hare's Liver:" if you know of a better version, please let me know!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-e2RmMK-L-5FgxxCy-vxTsGg-KSux_mvvRjAEGcERKcgHo4o-oxsY0ryZlJgh3jKiC5_bJIWCEnAFitxOjsrNnG9slGHKf7xHW0VdYy6-8c9fNhvmnoCcZBgjYtD90qtGnV6Pu4j7cnGo/s1600/Hare%2527s+Liver.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="720" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-e2RmMK-L-5FgxxCy-vxTsGg-KSux_mvvRjAEGcERKcgHo4o-oxsY0ryZlJgh3jKiC5_bJIWCEnAFitxOjsrNnG9slGHKf7xHW0VdYy6-8c9fNhvmnoCcZBgjYtD90qtGnV6Pu4j7cnGo/s640/Hare%2527s+Liver.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"The Hare's Liver." The Tortoise is likely happy because he thinks he's fulfilling his mission to retrieve the Hare's liver for the Dragon King, while the Hare is pleased that he's going to outwit the Tortoise and save his innards.</td></tr>
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Our first stop was a possible reptilian track site. The area is a popular fishing spot, so there was good parking for the boat launches and anglers. We started our hike down to the first track site.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmLaib7bpiNxuwBlsyxU1PPh3_Gs1fiw-qVwX7N0vp5WoS3pJYL-jMXH2fdEf3s58yWLvF1V-29B_juETNNGjBR4bTFoNNHy6Z4x4wQHNIHqvcSELc30g1jTosJIKSnlht44ThPgcWLbnc/s1600/Walking+to+crocs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="720" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmLaib7bpiNxuwBlsyxU1PPh3_Gs1fiw-qVwX7N0vp5WoS3pJYL-jMXH2fdEf3s58yWLvF1V-29B_juETNNGjBR4bTFoNNHy6Z4x4wQHNIHqvcSELc30g1jTosJIKSnlht44ThPgcWLbnc/s640/Walking+to+crocs.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Strolling along one of the moorings for the small fishing boats on Bito Island.</td></tr>
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The track site was a small exposure of finely-bedded (layered) silty sand that has some horizontal exposures. Here's Dr. Richard McCrea standing next to the track surface.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWndSVuYcZUI8TZy3a-UlUF7VyHaJ6TrsO1Yt4hIpIM39k-eNXOLraMQv-MJpNmoMkdIcoS26UJZRYpTEC5JFhoPfwzAG28pYEbjJHu4PzK9ubdCqeFxM3kNc6dpFtKlFct58P1-uxIxSr/s1600/Rich+and+crocs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="720" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWndSVuYcZUI8TZy3a-UlUF7VyHaJ6TrsO1Yt4hIpIM39k-eNXOLraMQv-MJpNmoMkdIcoS26UJZRYpTEC5JFhoPfwzAG28pYEbjJHu4PzK9ubdCqeFxM3kNc6dpFtKlFct58P1-uxIxSr/s640/Rich+and+crocs.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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There are a great many similarities between doing fieldwork in South Korea and fieldwork in northeastern British Columbia. First, the bulk of the vertebrate fossil record for the Early Cretaceous in both areas is from the track record. There is skeletal material, but it is not common enough to tell an accurate story of life during the Early Cretaceous for South Korea and British Columbia. Second, both areas are heavily vegetated. We have to rely on either natural exposures along waterways and mountain tops, or those rocks exposed by the extensive industrial activity in both areas.<br />
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One thing we do not have in northeastern British Columbia is intertidal invertebrates occupying the track surfaces. Thankfully these snails were huddled in the cracks on the vertical part of the rock exposure and didn't hide the tracks.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR7oMp78YcBLW9i95aZg1Jn-0BVilbioLNm9voc0zDxqUumM-C1yCiEDD5tPs44YMjuMYT9AGC6vbzhysdPsC_PrAnxIYeK-YbEQhZyeiBuw2D1GCc3y-EYdClq4kcBYO9MqyZcyFgGh1A/s1600/Snails.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="720" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR7oMp78YcBLW9i95aZg1Jn-0BVilbioLNm9voc0zDxqUumM-C1yCiEDD5tPs44YMjuMYT9AGC6vbzhysdPsC_PrAnxIYeK-YbEQhZyeiBuw2D1GCc3y-EYdClq4kcBYO9MqyZcyFgGh1A/s640/Snails.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here is a close-up of the tracks exposed on the surface. They are very likely tracks of a large, Early Cretaceous turtle.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi4b-lZ7h5L2znqtkR63_60DOvX37sSwMIAKwVvjLMw9SfjfOFDOjQAt4JY0VRRij4j0AJVkL5kAVeOIzLEzmTeL3KzUvTSk6vJWCFerZUlla_vUEniWSZ8V1_324mdWH-7qWPjnK8dMXT/s1600/Croc+close+up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="720" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi4b-lZ7h5L2znqtkR63_60DOvX37sSwMIAKwVvjLMw9SfjfOFDOjQAt4JY0VRRij4j0AJVkL5kAVeOIzLEzmTeL3KzUvTSk6vJWCFerZUlla_vUEniWSZ8V1_324mdWH-7qWPjnK8dMXT/s640/Croc+close+up.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Our next stop was a larger track site that was a short car trip and a short hike away from Stop 1. It was a glorious day for a walk along the shoreline, and the scenery was beautiful.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd5Wm2jh_BwS1G8ZADwEYva0vkGNP18ryiHxJc9liT9uxq8o45TLULuyGM5czKdDVMtcxXGU5-xF1csu2qfTEXCCGp672_SIMx9rlKuGloY9WXIsHrD8kl6RADQvETeBoekxNFe0qQDuKb/s1600/Dromaeosauripes+scenery+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="405" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd5Wm2jh_BwS1G8ZADwEYva0vkGNP18ryiHxJc9liT9uxq8o45TLULuyGM5czKdDVMtcxXGU5-xF1csu2qfTEXCCGp672_SIMx9rlKuGloY9WXIsHrD8kl6RADQvETeBoekxNFe0qQDuKb/s640/Dromaeosauripes+scenery+1.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The gorgeous coastal scenery on Bito Island.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOvFL3YsZcVXTt7t1C6euExzh04vautPW-y9Q0qcNk4XUDwaY96yxSN8xY0G0OyaOr_OnG5Q69XlRdITAY0V1cweg2QDb1zPLD9f9LFrm87UrJ0PvlRRTcP79o3gtR_k1yH1IPJp0NAGXo/s1600/Dromaeosauripes+scenery+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="720" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOvFL3YsZcVXTt7t1C6euExzh04vautPW-y9Q0qcNk4XUDwaY96yxSN8xY0G0OyaOr_OnG5Q69XlRdITAY0V1cweg2QDb1zPLD9f9LFrm87UrJ0PvlRRTcP79o3gtR_k1yH1IPJp0NAGXo/s640/Dromaeosauripes+scenery+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I could look for bird tracks here all day.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-rA3vckuNGRYFhIcJAc2vnOw37nYV6dLHi1qDYo09OIZi3KYIKjGee3fbNGrsZmB3iRq3lmpZX7tka8-smSLxDb2KHJOErTs_gAKGc5AcqJmZdD5rZFD4Nfgm2a5lxCAp0QTmnxy5OSik/s1600/Rich+Martin+Kyungsoo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="720" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-rA3vckuNGRYFhIcJAc2vnOw37nYV6dLHi1qDYo09OIZi3KYIKjGee3fbNGrsZmB3iRq3lmpZX7tka8-smSLxDb2KHJOErTs_gAKGc5AcqJmZdD5rZFD4Nfgm2a5lxCAp0QTmnxy5OSik/s640/Rich+Martin+Kyungsoo.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left to right: Drs. Richard McCrea, Martin Lockley, and Kim Kyung-soo, en route to the track site.</td></tr>
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The track site is where the didactyl (two-toed) theropod tracks named <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10420940.2012.664054" target="_blank"><i>Dromaeosauripus jinjuensis</i> (Kim et al. 2012)</a> were discovered (link to paper abstract).<br />
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We spent a little time sweeping off the small shoreline pebbles that covered the track surface.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoyE96dX140x97gXMVSWV8w9nkWwFfFptytdLfd0VSov2QU8QpS8e-x6nYbYrh7JuRIEtHkXVaS_gu_laV2Y1UTFU7JVEJS66riijI27hNpQzCf6ATMtDV0Sn8zKnwUcGhdEn7KVUHXmpc/s1600/Drom+tracks+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="424" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoyE96dX140x97gXMVSWV8w9nkWwFfFptytdLfd0VSov2QU8QpS8e-x6nYbYrh7JuRIEtHkXVaS_gu_laV2Y1UTFU7JVEJS66riijI27hNpQzCf6ATMtDV0Sn8zKnwUcGhdEn7KVUHXmpc/s640/Drom+tracks+2.jpg" width="376" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rich and Sujin standing behind the uncovered trackway of <i>Dromaeosauripus jinjuensis</i>.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix78bw8-sG9ZzA3guRG8yD5bgnbaWuJ0h2HGmNrUAk_FAfnODmr5EgAVJdu1vERdBnbvHRr5WkhUqRFrQ8CsWpX9ga-f8ffqEXIxRTbBSGQuJyUaMD8X4yyMBiHidMKM5UwaYCfIQNHzB4/s1600/Rich+and+Jason.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="476" data-original-width="720" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix78bw8-sG9ZzA3guRG8yD5bgnbaWuJ0h2HGmNrUAk_FAfnODmr5EgAVJdu1vERdBnbvHRr5WkhUqRFrQ8CsWpX9ga-f8ffqEXIxRTbBSGQuJyUaMD8X4yyMBiHidMKM5UwaYCfIQNHzB4/s640/Rich+and+Jason.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rich and our other grad student, Jason, at the <i>Dromaeosauripus jinjuensis</i> track site.</td></tr>
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Here is a close-up of a section of the <i>Dromaeosauripus jinjuensis</i> trackway. Do you see the large theropod track stepping on the trackway?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIJUqhFypyixok4wah0CxhHGk3SCkh56KxyDyodxzV0IDq0ygL3rMf1Kx_3ZrbS7Dd5vZA1mC4CtXpz2gT0Tp84IcOeoHwOqSM-QW_tKeHWwnyHCZigdTGc7-hGS6JMq3klKT4__MEdLkj/s1600/Dromaeosaur+new.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="699" data-original-width="720" height="619" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIJUqhFypyixok4wah0CxhHGk3SCkh56KxyDyodxzV0IDq0ygL3rMf1Kx_3ZrbS7Dd5vZA1mC4CtXpz2gT0Tp84IcOeoHwOqSM-QW_tKeHWwnyHCZigdTGc7-hGS6JMq3klKT4__MEdLkj/s640/Dromaeosaur+new.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Once we uncovered the <i>Dromaeosauripus jinjuensis</i> trackway, Rich got to work taking the pictures for a photogrammetry model.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGh7hWF1t5-Zd2Z63BDfFR6TTHJme2Oi2iC_tGG4xZhLLclrskxM7391B9bML6KwNVds4J7GT4-B1wsJV1wm7oYIZA2JzP57X5KsJVl5MjQZLuABW9gBhdlGdqyBzyQQbAZhh_MswKUAZZ/s1600/Photogrammetry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="720" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGh7hWF1t5-Zd2Z63BDfFR6TTHJme2Oi2iC_tGG4xZhLLclrskxM7391B9bML6KwNVds4J7GT4-B1wsJV1wm7oYIZA2JzP57X5KsJVl5MjQZLuABW9gBhdlGdqyBzyQQbAZhh_MswKUAZZ/s640/Photogrammetry.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rich demonstrating photogrammetry in bright light conditions on the <i>Dromaeosauripus jinjuensis</i> trackway. Red arrows show the <i>Dromaeosauripus jinjuensis</i> tracks.</td></tr>
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Site visits such as these are an important part of fossil heritage conservation. This trackway was described in 2012, but that doesn't mean that once it is published that it is forgotten about. This track site (and any other fossil site) will be examined every year to monitor its condition.<br />
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While the photogrammetry was taking place, I started hunting out my quarry: bird tracks! At this site, the smallest tracks we would see were those of <i>Dromaeosauripus</i>. We did see tracks of a small sauropod (think <i>Brontosaurus</i> for the trackmaker) on the same surface.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb-s6DWcZyuA_SermRCAi2MSo4PAR4yhZlZoqAAZkt5VK3u4b9Kk2D4FSnN_ATBT9QCHZO6EB4wc7nPvB2Bz629wCgeMNvEvXDYjaHt4tZQ7ELOfkf2IJQOeuGY093s2NVTuth75ypj9_L/s1600/Sauropod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="405" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb-s6DWcZyuA_SermRCAi2MSo4PAR4yhZlZoqAAZkt5VK3u4b9Kk2D4FSnN_ATBT9QCHZO6EB4wc7nPvB2Bz629wCgeMNvEvXDYjaHt4tZQ7ELOfkf2IJQOeuGY093s2NVTuth75ypj9_L/s640/Sauropod.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sauropod manus (hand) and pes (foot) tracks, Bito Island. The arrow on the scale is 10 cm.</td></tr>
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While I did not find any bird tracks at this track site, I did make a new friend. Meet (tentative identification) <i>Scolopendra subspinipes</i>, sometimes known as the Orange-legged Centipede.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguv1Acdn5iI1rCJVSW2A7Cx-N3qjtZvqhdQSv9mDSsCtHhLchX3SxTKor528JZ7LRHh3OamVwdDq8w3dsqWEJzg2Df5iNo0qGSLFmdZp_tdDItWjWGSD2aZ4gyaY3CQ6xxTLarVsnws0o5/s1600/Creepy+crawly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1038" data-original-width="1500" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguv1Acdn5iI1rCJVSW2A7Cx-N3qjtZvqhdQSv9mDSsCtHhLchX3SxTKor528JZ7LRHh3OamVwdDq8w3dsqWEJzg2Df5iNo0qGSLFmdZp_tdDItWjWGSD2aZ4gyaY3CQ6xxTLarVsnws0o5/s640/Creepy+crawly.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I'm not the largest fan of encountering critters with more than six legs. I have been known to perform the Spider Dance at inopportune times. One such time was while using an outhouse in the field...admittedly not my most dignified moment. Thankfully I didn't find my new friend on my leg or in my backpack, although I did close all of the zips on my backpack after taking pictures of the centipede.<br />
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We were approaching 4:30pm when we went to the last field site for the day: a long stretch of shoreline on which large ornithopod tracks had been discovered. I immediately went into bird track mode and started with the rocks exposed near the edge of the forest.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSIZan3PS4LWf7AKNzvI0yilE5TZgQAP2nD0Alum4Gg4RfGbQ_u9W531aHUUT5qLY462G3jAn9hFv5oqMORZjOpbrjBzQ0zf-woonOh1as67dfssoC9EePtxYCYzlF2sQSj3F2b-kLtgvw/s1600/Rock+edge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="720" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSIZan3PS4LWf7AKNzvI0yilE5TZgQAP2nD0Alum4Gg4RfGbQ_u9W531aHUUT5qLY462G3jAn9hFv5oqMORZjOpbrjBzQ0zf-woonOh1as67dfssoC9EePtxYCYzlF2sQSj3F2b-kLtgvw/s640/Rock+edge.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I did find a suspicious-looking small trace, but there was not enough of it exposed for me to be sure that it was a vertebrate trace.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikuadJYIN6CJH7_If26UuIuTRTNrBiWFdE9IMRxXNubRd8qAHyLhqLCLKiIB55N85oPRz-xt4_kKQnfMY9dUkV5UQPc9-2j4aZlZb2DsKHrCZW7zxhh5vQnJVB6aldR_SzchDc-JLAHSE1/s1600/small+thing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="762" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikuadJYIN6CJH7_If26UuIuTRTNrBiWFdE9IMRxXNubRd8qAHyLhqLCLKiIB55N85oPRz-xt4_kKQnfMY9dUkV5UQPc9-2j4aZlZb2DsKHrCZW7zxhh5vQnJVB6aldR_SzchDc-JLAHSE1/s400/small+thing.jpg" width="377" /></a></div>
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I also came across a medium-sized theropod track.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY1TcsdUA9hcf_FOXWYznGkmS5ShjvcDMag-nlNxBWtUfEu0CzwIfw3Dy-GBCK3_QPKHuScgJy9u5ugm53inQi-dKaL7HaPqZau-YatWk401RLa0rNPWDg4Hb7dw9G7XaOjDgYD1tDcTzb/s1600/Medium+theropod+track.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="568" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY1TcsdUA9hcf_FOXWYznGkmS5ShjvcDMag-nlNxBWtUfEu0CzwIfw3Dy-GBCK3_QPKHuScgJy9u5ugm53inQi-dKaL7HaPqZau-YatWk401RLa0rNPWDg4Hb7dw9G7XaOjDgYD1tDcTzb/s400/Medium+theropod+track.jpg" width="315" /></a></div>
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At this time the light was beginning to fade. Lighting plays a huge roll in seeing tracks in the field. The dimmer the light, the less likely you are to see small tracks. The best condition for seeing bird tracks in the field is a bright sunny day that casts shadows on low-relief surfaces. These were not ideal light conditions.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvRvNAWhK-VRN3ZEKatGco3HHaChtyrqFQz0xHWvqUubBKnyOXnHtp2DClkwwDQf90H4r4NdAkkOfKV32-mTOn9ns5IAOtXm5FyNfFBQ-h6jPzytzMSPWKfHwUF3bgjOJhNorqn78hUY79/s1600/Dark+new.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="363" data-original-width="694" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvRvNAWhK-VRN3ZEKatGco3HHaChtyrqFQz0xHWvqUubBKnyOXnHtp2DClkwwDQf90H4r4NdAkkOfKV32-mTOn9ns5IAOtXm5FyNfFBQ-h6jPzytzMSPWKfHwUF3bgjOJhNorqn78hUY79/s640/Dark+new.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dim light is not ideal for finding any track, let alone small, shallow bird tracks.</td></tr>
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I started working my way down to the edge of the water around 6:30pm. I'll be honest: I was not expecting to find bird tracks this late in the day. I was still looking, but I knew my chances of recognizing bird tracks were slim. What caught my attention were all of the tiny hermit crabs. I knelt on to the wet, slippery rocks to try to get a picture of the hermit crabs...and my brain focused on a familiar pattern on the rock.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBjWijd-rdo2hmdNxchKOExtgmbLACfhTsZB2hN0yYmHwiXQ_s4ylqYK6eR33bQJo01zX6ppSJ5nYGG59kdAtNTO0edHp6qIqYEW-fD5GkXTXuHq25CnHDTvIife3pqiKn_ZhpI2VnfKyk/s1600/Bito+Birds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="821" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBjWijd-rdo2hmdNxchKOExtgmbLACfhTsZB2hN0yYmHwiXQ_s4ylqYK6eR33bQJo01zX6ppSJ5nYGG59kdAtNTO0edHp6qIqYEW-fD5GkXTXuHq25CnHDTvIife3pqiKn_ZhpI2VnfKyk/s640/Bito+Birds.jpg" width="560" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BIRD TRACKS!</td></tr>
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I called people over, and we immediately started outlining the bird tracks that we could see using white chalk. Because this is a tidal-influenced area, Dr. Kim and his grad students began to salvage the track surface for removal back to the lab.<br />
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This part made me extremely nervous because the rock layer the bird tracks are on is very, but the surface came up in good condition. It turns out these were the first bird tracks to be found at this particular locality on the island. <a href="http://birdsinmud.blogspot.ca/2017/08/" target="_blank">This was a good year for me finding bird tracks</a>!<br />
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This was a full day! After we deposited the tracks in Dr. Kim's lab, we went to dinner at a sushi restaurant and ate more sushi in one sitting than I ever have in my entire life. We made it back to the Happy Owl Hotel by 11:00pm.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihVNwkQ4-QxAkxXwSKlS0ZGsNR5B3nYMiBbRRrBBM4Rw69z6h6SRMP4r5bUBoEuvkRSXvJDI2FsKs36HHEY_QdIVeh7axf9AngpKBhPYNZUbTNa1ReLQfQYQYgUXNCJPxobwdYlhwVfTAS/s1600/OWLS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="720" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihVNwkQ4-QxAkxXwSKlS0ZGsNR5B3nYMiBbRRrBBM4Rw69z6h6SRMP4r5bUBoEuvkRSXvJDI2FsKs36HHEY_QdIVeh7axf9AngpKBhPYNZUbTNa1ReLQfQYQYgUXNCJPxobwdYlhwVfTAS/s640/OWLS.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A very small part of the owl collection at The Happy Owl Hotel.</td></tr>
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I downloaded all of my pictures and updated my field notes, and was definitely ready for bed at 11:30pm. The next day's adventure would prove to be just as busy, as we would visit the Jinju Innovation City track sites, and the Gajin-ri track site!<br />
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References<br />
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Kim JY, Lockley MG, Woo JO, Kim SH. 2012. Unusual didactyl traces from the Jinju Formation (Early Cretaceous, South Korea) indicate a new ichnospecies of <i>Dromaeosauripus</i>. Ichnos 19(1-2): 75-83.Lisa Buckleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05999611419393598550noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1545708523638136271.post-74653562402679899902017-12-11T11:00:00.001-08:002021-10-06T11:42:11.088-07:00Sound Bites: Hearing a Tyrannosaurus rexIf you are a fan of dinosaurs, probably know what sound accompanies this image.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcaYUyWtESkyLo2rxFuH7-BNFaQTIEFAGsfakCkI-e0bkq7sNnBFSrGsBcsHcWbvNnmqSkWcAk58_DIFf1uoO2qicwJlTWF3BDxEscfjgU4J8Od7ShQQKFA-jxNR0zU_2ivXk7BD7nu1Yf/s1600/ROAR.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="560" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcaYUyWtESkyLo2rxFuH7-BNFaQTIEFAGsfakCkI-e0bkq7sNnBFSrGsBcsHcWbvNnmqSkWcAk58_DIFf1uoO2qicwJlTWF3BDxEscfjgU4J8Od7ShQQKFA-jxNR0zU_2ivXk7BD7nu1Yf/s320/ROAR.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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Watching Jurassic Park for the first time (and several times after that) introduced us to what <i>Tyrannosaurus rex</i> would <i>be</i> like, in their movements, behaviors, and sounds. This scene is never, ever going to get old. It was also perfect that my first viewing of Jurassic Park was at a drive-in during a rainstorm.<br />
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Hollywood is no stranger to using odd things to recreate visual and audio effects sounds with which we are familiar...or have no familiarity with at all because they haven't been invented yet (lightsaber swooshes), because we don't regularly stab people in the shower (<a href="http://heavy.com/entertainment/2010/10/cleansed-of-your-sins-ten-facts-about-the-shower-scene-of-alfred-hitchcocks-psycho/" target="_blank">chocolate syrup was used for blood in the original Psycho</a>), or because the sound is so far in the past that no human has ever heard anything like it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/the-animals-hiding-in-a-t-rexs-roar/" target="_blank">Elephant, tiger, and crocodile sounds were used to recreate the iconic <i>Tyrannosaurus rex</i> sounds.</a> I am most interested in the use of the crocodile gurgling. In my opinion, especially as a person who has spent a lot of time in the wilderness and has heard countless mammal sounds, the crocodile gurgling of the <i>Tyrannosaurus rex</i> this is far more unsettling than the classic roar.<br />
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Hollywood gave us something terrible, awesome-sounding, and not-at-all-subtle for <i>Tyrannosaurus rex</i> because we, as human beings living in a time dominated by large fuzzy roaring mammals (lions and tigers and bears, oh my!), expect our large predators to roar, snarl, and bellow. Most of the animals used to create the classic sounds of the Jurassic Park <i>Tyrannosaurus rex</i> are large mammals.<br />
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<u>Extant Phylogenetic Bracketing and the Sounds of <i>Tyrannosaurus rex</i></u><br />
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Figuring out how an extinct mammoth sounds, or how an extinct species of large cat sounds, is not that difficult because we have large pachyderms and large felids around to use as examples. We use large mammals as a comparison against large dinosaurs because hey, that's what we have to work with. However, dinosaurs are not mammals. Dinosaurs belong to a group of animals <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archosaur" target="_blank">called archosaurs</a>. Archosaurs took a completely different evolutionary path from our group, the synapsids (mammals and mammal-like reptiles.) The archosaur group and the mammal-like reptile group have been doing their own things, evolutionary-speaking, for at least 250 million years.<br />
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Our present-day representatives of archosaurs are the crocodiles and the small theropods (a.k.a. birds). These animals are much closer to large non-avian dinosaurs in terms of evolutionary history, anatomy, and likely behavior, than are large mammals. Crocodiles evolved before large non-avian dinosaurs, and small present-day theropods (birds) became specialized after large non-avian theropods evolved. We have the beginning of the story (crocodiles) and the end of the story (present-day theropods), with large non-avian dinosaurs landing in the middle.<br />
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Using crocodiles and present-day birds to test hypotheses (questions) about extinct dinosaurs is called <a href="https://archosaurmusings.wordpress.com/2009/12/06/the-extant-phylogenetic-bracket/" target="_blank">Extant Phylogenetic Bracketing</a>. The present-day examples (crocodiles and birds) give us examples of what is possible for extinct animals (large theropods) that are also part of their group (archosaurs). A lot of the information we have on theropod dinosaur behavior comes from comparisons to the behavior of present-day birds, such as parental care and egg clutch sizes (<a href="http://science.sciencemag.org/content/322/5909/1826?ijkey=963f293c472dda6e7ae9821bfa5836663e91cd2d&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha" target="_blank">Varricchio et al., 2008</a>; V<a href="http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.1642/AUK-15-216.1" target="_blank">arricchio and Jackson, 2016</a>) and potential courtship behaviors (<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/srep18952" target="_blank">Lockley et al., 2016</a>).<br />
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Enter Dr. Julia Clarke, professor of vertebrate palaeontology at the University of Texas. She used extant phylogenetic bracketing to take two unsettling sounds (crocodile vocalizations and the booming call of the Eurasian Bittern), scaled them up to <i>Tyrannosaurus rex</i>-size, and....dang.<br />
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<a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11957137" target="_blank">Here is the link to The Telegraph news article that contains a video playing the sound</a>. I'll give you a minute or two to go and listen.<br />
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Was that not completely disconcerting? What if you were in the forest, and heard (or felt like the host mentioned) that sound behind you? I guarantee you'd have a case of the freakies: I know I would.<br />
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Humans have (when compared to the rest of the animal kingdom) a rather limited range of hearing. Humans, in general, can hear sounds between 20 Hz and 20 kHz. Sounds below 20 Hz are typically referred to as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infrasound" target="_blank">infrasound</a>. Our species doesn't really hear infrasound all that well. Check out this link from the <a href="http://www.birds.cornell.edu/brp/elephant/cyclotis/language/infrasound.html" target="_blank">Cornell Lab's Elephant Listening Project</a>. There are three sound clips at 10 Hz, 20 Hz, and 30 Hz. Can you hear the sound?<br />
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I could not hear any of the clips (I did feel pressure in my ears), but that's not surprising: I have not evolved to communicate using low-frequency sounds, unlike elephants and <a href="http://www.xeno-canto.org/132934" target="_blank">some birds</a> (the link goes to a recording of a cassowary).<br />
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However, just because we (as a species) can't hear infrasound doesn't mean that some of us may not sense it in other ways. I felt a pressure in my ears when listening to the clips and afterward, I felt a low-grade headache. There have been studies done that suggest infrasound may induce feelings of unease in humans. <a href="http://www.sarahangliss.com/extras/Infrasonic/experiment.htm" target="_blank">One such study was the Purcell Room Concert of May 31, 2003</a>. The audience listened to music, into which infrasound was inserted at specific times (the audience didn't know.) The audience was then asked to fill out a questionnaire detailing their experiences during the concert. <a href="http://www.sarahangliss.com/extras/Infrasonic/results.htm" target="_blank">To quote the webpage</a>:<br />
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"During our concert, infrasound boosted the number of strange experiences reported among the audience, even among those who were unaware of its presence. Unusual reports included a sense of coldness, anxiety, and shivers down the spine. On average, infrasound boosted the number of strange experiences by around 22 percent. It also increased the intensity of any feelings reported."<br />
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Does this sound like any unexplained phenomena? Turn down the sound for this clip: it's a little loud.<br />
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There is a strong possibility that what people experience as a sign of a ghostly presence (coldness, anxiety, shivers, unease, etc.) <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infrasound#Animal_reactions" target="_blank">could be their sensitivity to infrasound</a>.<br />
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Here's a chilling thought: if <i>Tyrannosaurus rex</i> had part of its vocalizations in the low frequency or infrasound range, not only would we hear that menacing gurgle, but the vocalization would likely trigger an anxiety reaction during the encounter.<br />
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I'll leave you with this lovely clip of a vocalizing American Alligator. Have a Creepy Monday!<br />
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<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZIxl10Qvgw8" width="560"></iframe><br />Lisa Buckleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05999611419393598550noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1545708523638136271.post-21578506045860421952017-12-04T09:57:00.002-08:002017-12-04T09:57:18.572-08:00Tracking Cretaceous Birds in South Korea: Chinju UniversityHello Dear Readers!<br />
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I had an interruption in my planned blogging schedule with a long trip out of my office that included a keynote presentation at the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia in Whistler B.C. on October 21, a couple of family visits, and presenting at the <a href="https://dinomuseum.ca/events/afternoon-of-palaeontology/" target="_blank">Afternoon of Palaeontology conference at the Philip J. Currie Museum in Wembly, A.B</a>. I was also the host for the <a href="http://realscientists.org/2017/11/13/trace-this-lisa-buckley-palaeontologist-for-dinovember/" target="_blank">Real Scientists Twitter account for the week of November 12</a> (or as it should be officially changed to...Dinovember). THEN I had paper revisions and paper proof revisions to submit for a new <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195667117303464" target="_blank">ichnospecies of Ignotornis and the first occurrence of Ignotornis in Canada</a>! In the parlance of the Internet, I haz a busy.<br />
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Now that I am back at my desk until the end of December, I can dust off Ye Olde Blog and continue with the tale of our ichnological adventure to South Korea! I'll be breaking our adventures of September 13th into two posts. This day was a combination of laboratory-based and field-based investigation, so there is A LOT to cover.<br />
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We left our mighty palaeontologists at the Happy Owl Hotel in Jinju.<br />
Note: there are two spellings for the city. Jinju is the official name of the city, while Chinju is the European-style phonetic spelling that isn't being used much nowadays, but several official signs and building names still carry that spelling.<br />
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After our fantastic barbeque dinner (there are several styles of Korean barbeque and all of them are delicious) we were in bed (after updating notes) around 1:30 am.<br />
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We started September 13th bright and early when Dr. Kim drove us to his lab at Chinju University. There we met his graduate students Su-jin (who drove us from Daejeon to Jinju), and [CHECK NOTES]. We were given an introduction to all of the specimens that were available for study and those that are currently under investigation. Of course, I focused on the bird tracks, but there were so many specimens present that demonstrate the hugely diverse Early Cretaceous paleofauna of South Korea.<br />
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There was a bird track slab on the second floor of the Earth Sciences Department that was collected from Jinju Innovation City (more on that later). It preserved at least three bird trackways, and looked as though the ground the birds were walking on was pretty goopy - the toes do not have crisp, clean outlines that show digital pads, but they do show other details that might be missing from a non-goopy sediment, such as deeply impressed toes and webbing impressions.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix-8jQeENfY4KFnrLJg9XrEfAsDRjU_YSYyvSzxMOqQ4zzRQBadBCT0a4vnze6hlJlvwBWy_Jvh7NY6F2kmYcDj9Kly-50k6AobEfFCGJ5VGwSJntpF0uyTh-zEBYJadhSeNJbPGeK8kr0/s1600/Jinju+Campus+tracks+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="576" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix-8jQeENfY4KFnrLJg9XrEfAsDRjU_YSYyvSzxMOqQ4zzRQBadBCT0a4vnze6hlJlvwBWy_Jvh7NY6F2kmYcDj9Kly-50k6AobEfFCGJ5VGwSJntpF0uyTh-zEBYJadhSeNJbPGeK8kr0/s640/Jinju+Campus+tracks+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slab on the second floor of the Earth Sciences Department at Chinju (Jinju) University. </td></tr>
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The slab is on display for all of the students to see in the main hallway.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiiaezGQpMqWQrZ5pwwrFaj-nngFI48nzlpnm2V3xbWl73SCDuyA8MxiPjXgcTccjNQ9CDGyZ7wg6OJjGmaVzeHP_7Vr8oNsX_1G7RxLorOsKacg0loyMsY1PJiGfhvkiq1vXgDGEOlVJS/s1600/Jinju+Campus+track+slab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="576" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiiaezGQpMqWQrZ5pwwrFaj-nngFI48nzlpnm2V3xbWl73SCDuyA8MxiPjXgcTccjNQ9CDGyZ7wg6OJjGmaVzeHP_7Vr8oNsX_1G7RxLorOsKacg0loyMsY1PJiGfhvkiq1vXgDGEOlVJS/s1600/Jinju+Campus+track+slab.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Since the track slab was on display in the main hallway, it also meant that I was on display while I was working. No one seemed too disturbed that I was lying on the display to get my measurements.</td></tr>
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This part amused me somewhat. See the small gravel used as a decorative bedding to camouflage the supporting foam base? This may have been an outdoor display at some point because a cat had come into contact with the display and left some, um, commentary on what it thought of fossil bird tracks.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZLFnZpmRVBluDTleY0kxLkcjodaYSau_ndA0z6qXAy8bLOohNPJErwUYiV8IwDk-uR3T9C49yV0hwIZHaOsQtdgITgPw-fxA0wLYYg2kOSvXqgpBOZ_baAo90cqhigOElOmzPnO2iVf8v/s1600/Kitty+Cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="576" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZLFnZpmRVBluDTleY0kxLkcjodaYSau_ndA0z6qXAy8bLOohNPJErwUYiV8IwDk-uR3T9C49yV0hwIZHaOsQtdgITgPw-fxA0wLYYg2kOSvXqgpBOZ_baAo90cqhigOElOmzPnO2iVf8v/s1600/Kitty+Cat.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apparently, you shouldn't send your bird track papers to cats to review.</td></tr>
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This ranks a 1/10 in terms of animals interacting with fossil displays and fossil sites. The cat scat was easily removed with a plastic bag, and there were only two pieces. There was no smell of urine or evidence of fresh activity. If you want real horror stories of animals interacting with specimens, ask your local collections manager about moth or dermestid beetle infestations. Be kind to the poor souls and buy them a reviving beverage before requesting such a tale of misery and woe.<br />
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Step 1 of documenting a track slab such as this one was already done for me: all of the bird tracks on the slab were identified and had numbered stickers associated with them. All of the little white dots you see are number tags identifying a bird track.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwes0Dtv9M_ahoffZwI6ya526___I1Dz-Oq1GZlya8Yb1Nz9l6pVu3-hfVGAa8MFUpfxSvfLvTJ1AvGLIbOH-V8Kl3h-05YD4IuZyRWPeFf9Knymes1cOokPrWbGxF1Vs5z_dc6S0UZDM7/s1600/Track+Slab+Numbers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="554" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwes0Dtv9M_ahoffZwI6ya526___I1Dz-Oq1GZlya8Yb1Nz9l6pVu3-hfVGAa8MFUpfxSvfLvTJ1AvGLIbOH-V8Kl3h-05YD4IuZyRWPeFf9Knymes1cOokPrWbGxF1Vs5z_dc6S0UZDM7/s640/Track+Slab+Numbers.jpg" width="392" /></a></div>
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This made Step 2 less time-consuming (but necessary) step to complete: outline ALL of the footprints with either a chalk or a soapstone pencil. This outlining step is crucial. First, it makes you look at the individual tracks. I mean, it makes you REALLY look at the tracks. You start to notice features in individual footprints that you might not otherwise see if you are just focusing on the number of tracks in a trackway.<br />
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Take a look at these lovely bird tracks.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAlkb_seO9shxQxM4_zTMi0vO-nU-RrQEvpkP9ICVd5OxTOEPIsebzik_gWRuR17y_bXkLyyGn6y5-FxIdWL91rP0CY5ubVKMXQEh8HPrsKZTSfkCoq_Z_jxRZGkIuQT6K3e5-LXkSMKWO/s1600/Tracks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="554" data-original-width="432" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAlkb_seO9shxQxM4_zTMi0vO-nU-RrQEvpkP9ICVd5OxTOEPIsebzik_gWRuR17y_bXkLyyGn6y5-FxIdWL91rP0CY5ubVKMXQEh8HPrsKZTSfkCoq_Z_jxRZGkIuQT6K3e5-LXkSMKWO/s640/Tracks.jpg" width="498" /></a></div>
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Tracks 14, 15, and 16 are were made by the same bird, and by the same individual. There is still some overlying sediment that is filling in some of the toe impressions. Although there is some sediment filling in the backward-pointing toe (the hallux), we can see that is has a noticeable outside curve that is consistent in all the tracks. That's cool, and I'll be focusing on what this means for the trackmaker. </div>
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Also, you can see that the step (also called the pace length in the literature) the bird took between track 14 and 15 is longer than the step between tracks 15 and 16. This is a really good example of something that frustrates people who don't really look at tracks: variation. </div>
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Think about you walking from, say, your desk to the coffee/teapot. Are all of your steps equal in length? Did one foot catch a bit on the uneven carpet? Did you pass someone and move slightly off of your path to make sure you didn't shoulder-check them into the wall? There is absolutely no way that the step you take between track 14 and 15 is going to be exactly the same length as the step you take between track 15 and 16. Why? Because you are not a robot. And neither are the dinosaurs and birds that made these tracks. They are dynamic, complex living organisms that will make countless little adjustments as they walk. This is why I think it is important to spend time watching animals move in their natural habitats if you are going to study tracks. As soon as we stop viewing tracks as having been made by living animals, we've lost the purpose of studying fossil tracks: to learn more about the lives of extinct animals using records of their recorded behavior. [Steps off of soapbox.]</div>
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I don't have too many pictures of the rest of the team, as they were all down in the main laboratory, either taking photogrammetry images of track slabs (Rich) or making latex peels and plastic tracings of track slabs (Martin.) Rich was also mentoring the graduate students on how to take photogrammetry images. Photogrammetry is like any other computer tool we use in paleontology: garbage data in = garbage results out. In this case, the data are the digital photographs. If the photos are rushed and blurry, or if the settings on the camera change greatly between one photo and the next, or if the overlap of the photos isn't enough (we aim for at least 60% overlap for all of the images), then sure, you'll get a digital model, but you probably won't be able to collect much data from it.</div>
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We broke for lunch around 12:30 pm and went to a really good Chinese restaurant. I tried a soup that I was told had sea cucumber in it. If no one had told me I would never have known it was sea cucumber: it had the same taste and texture as portabella mushroom.</div>
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Over lunch, we planned our afternoon adventure. We were heading to Bitu Island to see some of the track sites in the field, including a site that has a dromaeosaur (a.k.a. the raptors from Jurassic Park) trackway! </div>
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I was quite excited for our field adventure. All of the track sites we were going to see were on the shoreline, which - for my interests - means that there is a chance to see some modern shorebird tracks! I also enjoy shoreline prospecting: it is so different from the deep woods and mountain prospecting that we usually do in northeastern British Columbia.</div>
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Stay Tuned!</div>
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Lisa Buckleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05999611419393598550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1545708523638136271.post-87039404041412687032017-10-10T00:34:00.003-07:002017-10-10T00:34:40.480-07:00Tracking Cretaceous Birds in South Korea: Daejeon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello, Dear Readers!<br />
<br />
Welcome back to Tracking Cretaceous Birds in Korea! Our first two days of our trip were spent in the city of Daejeon, home of the Natural Heritage Center!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Simplified map of South Korea, from the Daejeon tourist information brochure.</td></tr>
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Daejeon is a perfect example of a city that says "Science? Heck yeah: we LOVE SCIENCE, and we know you love it as well!" It is one of the few cities I have visited that does both a) a spectacular amount of research and heritage conservation, and b) is so proud of it that they talk about it on tourist brochures.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Enjoy visiting Daejeon, <b>a city of science</b>, culture, and ecology." Yes, you see that correctly: science is highlighted.</td></tr>
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<b>Editorial Note:</b> Daejeon - and the entire experience of visiting Korea - shone the world's largest spotlight on how stingy North American culture and government is regarding respect and resources for heritage conservation and research. We had many long conversations with our Korean colleagues on this subject. Oh yes: researchers talk to one another quite extensively. We ALL know who has been naughty and who has been nice. What we were blown away by was the overall attitude that giving resources to heritage research and conservation <b>is the right thing to do</b>. It's considered good for the country, good for the general education and enlightenment of the population, and good for the world. In contrast, the North American mindset is "How will giving resources to heritage make me money and benefit me?" I think this is part of the colonialism mindset. We should be ashamed of ourselves, North America.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entrance to the Natural Heritage Center.</td></tr>
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After meeting with staff of the Natural Heritage Center (a complex of several buildings and an interpretive center), we were taken to the collections building to see the dinosaur and bird tracks. Much like northeastern British Columbia, much of Korea's ichnology specimens occur on large rock slabs. Their collections facility is set up with this in mind:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ichnology collections of the Natural Heritage Center in Daejeon, South Korea. Check out the shelving!</td></tr>
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The collections facility also has small cabinets for the smaller track specimens. I definitely appreciate the removable plexi-glass covers on all of the drawers.<br />
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There are also several track specimens attached to heavy metal shelves on the walls. How do we access those? Well, fear not! Those counter tops are heavy duty (can take the weight of several specimens and an ichnologist or two), and there's a lift!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Richard McCrea gets his photogrammetry camera ready while Dr. Kyung-soo Kim positions the lift to access wall specimens.</td></tr>
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There were so many specimens to document that time seemed to fly for us. While Rich documented specimens using photogrammetry, I collected primary data and images from bird track specimens of interest, and Martin collected data and latex peels from bird, dinosaur, and other vertebrate track specimens of interest.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwoXQk0dBYZErd-r0SkxbroB4MM9MHftHXvHcz-g3xTVWNhrpfZzCxDnlryIVPiW-X55UWlLgGxni6vSqNCq5K9r0hu80LzX5Age6TQYWiKYmoDb_XzqbOXmwjY_qd8PHA7SKFTNr1DfoG/s1600/Martin+and+Rich.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="338" data-original-width="600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwoXQk0dBYZErd-r0SkxbroB4MM9MHftHXvHcz-g3xTVWNhrpfZzCxDnlryIVPiW-X55UWlLgGxni6vSqNCq5K9r0hu80LzX5Age6TQYWiKYmoDb_XzqbOXmwjY_qd8PHA7SKFTNr1DfoG/s640/Martin+and+Rich.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drs. Martin Lockley and Richard McCrea planning their specimen documentation strategy.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ZLLncOETuDMbql6C4QwO2JSqn2YZMmR6uDbAwAcovv3Y8R2O9O3lunV4uuGBIty6zCHw9rOKzSO9-GwkmqPr_AC7uF5oFy1TZ1vd91aN49NB11czEEwUOqoEU7eYzFvmlq3SECPDmkIf/s1600/photogrammetry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="432" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ZLLncOETuDMbql6C4QwO2JSqn2YZMmR6uDbAwAcovv3Y8R2O9O3lunV4uuGBIty6zCHw9rOKzSO9-GwkmqPr_AC7uF5oFy1TZ1vd91aN49NB11czEEwUOqoEU7eYzFvmlq3SECPDmkIf/s320/photogrammetry.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Richard McCrea collecting photogrammetry images for future 3D digital models.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKxpiQOBor8TuIdrMpmgbeuwl_PwiL1K-BPNmHK4ZjgnYTrrnq3pjpJfQrqQOyAeIudmiZA6bPItRfNtajJhzqM9yW-oBvOsthJR_wkOiqGIeJk-wVRjEnzQmgEF_dRhdYIufK3vbNhzSC/s1600/martin+latex.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="288" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKxpiQOBor8TuIdrMpmgbeuwl_PwiL1K-BPNmHK4ZjgnYTrrnq3pjpJfQrqQOyAeIudmiZA6bPItRfNtajJhzqM9yW-oBvOsthJR_wkOiqGIeJk-wVRjEnzQmgEF_dRhdYIufK3vbNhzSC/s400/martin+latex.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Martin Lockley applying latex.</td></tr>
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Of course, it's hot and humid in South Korea: we made a point to stay hydrated while working. We also had to counteract the humidity. Ichnologists are an ingenious bunch, so it did not take long to secure a hair dryer.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVM1ONts8RM3K_MrbEwN8gfNxecTPa2vG1tJEvzFO6OMoSUC2rPbECJbcqOpFdR1hNfyYGR5LGtat8vm7CBY-kbrKMib8wLCN8OTPBAkAemwHscOrRLUA92wxagu0RGBRR3BDJzo6fEauN/s1600/hair+dryer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="576" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVM1ONts8RM3K_MrbEwN8gfNxecTPa2vG1tJEvzFO6OMoSUC2rPbECJbcqOpFdR1hNfyYGR5LGtat8vm7CBY-kbrKMib8wLCN8OTPBAkAemwHscOrRLUA92wxagu0RGBRR3BDJzo6fEauN/s400/hair+dryer.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ta-da! This latex peel was ready in the couple of days we had in Daejeon.</td></tr>
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Our colleagues made sure that we took lunch breaks. Our first lunch in Daejeon was a version of bulgogi beef, spicy onion cakes, and a huge variety of side dishes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYGPVZuw9sRcB9A-33MOBr5_3_cw-IXVcq0MXEmhgGRYT5Uu4U7bAgg_bsCM0ue2d4A_QS1nOFaw9vo9NYkAp4gxWamA1ukgI6rZGDgstqiiboDZGEyUV9J6_FpjAGbUOI8NehUdTKDdyw/s1600/Bulgogi+1+visitors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="243" data-original-width="432" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYGPVZuw9sRcB9A-33MOBr5_3_cw-IXVcq0MXEmhgGRYT5Uu4U7bAgg_bsCM0ue2d4A_QS1nOFaw9vo9NYkAp4gxWamA1ukgI6rZGDgstqiiboDZGEyUV9J6_FpjAGbUOI8NehUdTKDdyw/s400/Bulgogi+1+visitors.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready to fuel ourselves on bulgogi for an afternoon of ichnology!<br />
Left to right: Me, Dr. Richard McCrea, Dr. Martin Lockley.</td></tr>
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Our hosts took care of the ordering.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglM3jeMA2k74brJDWYh8C7ywefAeEtQtWiUGpelPX-1SXigr5SHtUdy3qjbonhbN19pblRkiRTgsqO2sLkrQTBs7So6dSIUV2RRZ-fnYLp5AJ1OQkW5KHLBK2PodNkcH4Q7YpuAA85tROJ/s1600/Bulgogi+2+Won-mi+and+Kyung-soo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="243" data-original-width="432" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglM3jeMA2k74brJDWYh8C7ywefAeEtQtWiUGpelPX-1SXigr5SHtUdy3qjbonhbN19pblRkiRTgsqO2sLkrQTBs7So6dSIUV2RRZ-fnYLp5AJ1OQkW5KHLBK2PodNkcH4Q7YpuAA85tROJ/s400/Bulgogi+2+Won-mi+and+Kyung-soo.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Kyung-soo Kim and his graduate student Won-mi.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi476Ci53N4EYsz3vU8nDuhXAGldHGXtLjxoQsiu-nzGiIDkvaEbJKzI2yjoqCNqacRKpjY_KyjFGN8RKJtiLxmbzYvKIJh9J6CGm4OGZzwqbbdUZFHiQf6uTisigJ3oHFuIg7ierc3CZo9/s1600/So+much+bulgogi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="243" data-original-width="432" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi476Ci53N4EYsz3vU8nDuhXAGldHGXtLjxoQsiu-nzGiIDkvaEbJKzI2yjoqCNqacRKpjY_KyjFGN8RKJtiLxmbzYvKIJh9J6CGm4OGZzwqbbdUZFHiQf6uTisigJ3oHFuIg7ierc3CZo9/s400/So+much+bulgogi.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everything here is delicious!</td></tr>
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Our second lunch in Daejeon was a great spicy soup and rice. There was always a spicy and a regular version of soups. Being a fan of spice, I always ordered the spicy version. With the exception of one green pepper, there was no dish that I encountered that was too spicy.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRDpB7XXzT4V8vW-ae12yV1OSQ_p9szTEsknfiAbPMAUP420wq0BQe6ghlGaDbIRqlApJtSRA5GDTWuicqPM17h38blt_X2VlT33tMAu4WNYFSAD9ypy3IFAGUS-5xcoFbrbJ1rvVdQke9/s1600/spicy+soup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="243" data-original-width="432" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRDpB7XXzT4V8vW-ae12yV1OSQ_p9szTEsknfiAbPMAUP420wq0BQe6ghlGaDbIRqlApJtSRA5GDTWuicqPM17h38blt_X2VlT33tMAu4WNYFSAD9ypy3IFAGUS-5xcoFbrbJ1rvVdQke9/s400/spicy+soup.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spicy hot soup, rice, and kimchi.</td></tr>
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I have very few images of me in collections, as I was too busy documenting specimens. However, I have plenty of pictures of Early Cretaceous bird tracks! Here is a very small sample of everything that I saw:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBngkE59dbnhjUR-Mt87h3I3OvyN3aXIbinfS8TgA6w2S3P3E7epXL0GBvlStYoQQsUbOhFDzVujq0QV5-PY0EhKcP-cdj7Lm1gVLQ6WAxrLB_XFKJXhP7Ovg_7cEk9IEmEdFB-BlABBfU/s1600/ignotornis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="288" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBngkE59dbnhjUR-Mt87h3I3OvyN3aXIbinfS8TgA6w2S3P3E7epXL0GBvlStYoQQsUbOhFDzVujq0QV5-PY0EhKcP-cdj7Lm1gVLQ6WAxrLB_XFKJXhP7Ovg_7cEk9IEmEdFB-BlABBfU/s400/ignotornis.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A specimen of one of the ichnospecies of <i>Ignotornis</i>, likely <i>Ignotornis yangi</i>.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs6Oz7Wfugo7yli0VMbQDgawv_84MdHrUNzlt_DMGxTAetlhrBV0WWCT0DBLpwnFvbj7IhhKlQa1O4k50Ui5wZRwJEtCrkOx4Ero7PXs7Wh8dRAyg8TCwnPB7itmczpgXkxaerQyWh25rU/s1600/Jindongornipes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="613" data-original-width="432" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs6Oz7Wfugo7yli0VMbQDgawv_84MdHrUNzlt_DMGxTAetlhrBV0WWCT0DBLpwnFvbj7IhhKlQa1O4k50Ui5wZRwJEtCrkOx4Ero7PXs7Wh8dRAyg8TCwnPB7itmczpgXkxaerQyWh25rU/s400/Jindongornipes.jpg" width="281" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Jindongornipes kimi</i> (outlined in blue chalk.) This is a fairly large bird track, with a nice hallux impression...sometimes.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
Speaking of inconsistently preserved hallux (reversed toe) impressions, this is a great specimen that is going to be used to answer a couple of Cretaceous bird track questions I have.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8b9uavkZTR832HGTpSM2w4F_hoBnHY-2LmrI8zYQMwQ3M9IsXqDAkj5DxtHMnv2ASZOueg0fdU-Jgrg1F_mm_kxTiPOuQZ2ItwwkNEsmeA5tJjs_9QyCaajgFKcX4vgztseliF5x66pxw/s1600/hallux.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="288" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8b9uavkZTR832HGTpSM2w4F_hoBnHY-2LmrI8zYQMwQ3M9IsXqDAkj5DxtHMnv2ASZOueg0fdU-Jgrg1F_mm_kxTiPOuQZ2ItwwkNEsmeA5tJjs_9QyCaajgFKcX4vgztseliF5x66pxw/s400/hallux.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Well hello there, fascinating specimen!</td></tr>
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<div>
I also investigated some of the large slabs for very shallow bird tracks. Small, shallow tracks are difficult to see even in good light. One little tool I've found useful are these mini-flashlights. Ever since <a href="http://birdsinmud.blogspot.ca/2016/10/field-work-fail-for-want-of-flashlight.html" target="_blank">our adventures without a flashlight documenting the tyrannosaur track site</a>, we never leave home without some source of light.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Bfo2h9IMx6CkcBXrhaBWB1wcJhSXAo_W76Yp0hmd8yne6oYJ7iSkfNcrkBjoWuTD9nnJUdk_YsBfZpuhwDc5RDlt5MBBCCZsVLC6YirI-yrtaVXHTzMNiOoCpiPrKvCX62cwaCaKxFua/s1600/light.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="288" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Bfo2h9IMx6CkcBXrhaBWB1wcJhSXAo_W76Yp0hmd8yne6oYJ7iSkfNcrkBjoWuTD9nnJUdk_YsBfZpuhwDc5RDlt5MBBCCZsVLC6YirI-yrtaVXHTzMNiOoCpiPrKvCX62cwaCaKxFua/s400/light.jpg" width="368" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have one of these mini-flashlights attached to every one of my field bags.</td></tr>
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The low-angle light highlighted these small, tridactyl bird tracks.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj17C9Sd8zysNTtM1aQnv4bkrrJKwjhhlWzeIxaFRsBoDcV_8Ef3Bo7IqjWlSH5Ms6Cnamk8yxJN03JS88KRwTr5EucGf5bZwO5DSeVUrDOw7MTR_n5u9MwCgV9pP544SkSDySY3W-kQiUp/s1600/small+tridactyl+tracks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="576" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj17C9Sd8zysNTtM1aQnv4bkrrJKwjhhlWzeIxaFRsBoDcV_8Ef3Bo7IqjWlSH5Ms6Cnamk8yxJN03JS88KRwTr5EucGf5bZwO5DSeVUrDOw7MTR_n5u9MwCgV9pP544SkSDySY3W-kQiUp/s400/small+tridactyl+tracks.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div>
These tracks are very similar to an Early Cretaceous bird track type that we find in northeastern British Columbia. I have to do some more detailed comparative work to be sure, but I'm fairly excited about this!</div>
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After lunch on our second day in Daejeon, we took some time to check out the displays of the Natural Heritage Center.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSDLZbmpV42lZ-glB2rPBzk_Fov3nvQeChIhnd0jySuYzsWl5UWNhtaO6NuiG-pb__NOIm4zem1OtunktZz1yVRCOCQJ2kICs460y0ePNJL9Lqk5LkMUcT84Nez1DQXQxPby_1M1_jOKTe/s1600/Display+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="576" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSDLZbmpV42lZ-glB2rPBzk_Fov3nvQeChIhnd0jySuYzsWl5UWNhtaO6NuiG-pb__NOIm4zem1OtunktZz1yVRCOCQJ2kICs460y0ePNJL9Lqk5LkMUcT84Nez1DQXQxPby_1M1_jOKTe/s400/Display+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The outside of the interpretive display area, with silhouettes of important fauna of South Korea.</td></tr>
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Right outside of the entrance, is a nice little habitat for the Reeve's Turtle, an endangered species.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA5m9s7WG8dzpxsVtcbJAa6S17ukbYZK_-y0jyvpSjhYlUlgJOAnHQfjapFKCURrZYdyrWdX8ZLliVvFv2gWRd9zfOCvFGZh_xG97yzzeE-EiFjzvu7d_4Fhf4eA5HqaNvwd4-w3BwSmbi/s1600/20170912_123501.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA5m9s7WG8dzpxsVtcbJAa6S17ukbYZK_-y0jyvpSjhYlUlgJOAnHQfjapFKCURrZYdyrWdX8ZLliVvFv2gWRd9zfOCvFGZh_xG97yzzeE-EiFjzvu7d_4Fhf4eA5HqaNvwd4-w3BwSmbi/s400/20170912_123501.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interpretive sign for the Reeve's Turtle habitat.</td></tr>
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We actually saw some Reeve's Turtle! They must have decided not to wear their jaunty hats (as seen in the sign.)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFS5LbSMXG-YJqmyfb3JdvfTJ19I-KNBuVV6P2Zx2y7oiSBREd3HniN8H-z-YLLzdtb6kmgdJD32gprB8HIgVwS_rfUBDcj3ylmswiXhf7yGaDriezg1PbJCHPVjmmKNNSnKjLokTG0waH/s1600/Reeves+turtle+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="900" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFS5LbSMXG-YJqmyfb3JdvfTJ19I-KNBuVV6P2Zx2y7oiSBREd3HniN8H-z-YLLzdtb6kmgdJD32gprB8HIgVwS_rfUBDcj3ylmswiXhf7yGaDriezg1PbJCHPVjmmKNNSnKjLokTG0waH/s400/Reeves+turtle+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's our friend, the Reeve's Turtle!</td></tr>
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The entrance of the interpretive center has a large tree, and perched in it were several taxidermied birds. The picture is fairly dim: I don't use flash photography for displays that have textiles (feathers and fur included.)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAkEzAA48p8yvMQUahgKSQglqz-w014ztit646KwsSBDI8lWIJrM432-kS0ZQwnll8hKmP6IyjdD5jhpFJj7sY0EudUD8jfL2tquBJu1CgKO3Mf5GUdj8HdW-0PI8oTHhW7RpNUIGRJsFH/s1600/20170912_123705.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAkEzAA48p8yvMQUahgKSQglqz-w014ztit646KwsSBDI8lWIJrM432-kS0ZQwnll8hKmP6IyjdD5jhpFJj7sY0EudUD8jfL2tquBJu1CgKO3Mf5GUdj8HdW-0PI8oTHhW7RpNUIGRJsFH/s640/20170912_123705.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look HOO is here! A Great Horned Owl!</td></tr>
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<div>
The displays were very good: they never shy away from the scientific importance of historic places, ecosystems, and heritage sites. A great example was a display on proper etiquette for visiting caves.</div>
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<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsSydqT7ABSP_Dqupvqf_03tfGNky3HT1uPhoXl_wrik0j1xhJYGUb7pTshq3dmZL2ZX_1JRSCPhW03wT6MC7Sb48enJeCH9cD5Sei4tJA7236-z7ntGEqZLEd-XDWwcGmMtBCBG278sPu/s1600/Visit+caves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1050" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsSydqT7ABSP_Dqupvqf_03tfGNky3HT1uPhoXl_wrik0j1xhJYGUb7pTshq3dmZL2ZX_1JRSCPhW03wT6MC7Sb48enJeCH9cD5Sei4tJA7236-z7ntGEqZLEd-XDWwcGmMtBCBG278sPu/s640/Visit+caves.jpg" width="419" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Textual and pictorial lesson on cave etiquette. Don't poke the cave fauna!</td></tr>
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<div>
Tracks featured prominently in the displays. Here are crane tracks to show visitors where to stand on an interactive display.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrQQRjfE0NB9FJGiRO7dHoORhZUETWKKGkzPn-xKFE_v67_TeXXGqyYoezRVlFxJdJy1WGjOLsW52tG2XpwWcgycU3JdVlpjF_3DupEJDYPBZXkkw42l8vEDtbtyqTd00NdpYwvsBhIxhQ/s1600/20170912_123755.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrQQRjfE0NB9FJGiRO7dHoORhZUETWKKGkzPn-xKFE_v67_TeXXGqyYoezRVlFxJdJy1WGjOLsW52tG2XpwWcgycU3JdVlpjF_3DupEJDYPBZXkkw42l8vEDtbtyqTd00NdpYwvsBhIxhQ/s640/20170912_123755.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They even included the teeny hallux impressions and the small webbing. Should have sent a poet.</td></tr>
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<div>
The taxidermy collection showcased several bird species. Of course, I focused my pictures on modern analogs to our Cretaceous shorebirds and wading birds.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8A8XACr4It1kuAdEWz8quN5XA1M-gsP_bx-C-nD8aKA1SaAAZIlINjOzw2XjQNYuy4fEWb9hkQKrKPKYK-61KrXPHLiP_W4LDMIdUVejSkkJOdgCgm7-oUP43rH1sa4IBipmfjrJejuCF/s1600/Red+crowned+crane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8A8XACr4It1kuAdEWz8quN5XA1M-gsP_bx-C-nD8aKA1SaAAZIlINjOzw2XjQNYuy4fEWb9hkQKrKPKYK-61KrXPHLiP_W4LDMIdUVejSkkJOdgCgm7-oUP43rH1sa4IBipmfjrJejuCF/s640/Red+crowned+crane.jpg" width="356" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Red-crowned Crane. Check out the feets!</td></tr>
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<div>
Of course, with all of the owls that are in South Korea, I really had to take pictures of the owl displays.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjomcC2XwNPxDJq3T0u4wsun8XwXkOT21Lo1wz85CnJj-5FP0eynIux-4D0s_i1fL8KJVA5kVnty-oPZ8UTnyjQzfT2GEzOZLyCy9nywJDw38JOM81ifbGgWaqBSBaAxB0z4mN2Xh3XlUt_/s1600/20170912_125753.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjomcC2XwNPxDJq3T0u4wsun8XwXkOT21Lo1wz85CnJj-5FP0eynIux-4D0s_i1fL8KJVA5kVnty-oPZ8UTnyjQzfT2GEzOZLyCy9nywJDw38JOM81ifbGgWaqBSBaAxB0z4mN2Xh3XlUt_/s640/20170912_125753.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Collared Scops Owl is judging us all.</td></tr>
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<div>
There were track displays as well!</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsleU3g-YmRMHgE9CIPO0ytvyJoX7-xZXpc1BE7z0-K3WasOzknyT3ZOh1m0txgph1rmi-3w97lfiBnsa2ISuOq0-8XadDO6tTBVGrGN2Na9mNw70a5HqwNHRp0grl-k-CoUA_2G4oiKh8/s1600/20170912_124813.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsleU3g-YmRMHgE9CIPO0ytvyJoX7-xZXpc1BE7z0-K3WasOzknyT3ZOh1m0txgph1rmi-3w97lfiBnsa2ISuOq0-8XadDO6tTBVGrGN2Na9mNw70a5HqwNHRp0grl-k-CoUA_2G4oiKh8/s640/20170912_124813.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf4ag3rq-Azx8ExnXZGJWX1HdBCGekJ0TGoJjOKQoFUNzlDZ5TYsRnkmi1xQnP-jajxAjr5ewPky5bqWgJp1xuknprDM_d-aJWyWWMU8SdMiQBCfO_Xe3unCOC3rj2N-_A9bdr7xULzr2B/s1600/20170912_124738.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf4ag3rq-Azx8ExnXZGJWX1HdBCGekJ0TGoJjOKQoFUNzlDZ5TYsRnkmi1xQnP-jajxAjr5ewPky5bqWgJp1xuknprDM_d-aJWyWWMU8SdMiQBCfO_Xe3unCOC3rj2N-_A9bdr7xULzr2B/s640/20170912_124738.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plant-eating dinosaur, aka ornithopod tracks.</td></tr>
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<div>
The dinosaur track displays we saw at the interpretive center are very similar to how we do our displays at the PRPRC: track-oriented. The dinosaurs that are presented are there to show what the trackmakers looked like. Skeletons, being rare in South Korea, are not the centerpiece of displays. Goseong is a very important track area: I'll write about our visit there as well!<div>
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<div>
After we visited the displays, we returned to the collections and worked until around 6:30pm. We were waiting for two graduate students, Su-jin and Peter, to pick us up and drive us to Jinju, our next research destination.<br /><div>
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<div>
Our drive to Jinju was pleasant. I was absolutely not prepared for the surprise that awaited us when we arrived at what was going to be our home for the next three days:</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6t8KsF5y2HiwvlDTOFir8g1jE9sKYdNDfI0b9PfLPMNDCJvvPs833zfYWdv3LYMo-fxU3R_Eq0z3speGSkjIoFaDo3tC_XtwXvyuukZ8ix1Kf6YkRW2nh58EWiB4L2ygyYVaTiZ1RBNqh/s1600/20170912_192013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6t8KsF5y2HiwvlDTOFir8g1jE9sKYdNDfI0b9PfLPMNDCJvvPs833zfYWdv3LYMo-fxU3R_Eq0z3speGSkjIoFaDo3tC_XtwXvyuukZ8ix1Kf6YkRW2nh58EWiB4L2ygyYVaTiZ1RBNqh/s640/20170912_192013.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Happy Owl Hotel! IT'S AN OWL-THEMED HOTEL!!!</td></tr>
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<div>
I cannot begin to describe the excited noises I made when we pulled up to the Happy Owl Hotel.<br />Owls are my favorite dinosaurs. This is an owl-themed hotel. If I ever need to do a writing retreat for a future book, I'm staying at this hotel. Now you'll see a *very* small sample of all of the pictures I took.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgllCG_d8LlomZB-txaFuvmJPgjQHXke0xCkCtn5B6Z1IbVAU45hIH99IRTlBzrsoRMpsO8cxH5-k4aMv3eN9LAWVkLYG1jl8EO48wPHvdSO8DHl_eHQZoXo1dosvQBetPuZeDc1yfzk2Da/s1600/20170912_192020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgllCG_d8LlomZB-txaFuvmJPgjQHXke0xCkCtn5B6Z1IbVAU45hIH99IRTlBzrsoRMpsO8cxH5-k4aMv3eN9LAWVkLYG1jl8EO48wPHvdSO8DHl_eHQZoXo1dosvQBetPuZeDc1yfzk2Da/s640/20170912_192020.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm home.</td></tr>
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If you thought the outside was full of owls, wait until you see the inside!</div>
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There were even more owls in the reception area!</div>
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Try as I might, I don't think I photographed all of the owls on display in the Happy Owl Hotel...but I tried!</div>
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We crashed in to bed around 1:00am local time. It was a long day, and we knew we were in for a similarly long day tomorrow at Dr. Kyung-soo Kim's lab at Chinju University and targeted field sites. </div>
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Tune in next week for our adventures at Chinju University and our visits to field sites!</div>
Lisa Buckleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05999611419393598550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1545708523638136271.post-2233510580381806692017-09-30T11:45:00.000-07:002017-09-30T11:45:14.556-07:00Tracking Cretaceous Birds In South Korea, The IntroductionHello Dear Readers!<br />
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It has been a while since I have dusted the cobwebs off of Ye Olde Blog! I will break my blog silence by starting a series of weekly posts on our recent tracking adventure to South Korea!<br />
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We were invited by our colleagues Dr. Kim, Kyung-soo and his research group, to visit various Early Cretaceous field sites in South Korea.<br />
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NOTE: Ever since this trip was planned, I heard no end of "jokes," half-jokes, and concern about being in a "potentially dangerous part of the world," given the political climate of 2017. While I understand that those who were truly concerned meant well, I was not concerned for two reasons. One, our hosts were not concerned. If anyone was going to know the up-to-date status of the situation, it was going to be our hosts. I trusted their read of the situation. Two, field work is an inherently risky venture. No matter where you conduct field work in the world, there are going to be area-specific risks. The risks we typically face in northern western Canada are helicopter crashes, wild animal attacks, irate and/or intoxicated people, physical injury, and exposure. Some risks you can mitigate. Others you cannot. I'm not naive, but I'm also not going to fret myself to a point where I'm too scared to take a risk. I'm too old for that ****. Your Mileage May Vary.<br />
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These track sites preserve an amazingly diverse ichnofauna (ichnofauna = the critters present based on what you can tell from tracks alone) of non-avian and avian dinosaurs...aka BIRDS. And what birds! There are Early Cretaceous bird track types that are found in Korea and no where else (to date.) Since my work largely deals with Early Cretaceous bird tracks, this was an opportunity to see examples of these track types first hand. So far, I have been limited to working with data, images, and the occasional replica of Cretaceous bird tracks from Korea. There is nothing like seeing the original specimen to see first-hand the intricate details.<br />
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Not only would we see these great bird track types in person, we would also be able to collect images to <a href="http://culturalheritageimaging.org/Technologies/Photogrammetry/" target="_blank">create 3D digital models using the technique called photogrammetry</a>, pioneered in vertebrate paleontology by Neffra Matthews and Tom Noble. Being able to "bring" 3D replicas of track specimens back to our lab means that we can spend much more time examining the specimens in detail. Having on-site 3D models also means that we can compare the bird tracks of Korea side-by-side with the Early Cretaceous bird tracks we find in western Canada.<br />
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This visit to Korea will allow us to address some important questions we have of birds and their tracks of the Early Cretaceous:<br />
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- What bird track types are unique to western Canada and Korea, respectively? What bird track types are shared? This will give us updated information on where different groups of birds were in the Early Cretaceous world.<br />
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- How many different ways can one bird track type appear in the fossil record? A large sample size of bird tracks - showing different types of preservation - are needed to make sure that the differences we see among bird tracks are due to actual shape differences in the bird foot. The same bird foot can walk on mucky mud and firm sand and leave two tracks that look different. The sample size of the Korea bird tracks is an ichnologist's dream come true.<br />
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- Do bird track types change over time? In both western Canada and Korea we have rock layers that preserve several stages of the Early Cretaceous. Specifically, we're looking at Aptian (113-125 million years ago) and Albian (100.5 - 113 million years ago) age track-bearing layers of the Early Cretaceous. Western Canada also has track-bearing layers that are 145 - 125 million years old. This means we can see what birds were doing in the world (using their tracks) up to the Aptian, and then compare in detail the changes that happen with bird tracks in the Aptian and the Albian stages in both western Canada and Korea.<br />
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Our flight out of Fort St. John on September 9 was at 5:45am (meaning a 4:30am check-in) so, in true remote-living style, we drove two hours the night before and got a room. We groggily boarded, and thankfully didn't have to sky-check the camera equipment.<br />
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TRAVEL NOTE: When planning an international field expedition that involves air travel, keep in mind the small service or connecting flights. They have much smaller carry-on capacity than the longer/larger flights. You may not want to release your camera gear to the tender (?) mercies of checked luggage.<br />
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We flew from Fort St. John to Vancouver, and after a short layover, boarded and settled in for a 10 hr flight across the Pacific Ocean. The flight was good: I even got a bit of writing done. The only questionable moment was self-induced: we watched "Alien: Covenant." Don't get me started on the epic disappointment that are the new Alien movies.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yeah, Ripley: I know. I know.</td></tr>
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We landed at the Incheon International Airport around 1:30pm local time, collected our luggage, and met our host at one of the coffee shops. We then waited for Martin's (Dr. Martin Lockley) to arrive around 4pm. Once we were all herded together, we started the three hour drive to the first destination of our adventure in Korea: the Natural Heritage Center collections facility in Daejeon!<br />
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Stay tuned for the next part of the Adventure!Lisa Buckleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05999611419393598550noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1545708523638136271.post-21873825867302524612017-08-07T17:15:00.003-07:002017-08-07T17:20:28.116-07:00The $0.00 Field Budget Season - Heavy Bird TracksHappy August (YIKES) Dear Readers!<br />
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Yes, August caught up with us. We've been as busy as a $0.00 field work budget season can allow us to be: this means no multi-week or multi-day expeditions to work on our many large-scale projects. <a href="http://birdsinmud.blogspot.ca/2017/05/calling-all-shorebirds.html" target="_blank">I outlined a small list large projects we should be doing this summer</a> in my last blog post. Spoilers: like all work of value, working to protect, preserve, and interpret fossil heritage has a price tag. Anyone who thinks you can do field work for free is lying to themselves and others.<br />
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We have a great member of our field crew, Dr. Charles Helm. To say that he is a passionate and avid outdoors person is an understatement. To say that he is one of our most dedicated and passionate volunteer is an understatement. Medical doctor by training, <a href="http://www.rvwest.com/article/tumbler_ridge/doctor_turned_author_tells_the_story_of_tumbler_ridge" target="_blank">Charles has authored books</a>, been an author on some of our scientific papers, and is now first-authoring his own papers on an ichnology site he has been surveying for years (stay tuned!)<br />
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We have a list of "Helm Sites" that we check out every field season. On August 01, after checking out a report of <a href="https://energeticcity.ca/2017/08/dinosaur-tracks-discovered-in-conuma-coal-resources-ltds-wolverine-mine11/" target="_blank">ankylosaur tracks from Conuma Coal's Wolverine Mine</a>, we visited three other sites to confirm fossil tracks that Charles found and, of course, to look for more!<br />
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This expedition fell on a Tuesday, which is the day of the week <a href="http://birdsinmud.blogspot.ca/2016/12/name-that-track-ichnology-fun-for-all.html" target="_blank">I run #NameThatTrack on Twitter</a>, the fun ichnology game!<br />
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Confession time, Dear Readers: I work on Cretaceous-age bird tracks, but until now I had never found a really clear Cretaceous bird track in the field. Don't get me wrong: I'm perfectly happy sciencing the heck out of Cretaceous bird tracks found by others. It's just that the irony of never having found a Cretaceous bird track was not lost on me.<br />
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All of that changed on August 1. Charles and Rich were checking out different parts of the outcrop, and I looked at what I obsessively look at: really fine-grained bedding surfaces of rock. My lack of personal Cretaceous bird track discoveries was not for lack of trying, my friends. I posted tweets of tracks we were coming across.<br />
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Lighting is EVERYTHING for tracks, and even more so for small tracks. Dim overcast light, or super bright straight-on light, will wash out shadows that highlight subtle surface relief. The lighting was not exactly on my side that day...but I finally got to post this tweet:<br />
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Now, drumroll please: did I finally find fossil bird tracks in the field? I DID!! Here's my happy track face! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NameThatTrack?src=hash">#NameThatTrack</a> <a href="https://t.co/tZQRC4rW3q">pic.twitter.com/tZQRC4rW3q</a></div>
— Lisa Buckley, PhD (@Lisavipes) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lisavipes/status/892539539645882368">August 2, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><br />
Based on the geology of the area, these tracks are Early Cretaceous in age (about 100 million years old), and are similar in age to bird tracks that we research in Alberta, the United States, and China. Here's a close-up of one of the tracks!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can see (barely) one of the toes of a bird track right above the third black square from the left of the scale. This was horrid lighting for a picture.</td></tr>
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Our only problem with the specimen was this:<br />
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At over two meters long and half a meter thick, this slab of rock must have weighed close to 400 kg (Note: at the time, we thought the whole slab was only 300 kg. Oh, were we wrong. So wrong.) There was no way Charles, Rich, and I could move it in its current state. But we needed to collect this specimen.<br />
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Fast forward to August 5. We were scheduled to be interviewed for a news broadcast on the work our Research Centre has been doing in the region since 2003. Rich asked the reporter, Kraig Krause, if he would be interested in including the recovery of the bird tracks in his segment. He was definitely on board, so we planned a morning tour of the research centre and then off to collect the bird track slab!<br />
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We arrived at the site around 12:30 pm. It was starting out to be a hot day, with no cloud cover in sight.<br />
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<b>Step 1: Build a temporary bridge over the ditch.</b> This part was simple. We weren't worried about the steep part leading down to the bridge: after all, there were four of us, and the slab would be much lighter. What could possibly go wrong?<br />
(Note: I can feel every field person cringe at that statement. You never, ever ask that on an expedition.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZW6OL6LHJLZcVcL6SrFwuOX21qd_SDbk6yw3p7MG-ACLkm_36389adsZ2DDQITVwC4txOjzb0KOmycOWfO9fV67tjBahDYKwfPXtdtgFWcQhLDXiFQmhPezQ6UroyLfdS9ANmLC3fokhV/s1600/Bridge1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZW6OL6LHJLZcVcL6SrFwuOX21qd_SDbk6yw3p7MG-ACLkm_36389adsZ2DDQITVwC4txOjzb0KOmycOWfO9fV67tjBahDYKwfPXtdtgFWcQhLDXiFQmhPezQ6UroyLfdS9ANmLC3fokhV/s640/Bridge1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Richard McCrea (left) positioning the temporary bridge boards while Dr. Charles Helm (right) brings over more bridge material.</td></tr>
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<b>Step 2: Trim the track slab.</b> We needed to remove at least half of the track slab thickness to make it portable. Here's the specimen before the trimming.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi610XOPLDEHJdB0JbkAUnUHy1hFc-6uXaE9jT3MiJ773VJGcAP7MS-L7ZYZER8iywK1W-PSkQLqOrSgd9czEkPKyZhNlaX791LtoG_ioYGNOZ2KJL2o9Z2zo6AJ7LD9ioE6YiiZDhj5G05/s1600/Slab+before.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1409" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi610XOPLDEHJdB0JbkAUnUHy1hFc-6uXaE9jT3MiJ773VJGcAP7MS-L7ZYZER8iywK1W-PSkQLqOrSgd9czEkPKyZhNlaX791LtoG_ioYGNOZ2KJL2o9Z2zo6AJ7LD9ioE6YiiZDhj5G05/s640/Slab+before.jpg" width="544" /></a></div>
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Removing some of the thickness from the slab was easy: there was already a fracture in the rock that we could exploit, and the bottom half of the slab separated with three chisels and maybe half a dozen hits with the crack hammer.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAmK5nPAfmkiIiPtY1W-9dgQgDoP9gU5G5IvkGMpeWQUQIZya8ISgK6JxqZp0BgFqBJOgqpOKJg71n5i2_0sS1edGYsnQk_jd3SRT4g7qgHR_aRtwmn9ub9dLI5sQ41OFCSM4oQpJJI6gF/s1600/Slab+after.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAmK5nPAfmkiIiPtY1W-9dgQgDoP9gU5G5IvkGMpeWQUQIZya8ISgK6JxqZp0BgFqBJOgqpOKJg71n5i2_0sS1edGYsnQk_jd3SRT4g7qgHR_aRtwmn9ub9dLI5sQ41OFCSM4oQpJJI6gF/s640/Slab+after.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Success Part 1! Now we needed to drill holes to separate the non-track surface part of the slab from the birdy-goodness part of the specimen.</td></tr>
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The next step was to remove the eroded (no track surface) part of the rock at the bottom of the picture. Rich and I took turns: one would drill holes along the bottom edge of the track surface while the other watched the track surface. Rotary hammers cause vibrations that could shake loose bits of track surface.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHvh_H3Ok-iBkCl7ybNf1sDi0k_CS2PkTS1hu_uLQmQgMNcJbGKDjjUegzVRO_W0Yw39XLkt-YE9iQDrTcjpF-vvC8Acxk7Q1F8w3nffPFUnkd9k6sl4-Vt_btGFD95wq-e45iTz5_Bgn2/s1600/Drilling+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHvh_H3Ok-iBkCl7ybNf1sDi0k_CS2PkTS1hu_uLQmQgMNcJbGKDjjUegzVRO_W0Yw39XLkt-YE9iQDrTcjpF-vvC8Acxk7Q1F8w3nffPFUnkd9k6sl4-Vt_btGFD95wq-e45iTz5_Bgn2/s640/Drilling+1.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Rich McCrea adding punch holes to the non-track part of the slab, while Dr. Charles Helm selects more potential specimens for careful viewing later.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigQhJQPobkpGsKWpooZhZ8EOxAVuJxMuuIBD4MwlCqPkdqcFv0vhzPTa397i6Gg-osy1bL6L0di46QJ30ySHL0XmLk6WJBR66LLhG9wav5fZ5ggLECaZDC6Ipp6CF-F-lG4R1Onn2zeoNU/s1600/Drilling+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="890" data-original-width="1200" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigQhJQPobkpGsKWpooZhZ8EOxAVuJxMuuIBD4MwlCqPkdqcFv0vhzPTa397i6Gg-osy1bL6L0di46QJ30ySHL0XmLk6WJBR66LLhG9wav5fZ5ggLECaZDC6Ipp6CF-F-lG4R1Onn2zeoNU/s640/Drilling+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kraig Krause getting some footage of the slab trimming process while Rich drills the punch holes.</td></tr>
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Of course, when you're in the middle of doing a delicate job such as track slab trimming, you hope there isn't going to be a big "Oops!" that ends up on camera. Thankfully the trimming went smoothly, and the non-track part of the slab came off easily.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBfjnTLwaIdSGgPiPwVdLua7rJ2LSpmxKhU6l2_sGGb4gFP1tnxBModtWFYxILids6w6MZquWuxBSDMIrDdzdRVhNtapDOZzvwOnH5Mf7n-7JytLh9FhXzjQhk03h5l2WPFRg7_sw3cvRb/s1600/Removed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="796" data-original-width="1200" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBfjnTLwaIdSGgPiPwVdLua7rJ2LSpmxKhU6l2_sGGb4gFP1tnxBModtWFYxILids6w6MZquWuxBSDMIrDdzdRVhNtapDOZzvwOnH5Mf7n-7JytLh9FhXzjQhk03h5l2WPFRg7_sw3cvRb/s640/Removed.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The piece off to the left was at least a good 30 kg that we didn't need to carry.</td></tr>
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<b>Step 3: Haul the specimen.</b><br />
This was the Hard Part: hoisting the slab on to the wheelbarrow. First we wrapped it with a heavy tow strap to give ourselves more hand holds for potentially hand-hauling the block over the ditch bridge. Then we muscled the specimen on to one of the 2" by 8" boards so that the specimen would sit evenly across the wheelbarrow. Then...HEAVE! That specimen was heavier than we anticipated: it had to be close to 225 kg.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL2lQRVJCUGJqKtzOHBVgEu29Fpp2QRqPHjgZvUhHmj6RMWuS5Mak9zyKVROVz68nZyBEh8Fq5gtWqWCSl4uzrxpozUdzY5tAj4zz8q-C-moc4ZalrzJcbsLF1IiomLikiSDRy6mjhYcQy/s1600/HEAVE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1132" data-original-width="1200" height="602" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL2lQRVJCUGJqKtzOHBVgEu29Fpp2QRqPHjgZvUhHmj6RMWuS5Mak9zyKVROVz68nZyBEh8Fq5gtWqWCSl4uzrxpozUdzY5tAj4zz8q-C-moc4ZalrzJcbsLF1IiomLikiSDRy6mjhYcQy/s640/HEAVE.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kraig (top), Charles (middle), and Rich (bottom) preparing for the mighty lift while I brace the wheelbarrow.</td></tr>
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Then Rich noticed an issue with the wheelbarrow: the cotter pin that keeps the wheel from slipping off of the axle was missing for the left wheel. The last thing we wanted to have happen was the wheel fall off while we were moving 250 kg of solid rock. Before we continued, Rich improvised an ersatz cotter pin out of a small awl.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-2ybdphcv4tlvrd_tglXxEAiUUg8SOtsCo3rugTkOVCshALrLG80SCa9fcwgJtX2bdeLbsh3r7qOYwi1ROSjq59mhdFiQ0xH_RGJ2svJwWuqjOzjy-DnBgGSdJbPO3Hj-vM37TSHLYFpD/s1600/Barrow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-2ybdphcv4tlvrd_tglXxEAiUUg8SOtsCo3rugTkOVCshALrLG80SCa9fcwgJtX2bdeLbsh3r7qOYwi1ROSjq59mhdFiQ0xH_RGJ2svJwWuqjOzjy-DnBgGSdJbPO3Hj-vM37TSHLYFpD/s640/Barrow.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Walking the track slab down to the bridge was a group effort: we made sure that the slab wasn't going to bounce or slide off as the wheelbarrow jostled over uneven terrain. Then we approached the ditch.<br />
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Because of how steep the bank of the ditch was, we had to slide the track slab off of the wheelbarrow to get it on to the bridge. We stood around the slab, not really relishing the thought of pushing it across the bridge and then putting it back on the wheelbarrow, when the thought hit us: we have a field truck and a tow strap.<br />
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New Plan: pull the track slab the rest of the way across the bridge and up the ditch slope on to the road, and then lift the slab into the back of the truck.<br />
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We hooked the tow strap up to the truck hitch...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirgH-FLQ9b3VvjIt-5sAU2niNuM2h98oStYIsHBNdvkSoFUriVriFn9leVYerb99s0KNRYmpY50yZSov2_tAGb3Qbycd1tHHU620KQyyYSjk8GmWbusnZMlEZsNuQC_7PX4ifi4DhpfVR4/s1600/Tow+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="792" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirgH-FLQ9b3VvjIt-5sAU2niNuM2h98oStYIsHBNdvkSoFUriVriFn9leVYerb99s0KNRYmpY50yZSov2_tAGb3Qbycd1tHHU620KQyyYSjk8GmWbusnZMlEZsNuQC_7PX4ifi4DhpfVR4/s640/Tow+1.jpg" width="484" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notice another field improvised pin?</td></tr>
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...and then pulled the track slab gently on to the road.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimAB71jflKeKdZgO6AMp2O8EsakvqL13UILlAbB96PnVyxpuGo71hbFGy1QziQNeegUaL0LDdkdqAOXDCp6Tsnc3DcXlANjpAl2ogE7ZoMNEI2VjxSuo2oRNl9GITziXspaaIAIREFrj4a/s1600/Tow+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="656" data-original-width="1200" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimAB71jflKeKdZgO6AMp2O8EsakvqL13UILlAbB96PnVyxpuGo71hbFGy1QziQNeegUaL0LDdkdqAOXDCp6Tsnc3DcXlANjpAl2ogE7ZoMNEI2VjxSuo2oRNl9GITziXspaaIAIREFrj4a/s640/Tow+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charles keeps an eye on the front of the truck while Kraig and I keep an eye on the track slab. The surface on which the tracks are found is facing up, of course. Success!</td></tr>
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After the specimen was on the road, we positioned a 2" X 8" under the end that was closest to the truck crossways. This gave all four of us enough room to lift the front end up to tailgate level. Once the front end of the specimen was airborne, Rich left us to hold the front end up while he SLOWLY backed the end of the truck as close as possible. One great HEAVE and the specimen was resting on the tailgate!<br />
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Whew. The whole operation was finished by 2:30 pm.<br />
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Now that the track slab is back at the Research Centre, we get to do the fun part: examining the surface! This will involve turning off all of the overhead lights and shining a low angle light across the surface to create shadows from the small-scale surface details. This really makes small tracks POP. We'll also use the same technique at the field site: we're planning an overnight at the outcrop where we can examine all of the potential track surfaces with a flashlight in the evening. Once we do the low angle light examination, we'll have a better idea of what type of bird tracks these are.<br />
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Until then,<br />
<br />
Strange Woman.Lisa Buckleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05999611419393598550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1545708523638136271.post-23368613743568529832017-05-26T11:32:00.001-07:002017-05-26T11:32:14.861-07:00Calling All Shorebirds!Hello Dear Readers!<br />
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We have returned from the Canadian Society of Vertebrate Palaeontology 2017 conference in Dinosaur Provincial Park, and it was a blast! It was great to catch up with our friends and colleagues, and also great to see all of the ground-breaking research being done by early career paleontologists.<br />
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There's a lot happening in the next month for me. Tomorrow I grade for my next level in karate - this will be the first exam I've had since my candidacy! On June 3 I'll be leading the annual birding hike to Bullmoose Marshes, hosted by the <a href="http://www.wnms.ca/?page_id=70" target="_blank">Wolverine Nordic and Mountain Society</a>. June 9 - 11 I am involved with hosting the <a href="https://bcfo.ca/tumbler-ridge-2016-latest/" target="_blank">British Columbia Field Ornithologists meeting</a>, and am giving the afternoon keynote presentation...on Cretaceous birding, of course! I am also working with colleagues to finalize plans for a track site visit - stay tuned!<br />
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One aspect of my upcoming summer that is not busy is my field work life. With this year's field budget of a whopping $0.00 (don't spend it all in one place!) we do not have any large field excursions scheduled. That doesn't mean that we don't have plans were funding to materialize. Here's a list of the palaeontology projects we could be working on this summer:<br />
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1. We still have at least four years of work to do on the Six Peaks Dinosaur Track Site near Hudson's Hope, British Columbia. Here's a video showcasing the site,<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/e_8EmzsdXhM" width="560"></iframe><br />
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2. A hadrosaur bonebed (duck-billed dinosaurs), the first dinosaur bonebed for British Columbia. This site was featured in "Dino Hunt Canada," with an airlift of the articulated skeleton of one of the hadrosaurs. We've done as much digging as we can by hand. Watch the video!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/k9PVXmQyWPw" width="560"></iframe><br />
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3. Uncovering more of the world's first tyrannosaur trackways (<a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0103613" target="_blank">described in our paper in PLoS One</a>,) mentioned in this post on <a href="http://birdsinmud.blogspot.ca/2016/10/field-work-fail-for-want-of-flashlight.html" target="_blank">field work fails</a>, and <a href="http://birdsinmud.blogspot.ca/2016/02/stubbed-toes-and-blood-owies-footprint.html" target="_blank">in this post on injuries in theropod tracks</a>, and<br />
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4. A potential new dinosaur excavation site that needs several test pits dug to determine the extent of the bone-bearing section.<br />
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What this summer does is give me an opportunity to spend more time at my neoichnology (modern track) sites. My first step was to see what shorebirds have arrived in the area, so I went out yesterday to spot check my usual sites.<br />
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My first trip was to Bullmoose Marshes, about 30 km away from the Research Centre. This site is in important stop-over and summer breeding ground for a fantastic variety of birds. It was a gorgeous day to be outside.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD3qej_IBh0kx5bdHZ-2AyDJbv0NzXXo5fJfy9vIlvy6tHCEoVMwBl_Ui8vhJBc26fwwu7P9HBdTqIKLSWeB1O3bC7QxuCMKlKN8PHYckHEcFWbZtjMVWJYY8KHD6GdopeTxsUlXjm3-Sk/s1600/20170525_113618.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD3qej_IBh0kx5bdHZ-2AyDJbv0NzXXo5fJfy9vIlvy6tHCEoVMwBl_Ui8vhJBc26fwwu7P9HBdTqIKLSWeB1O3bC7QxuCMKlKN8PHYckHEcFWbZtjMVWJYY8KHD6GdopeTxsUlXjm3-Sk/s400/20170525_113618.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, squinting into the sun, which gives me a pensive look. No one can look pensive at this marsh.</td></tr>
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While I did hear and see a great variety of birds, including two Trumpeter Swans, I only saw one shorebird: a <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Solitary_Sandpiper/id" target="_blank">Solitary Sandpiper</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3RWkhfRVWjJtrq99B2PVZYCD0P-Tvptl3u9BozEspJeJpLaQhMAz32XLi_ggLa0FRuJq7-XE18fwMDXpLXekkoz61vhrzXa_KGTfiw098NDN4qCzwUrU38tPWJCbF6m4JM8pC8lkSetcc/s1600/worst+bird+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="431" data-original-width="715" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3RWkhfRVWjJtrq99B2PVZYCD0P-Tvptl3u9BozEspJeJpLaQhMAz32XLi_ggLa0FRuJq7-XE18fwMDXpLXekkoz61vhrzXa_KGTfiw098NDN4qCzwUrU38tPWJCbF6m4JM8pC8lkSetcc/s400/worst+bird+pic.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My submission for Worst Bird Pic. There's a Solitary Sandpiper in here!</td></tr>
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Of course, visiting sites always provides reminders of Why We Can't Have Nice Things. These boardwalks were put in by volunteers who had to raise funds for the materials. But I guess that all pales in comparison to twue wuv.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqwM5oP4PXwxvtDGMz3gLTvubCoWdEc5Ec0K5e6wbmU7cybS8-JUm4HvY3QBcDwjcq7PKF0UO3W5fsqrVIKpjH7Ah8CB4klFvfbusSck_zDwH9T-dH-A9qQKtP5puvNXYKaewVvMbo9W0Z/s1600/twue+wuv.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="421" data-original-width="500" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqwM5oP4PXwxvtDGMz3gLTvubCoWdEc5Ec0K5e6wbmU7cybS8-JUm4HvY3QBcDwjcq7PKF0UO3W5fsqrVIKpjH7Ah8CB4klFvfbusSck_zDwH9T-dH-A9qQKtP5puvNXYKaewVvMbo9W0Z/s320/twue+wuv.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHLh01D0ATOBQ86_CPnvwZVYyiuzjH-_c6FQQ94rTOQ637XF1ZTn3gKz736ucPctckhbRTizChjRVRmo54NMqzKsGdPBQyqXnk4xgYL1S7TteOs9AZDZtkx3M182sQrsJ3d240_OzYOHYP/s1600/cc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="287" data-original-width="432" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHLh01D0ATOBQ86_CPnvwZVYyiuzjH-_c6FQQ94rTOQ637XF1ZTn3gKz736ucPctckhbRTizChjRVRmo54NMqzKsGdPBQyqXnk4xgYL1S7TteOs9AZDZtkx3M182sQrsJ3d240_OzYOHYP/s400/cc.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, we're all very impressed that your love for C.C. is so great that vandalism is your answer.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The water levels are very high at the marshes right now, so there was no exposed ground to check for shorebird footprints. In addition to the Solitary Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper and Greater Yellowlegs also frequent this marsh, but perhaps they have not yet set up their breeding territories.<br />
<br />
My next stop was to the local dump. I often find myself going to to the dump for bird-related activities. The sewage treatment ponds are full of breeding Canada Goose, and several species of ducks and swallows can also be found. I discovered in 2016, while I was dropping off my recycling, that Killdeer also frequent one of the cleared off, rocky areas.<br />
<br />
The dump did not disappoint! Here's a trackway of a Killdeer!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj26IqGDTkcqbG4xIk6m4cnjUHXjAt9m-EYcOU6Jf7vlVk_7L5gVtF_YfKLI5Kki0dBBFLyadlLqsDUV5cdMZy5bLKFBUZ2vkB1RXxkPZufa9M400rbXAfjDRFQDRrK8XhkU2AHYCn7JQVH/s1600/KILL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="218" data-original-width="432" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj26IqGDTkcqbG4xIk6m4cnjUHXjAt9m-EYcOU6Jf7vlVk_7L5gVtF_YfKLI5Kki0dBBFLyadlLqsDUV5cdMZy5bLKFBUZ2vkB1RXxkPZufa9M400rbXAfjDRFQDRrK8XhkU2AHYCn7JQVH/s400/KILL.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Killdeer trackway. 10 cm from outer dot to outer dot.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This made me a very happy ichnologist! These tracks were made that morning. If they were any more fresh, the Killdeer would still be standing in them.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfw1KATcO5ZcNkKU8_b5d_Nt1H0BZXW2BFwqMvq7JTXaAVYe5Jv-uXCvLNmKN9eY1JuKO3UdTFyxJLUXLu3nZ8KKLJddjfXgyirpUAI4rtJ2cZvZT3ZhzY_lVM8xksaaRKw3JlulbP0WTj/s1600/20170525_134319.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfw1KATcO5ZcNkKU8_b5d_Nt1H0BZXW2BFwqMvq7JTXaAVYe5Jv-uXCvLNmKN9eY1JuKO3UdTFyxJLUXLu3nZ8KKLJddjfXgyirpUAI4rtJ2cZvZT3ZhzY_lVM8xksaaRKw3JlulbP0WTj/s400/20170525_134319.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />I also saw some tracks that were made a day to a few days before, meaning that the Killdeer were not just making a one-time stop at the site. I'm hoping this means that they are getting ready to establish their breeding territory, and that I haven't missed all of the fun of them <a href="http://birdsinmud.blogspot.ca/2017/04/theropods-or-tender-pods-softer-side-of.html" target="_blank">doing their nest scrape displays</a>!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLMYtYbravYhyphenhypheni9G_vdveNUe0C9fqVrYyecO4W_IstNyl3EjBC9ELkP1iqLsHAKuva6kdxXquBu2dQHGUqMkg36TwC5LCNOzOpxTrh3oSRe7zUyPFk-4lOoUxMsS2Ifo9OElPyyUYJRKzV/s1600/KILL2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="246" data-original-width="432" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLMYtYbravYhyphenhypheni9G_vdveNUe0C9fqVrYyecO4W_IstNyl3EjBC9ELkP1iqLsHAKuva6kdxXquBu2dQHGUqMkg36TwC5LCNOzOpxTrh3oSRe7zUyPFk-4lOoUxMsS2Ifo9OElPyyUYJRKzV/s400/KILL2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A not-so-fresh Killdeer trackway at the same site. Notice the edges are less clear than the above trackway.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Over the next few days I'll be paying this site early morning visits to see how active these Killdeer are, and where they feel is a good spot to build a nest.<br />
<br />
Stay tuned!Lisa Buckleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05999611419393598550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1545708523638136271.post-33462941563236333042017-04-06T11:31:00.001-07:002017-04-06T11:31:17.499-07:00Theropods or Tender-pods? The Softer Side of the "Terrible Lizard."Nature, red in tooth and claw...<br />
<br />
It's the common image associated with theropod dinosaurs: they are either chasing something down to eat it, or they are eating it. Every lazy bit of sad science storytelling depicts theropods consumed with one objective: devouring poor innocent plant-eating prey. From Lex asking "Where's the goat?" in Jurassic Park to Littlefoot's mom being killed by Sharptooth, theropods (and all carnivores, really) get painted with the "evil" brush and brushed off as mindless killers.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEKEPuVcO6ZBLvP10suBaWtBzlsGEmog4y9Ut8TSGucaC7A-a8N5XYTISoP_8oLfQXPCFOQvYx8_QfTYhq8NU2-XucNvzdaLfdtq3txbc-qbCX-D1eJNwhWeVzl0bDQAKI4MKWFWOI009v/s1600/goat.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEKEPuVcO6ZBLvP10suBaWtBzlsGEmog4y9Ut8TSGucaC7A-a8N5XYTISoP_8oLfQXPCFOQvYx8_QfTYhq8NU2-XucNvzdaLfdtq3txbc-qbCX-D1eJNwhWeVzl0bDQAKI4MKWFWOI009v/s1600/goat.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's still too soon for me to post Littlefoot's mom's death.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Logically we know that theropods were more than just heartless (our words and judgement) killing machines. Theropod dinosaurs were and still are animals with a complex suite of behaviors that we would anthropomorphize as "tender" and "gentle."<br />
<br />
We know that theropods built nests and incubated their young: <a href="http://www.livescience.com/52920-dinosaur-eggs-nest-type.html" target="_blank">research by Tanaka et al. (2015)</a> demonstrated the different nesting strategies that dinosaurs used based on egg shell porosity. Egg shell is not solid: it is full of tiny pores that allow for moisture and gas exchange to happen between the egg and its environment. Based on modern nesting crocodiles and birds, the more porous eggshell is, the more likely it was that the eggs would be completely buried in a nest mound. Less porous eggs would only be partially buried with the upper surfaces of the eggs exposed. Maniraptoran theropods (dromaeosaurs, oviraptors, troodons, and our modern birds) have low porosity eggs, which would be partially exposed in the nest.<br />
<br />
Maniraptoran theropods are well-known for another tender-loving trait: incubating eggs. Several fossil nests have been recovered with a <a href="http://preparation.paleo.amnh.org/57/oviraptor" target="_blank">maniraptoran caught in the act of brooding</a>. The spectacular specimen of <a href="http://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/on-exhibit-posts/get-to-know-a-dino-citipati-osmolskae/" target="_blank"><i>Citipati</i>, an oviraptorosaur, on top of a nest of eggs is on display at the American Museum of Natural History</a>. This is a good example of parental care in theropods.<br />
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We know that theropods (at least the maniraptorans) engage(d) in nest building and egg brooding behavior...but what about the pre-nesting activities, like courtship? Our modern theropods are famous for their courtship behaviors. Check out the mating dance of the Flame Bowerbird...<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1XkPeN3AWIE" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
...and now imagine <i>Oviraptor</i> doing this dance.<br />
<br />
"Hold up! There should be evidence of male theropods having some skeletal differences that can be used to support possible mating dances, right? Right!?!"<br />
<br />
Using the skeleton alone, <a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/06/0602_050602_dino_sex.html" target="_blank">the best way to tell if a theropod skeleton was male or female is to look for a structure called medullary bone</a>: it's a special deposit in the hollow portion of theropod bones that acts as a calcium reserve for adding shells to eggs. Medullary bone is only going to occur in egg-laying (female) theropods. However, medullary bone is an internal structure: you can't tell by looking at the exterior of a bone whether it contains medullary bone.<br />
<br />
While there have been a few - quite a few - papers published that purportedly contain evidence of skeletal sexual dimorphism (anatomical differences in the skeleton) in dinosaurs (<a href="http://www.nature.com/articles/srep09472" target="_blank">the most recent one uses a small sample size of tails of oviraptorosaurs</a>) the numbers simply do not support that the differences seen are the result of sexual differences, as opposed to good ol' natural variation. <a href="https://nature.ca/en/about-us/museum-news/news/press-releases/male-female-canadian-museum-nature-scientist-challenges-evi" target="_blank">An excellent study by Dr. Jordan Mallon was recently published that rigorously tests the statistics of all of the proposed cases of sexual dimorphism that involve visual differences in bones</a>...and no evidence of sexual dimorphism was found in any of the cases. Internal eggs, embryos, and medullary bone are still the only way to confidently identify the sex of a dinosaur.<br />
<br />
So, are there any fossils that possibly support courtship activities in theropods? We may have fossils in the form of trace fossils...ichnology to the rescue! In 2016 we published on these enigmatic traces from the Early Cretaceous of Colorado. They are paired scrape marks made by the feet of large theropods (likely an allosaur.) No tracks led up to any of the scrape marks, showing us that the theropods dug down through the layer they were walking on.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhatm0OEsUrL9ozRCMNhZITN-zk6nDOOTWCb235a2C_Bc3G25PuM-mktWSYGetTpdVWA_ULlbMxCq38CwbmHnWr81srB14ZaX4tGjlVaqxGeVOZMQgvvHjcNz7sS5_OiztQg3_hpYSm1wTO/s1600/srep18952-f1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhatm0OEsUrL9ozRCMNhZITN-zk6nDOOTWCb235a2C_Bc3G25PuM-mktWSYGetTpdVWA_ULlbMxCq38CwbmHnWr81srB14ZaX4tGjlVaqxGeVOZMQgvvHjcNz7sS5_OiztQg3_hpYSm1wTO/s400/srep18952-f1.jpg" width="397" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1 from Lockley et al. (2016) showing the scrape marks.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDBOW3wvWRdfLIHybailJ3eZ-_kXmsSnB75Slzbw_2f3AtTihR323zYtDVsAw0zlgB73BAWQG_HYJLihSUIihybhLDzs9aAR5NliJ-fvTyEN8ND5_iJM70HTB3HqN5nbppv8ZDIq74Ynf9/s1600/srep18952-f3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDBOW3wvWRdfLIHybailJ3eZ-_kXmsSnB75Slzbw_2f3AtTihR323zYtDVsAw0zlgB73BAWQG_HYJLihSUIihybhLDzs9aAR5NliJ-fvTyEN8ND5_iJM70HTB3HqN5nbppv8ZDIq74Ynf9/s640/srep18952-f3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 3 from Lockley et al. (2016).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />These marks were a puzzle at first. We initially thought that the trackmakers were digging for water, but the geology of the area showed that water was active and abundant. Next we considered that they were digging for food, but the sandy layer the theropods were digging down to was devoid of traces of most burrowing animals. Next we considered nest bowls and/or dust bathing. Both activities, like rooting around for food, tend to wipe out the marks made by digging (based on what we've seen with dust bowls made by Spruce and Ruffed grouse in our area.)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtn1ExCRzKQTVEmwI3YgenBueO_Fq4_8cQ79dQxMDHSff9JiN-pN4UFTuFRlYrsCf09tg2j-X1ruZSWZtdjAkXbXXJy1oOCLS3Vuw9EuIFD3GT_3eN4cSTxjiSEp278nmK9Xp0NyUlQ2j6/s1600/Spruce-grouse-pair-dust-bathing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtn1ExCRzKQTVEmwI3YgenBueO_Fq4_8cQ79dQxMDHSff9JiN-pN4UFTuFRlYrsCf09tg2j-X1ruZSWZtdjAkXbXXJy1oOCLS3Vuw9EuIFD3GT_3eN4cSTxjiSEp278nmK9Xp0NyUlQ2j6/s400/Spruce-grouse-pair-dust-bathing.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ruffed Grouse dust bathing, <a href="http://cdn2.arkive.org/media/B6/B6C012AB-7356-42A0-B8AB-7A525D06AE1E/Presentation.Large/Spruce-grouse-pair-dust-bathing.jpg" target="_blank">Jose Schell</a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Then we considered territory marks. The closest modern example we could find of a convincing territory mark came from mountain lions. <a href="https://romp-roll-rockies.blogspot.ca/2010/12/sunrise-to-sunset-non-stop.html" target="_blank">Check out this blog for some excellent pictures of the paired scrapes left by mountain lions</a>.<br />
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This led us to consider the different reasons a theropod would make a visible territory mark...and then we came across the nest scrape ceremony.<br />
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Check out this video of the Piping Plover nest scrape ceremony (and because I love plovers, check out the <a href="http://www.greatlakespipingplover.org/" target="_blank">Great Lakes Piping Plover Recovery Project</a>.)<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8Jj5Ds6Hgis" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
Also see this video of a Killdeer nest scrape ceremony. I know where Killdeer were nesting locally last year, so I'm hoping to get some of my own footage this spring.<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q7AF0ARrSGU" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
To start the nest scrape ceremony, the male will define and defend their territory. They vocalize to nearby females, and demonstrate to them how good they are at digging out nests. A male may perform and create several nest scrapes during the pre-mating ceremony. If the female is satisfied with his performance, she allows the male to mate. One of the nest scrapes becomes the nest bowl.<br />
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There is a good chance that our large theropods were engaging in a courtship ceremony that involved scraping at the ground. It is not uncommon to have multiple males displaying in one location: game birds are a great example with their display arenas or leks, like the Greater Prairie Chicken.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/s2_wdMmEupQ" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
<br />
Of course, we had to come up with an Early Cretaceous version of a theropod lek...<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw_imzMbu7DfntN30BkydvFzdjSosNIQlqHTJY5nOyN1N-16jb81lrIyrorS6P_OWOvX5jC0bg3YeHFNNwVm8fjEV3C0As_-d-Dxnod95JuR-MFAkdLPQV2VIhob5b80fR-WDRYQrFhwGx/s1600/srep18952-f6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw_imzMbu7DfntN30BkydvFzdjSosNIQlqHTJY5nOyN1N-16jb81lrIyrorS6P_OWOvX5jC0bg3YeHFNNwVm8fjEV3C0As_-d-Dxnod95JuR-MFAkdLPQV2VIhob5b80fR-WDRYQrFhwGx/s640/srep18952-f6.jpg" width="481" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 6 of Lockley et al. (2016). Yes, those theropods in the background are doing exactly what you think they are doing.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Recently a paper by <a href="http://www.nature.com/articles/srep44942" target="_blank">Carr et al. (2017) published on the facial scales of the tyrannosaurid <i>Daspletosaurus horneri</i> </a>(a new species) that has skeletal evidence of not just scales on its face, but very sensitive facial scales. How sensitive? These scales were likely more sensitive to touch than human fingertips. Why would a tyrannosaur have such a sensitive snout? I'll let the authors speak to that:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">"<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Lora, Palatino, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 17px; letter-spacing: 0.17px;">ISOs [</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Lora, Palatino, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 17px; letter-spacing: 0.17px;">integumentary sensory organs] </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Lora, Palatino, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 17px; letter-spacing: 0.17px;">would have aided adult tyrannosaurids in harmlessly picking up eggs and nestlings and, in courtship, tyrannosaurids might have rubbed their sensitive faces together as a vital part of pre-copulatory play." (Carr et al., 2017)</span></span><br />
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We now have more than enough evidence to abandon the tired cliche of the one-dimensional killing machine image of theropod dinosaurs. Extinct theropods were just as multifaceted and complex as any of our modern theropods or animals that we see today. A carnivorous animal is not simply a vicious slaughterhouse on legs and wings: they attract mates and care for the young that they produce. The fact that they eat meat to support these tender activities should be free of judgement on our part. We should learn to appreciate all aspects of a carnivore's life and pass that appreciation on to the next generations.<br />
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While you are here, I highly recommend peeking into the tender lives of our modern theropods by watching live nest cams! Here are links to the nest cam I frequent. Most are nest cams of birds of prey, so you will see prey either in the nest or being brought to the nest.<br />
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Barred Owl: <a href="http://cams.allaboutbirds.org/channel/43/Barred_Owls/">http://cams.allaboutbirds.org/channel/43/Barred_Owls/</a><br />
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Savannah Osprey: <a href="http://cams.allaboutbirds.org/channel/54/Savannah_Ospreys/">http://cams.allaboutbirds.org/channel/54/Savannah_Ospreys/</a><br />
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Laysan Albatross: <a href="http://cams.allaboutbirds.org/channel/41/Laysan_Albatross">http://cams.allaboutbirds.org/channel/41/Laysan_Albatross</a>/<br />
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Peregrine Falcon: <a href="http://explore.org/live-cams/player/peregrine-falcon-cam">http://explore.org/live-cams/player/peregrine-falcon-cam</a><br />
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Bald Eagle: <a href="http://explore.org/live-cams/player/decorah-eagles-north-nest">http://explore.org/live-cams/player/decorah-eagles-north-nest</a><br />
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Great Blue Heron:<a href="http://explore.org/live-cams/player/great-blue-herons-chesapeake-conservancy" target="_blank"> http://explore.org/live-cams/player/great-blue-herons-chesapeake-conservancy</a><br />
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Hummingbirds (there are babies in the nest right now!) <a href="http://explore.org/live-cams/player/rosie-hummingbird-nest">http://explore.org/live-cams/player/rosie-hummingbird-nest</a><br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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<b>References</b><br />
<div>
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Carr TD, Varricchio DJ, Sedlmayer JC, Roberts EM, Moore JR (2017) A new tyrannosaur with evidence for anagenesis and crocodile-like facial sensory system. Scientific Reports 7, Article number: 44942 (2017) doi:10.1038/srep44942<br /><br />
Lockley MG*, McCrea RT, Buckley LG, Lim JD, Matthews NA, Breithaupt BH, Houck KJ, Gierlinski GD, Surmik D, Kim KS, Xing L, Kong D-Y, Cart K, Martin J, Hadden G. 2016. Theropod courtship: large scale physical evidence of display arenas and avian-like scrape ceremony behavior by Cretaceous dinosaurs. Scientific Reports 6:1–10<br />
<br />
Mallon JC. 2017. Recognizing sexual dimorphism in the fossil record: lessons from nonavian dinosaurs. Paleobiology, doi: 10.1017/pab.2016.51<br />
<br />
Persons SW IV, Funston GF, Currie PJ, Norell MA (2015) A possible instance of sexual dimorphism in the tails of two oviraptorid dinosaurs. Scientific Reports 5, Article number: 9472 (2015) doi:10.1038/srep09472<br />
<br />
Tanaka K, Zelenitsky DK, Therrien F (2015) Eggshell Porosity Provides Insight on Evolution of Nesting in Dinosaurs. PLoS ONE 10(11): e0142829. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0142829</div>
Lisa Buckleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05999611419393598550noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1545708523638136271.post-10212376580396146272017-03-21T11:54:00.002-07:002017-03-21T11:54:51.808-07:00Story-telling in Science Doesn't Mean You Make *#%& Up.Hello Dear Readers!<br />
<br />
I have been a busy Strange Woman lately: giving talks, visiting family, writing abstracts, collecting data for papers...you know, the usual stuff.<br />
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I've also been - rather unsuccessfully, I might add - trying to influence science communication. I was asked to review the text of a tourism information sign. The purpose of the sign was to "engage visitors and get them excited to see the dinosaur track attraction." Now, I've reviewed such signs before - mostly for our local hiking group - and they have been both interesting and factually correct. I was expecting such quality when I opened the document (done by an organization not associated with the hiking group.)<br />
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Friends, I had to check my calendar to make sure that I was not in some April Fools' Day prank.<br />
It. Was. Bad. I won't go into all of the details of how bad it was, but here are two examples.<br />
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First, it was painfully evident that the author did not actually look into any of the public work that had been done previously on the site in question, as the dinosaurs were misidentified. We're not talking a lower specialist "Oh you're just being picky type of identification." We're talking "saying ankylosaur tracks are duck-billed dinosaur tracks" type of boo-boo. It would be akin to me saying that a cat was a bear.<br />
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<b>Getting the visitor interested: 4/10, but only because there are theropods.</b><br />
<b>Accuracy: 5/10, but only because they got the theropods right. The rest was made-up malarkey.</b><br />
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Now, this site has both theropod tracks (our carnivorous dinosaurs) and ankylosaur tracks (herbivorous armored dinosaurs) preserved on the same surface. One of the first questions people tend to ask is "Were the theropods hunting the ankylosaurs?" The answer is likely not. A dinosaur track surface is like a farmer's field in the winter. You'll see all sorts of tracks: deer, coyote, dog, cat, person, snowmobile, etc., all made at different times. The surface collects these tracks over time like a doodle scratch pad next to the phone. Just because you see snowmobile tracks in the same field as a dog trackway does not mean that they were made at the same time, or that snowmobiles are viciously hunting dogs and people.<br />
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That did not stop Skippy (I needed a name for the author, since I have no idea who it is) from pulling the sadly predictable of "the vicious theropods stalking the ankylosaurs."<br />
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<b>Getting the visitor interested: 1/10. Who hasn't heard that tired old chestnut trotted out for EVERY site with a theropod involved without any way to back it up? Snooze-ville.</b><br />
<b>Accuracy: 0/10. With no evidence to support a hunting scenario, they would be essentially lying to the visitors.</b><br />
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I've read and written A LOT of public education materials. I give A LOT of public talks on fossil tracks. I tweet voraciously. Do you know what I've found out during all of this time?<br />
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1. People are interested in the facts! We have not found it that difficult to tell people accurate information about our track sites and our research and to get them excited about it. Heck, that's where most of our research funding comes from: getting non-specialists excited about the projects. We're good at this. There are lots of different groups and media outlets that do ask us to fact check, because they know we aren't going to BS them with fanciful nonsense.<br />
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2. People don't like to be patronized to. Infantilizing information, or the infamous "dumbing down," is basically telling people that they are not bright enough to appreciate the facts. Most people really do want facts when they are visiting a science place or going to a science talk - heck, that's why they are there! - and it is a direct insult to the audience if you assume that they are not going to get it unless you add nonsense. Every time we give a talk, we have an audience that is excited about hearing the newest information. They're in the know, and they end up wanting to know more.<br />
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My comments on the document were longer than the document itself. The response: "This is a method of storytelling to get people engaged."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_lBJ6Nm9sjjRO-W7bZUbJ54rC84O338shenAOs6uLfbQLJZ0tLs_oy68HloOkp_dUv9Q8OSDA9iIFQZNd3ZGrKV3aArW7x_zyLZZ3nOezD4FDLd7xcD4-VIGsaG7De26GHZDTc5E1LxxN/s1600/orly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_lBJ6Nm9sjjRO-W7bZUbJ54rC84O338shenAOs6uLfbQLJZ0tLs_oy68HloOkp_dUv9Q8OSDA9iIFQZNd3ZGrKV3aArW7x_zyLZZ3nOezD4FDLd7xcD4-VIGsaG7De26GHZDTc5E1LxxN/s320/orly.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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According to Skippy, making stuff up about a science site is A-OK as long as people get interested. So Skippy, what happens when the visitors do get interested, and do their own investigations, and find out you fed them the science communication version of used tissues? Is this still engaging storytelling?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4CG00_ivPIdPCRX4jtCC0okPR2YBEOdy58veOZUEZ3oARl_rmE0NbPVUqMIPmITDCuCIsj0GfutMR4p0jKsq4jLAcl32QFWnaOfp4DqZ1RAgUX1_Ri0uHE-bsWMRDCUULXyHC3y7rYLWJ/s1600/notReally.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4CG00_ivPIdPCRX4jtCC0okPR2YBEOdy58veOZUEZ3oARl_rmE0NbPVUqMIPmITDCuCIsj0GfutMR4p0jKsq4jLAcl32QFWnaOfp4DqZ1RAgUX1_Ri0uHE-bsWMRDCUULXyHC3y7rYLWJ/s1600/notReally.jpg" /></a></div>
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In my frustration, I took to Twitter. Here is what I posted:<br />
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Public Science Writing Service Announcement: "Storytelling" does not mean you make s**t up. It still has to be factual.</div>
— Lisa Buckley (@Lisavipes) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lisavipes/status/836276243280453633">February 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
That post struck a chord with people: I've never had a viral tweet, but a lot of people agreed with this approach. To me it's a sign that people are getting a bit tired of the same old insulting scicomm that marketing types and large-platform media are offering.<br />
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I cannot blame them. When a TV program, documentary, billboard, tourism brochure, marketing strategy, etc., presents a cheap and lazy science story to engage their target audience, they are not doing it from a place of respect. They are demonstrating that they do not respect either the science or their audience.<br />
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I am angry and frustrated at this lazy, disrespectful approach to science-related engagement. Anyone feeding you a sensationalized story "because it's engaging" is essentially lying to you. They don't want you to know that they think you are too thick to appreciate the facts. People should be insulted when they are presented with sloppy advertising, cringe-worthy network programming, and Barney-fied displays. You're being insulted right to your face, except the people doing the insulting get to hide behind their networks and billboards. For every "Hunting Bigfoot" show and use of Jurassic Park imagery to push dinosaurs, you are being told your interest is worth the minimal effort. They are using their large platforms to decide FOR YOU what you have the smarts to understand. If someone wearing a Big Network badge walked up to you and said "You are too dense to understand the real information," would you accept that? I hope not, and I hope you don't accept it when it's presented to you in the form of a sign, TV show, or tourism campaign.<br />
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The people who push these insulting narratives don't actually believe - or want to take the time to find out - that the facts do make a story interesting! People visit historical sites, read non-fiction biographies, and watch documentaries: they want to know what happened. People also want to know <i>how and why</i> we know it happened. This is no different when applied to promoting dinosaur sites and museums. We don't have to "trick" people into being excited about science, and we shouldn't ever be approaching this from a "tricking" or "sneaking in the science" perspective. Again, that doesn't come from a position of respect.<br />
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I'm in the process of collecting #SadSciPromo examples: the signs, promotions, and shows that are supposedly science-based but make you do the eternal head desk.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2KepsEfyEgnyp9gwLYyV_rGvQUo7KCXqubvIR3HGzuLHAXsufSY43eXtrQjqCSlsOb1f5VC_041cZup6U27Z1DV6bXA4wC2BEQFsClWtsZp0uqJDtH_QcoPF-AAud15spqXu1EqvqneGL/s1600/c0a7cfe5-d922-4496-b23b-289be97c8d7e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2KepsEfyEgnyp9gwLYyV_rGvQUo7KCXqubvIR3HGzuLHAXsufSY43eXtrQjqCSlsOb1f5VC_041cZup6U27Z1DV6bXA4wC2BEQFsClWtsZp0uqJDtH_QcoPF-AAud15spqXu1EqvqneGL/s320/c0a7cfe5-d922-4496-b23b-289be97c8d7e.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Do you have any examples of #SadSciPromo that you have encountered? Please let me know. The more of these that I collect - and the more people who indicate that they are fed up with this type of insulting media - the more background information I'll have to demonstrate when needed that we need to respect our audiences more than those who call marine reptiles dinosaurs, or those who think fake documentaries on mermaids are good for public science literacy. We all deserve much, much better, and should demand it.<br />
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Until next time,<br />
Strange Woman.Lisa Buckleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05999611419393598550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1545708523638136271.post-9897150509242825092017-01-06T11:38:00.000-08:002018-09-15T15:01:52.539-07:00SCIENCE TRACKS: Scicomm Pamphlets to Spread the Science FunHappy 2017, Dear Readers!<br />
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Over the holidays I was at home, minding my own business - drinking tea, working on retooling the last publishable chapter from my dissertation, watching bad paranormal TV, and acting as a heated mattress for the kitty - when there's a knock on my front door.<br />
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Lo and behold, it was a door-to-door religious solicitor. Nowadays they are fairly high-tech: rather than try to hand me a pamphlet, his opening line was presenting his tablet/iPad and saying "Now watch this video and I'm sure it will help you answer some of Life's questions." My grandparents had a sign taped to their door that read "No solicitors, religious or otherwise. We have no time, patience, or money." Needless to say, they taught me well.<br />
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My response to these types of solicitations is polite but direct: I'm an evolutionary biologist, and my questions are already answered. I caught a very brief change flicker over the guy's face - something akin to a flare of anger - but he wisely turned around and left.<br />
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Naturally, I shared my experience with my Twitter friends.<br />
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Oh, person who just rang my doorbell for religion. <a href="https://t.co/Zi5jvuLltr">pic.twitter.com/Zi5jvuLltr</a></div>
— Lisa Buckley (@Lisavipes) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lisavipes/status/810932859997274112">December 19, 2016</a></blockquote>
I let my mind free-associate a bit after that. I briefly thought about how funny it would be if, rather than having religious solicitors, we had science solicitors, going door-to-door spreading the Science. Of course my brain immediately jumped to "Science doesn't preach: science provides learning opportunities."<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
I should get pamphlets made up to respond to doorbells for deities. <br />
"My Favorite Jumping Spiders"<br />
"Sky Burials & You"<br />
"BIRDS! OMFG BIRDS!!"</div>
— Lisa Buckley (@Lisavipes) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lisavipes/status/810935834308284416">December 19, 2016</a></blockquote>
The more my brain played with the idea, the more my brain liked it.<br />
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OK: now I'm seriously thinking of doing this. I'm thinking pdfs that ppl can print as they need.</div>
— Lisa Buckley (@Lisavipes) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lisavipes/status/810938884439715840">December 19, 2016</a></blockquote>
I have completed one pamphlet for what I'm calling Science Tracks: purely science communication pamphlets that can be used for any opportunity that arises for spreading the good word about all the awesome science that's out there. I may have been a little optimistic about getting more than one completed over the holidays. One big reason is that I don't want to use other people's photos for this without permission, and the only pamphlet I could complete using my own photos was OMFG* BIRDS! (no one who follows me is surprised), but it is a start of something that I would like to continue.<br />
*Oh My Feathery Goodness<br />
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B-mOQjgtgCCJME9Bek5vRkphLW8" target="_blank">Here is the link to the first Science Tracks PDF, OMFG BIRDS!</a> Hope you enjoy!<br />
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Here is a screenshot of the outside of the pamphlet:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzm_LWI14lVdDz595Qv0AQ561h0CzplLW-TA0us4LmEV2ftAWEALgI9zTMWK6QegJwyfJv8Y4cW-iDrNQ9N7EdRAkLB8jMwI9uTddKo7tMt1-RLGkZXcl2Ywk46Ysh3aCH8sKOHgTWMFbM/s1600/Outside.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="491" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzm_LWI14lVdDz595Qv0AQ561h0CzplLW-TA0us4LmEV2ftAWEALgI9zTMWK6QegJwyfJv8Y4cW-iDrNQ9N7EdRAkLB8jMwI9uTddKo7tMt1-RLGkZXcl2Ywk46Ysh3aCH8sKOHgTWMFbM/s640/Outside.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here's a screenshot of the inside of the pamphlet:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih3EgXkvrf-UZaqHg1OVbZtW93cU5jdpWR7X9oW9v83-WhR_xFn-a76wj8dO_ib6GosQWztZV79jIBNMH-dVJF9rX3KZZOoV8b4rURAh74PF-GboETIet4X4KtbSjB6qhOwckTvMrL-dDH/s1600/Inside.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih3EgXkvrf-UZaqHg1OVbZtW93cU5jdpWR7X9oW9v83-WhR_xFn-a76wj8dO_ib6GosQWztZV79jIBNMH-dVJF9rX3KZZOoV8b4rURAh74PF-GboETIet4X4KtbSjB6qhOwckTvMrL-dDH/s640/Inside.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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If you would like me to make a Science Tracks pamphlet for your study organism, please let me know!<br />
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Lisa Buckleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05999611419393598550noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1545708523638136271.post-53738518302698971232016-12-12T14:01:00.000-08:002016-12-12T14:01:05.714-08:00Name That Track! Ichnology Fun For All!Hello Dear Readers!<br />
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The end of the year rush to get things wrapped up for 2016 has hit, and I am a busy ichnologist! The data collection is nearing the end, and once that end is nigh I can move on to analyzing all of that data. We'll see if the hypothesis I'm testing will be supported (yay!) or if the data don't support the hypothesis (huh, well that's interesting, what else could it mean?)<br />
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<b>Note:</b> don't get too attached to your hypotheses. If your data end up saying "Hold up: your hypothesis doesn't really describe me all that well. Can you try again?" listen to the data and rethink your approach. Maybe you need a different way to test your data. Maybe you need a different hypothesis. <br />
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One thing that I am quite pleased to talk about is a new ichnology-based game I've started on Twitter called Name That Track. It was an idea that I've had for a while now, but the implementation was inspired by Dr. Michelle LaRue's very popular Twitter game "Cougar Or Not." Tweeters look at a picture of a critter, and they have to guess if that critter is indeed a cougar. It's not as easy as it sounds! Depending on the picture, house cats, bobcats, and even deer can take on a cougar-ish look.<br />
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Name That Track is similar, but with pictures of footprints instead of animals. Every Tuesday morning I post one of the modern footprint pictures from my collection (I take a lot of pictures of footprints from modern animals) and people tweet me their guesses.<br />
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I started the game with everyone's favorite floofs: footprints of cats and dogs. I did a test run in January by <a href="https://birdsinmud.blogspot.ca/2016/01/tracking-wild-in-your-neighborhood-part.html" target="_blank">posting a picture of a cat footprint and asked Twitter "Cat or Dog"</a>. People jumped in with both feet and made great observations.<br />
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Here are the images I've used to date.<br />
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A cat track in cement (please don't let your furry friends walk in cement: it's bad for the skin on their paws),<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
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Welcome to what I hope will be a weekly game of...NAME THAT TRACK!<br />
Whodunit? Answer at 5pm MST!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ichnology?src=hash">#ichnology</a> <a href="https://t.co/TOOTAYuNJU">pic.twitter.com/TOOTAYuNJU</a></div>
— Lisa Buckley (@Lisavipes) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lisavipes/status/798573456409247744">November 15, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><br />
Our favorite Common Raven,<br />
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
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It's time for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NameThatTrack?src=hash">#NameThatTrack</a>! These tracks are from in town in northeast BC. Bonus Q: which track is from left foot & right foot? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ichnology?src=hash">#ichnology</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZdEErVrB1q">pic.twitter.com/ZdEErVrB1q</a></div>
— Lisa Buckley (@Lisavipes) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lisavipes/status/803611378896408576">November 29, 2016</a></blockquote>
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A festive Wild Turkey for the American Thanksgiving,<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
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Time for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NameThatTrack?src=hash">#NameThatTrack</a>! This week's track comes from southern BC, & is modern tho it looks dinosaur-like. Answer at 5pm MST! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ichnology?src=hash">#ichnology</a> <a href="https://t.co/z96PitULt3">pic.twitter.com/z96PitULt3</a></div>
— Lisa Buckley (@Lisavipes) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lisavipes/status/801104023558373376">November 22, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><br />
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And, most recently, a Canada Goose track.<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
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It's time for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NameThatTrack?src=hash">#NameThatTrack</a>! This track-maker was at a drainage into a major river.<br />
1. Who is it?<br />
2. Is there anything odd about the track? <a href="https://t.co/sUmENgk3cn">pic.twitter.com/sUmENgk3cn</a></div>
— Lisa Buckley (@Lisavipes) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lisavipes/status/806185264326397952">December 6, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><br />
<br />The most recent Name That Track - the Canada Goose - was a real eye-opener for me on how people see tracks. About half of the people who responded looked at the footprint and didn't see three pointy bird toes: they saw the curved outline of the sides of the footprint and the spaces in-between the toes and saw a large ungulate track (elk or moose). The other half of the respondents saw a the track of a large bird.<br />
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I'll admit: it took me reading several of the moose guesses for me to see why people were guessing moose in the first place. Then I switched gears and thought to myself "OK, let me see this as a moose track." Then the two hoof-like shapes popped out at me and the rounded side edges of the track came into focus, and I had the "Aha!" moment. This is valuable information for an ichnologist who likes to teach people about tracks and what tracks can tell us:<br />
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<b>1. Differences in depth are difficult thing to convey in 2D photographs.</b> Ins look like outs. Highs can look like lows. Non-specialists are used to seeing footprints that are innies, or impressions in the ground. Showing someone an infill of a footprint, or the positive relief version of a footprint can be confusing. Being clear about whether the image I'm showing is an impression versus a plaster infill of a track is very important for people wanting to understand the track.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>2. Edges are important.</b> Our eyes are drawn to edges that define spaces. A track with poorly defined edges is going to result in a poorly viewed track. This particular Canada Goose track did not have very clear webbing impressions. Were the webbing visible, people would have made the goose connection based on that. It's also important to note that footprints oftentimes don't preserve the features we think we need to identify them...or if they are preserved, they lead to an inaccurate identification. That was revealed to me with the Wild Turkey track. The detail on the footprint is gorgeous, but I overlooked the small amount of webbing that was clearly preserved. Most people don't associate webbed feet with non-aquatic birds (why would they?), so it turned out the Wild Turkey received a few duck and goose identifications. Both the goose and the turkey print provided an opportunity to nerd out about cool features on bird feet, and the explanations were well-received. No harm, no fowl.<br />
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<b>3. Scale matters.</b> One of the things we are trained to do as paleoichnologists is not focus on the size of the track. We have to focus on its shape, because it's hard to tell if a size difference between two tracks is because they come from different species of track-makers, or if the small track is simply the young version of the large track. When we're showing certain modern tracks to non-specialists - particularly ungulate and bird tracks - scale does matter because there are closely related species coexisting whose feet differ only (in a general sense) in scale. Think of the footprints of an American Crow versus a Common Raven. They are both tracks made by corvids, and those tracks are really only different in size (in general). Knowing the scale helps people narrow down the list of potential track-makers because they are familiar with the sizes of modern-day animals. Size can be a useful diagnostic tool for modern tracking.<br />
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One exception I make for the "scale matters" rule is when using images of the footprints of domesticated dogs and cats. There are so many different sizes of dogs - and so many different sizes of dog feet - that there are footprints of small dogs the same size as the footprints of house cats. The reverse is true for large dogs and our large wild cats: the footprint of a large breed of dog can overlap in size with the footprints of bobcats, lynx, and cougars. That's when footprint shape and proportions become important.<b> </b>The exercise in trying to tell dog tracks from cat tracks is very similar to what we do to tell apart the different types of dinosaur footprints.<br />
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<b>4. No trying to trip people.</b> I might inadvertently stump people (like with the above mentioned Canada Goose footprint), but I have no intention of posting an ambiguous tracks and laughing evilly to myself in my secret lair (well, not any more evilly than I already laugh.) Being able to tell dog, cat, bird, ungulate, etc. is a great first step if you're not familiar with tracks. As you get more experience, the identifications can get more specific. All of the footprint pictures I'm going to post early on for Name That Track are of single clear (relatively) footprints. I've also seen who has made the footprints while the footprints were being made (particularly for the bird footprints - it's part of my research), so I'm not guessing at the identity of the track-maker. I do have some doozies that make my eyes cross, and those won't make an appearance until well in the future...or unless people cry out "Enough dogs and cats! Give us a toughie!"<br />
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Name That Track is not only a fun educational game, but it's also teaching me how non-specialists see tracks and how to talk about tracks the way that non-specialists see them. So, to all the people who play Name That Track with me: <b>THANK YOU!</b> I'm hoping I'll be able to keep Name That Track running for a long time. So, join me on Twitter every Tuesday and play Name That Track and let your inner ichnology nerd shine!<br />
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What will it be this week?Lisa Buckleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05999611419393598550noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1545708523638136271.post-81410895436007164612016-10-24T14:15:00.001-07:002016-10-24T14:15:38.427-07:00Field Work Fail: For Want of a FlashlightHello Dear Readers!<br />
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The Strange Woman has been very busy as of late: collecting additional data for a paper that is the second to last paper to come out of my doctoral thesis. These last two papers are the result of the data at the end of my analyses showing me something cool that I had no time to expand on for the thesis. Sometimes research does that to you: sometimes discoveries have their own schedule. I'm also doing other things that I'll hopefully be able to write about in the future. Right now I'm in finger-cross mode with those things.<br />
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This is to say that I am still not ready to post the results of our summer's work at the Six Peaks Dinosaur Track Site. What I can do is show you a video we had done on the site. Here is a teaser for you!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/e_8EmzsdXhM" width="560"></iframe><br />
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I will share a dinosaur track field work story with you. This one dates back to 2011, and tells the tale of how we spent the night in a pile of leaves at the end of October in northeastern British Columbia.<br />
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The best laid plans of rodents and researchers...
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Fieldwork in the Peace Region of British Columbia is not simple
under the best of conditions, with the best conditions being fair weather in mid-summer.
There are practical reasons for this. Materials don’t set well in cold or wet
conditions. The ground is either too wet (for the spring) or too frozen (for
the fall and winter) to safely remove fossils. Many times the weather renders
the conditions too dangerous for field crews. This is why the paleontology
research field season is short in the North. The PRPRC’s typical field season
runs from June-September. If the snow and sub-freezing temperatures permit it,
we’ll do short excursions well into the first half of October. It’s an
exceptional discovery that will bring us into the field in end October or early
November.</div>
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This is the story of one such exceptional discovery.</div>
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The site was discovered by a regional guide-outfitter,
Aaron Fredlund, in 2011. He had come across a small exposure of grey sandstone
sticking out from under a hill of Ice Age silt, mud, and boulders. Being an
experienced tracker of modern animals, it didn’t take Mr. Fredlund long to
notice the large, three-toed footprint and identify it as the track of a large meat-eating
dinosaur. It also didn’t take him long to reason that, if he cleared some of
the debris off of the rock in front of the footprint, a second footprint could
be uncovered. He was correct. The two images were immediately reported to me,
Dr. Richard McCrea, and Dr. Charles Helm. A combination of the track type
(large theropod) and the age of the rocks (Late Cretaceous, approximately 72
million years old) led us to identify these footprints as those of tyrannosaurs!</div>
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Tyrannosaur footprints were not unknown to science:
“singleton” footprints have been reported from the Late Cretaceous (Campanian -
Maastrichtian) deposits from the US, Canada, and Mongolia. However, what
palaeontologists were missing was a trackway: a series of footprints made by
one animal. Isolated footprints are like finding an isolated dinosaur bone,
while trackways are like finding a complete skeleton. A trackway of a
tyrannosaur would provide a tonne (pun completely intended) of information on how
this tyrannosaur moved when it was alive. Tyrannosaurs are the best-known
dinosaur predator, but their footprints were the least well-known. This site
had the potential to change all that.</div>
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At the time of reporting, both Rich and I were out of
town. Charles made a visit to the site with Mr. Fredlund in our absence so he
could report site conditions and access. There was no GPS data taken during the
visit (one of those frustrating “I can take you right to the site” situations),
Charles reported from the site visit that the locality was both treacherous and
tricky to access, and would require an ATV to haul in the research equipment
safely. In short, we would need a guide.</div>
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Fast forward to October 23, 2011. Charles had a break in
his busy schedule to visit the site with us. This was our only opportunity to
get the site documented and replicated before the end of 2011. We were starting
to head into winter: there was no snow yet, but the daytime temperatures were
not above 10<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">°</span>C, and
the nighttime temperatures were hovering around and just below 0<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">°</span>C. We could not
physically remove the trackway, so we had to make a silicone mould (or peel)
that would be used to make an exact replica that could be housed (and studied)
inside during the winter. As difficult as fieldwork is, cold exacerbates all
difficulties. Since silicone doesn’t set up in cold settings, we had to both
mould the trackway and heat the silicone so that it would cure properly. This
was a large trackway: the two exposed footprints covered a distance of over 2
meters long, and almost a meter wide. We would need A LOT of silicone. Silicone
is an expensive molding material, but this site was worth it.</div>
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We spent that week gathering silicone, mixing buckets,
brooms, brushes, documenting equipment, and all of the gear we would need to
keep the silicone peel warm enough to set: tarps, propane tanks and heaters.
Me, Rich, and our field technician Tammy Pigeon had all of the field gear ready
to go and loaded into the ATV on Friday. We were scheduled to leave Sunday, so
we thought we had a full day (Saturday, October 23) to gather our personal
field gear, which had been all packed away for the winter. </div>
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We got a call early Saturday morning. Charles’ schedule
had changed: could we possibly head to the site that morning? We scrambled to
throw together our personal field gear. An hour later we were ready to go...or,
at least, we thought we were ready.</div>
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Cue ominous music. </div>
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We followed Charles out to the “trail head”: a
labyrinthine series of decommissioned logging roads long overgrown with dense
brush. We scouted the best path for the gear-laden ATV among the bogs, pits,
and tumbles of burnt log piles. After a long while we reached the top of the
hill: at the bottom of the steep slope was the humble little rock exposure
containing the tracks of one of the most famous and charismatic predators ever
known. </div>
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NOTE: there will be very few pictures of the trail down
to the site and of the overall site. This site is still vulnerable to vandalism
and general people nastiness that all of our publicly accessible sites have
experienced. The selfish actions of a few do ruin things for the many.</div>
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Once we uncovered the camouflaging coating of rubble from
the track surface, Tammy and I set to readying the track surface for the
silicone mould. We were expecting to have to do a bit of digging, brushing, and
wiping. What we were not expecting was to have to clean a 30 cm layer of kaolinite
(clay) out from the all of the nooks and crannies of the footprints. This clay
was stubborn: it required several washes and (soft) scrubbings before all of
the clay was removed from the footprints. Removing the clay coating from the
surface revealed small skin impressions that we would have never seen (or
moulded) had the footprints remained “dirty”.</div>
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As frustrating as the clay was to clean out of the skin
impressions, it was very exciting to see: this type of clay forms from volcanic
ash falling onto the footprints soon after they were made. This told us that
the weather patterns were right for a volcanic ash layer to fall on
northeastern British Columbia 72 - 74 million years ago. Perhaps our
tyrannosaur actually saw the glow of the eruption? We’ll never know, but it is
fun to imagine.</div>
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The track surface cleaning took a long time. In the
meantime, Charles and Rich moved the research and moulding equipment to the
site by easing the AVT down the hill. What goes down was not going back up: the
hill was too steep for the ATV to make a return trip using that route, but we
had planned for this: an alternate route was mapped out using Google Earth for
our regress. Rich calculated where the third footprint in the series would be
if it were preserved. If you know approximately how long of a step the
trackmaker was taking, which we had from Footprint #1 and Footprint #2, you can
figure out where Footprint #3 would be, even if it is still covered in rubble.
Charles and Rich began excavating at the base of the hill to search for the
third footprint, and successfully uncovered it!</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR0AY9m_8npaSXM0EYp7kjUcXGkljwlTvjrI5H9S2cogyG_yU5jKNCPIYUZqOcUU9QqspTjrdK8ELf0Yfgzteq6YP6WyFOPaccaJg3wd4ihkt9NIsj84xS4YfcJyw2fB_5J7ruFkY-wF_Y/s1600/trackway.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR0AY9m_8npaSXM0EYp7kjUcXGkljwlTvjrI5H9S2cogyG_yU5jKNCPIYUZqOcUU9QqspTjrdK8ELf0Yfgzteq6YP6WyFOPaccaJg3wd4ihkt9NIsj84xS4YfcJyw2fB_5J7ruFkY-wF_Y/s640/trackway.tif" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first tyrannosaur trackway. a) The second footprint in the trackway. b) The exposed trackway. You can see, way at the end of the trackway, the pale clay layer that we had to clean out of the footprints. Modified from Figure 2 of <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0103613#" target="_blank">McCrea et al. (2014)</a>.</td></tr>
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While Tammy and I began the detail cleaning of Footprint
#3, Rich got to work documenting the exposed trackway. This is when he noticed
something odd about this trackway. The Footprint #1 made by the left foot, was
a little damaged by weathering. The inner toe (digit II) was not completely
preserved: it seemed too short. Footprint #2, from the tyrannosaur’s right
foot, was uncovered by Mr. Fredlund, and all of the toes were beautifully
preserved. When we finished cleaning out Footprint #3, made again by the left
foot of the tyrannosaur, we saw that digit II was too short on this footprint.
This was not damage due to weathering: this animal was missing the end of its
inner toe! This is called a pathological footprint: check out McCrea et al.
(2015) for a detailed description of injuries seen in dinosaur footprints.
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKD_ZDwMRxxaAjnBQBhCVhV34PwYLXAZbthBuAGqfOAdul_fGRxN2WtKF6cAzDr_wgJnCG1zzAeGtFlZiY3SqeB99JTdKaQPZbIgIjKyB1sCrrbpBH8pSthYRHewOkvNLCv_CAOk-gt8sy/s1600/stumpy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="421" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKD_ZDwMRxxaAjnBQBhCVhV34PwYLXAZbthBuAGqfOAdul_fGRxN2WtKF6cAzDr_wgJnCG1zzAeGtFlZiY3SqeB99JTdKaQPZbIgIjKyB1sCrrbpBH8pSthYRHewOkvNLCv_CAOk-gt8sy/s640/stumpy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 7 of McCrea et al. (2014), photogrammetric rendering of the first tyrannosaur trackway. You can see the consistently missing digit II impression. I might call this specimen "Stumpy".</td></tr>
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Charles had to leave the site around 3pm. That was when
we were finally ready to start the silicone mould. Silicone is easy to mix by
hand in small quantities at room temperature. However, I had to mix large
batches at around 5C. Silicone is very, very stiff when it’s cold: it’s like
trying to stir molasses or all-natural peanut butter that has been sitting in
the fridge. Silicone also doesn’t set properly if the catalyst and reagent
aren’t thoroughly mixed: it just stays a gloopy, slimy mess.
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There is another drawback to late year fieldwork: the
lack of daylight. The light and temperature started to drop as I stirred, and
stirred, and stirred. Each batch took about half an hour to properly mix, and
then another half an hour to pour. By the time we had mixed and poured four
batches of silicone, and had set up the heating tent over the silicone peel, it
was 6:30pm and dark. Ice had started to form on standing pools of water. Our
breath frosted in the air. It was going to be a cold, clear evening.</div>
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This is when we discovered just how rushed we were when
packing our personal field gear. We had food, guide tarps, GPS, satellite
phone, and warm(ish) clothing, but we had forgotten one crucial piece: The Flashlight.
We weren’t initially concerned: Rich had mapped out a seismic cut line that we
could use with the ATV (which has headlights) to get back to the field vehicle.
It was a slow, bone-jarring trip through the dark wilderness, but we reached
the opening to the cutline. We were home free...</div>
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...or not. Between Google Maps taking the images of this
route and our escape (about two years), a beaver had made a dam, turning what
would have been a steep but manageable slope into a large pond abutting a steep
grade. There was no way to drive around the pond. After expressing a few
non-printable words towards beavers and all of their kin, and finding out that
similar access points were also cut off, we made our slow creeping way back to
the track site.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjWcTZpnh5RJdTwHEOSvKYDsMH00OwPfOCEPK0cNQIRugz9jxj960GggToe1w2ar9_wAa76Sd7sm3h5YoPe-FkKdxGt6E6Z_RzXlmE4T-eYTKk4kxzj3KckQRcNwjVi95ATOMuIwUs2ajn/s1600/American_Beaver.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjWcTZpnh5RJdTwHEOSvKYDsMH00OwPfOCEPK0cNQIRugz9jxj960GggToe1w2ar9_wAa76Sd7sm3h5YoPe-FkKdxGt6E6Z_RzXlmE4T-eYTKk4kxzj3KckQRcNwjVi95ATOMuIwUs2ajn/s320/American_Beaver.jpg" width="318" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bwaahaahaa! <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaver#/media/File:American_Beaver.jpg" target="_blank">Image link</a>.</td></tr>
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We returned to the site around 11:30pm. After checking that
the heating system for the silicone peel was still working, we surveyed our
possible lighting resources. GPS screens emit light, but not enough light to
hike through the woods. Makeshift torches of burlap do not work unless you can
soak the ends in pitch. We had gasoline, but that burned too quickly for a
consistent light source. None of the screens on our 2011 flip phones gave
enough light to safely hike by (this was before phones with flashlight apps).
The Moon was not full enough to hike by, and our trail was treacherous even in
full daylight. We had no choice: we were stuck for the night at the track site.
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I called Charles on the satellite phone to let him know
our situation. The phone made an unstable connection, and all I could get out
was “Hi Charles, we’re OK, but stuck at the site for the night...” when the
connection broke. Satellite phones are great for remote field work, but at that
particular time our satellite coverage was poor, and we were in a canyon. What
I had wanted to tell Charles was that we were stuck for the night, but could
wait until dawn to make our way back to the truck. </div>
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We assessed our emergency camping options. We set up our
first camp on an open patch of ground, with our backs to the ATV and facing a
nice fire. We used our backpacks in place of a ground pad, and huddled under
the guide tarp. We were fine here until the winds shifted direction. The ground
cooled and sucked the warmth right out of us. We then moved our makeshift camp into
the shelter of the woods. While Rich cleared a safe area for a fire, Tammy and
I built a huge pile of dried leaves. Once the fire was going we burrowed into
the leaf pile and pulled the guide tarp over us.</div>
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I actually fell asleep. I can sleep in just about any
situation, and after the long day and finally being warm and comfortable, I
slept like one of the rotten logs on the ground next to us. All of a sudden my
lovely sleep was interrupted by loud crashing down the hill and shouting. It
was an unexpected rescue party! When I had called Charles, he interpreted the
call as a “please come rescue us” call. After letting people in town know we
were safe, he, Thomas Clarke, and Pearl the Helm Dog hiked along
that horrendous trail in the dead of night to bring us home. They reached our
campsite around 3:30am.</div>
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My first emotion? I will admit that it was annoyance at
having been woken up (this will be the first time Charles will hear this
confession). I was prepared to sleep for another couple of hours. Part of my
brain wanted me to grumble “Go away!” I was the only one thinking that: Tammy
admitted to feeling quite chilled and uncomfortable. We extinguished our fire,
packed up our gear, and followed the lights of our rescuers back to the truck. </div>
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There, sitting on the front seat to add insult to injury,
was a flashlight that had fallen out of one of our backpacks.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDuDXMZk327HSyhFMTo8m0qpMgobcu4akgcXFzwZhQkOra2rgnaiU1e1D11m3BJPBGMKNEWTi16o4l938GwqTBpgxBf8gDCPHNUokm8SQXYwJPeCeJD4RisZ9o-ssgCFgDBT8p8HW_EuWM/s1600/a+light.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDuDXMZk327HSyhFMTo8m0qpMgobcu4akgcXFzwZhQkOra2rgnaiU1e1D11m3BJPBGMKNEWTi16o4l938GwqTBpgxBf8gDCPHNUokm8SQXYwJPeCeJD4RisZ9o-ssgCFgDBT8p8HW_EuWM/s320/a+light.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Every field bag and field jacket that I own now sports this teeny little flashlight. Lesson learned.</td></tr>
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This trackway was well worth the unexpected overnight
camping trip. Later visits to the site in 2012 and 2013 gave us time to clear
off more of the track surface, revealing two more tyrannosaur trackways. All
three trackways were walking at a leisurely pace (between 6.4 and 8.5 km/h) in the
same direction and were spaced evenly apart (about 3 m). We were also able to
figure out approximately how old the track-makers’ were when they made their
journey from present-day British Columbia to Alberta: the track-makers were
between 25 and 29 years old. This may sound young to us, but this is close to the upper age range known for <i>Albertosaurus sarcophagus</i> (<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Erikson et al. 2010</span>). </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlS6V7orx-M-KBRSXqxYDeM_9cMHFZmeM7tLf1jW0jrHnjrSuVbDbLNQt-A7EPa4yQ2xYWVTk6L9gK2ngdkeTJotIBucmbl8RpPN0SMLmL5EKQYKMvhPJLWnhs-4RPhzPqzs_4eu8f88V9/s1600/three+trackways.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlS6V7orx-M-KBRSXqxYDeM_9cMHFZmeM7tLf1jW0jrHnjrSuVbDbLNQt-A7EPa4yQ2xYWVTk6L9gK2ngdkeTJotIBucmbl8RpPN0SMLmL5EKQYKMvhPJLWnhs-4RPhzPqzs_4eu8f88V9/s400/three+trackways.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 3 of McCrea et al. (2014). I'm working on cleaning out one of three trackways, and cursing at clay.</td></tr>
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This site told us several things: 1) that tyrannosaurs
spent time in northeastern British Columbia, 2) how tyrannosaurs walked and
moved their feet when they walked, and 3) that adult tyrannosaurs, despite
evidence of antagonistic behavior (e.g. fighting and face-biting, Tanke and Currie 1998) did spend time in each
other’s company. This track site is also good evidence of group behavior
in tyrannosaurs. There were hints before of tyrannosaur group behavior. Currie and Eberth (2010) suggested this from the tyrannosaur bonebed in Alberta,
but bodies and bones can be moved after the animals die and deposited in a pile:
in situ footprints cannot.<br />
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This site has great potential for further excavation: all three tyrannosaur trackways head into the hill. Unfortunately that hill is very high and steep, so any future work will require a lot of resources to move the mountainous amount of silt, sandstone, and mud from over the track surface. We cannot safely tunnel into the hill to expose more tracks: that seems like a plan riddled with Wile E. Coyote kinds of danger. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_WVDAFudXT8QENMOKmxAyczvQOV180oLQZlE24Yh5CZebnlUfdEtf7yAO1PwtUKp4gkzFYPaf7pswtzVn7NccPBy02fsRLBAcQ9EqjNqOo7NV8kGxG8sowT5dV8rZHu8RuR398-tIcPJx/s1600/wile-e-coyote-train-tunnel-2-o.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_WVDAFudXT8QENMOKmxAyczvQOV180oLQZlE24Yh5CZebnlUfdEtf7yAO1PwtUKp4gkzFYPaf7pswtzVn7NccPBy02fsRLBAcQ9EqjNqOo7NV8kGxG8sowT5dV8rZHu8RuR398-tIcPJx/s1600/wile-e-coyote-train-tunnel-2-o.gif" /></a></div>
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Hopefully this tale of working on the terror of tyrannosaurs - and a fairly epic field work fail - will amuse and entertain until I can get to the Early Cretaceous track site work we did this summer. Stay tuned!</div>
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References:</div>
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Currie PJ, Eberth DA (2010) On gregarious behavior in <em>Albertosaurus</em>. Can J Earth Sci 47: 1277–1289.
doi:
10.1139/e10-072 </div>
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Erickson GM, Currie PJ, Inouye BD, Winn AA (2010) A revised life table and survivorship curve for <em>Albertosaurus sarcophagus</em> based on the Dry Island mass death assemblage. Can J Earth Sci 47: 1269–1275.
doi:
10.1139/e10-051 </div>
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THIS POST: <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0103613#references" target="_blank">McCrea RT, Buckley LG, Farlow JO, Lockley MG, Currie PJ, Matthews NA, et al. (2014) A ‘Terror of Tyrannosaurs’: The First Trackways of Tyrannosaurids and Evidence of Gregariousness and Pathology in Tyrannosauridae. PLoS ONE 9(7): e103613. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0103613</a> </div>
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<![endif]-->McCrea RT, Tanke DH, Buckley LG, Lockley MG, Farlow JO, Xing L, Matthews NA, Helm CW, Pemberton SG (2015) Vertebrate ichnopathology: pathologies inferred from dinosaur tracks and trackways from the Mesozoic. Ichnos 22(3-4):235-260. </div>
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Tanke DH, Currie PH (1998) Head-biting behavior in theropod dinosaurs: paleopathological evidence. Gaia 15: 167–184. </div>
Lisa Buckleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05999611419393598550noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1545708523638136271.post-80490675765333634312016-10-04T12:58:00.002-07:002016-10-04T12:58:46.700-07:00Time for Media to Call Birds What They Are...DINOSAURS! Hello Dear Readers!<br />
<br />
I've been playing catch-up after this summer's field work: organizing photos, email, restarting projects that had to be paused for field work, updating the CV, and - when there is time - getting our poor house in order after an almost three month absence!<br />
<br />
I always have high hopes for humanity on returning from the field, and one of those hopes is that we'll have seen the last of lazy science communication by the mega-platforms (Discovery Channel, National Geographic, Animal Planet). I always think "Maybe, just maybe, they'll get it. They'll get that conscientious science communication is just as engaging, "grabbing", and simple as the amateur-hour male bovine fecal material we've seen with Shark Week, any monster hunting show, and mermaids.<br />
<br />
This time Discovery Channel hit close to home with paleontology, and they did it by just lazily slapping "dinosaur" on a 2013 program focusing on marine reptiles....and they've done it many times. <a href="https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/laelaps/discovery-doesn-t-know-what-a-dinosaur-is/" target="_blank">Brian Switek gives a great write up here</a>. Any seven year old could tell you that marine reptiles aren't dinosaurs (and perhaps the large networks should think of consulting with their local primary schools before stamping "dinosaur" on anything that's a fossil), so I am not sure why these highly unprofessional mistakes keep happening.<br />
<br />
As frustration is my muse, I decided to have a bit of fun with telling people what they actually can call a dinosaur: BIRDS.<br />
<br />
Any and all birds that ever were, that ever are, and ever will be, are dinosaurs. Dinosaurs are not extinct, but visit our feeders and poop on our cars and patios daily.<br />
<br />
I had fun with this on Twitter, and thanks to Storify I was able to collect all of the fun I and others had at rebranding birds as modern-day dinosaurs.<br />
<br />
Here's the link to "<a href="https://storify.com/Lisavipes/we-don-t-have-to-call-everything-a-dinosaur" target="_blank">We Don't Have to Call Everything A Dinosaur!</a>"<br />
<br />
Enjoy, and feel free to rebrand your favorite feathered friends as the dinosaurs they are! It's fun and scientifically accurate!<br />
Lisa Buckleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05999611419393598550noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1545708523638136271.post-62145494857150572972016-09-06T00:13:00.002-07:002016-09-06T00:16:32.755-07:00That Field AssistantI wrote a couple of posts while I was in the field at the Early Cretaceous Dinosaur Track Site. Here is one of them.<br />
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Fieldwork is a challenging beast: long hours, grueling
terrain, black flies, heavy loads to carry, black flies, long distance hikes,
black flies...the black flies are particularly bad this year. Yes, Dear
Readers, I’m writing a blog post while still in the field.</div>
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We’ve just started our field season in earnest. Our goal for
this summer is to expose and document as much of a large-scale dinosaur track site as possible. Although a footprint site,
our first week has been fairly typical of most dinosaur excavations: we have to
remove a lot of overburden in the form of plants, soil, and a few thin
sandstone and silt layers. This means digging, sweeping, and bucket carrying. </div>
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This type of work gives my brain a chance to flit around,
and my thoughts settled on various field assistants and volunteers we’ve worked
with, or have heard tell of from colleagues (many, many stories - field workers
talk to one another a great deal). My thoughts particularly settled on the
personality traits that keep popping up like that damned poplar growing on our
nice Early Cretaceous track surface (sorry - I really hate plants right now).
These are the types of behaviors that we really could do without when we’re out
in the field. For every crew of really great students, field
assistants, and volunteers, there’s the crew that contains...<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that</i> person.</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">That</i> person is one
who, by their behaviors*, reduces efficiency, increases stress, and trashes the
morale of you and the rest of your crew. No amount of correction seems to
diminish these behaviors. In fact, it makes it worse. All one can seem to do is
to ride out the storm of their negative behavior. Every field season comes to
an end.</div>
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*NOTE: This list
does not include sexual harassment and assault, bullying, intimidation, or
abuse. That shit also happens in the field far too often.</div>
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The following list is a composite of various stories I have
heard or witnessed over the years, or, in one embarrassing instance, remember
doing myself (prepare to be shamed, Past Me).</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Lily Dipper</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lily dipping is a canoeing term: that one person who looks
like they are paddling for all their worth, but they are really just performing
a mime show and not contributing to moving the canoe forward. As a result, the
rest of the canoe paddlers have to paddle more to make up for the Lily Dipper. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are Lily Dippers in field work as well. I remember one
year when we had a month’s worth of overburden removal work ahead of us (no
mechanical equipment could be used on this particular site). When we
interviewed field assistants, we were brutally up front about what was ahead of
them: pick axes, shovels, buckets, wheelbarrows, blazing heat, 14 hour long
days. They enthusiastically said they were no strangers to this work, and were ready to pitch in.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Perhaps they really, really thought they were ready for this kind of work. Perhaps they really, really thought they could make it work even if they weren’t prepared for it. Perhaps, deep down, they thought they were above this kind of hands-on labor. I do not know. Regardless of their motives and intentions, they simply could not or would not do the work. Breaks were purposely prolonged. Twenty minute hikes to the site were extended to hour long snail crawls. Each shovel full was performed with maudlin drama. Everything...was...just...so...hard. They never complained, but their actions spoke volumes. Thankfully, when we had a chat with them, they admitted that they were not prepared for this work and transferred to other positions.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lily Dippers are the quiet morale killers. Everyone knows
who is working and who is not. Everyone also knows who is consuming resources while
not working. Those who are working will resent the Lily Dipper because they now
have an increased workload. It’s almost easier for crew morale to have a person
leave mid-season than to have one who doesn't work.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Woe-Is-Me</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ll be the first one to admit that field work life is
difficult, both physically and emotionally. While we are in the field, we are in
the field, full stop. The field season doesn’t care if you are having a bad day
(especially if your field time/budget is short), and everyone has a bad day
from time to time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I get it. </span>However, for some people being in the field is so emotionally challenging that their issues
become your issues. Regardless of the reasons for said
challenges, the result is a crew member who is visibly and vocally miserable. The Woe-Is-Me can be broken down into sub-categories:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>- <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Black Hole of Praise:</b> Remember when
you told that crew member that they did a good job on excavating that unicorn
saddle? Well, you didn’t praise them enough, you heartless person. In fact, you
couldn’t praise them enough, because they need constant praise, day in, day
out. A simple “Good job”, “Thanks, it looks great”, or “Excellent work” will go
unheard, even if you and everyone around you remembers you praising the Black
Hole. The Black Hole will then complain to others that their efforts are
ignored or unappreciated. When you finally hear about it (and you will, but
likely from a third party), you’ll be confused as hell because you’ll remember
telling the Black Hole that you thought they did a good job. As one PI told me
“It’s like they expect me to launch a parade every time they do their job.”
Unfortunately, if you do launch a Rose Bowl Parade for every action of the
Black Hole, the rest of your crew is going to notice. They may know why you’re
doing it (because they will have heard the complaining) but hearing
the Black Hole suck up exorbitant amounts of praise will wear on them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>- <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Line-Reader:</b> This is the polar
opposite of the Black Hole of Praise. Everything that comes out of your mouth
will be taken as a slight, insult, or outright declaration of the Line-Reader’s
(self-perceived) incompetence. They will read in-between the lines of whatever
you say and find meaning that only they can see. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span>Let’s say
you’re moving a heavy load, like shifting a big footprint slab onto helicopter
webbing so that you can airlift the slab out of a canyon. You’re going to be
giving directions to anyone helping you muscle the slab in to place. Those
directions will be short and simple: “over there, grab that end, lift it
higher, more left”...and, if you need someone out of the way, the all-famous
“Move!” You don’t have time to say “Excuse me please, but you are standing in
the way of where I need to go, and this slab is awful heavy. Could you please
move?” By the time you say that, the slab has slipped and crushed three of your
fingers. I’ve been “Move!”d more times than I can count, and have done the
same. The joyfulness always returns after the heavy lifting is done. When
you’re under a load, it’s all business.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span>However,
the Line-Reader will take your simple “Move!” as a negative comment on their
skills and value. The same goes for if you give a new person to your crew a
specific job so that they can get experience with said job. Heck, until I learned how to mix plaster properly, that was the only job I was given. Unfortunately, the Line-Reader will interpret
it as you getting them out of the way so you can talk about them behind their
back (yes, I’ve heard of this specific scenario). The examples are countless.
You’ll have your other crew telling you that Line-Reader is saying some rather odd things, and you will be as confused as they. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>- <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Hard-O-Meter:</b> The previous two
Woe-Is-Me types are confusing to me. This one, however, chaps my ass. Field
work is hard work. It’s not a day at the spa. It’s not a pleasure camping trip
where you hike a groomed trail during the day and roast marshmallows at night.
It is a steep hiking, pick ax and shovel swinging, bog slogging, dirt scraping,
specimen packing, bug swatting hard work day, with marshmallow roasting at
night if the mosquitoes and black flies don’t drive you screaming into your
tent. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What I don’t need to hear (and neither does any field PI) is
a constant description of exactly how hard the work is. Removing overburden
with a pick ax is hard? Shoveling rubble is hard? Clearing dirt, plants, and
rock off of a footprint surface is hard? No shit: field work is hard. See
everyone else working? They know it’s hard too. See the PI working alongside
the crew? Not only do they know how hard the work is, they can compare it to all of the other hard work they have completed during the previous 10+
summers. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One summer during our dinosaur excavation we had a
Hard-O-Meter. It was too hot. The rock was too hard. We were working the crew
too hard (this one borders on the Malcontent, see below). We started too early. We worked
too late. They were sure the work was so hard and so unfair that legal action
could be taken. To spare my sanity (and that of the rest of the crew) I took
the Hard-O-Meter off site one day to collect some modern bird footprint samples. Did
that stop the Hard-O-Meter from pointing out all of the difficulties? Guess.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">- The Begrudger:</b> I’ll deal with all of
the Woe-Is-Me traits at once before I want to deal with The Begrudger. The
Begrudger is convinced that they are on the receiving end of Fate’s poopy
stick, because they don’t see your success or fortune as a combination of hard
work and luck. They see it as you had all of your success handed to you for a
myriad of reasons (none of which have anything to do with work and luck, and
none of which are complimentary to you). The Begrudger is closely connected to
the Insta-Expert (see below), because clearly the Begrudger’s obvious skills
and talent were purposely overlooked to give you (or your crew members) the unfair
advantage.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ny9_ZFVumeCqKZTIWqFfmGeOQyonSVdw5hyphenhyphenOxJmL_DjXARHSczJ-v628F6QaYEB7LCLYV1xcLEyqZTUedxwyk5vKCKqU_w8gz7Xp3_ZCHeYBbsWg4NMkGUfTiI3tRCAK5wBcVBhvum1y/s1600/scully+eyeroll.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ny9_ZFVumeCqKZTIWqFfmGeOQyonSVdw5hyphenhyphenOxJmL_DjXARHSczJ-v628F6QaYEB7LCLYV1xcLEyqZTUedxwyk5vKCKqU_w8gz7Xp3_ZCHeYBbsWg4NMkGUfTiI3tRCAK5wBcVBhvum1y/s320/scully+eyeroll.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here’s an example that still makes me shake my head. I
worked with a Begrudger on an excavation. They were working in their section,
and were getting rather despondent that they weren’t finding anything in their
grid square. So they complained until they were moved to a new square. Someone
had to work that square, so another person moved in. Almost immediately the new
person on the square uncovered a theropod tooth. The Begrudger actually had the
nerve to be snotty about the find, as though it were some great conspiracy against them that they didn't find the specimen.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Yeah. <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Insta-Expert</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have a confession, my friends - I once suffered from
Insta-Expert Syndrome. The Insta-Expert is usually young, ambitious, and eager
to make a good impression. Unfortunately, their actions do the exact opposite.
The Insta-Expert knows everything. EVERYTHING. They are a font of information,
especially information on how they would do things were they in charge. Some Insta-Experts will actually try to be in charge. In one case I heard of the One Insta-Expert told other crew members that the PI shouldn't be in charge because the PI had "only" just received their doctorate. How could they possibly know <i>anything</i>, amirite?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A
sample conversation with the Insta-Expert:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I-E: I see you’re milking the Unicorn X way.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You: Yes I am.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I-E: I think you should try milking the Unicorn Y way. I was
talking with Dr. Big Name and that was how he does it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You: We tried Y, and Y doesn’t work well out here. X is the
field tested method.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I-E: You really should give Y a try. I’ll bet you weren’t
doing it correctly. I’ll show you.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You: (Trying very hard not to roll eyes)...</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All the explaining of your methods in a thorough and complete way eventually runs dry (or you run out of time, or you can’t
risk having your data/specimen/fellow crew members damaged.) You have to give
the Insta-Expert the command: do it this way. This is bound to cause Insta-
Expert to feel quite put out. They do not care that you already have years of
experience working in your field. They do not care that you know your field
site inside and out. All they care about is letting everyone know that they
have all of the answers. Insta-Expert can also be found in combination with The
Woe-Is-Me and the Malcontent.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here’s my story of Insta-Expert shame. I was doing an
internship on an excavation, and I was damned sure I was ready for the Big
Leagues of excavating. I’d already had a week of experience and I was 19 - of
course I was ready to take charge! [If anyone ever builds a time machine, can I
rent time on it to go back in time and smack Past Me?] So I loudly (and rather
annoyingly) stated (ad nauseum) that I was ready to work on the important part
of the quarry. I was a frightful pain. The only way the pit boss could shut me
up was to put me in an important part of the quarry (or at least what they told
me was important. I would have lied to Past Me to shut Past Me up). </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In a typical 80s movie, I would have entered an excavation
montage that ended with me uncovering a tyrannosaur skull. That did not happen.
I broke the first piece I worked on. Needless to say, that was an important
moment for me. It highlighted exactly how much I didn’t know, and that my job
at that time was to listen and learn. Unfortunately, I and many field PIs do
not have the time or resources to create teachable moments for Insta-Experts.
You can only hope they lose this trait as they get more experience. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Volun-Dictator</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I will preface this section by saying that 99.99% of the
volunteers I’ve had the pleasure to work with are a joy. They are gold. They
are happy to be elbow deep in overburden, drenched in freezing alpine rain, and
helping us find fossils. I’ve often had to remind volunteers to take regular
breaks so they don’t push it too hard. Many volunteers I wish I had the budget
to hire. Our invaluable head technician started out as a volunteer. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then there is the Volun-Dictator. This individual “helps” by
trying to take charge. They will take the initiative on items without first
asking what needs to be done (and simultaneously ignoring what they’ve been
told are the main tasks). They will issue orders to your staff and students.
They may try to “run” your camp. They will rearrange equipment without you
knowing, leaving you and your staff having to undo the mess they made. They
will try to take fossils home with them. They will give you demands and
ultimatums. All of these examples and more I have heard from colleagues (and
some I have experienced) regarding that one Volun-Dictator.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Volun-Dictators are especially bad for crew morale because
the crew doesn’t feel like they can correct or counter the bad behavior. Why? Because
the person is a volunteer, and this particular breed of volunteer will act as
though they are the highest authority on a site. The Volun-Dictator has heard
everyone say how valuable volunteers are, and takes this praise - earned by the
excellent volunteers - as an excuse to throw their weight around. This will
cause grumbling, especially if the crew feels like the Volun-Dictator is given
leave to do whatever they want. In fact, the Volun-Dictator will complain to
you (or your supervisors) that Crew Member is disrespecting ALL of the
volunteers if Crew Member disagrees with or corrects the Volun-Dictator,
and will usually demand the person be punished. You as Team Leader will also be
given the “how dare you disrespect the volunteers” speech if you redirect their
actions. Also, Volun-Dictators tend to drive away the good volunteers: no one
wants to voluntarily work with a chore of a person. I’ve had several volunteers
say they will not come out if they know Person X is going to be there because this is how they feel when working with that person:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Malcontent</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This personality type can often be found in tandem with any
of the above mentioned traits. I’ve most often seen it/heard of it seen in
conjunction with The Insta-Expert, The Woe-Is-Me, or the Volun-Dictator. The
Malcontent is not happy unless they are stirring up active discontent among the
crew. They will usually pick a seemingly insignificant topic to start their
stirring of the poop pot. Here’s a sample conversation:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mal: You need to go into town for special groceries for me.
I can only drink Organic Golden Moose Sweat.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You: I’m sorry, but that’s a 6 hour round trip on crappy
roads. We weren’t told ahead of time that you needed golden moose sweat, and
our next resupply is in a week. We did tell you to bring in anything special
you might need for yourself. Feel free to have as much of Uncle Buck’s Olde
Timey Moose Sweat as you like - we have several cans. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mal: That is unacceptable. How dare you tell me ahead of
time to bring in any personal special items and then refuse to run errands for
me during the field season. I AM SPARTICUS!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Replace Golden Moose Sweat with internet/cell phone access, demands
to use field vehicles for personal errands, hard work, mosquitoes, sun, rain,
wind, bears, no plumbing, no outhouse...you get the idea.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After that, the whisper campaign starts, where the
Malcontent will find people on the crew who they think will sympathize with
their plight. They try to act as the champions and saviors for the poor,
mistreated crew. They act passive-aggressively towards you in relation to their
faux cause. They will tell anyone who will listen how poorly you run your field
work. Crew who only hear the Malcontent’s side of events (which is usually the
case, because PIs usually don’t gossip about conversations they’ve had with
other crew members) can also start to grumble on behalf of the Malcontent. When
you do squash the Golden Moose Sweat Rebellion, the ire will redirect itself to
you, personally.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is no easy way to remove a Malcontent. The best
solution to the Malcontent is prevention: try to work with the person before
the field season begins, or check their references thoroughly. Be warned:
oftentimes Malcontents receive high praise from former supervisors because the
supervisor wants to make damned sure the Malcontent won’t work with them again the
following season. This is the field version of Promoting the Problem. Field
PIs: don’t do this, please. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you do find yourself saddled with a Malcontent
mid-season, it’s best to quell their behavior early before it infects the rest
of the crew. This may involve ejecting the person from your crew as soon as
possible. Be prepared to shoulder the expense of removing the Malcontent. In
the words of the famous credit card company: “A Malcontent-free crew is
priceless. For everything else, there’s the Credit Card.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The only way I can think of to deal with these behavioral traits
is two-fold: make sure you have the list of activities ready (and in
hard copy), as well as a Code of Field Conduct package that crew/volunteers must read and
sign before heading out into the field with you. If they develop these traits while in the field, the only way you can find out if they actually want to be there is to ask them. This doesn't guarantee they will be straightforward with you: they may have their own motivation for sticking it out that you might be unaware of. If they insist that they want to be there, yet continue with the negative behavior, you may have to decide whether it is worth waiting it out until the end of their field shift. Each situation is different.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Thanks to interactions with Woe-Is-Mes, Volun-Dictators, and Malcontents, I now have a Volunteer/Staff Expectations Agreement Form that
anyone going into the field with us must read and sign before they are
field-side. Most people read the list and laugh: they can’t imagine anyone
acting in such a way as to make this form a reality.<br />
<br />
I understand.<br />
<br />
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Lisa Buckleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05999611419393598550noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1545708523638136271.post-47042192282019302152016-09-01T14:06:00.000-07:002018-09-15T15:17:11.868-07:00Responsible Fossil Stewardship: You Might Not Get To Do Exactly What You Want With FossilsOne of the mostly pleasurable tasks on returning from a long field expedition away from the Internet is checking out the latest fossil news and posts. I say mostly because, every once in a while, I am alerted to such posts that reinforce all of the negative attributes that most palaeontologists I know try to remove from fossil heritage conservation: greed, selfishness, and short-sightedness.<br />
<br />
I have to thank my husband for this hat tip. He was browsing fossil-related news and said "Oh, you'll love this. Check this out." It is a piece entitled "<a href="https://www.inverse.com/article/19840-alberta-canada-dinosaur-paleontology-fossil-collection-laws-socialism" target="_blank">Exploring Canada's Socialist Dinosaur Paradise.</a>" I was immediately skeptical of the "socialist" part of the title. Last time I checked, Canada was a federal parliamentary representative democracy. This alerted me that, somewhere in this article, someone was going to complain that they weren't allowed to do something they wanted to do with fossils. I had hoped to be wrong. I had hoped that maybe it was just a bad case of the headline not matching the article. What I was NOT expecting was to read these complaints from the author themselves. The author is supposedly a science writer and spent time in the field with someone who takes their responsibility as a steward of Canada's fossil heritage seriously.<br />
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Please read the article for yourself, but the tl:dr message from the article was this: the author thought that not being able to do what they liked with dinosaur bone from Alberta was "absurdly socialist" and couldn't (or couldn't be bothered) to understand why these laws were in place. Rather than turn this revelation into a teachable moment that could have educated many on why fossils (and other heritage resources) are important to conserve and protect, they did the mature thing and got snarky.<br />
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Life is hard when you don't get to do exactly what you want, when you want, especially when you have to consider the long-term well-being of the most non-renewable resource on our planet: our heritage.<br />
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Let's hit the "highlights" of the article.<br />
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<b>1. Researchers don't want bone fragments, so everyone should be able to fill their pockets.</b><br />
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This section from the article made me choke on my tea because it was clear that, even though the author went into the field with a trained palaeontologist, they didn't actually pay attention to the methods of prospecting.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">"Paleontologists have little interest in the scattered fragments at the surface, which retain little information about where they came from and are unlikely to be connected back into a larger skeleton. They focus efforts instead on excavating bones still stuck in place on the hillside, where it might be part of a more complete animal hiding deeper within."</span><br />
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Do you want to know how palaeontologists actually know where to dig up the intact bones? They follow the bone fragments that have already weathered out from the skeleton to their source. Those bone fragments are every bit as important as the skeleton itself. The idea that palaeontology is all about collecting the most complete and eye-catching specimens is a rather Hollywood, Indiana Jones view of how fossil conservation works.<br />
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Museums regularly archive what they jokingly refer to as <a href="http://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/museums/2014/02/28/underwhelming-fossil-fish-of-the-month-february-2014/" target="_blank">Underwhelming Specimens</a>: those specimens that look kind of blah, but are actually treasure troves of data. Our own research center has its share of Underwhelming Specimens: bone fragments, pieces of leaves, smudges of Triassic fish. We archive them as diligently as we archive the complete specimens. We're not just filling cabinets with pretty fossils: we're collecting data. Heck, I'm not an expert at identifying all fossil bones (no one is): that thing I identified as a bone fragment might turn out to be a skull bone of a previously undescribed fish or reptile. There may be biochemical data that can be extracted from bone fragments that tell us about the dinosaur's ecosystem. I do not know exactly what data a future researcher or student will be able to collect from bone fragments, but I want them to have that opportunity. If we don't archive these Underwhelming Specimens, those opportunities won't exist. Saying that bone fragments are of little interest to palaeontologists - especially when that person is not an expert in what can be accomplished with bone fragments - is ignoring data, which is bad science and bad science reporting.<br />
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<b>2. Canada's Heritage Laws/Policies: They're Speaking for the Fossils</b><br />
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The author states: <span style="background-color: white;">"It’s nearly impossible to legally pick up a fossil and put it in your pocket in Alberta. The province has among the most restrictive regulations for fossil collecting in the world."</span><br />
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Let's take a closer look at Canada's heritage laws. Canada's fossil heritage laws are governed province by province: each province has jurisdiction over their fossil heritage. One aspect that is common for all the provinces is this: fossils from Crown Land (Canada's version of public land, for my American readers) and/or from provincial and national parks and protected areas are the property of the Government of Canada. The government gets to decide the who, what, where, why, and how of fossil conservation and fossil resource management. This is because - and I'm going to say this slowly so that everyone can follow -<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
FOSSILS</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
ARE</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
PART</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
OF</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
EVERY</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
PERSON'S</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
HERITAGE.</div>
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This is a very simple concept. No one person has the right to sell, destroy, or alter a piece of our country's (and our world's) heritage unless they plan to get permission from each and every person who calls Canada home. There is universally more leeway for fossils found on private land, but even so, it is recognized that, on private or public land, the fossils there are part of the country's heritage.<br />
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Had the author done their homework, they would have known that Alberta's fossil heritage laws are not even the most restrictive in Canada. This section is basically a "Here, let me Google that for you" for fossil heritage acts in Canada. I found it at 11pm by Googling "fossil collecting laws Canada".<br />
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I was going to provide a link to each of the province's relevant heritage acts, but I don't have to. The best resource comes from <a href="http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/55785-fossil-collecting-in-canada-various-regulations/" target="_blank">The Fossil Forum</a>. This post highlights the heritage laws, province by province, and their policies on fossil collection. The link also provides the sources (and links!) for each of the excerpts of the provincial heritage acts. If you, like me, enjoy reading pages of heritage law, you're welcome. It's an interesting read.<br />
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Keeping track of provincial fossil heritage regulations is not just a hobby for me: the researcher staff at our facility have long been working with various provincial branches for clear, concise regulations as they relate to managing British Columbia's fossil heritage. Progress is being made. The most helpful statement for British Columbia's fossils that has been clarified is that fossils collected from Crown Lands are property of the Crown. We do not own ANY of the fossils curated in our archives. <b>We do not want to own any fossils.</b><br />
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<i>Fossil Stewardship versus Fossil Ownership</i><br />
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What disappointed me the most in this article was the lack of consideration of what it means to be a fossil steward, rather than a fossil owner. A person who owns a fossil has physical possession of that fossil for their lifetime (or as long as their interest and resources last). There is a small pool of people who derive any benefit from that owned fossil: immediate friends and family. There is no demand or expectation that the fossil owner will use their fossil collection for educational outreach. There is little continuity from one fossil-owning generation to the next. There is no guarantee that your children or grandchildren are going to be interested or able to care for your fossil collection once you are unable. There is no expectation that records of the who, what, where, when, why, and how of the fossil's past will be meticulously kept. In short, the personal ownership of fossils is finite and fraught with uncertainty.<br />
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A steward of fossil heritage knows that their time on this planet is finite and minuscule. You cannot escape the idea of your own mortality and impermanence when you look at a fossil that was a living animal 115 million years ago. That fossil existed long before you, and has the potential to exist long after you die. Caring for fossils is the realization that this collection must outlast not only your generation, but countless future generations. We merely hold vigil over The Dead, over our Past, and will do our very best to pass the source of that knowledge on the future generations. I cannot express both the honor and humbling weight of this responsibility.<br />
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Sadly, this responsibility of being a good fossil steward was neglected in the article that chose to complain about "socialism" just because the author could not take a piece of bone home with them.<br />
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<b>3. Montana is not absurd because there, people can make money on dinosaurs.</b><br />
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Another thread I was waiting for when I saw "socialist" in the article title was how the commercial fossil trade system in the United States is better because people can do what they like with fossils found on private lands. The author did not disappoint:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">"The rules are almost absurdly socialist, especially when compared to just south of the border in Montana, where commercial fossil hunting is both big money and big controversy. The idea that a chunk of rock in my pocket should still be subject to such intense government regulation seems a little silly."</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span> Big controversy indeed. The issue of resolving commercial fossil collection with responsible and ethical fossil heritage management is ongoing, and frustrating as hell to those of us who are trying to champion for the best practices for managing our fossil heritage. I have written previously on the issues that academic palaeontologists have with the commercial system as it stands. Here are the links where I discuss<br />
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- <a href="http://birdsinmud.blogspot.ca/2013/01/speakers-for-dead-tarbosaurus-and-more.html">the issue of Propoki case and the illegally exported Tarbosaurus</a><br />
- <a href="http://birdsinmud.blogspot.ca/2013/08/commercial-fossil-fuel.html">the issue of the Montana Dueling Dinosaurs and the importance of fossil archive continutity</a><br />
- <a href="http://birdsinmud.blogspot.ca/2014/03/fossil-commercialism-and-threat-to.html">the critique of the commercial fossil system</a>, <a href="http://birdsinmud.blogspot.ca/2014/04/fossil-commercialism-and-threat-to.html">the predicable rebuttal</a>, <a href="http://birdsinmud.blogspot.ca/2014/05/fossil-commercialism-and-threat-to.html">and ways I think we could move forward</a>, <a href="http://birdsinmud.blogspot.ca/2014/10/how-to-appreciate-fossils-without.html">along with ways to appreciate fossils that do not involve ownership</a><br />
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My personal opinion is that, as it stands, the commercial fossil trade, which promotes not only treating heritage resources as luxury items but the illegal fossil trade plaguing other countries, is broken and needs a complete overhaul. Unfortunately, the groups involved are not there yet, or ready to accept critique of the system as anything other than personal attacks. The current incarnation of the commercial fossil trade needs to be overhauled for the sake of not only one country's fossil heritage, but for the fossil and cultural heritage of all of the other countries that have been negatively impacted. This is not "silly".<span style="background-color: white;"></span><br />
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<b>4. What the Article Got Right</b><br />
The article does state why these fossil heritage protection laws are in place: there is a black market for fossils, and people will go to extraordinary means to thwart those laws for selfish financial reasons:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">"But paleontologists here...say the law works well to reduce conflict over bones, and to ensure that dinosaurs stay close to home where they can benefit science, public museums, and local tourism."</span><br />
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THIS is why we have these laws. The laws recognize that documenting and conserving our fossil heritage isn't just stamp collecting. It's ensuring that these resources will be present - in their home areas - for science, science education, and public outreach.<br />
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Here's an example from my home province of British Columbia. Prior to the overhaul of the previous fossil heritage resource management plans, the best collections and displays of British Columbia's fossils were not within the province. There was a long history of out-of-province and out-of-country institutions traveling to British Columbia, making research-level collections, and then leaving the province with the fossils. Small collections were kept here and there, but the best place for people to see British Columbia fossils was outside of British Columbia.<br />
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From a research and fossil conservation stance, this was fine: these institutions had the will to commit resources to British Columbia's fossils. I thank them heartily for this. However, from a public awareness stance, this fossil drain resulted in a net loss for British Columbia. There was no opportunity for British Columbians to develop a sense of cultural appreciation and pride in British Columbia's fossils because the fossils were not there to appreciate. People need to see to appreciate, and the fossils have to be in British Columbia to be seen by British Columbians. This is what the fossil heritage laws recognize.<br />
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This trend is slowly changing. We display fossils that we have collected in British Columbia. We offer fossil-related educational programming for children, as well as do many many public presentations to spread our excitement for British Columbia's fossil heritage to everyone we see. In fact, the next lecture tour we do will be on the work we did this summer on a great <a href="http://realscientists.org/2016/05/02/visiting-a-dinosaur-tracksite-in-northeast-british-columbia/">115 million year old dinosaur track site near Hudson's Hope</a>.<br />
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We will continue to work with British Columbia to not only establish clear fossil heritage protection laws, but also to enact management strategies that detail not only how to responsibly care for our fossil heritage, but to responsibly monitor its use for private collection, public outreach and education, and research. It's painstakingly long-term work, but British Columbia's fossil heritage is worth the effort and diligence. All fossil heritage is worth this level of effort. After all, we only get one shot to do this right.Lisa Buckleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05999611419393598550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1545708523638136271.post-34944897372274195332016-05-16T15:33:00.000-07:002016-05-16T15:33:11.968-07:00Raven Regurgitates: Strange Woman Now Collects Bird BarfI'm already the strange woman in the ditch looking at bird tracks, and the strange woman dashing on to the middle of the road to pick up roadkill, so I might as well be that bloody strange woman walking along the bridge on the highway, picking up raven barf.<br />
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We all have our hobbies, after all.<br />
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Yesterday (Sunday, May 15) our dojo did our annual highway cleanup. Having recently received the renewal for our institution's wildlife salvage permit, I was on the look out for recent roadkill. Birds and small mammals are all my recovering dermestid beetle colonies can handle at this point (thanks, wolf spider), but besides a couple of very flat mice, there was no roadkill to be had.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjeVV4ZXlheyJBSG8ZBZhHxqnuZsWuOw5twjHXnYrLzmm_ZJ3kVLcHhhnhm9xk0dpigSODFgAP1CrVXPqC07NmBEoZMoNcvcUG8M_mntiRk68M4Kl6sCDSse8UAaKlBphofvMAUcUxB9HH/s1600/Spider.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjeVV4ZXlheyJBSG8ZBZhHxqnuZsWuOw5twjHXnYrLzmm_ZJ3kVLcHhhnhm9xk0dpigSODFgAP1CrVXPqC07NmBEoZMoNcvcUG8M_mntiRk68M4Kl6sCDSse8UAaKlBphofvMAUcUxB9HH/s320/Spider.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wuz in ur coloneez, nomming ur beetlz.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
What we did see, when walking over one of the highway bridges close to the local boat launch, was a railing full of raven traces in the form of poop (yes, it's feces, but poop is more fun to write) and regurgitated pellets!<br />
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Most people are familiar with owl pellets or regurgitates. Owls tend to swallow their prey whole or in large chunks. Bone, fur, feathers, scales, skin, exoskeletons, and anything that the prey was eating (seeds and vegetation) are all swallowed. The gizzard of the owl compacts all of this hard to digest and indigestible material into a pellet, which the owl later regurgitates.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PTLaxqmcYeY" width="560"></iframe><br />
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Owl pellets are fascinating, and form the base of a really fun educational activity: owl pellet dissection! It's a wonderful way to demonstrate the food web and predator-prey interactions, and predator diets. Owl pellets are also an invaluable source of dietary data for ornithologists studying the prey of target owl species. Owl pellets can also provide insight into the preservation of small mammal fauna from Cenozoic sediments: <a href="http://palaios.geoscienceworld.org/content/19/5/497.full" target="_blank">a paper by Terry (2004)</a> examines what happens to the pellets of extant Great Horned Owls (<em>Bubo virginianus</em>) as they break down in a temperate forest environment. This another great example of how studies on modern ichnology (pellets are traces of an organism, so they are 100% in the realm of ichnology!) give us a better understanding of fossil ichnology.<br />
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Owls are not the only birds that regurgitate pellets: birds of prey, gulls, herons, cormorants, shorebirds, and corvids. Bird species that consume a great deal of indigestible material with their meal are likely to hack up pellets.<br />
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This morning I went to the bridge to see how many raven pellets I could collect for our institution's summer educational activities. We already have a Barn Owl pellet dissection activity, but Barn Owls are not native to northeastern British Columbia. The Common Raven, however, is ubiquitous in our region.<br />
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It was easy to see which side of the bridge the ravens preferred to perch on: the side that is closest to the boat launch. Our local ravens figured out that where there are trucks, there are people and the tasty things that people leave behind.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg96u9U7aAaDgpdyn8TB4T-fV91wacXss9Bn8RTOdZsXLxJArcD7WoSoOWi2w6Y-TTwSbnN5fkxNJQinzG7WSDCYtEZWZZkbpPioGjulPq0U45Mz6m8smJtdP_g3YW350_en_jNRaE4_ows/s1600/Raven.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg96u9U7aAaDgpdyn8TB4T-fV91wacXss9Bn8RTOdZsXLxJArcD7WoSoOWi2w6Y-TTwSbnN5fkxNJQinzG7WSDCYtEZWZZkbpPioGjulPq0U45Mz6m8smJtdP_g3YW350_en_jNRaE4_ows/s640/Raven.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This Common Raven watched me from the boat launch the entire time I was rummaging around their bridge perch.</td></tr>
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Clearly ravens spend a great deal of time on this railing.<br />
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I set to work choosing my samples. It was clear which deposits were pellets, and which ones were raven poo.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTQA-ixFwAcwdLKUyBqcZ2cYzF8IPOX6HTIx8AnQNiDtVIHUpsf5DmaEn7GJuQZsw9bHC-KyutQm-EAoe9-49rMjxZV6FYZVHe_Jf0Bg35G2PFUJjSf_AGG8f4_uXmRIgWO4XMqKRpKwkl/s1600/poo+versus+pellet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTQA-ixFwAcwdLKUyBqcZ2cYzF8IPOX6HTIx8AnQNiDtVIHUpsf5DmaEn7GJuQZsw9bHC-KyutQm-EAoe9-49rMjxZV6FYZVHe_Jf0Bg35G2PFUJjSf_AGG8f4_uXmRIgWO4XMqKRpKwkl/s640/poo+versus+pellet.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I did not arrange these deposits for the photo. The deposit on the far left has passed through the digestive tract and was deposited via the cloaca: you can see the white material (uric acid) and the small mounds underneath the uric acid. The deposit in the center is a nicely intact pellet. There is white material in the pellet, but it is solid, thin, and fragments of a once larger object. Our working hypothesis is that it is eggshell that this particular raven picked out of the trash. The deposit on the far right is full of fibrous vegetation and uric acid. It may have been a pellet that was later pooped on, or it was fecal in origin and has weathered a lot before I came across it.<br />
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I collected two intact pellets, and have passed them on to our Education Coordinator who will now <a href="http://www.nature-track.com/Howtosanitizeowlpellets.html" target="_blank">heat sanitize the pellets</a>. This site is easy to access, so we have the opportunity to collect more throughout the year. Once the pellets are sanitized, the kids participating in the Owl Pellet Dissection can compare the diet of a Barn Owl to that of their local Common Raven.<br />
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Wish me luck in finding more local bird pellet locations!<br />
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References<br />
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Terry, R. C. 2004. Owl pellet taphonomy: a preliminary study of the post-regurgitation taphonomic history of pellets in a temperate forest. Palaios 19(5):497-506.<br /> Lisa Buckleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05999611419393598550noreply@blogger.com3