Collecting Vertebrate Fossils

	Figure 2. Discovery. A paleontologist finds fragments of bone on an outcrop. It might be an elephant jaw! Loose fragments are collected and wrapped, and the locality is documented before excavation begins.
	Figure 3. Excavation. Careful digging reveals the extent of the fossil. Sediment is removed from around the bones so that the fossil is isolated on a pedestal of rock, but very little of the actual bone is exposed.
	Figure 4. Field Jacketing. Exposed bone is covered with damp tissue paper, then strips of burlap are dipped in plaster and smoothed over the top and sides of the pedestal.
	Figure 5. Removal. After the plaster jacket has hardened, the pedestal is undercut and the jacket carefully rolled over. Additional plaster and burlap may be added to complete the jacket.

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