Highway Salvage
Paleontology in the
Wildcat Hills: Life in the Past Lane
Post-Construction Phase, 2000 and
Beyond |
Craig Lind, NDOR District 5 Construction Engineer, gives the final okay to remove the
spoil piles and finish the baskslope, ending the 1999 excavation. The cooperation
between the Nebraska Department of Roads, Western Engineering, Platte Valley Construction,
and the University of Nebraska State Museum allowed the excavation to run efficiently and
finish well ahead of schedule.
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Bruce Bailey records the area geology in his field notebook and maps
the positions of all the fossil specimens before they are removed from the ground.
Accurate data collection of this sort is absolutely essential!
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Greg Brown, University of Nebraska State Museum Chief Preparator, uses
a scalpel and paint brush to uncover the lower jaw of a sheep-like animal called an
oreodont. The specimen has been pedestalled and is nearly ready to have a
"field jacket" of plaster and burlap applied so that it can be safely removed.
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