We spent today out in the field, but didn’t find any dinosaurs. We started at the top of the bluffs and worked our way down. The top is the youngest (most recent) deposit, and the bottom the oldest. At the top we saw layers of coal, complete with ancient leaf impressions (we were allowed to take some of these home).
Deeper than that, we saw the infamous K/T boundary, the line that marks the extinction of the dinosaurs. We saw the layer of iridium-rich rock that geologists theorize is either from extreme volcanic activity or from the vaporization of a meteor that hit the earth. Either way, this layer is found in rock all around the earth, and above this layer no dinosaur fossils are found. Based on this, the case is made that this was a point of extreme environmental change after which dinosaurs couldn’t live.
Beyond the K/T boundary, we didn’t find much. We climbed 20-30 meters down the slopes, examining all the layers for bone fragments, all without much luck. It was a bit disappointing, but it was a good introduction to the art of fossil collecting. We finished the day with lecture and the discussion of some peer-reviewed papers and then most people fell exhausted into bed.
Deeper than that, we saw the infamous K/T boundary, the line that marks the extinction of the dinosaurs. We saw the layer of iridium-rich rock that geologists theorize is either from extreme volcanic activity or from the vaporization of a meteor that hit the earth. Either way, this layer is found in rock all around the earth, and above this layer no dinosaur fossils are found. Based on this, the case is made that this was a point of extreme environmental change after which dinosaurs couldn’t live.
Beyond the K/T boundary, we didn’t find much. We climbed 20-30 meters down the slopes, examining all the layers for bone fragments, all without much luck. It was a bit disappointing, but it was a good introduction to the art of fossil collecting. We finished the day with lecture and the discussion of some peer-reviewed papers and then most people fell exhausted into bed.
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