Sunday 7 December 2008
T-shirt colour
After way too much discussion, we have decided to have a choice of two T-shirt colours; Grey and Green. I'm not sure how Mike G managed to order a yellow one!
Sandblasting fun!
Well, the December 2008 Otways dig has finished.
Our new volunteers put up with drizzle and flies and being blasted by sand at high speeds.
We didn't find a lot of bones - 24 when I left counting the ugly little scraps.
We did have a lot of fun with dueling banjos and an amazing group clogging that had other campers believing that we were a religious cult!
Sunday 30 November 2008
Eric the Crayfish
We're getting ready for another dig at "Eric the Crayfish". Matt has this idea that maybe part of the articulated dinosaur Mike found is in an erratic (loose rock) somewhere near the orginal site. So it looks like an erratic hunt to start the dig....
Thursday 30 October 2008
New Vollies
We had a great day on Saturday talking to the applicants to be new volunteers in 2009.
I only scared two away by telling them of the Inverloch bathroom arrangements!
We've met a few that I'm really looking forward to working with...
Cheers, Wendy.
I only scared two away by telling them of the Inverloch bathroom arrangements!
We've met a few that I'm really looking forward to working with...
Cheers, Wendy.
Sunday 19 October 2008
Friends' Field Report Day
Hi Team,
We had a great day on Saturday presenting the 2008 Field Report.
We also had reports from John W and Mike C, as well as a stirring rendition of "Under the Southern Cross We Stand..." from Nicole.
For more, you'll need to wait for your copy of the Field Report!
We had a great day on Saturday presenting the 2008 Field Report.
Gerry handed out reports and counted attendees out the front. |
Lesley kicked things off |
...and really enjoyed telling us about the turtle skull! |
Tom talked about mammal jaws next to a beautiful Peter Trussler image of Bishops Whitmorei. |
Dave (becoming known as a hand and foot expert) played with the light pointer. |
We also had reports from John W and Mike C, as well as a stirring rendition of "Under the Southern Cross We Stand..." from Nicole.
For more, you'll need to wait for your copy of the Field Report!
Sunday 14 September 2008
Plans for the 2008/2009 Field Season
Hi Team,
I may not have blogged for a while, but that doesn't mean we haven't been busy planning for this summer!
We're finalising dates for an "Eric the Crayfish" Otway trip in the first week in December.
We're busy checking everything for Inverloch 2009.
Crew members will be pleased to learn that we have secured the Lavington St property for another year, and the dig is almost certainly going to be from 1 Feb to 28 Feb (a 4 week field season).
We're planning to return to the popular "Popcorn of the Cretaceous" T-shirt design, and are having a healthy debate about colours.
We're likely to concentrate on "Bridge East" and John has designed a new "retaining wall" system. I look forward to posting some pictures in February!
Rookies Information day is pencilled in for 25 October.
I may not have blogged for a while, but that doesn't mean we haven't been busy planning for this summer!
We're finalising dates for an "Eric the Crayfish" Otway trip in the first week in December.
We're busy checking everything for Inverloch 2009.
Crew members will be pleased to learn that we have secured the Lavington St property for another year, and the dig is almost certainly going to be from 1 Feb to 28 Feb (a 4 week field season).
We're planning to return to the popular "Popcorn of the Cretaceous" T-shirt design, and are having a healthy debate about colours.
We're likely to concentrate on "Bridge East" and John has designed a new "retaining wall" system. I look forward to posting some pictures in February!
Rookies Information day is pencilled in for 25 October.
Friends' Info Day
Pencil 18th October in your diaries for Friends Information Day.
Those of you not Friends of Dinosaur Dreaming can join at http://www.sci.monash.edu.au/msc/dinodream//.
Those of you not Friends of Dinosaur Dreaming can join at http://www.sci.monash.edu.au/msc/dinodream//.
Monday 31 March 2008
An Andy Warhol Moment
At Dino Dreaming, we are as thrifty as we can be with our sponsor's dollars.
I think that Darren has captured the essence of this.
I think that Darren has captured the essence of this.
Thursday 27 March 2008
Preliminary results
A well preserved ornithopod tibia |
Paired turtle pubes (hip bones) and a turtle coracoid found only centimetres away from the hip bones. |
Fused turtle sacral vertebrae. This bone was described by Wendy as "a square bone with four feet" so I just had to prepare it. |
Over 700 fossil bones and teeth were catalogued during the dig, not including the "shoulder bones", which are bone fragments too incomplete to catalogue. Some of the stand-out specimens to have been identified include the three mammal jaws, which are in David Pickering's capable hands, waiting to be prepared. Gerry Kool's lovely ornithopod maxilla could turn out to be very interesting if it can be determined that it is Qantassaurus intrepidus. David is also working on this specimen.
At least 28 individual ornithopod teeth were identified and more will no doubt turn up during examination of the material. Only 6 theropod teeth were found, which is a little down on the average number. More than 120 isolated theropod teeth have been recovered from the Flat Rocks site over the last 15 years.
Some nice dinosaur limbs were also found this field season, including an ornithopod femur, at least two tibiae and a fibula. One of the tibiae is shown above.
Some very well preserved turtle elements were also found this year, including a turtle braincase, lower jaw, numerous isolated vertebrae, paired pubes and associated coracoid (shown above). These bones are from a number of individuals and will add more information to our database.
Preparation of more of the fossil bones is ongoing, so stay tuned...
Saturday 8 March 2008
Last day.
Well, we've all packed up Inverloch and gone home.
But not before a BBQ at Gerry and Lesley's.
But not before a BBQ at Gerry and Lesley's.
Alan and Gerry cook mounds of sausages whilst enjoying a red. We love their aprons. |
Danielle, Felicity, Nicole, Penny, Anne, Lesley and Keiichi wait for dinner to be ready. |
Mike plays guitar - he starts with the rock-breaking song from Les Mis but moves quickly (due to popular demand) to Fergie Tractor and Washing the Miner's Clothes. |
But not everyone seems to be paying attention... |
Friday 7 March 2008
Wednesday 5 March 2008
Last day at the site
Today was the last day at site for this field season.
And what a beautiful day it was.
John and Udo strike remarkedly similar poses.
John tries out the new Venturi that David built us. It still needs some refinement. Gerry leaps into the water in his socks to help.
Keiichi removes the last rock from the hole. The hole crew is protected from passers-by.
Tim was trying to break rock, but was distracted by one of Bill's funny stories.
And what a beautiful day it was.
John and Udo strike remarkedly similar poses.
John tries out the new Venturi that David built us. It still needs some refinement. Gerry leaps into the water in his socks to help.
Keiichi removes the last rock from the hole. The hole crew is protected from passers-by.
Tim was trying to break rock, but was distracted by one of Bill's funny stories.
Tuesday 4 March 2008
Dave and Wendy received tokens of appreciation
Sunday 2 March 2008
Dig Party
Saturday 1 March 2008
A beautiful sunny day
Thursday 28 February 2008
A big rock
Yesterday we had another school visit, this time year 10 girls from Loreto-Mandeville Hall. They seemed to have a great time, and asked a lot of questions about everything from volcanos to fossils.
We were also visited by some of the scientists who have been involved with the dig for many years - Tom Rich (Museum Victoria), Pat Vickers-Rich and Barbara Wagstaff (Monash University).
Pat requested that we remove a large block of rock covering all of our fossil-bearing strata layers to be taken whole to the Monash labs to be mapped in detail. A rock was chiselled from the hole, and passed inspection (it had a few fossils on the outside including a beautiful turtle vertebra). This left us with the logistical problem of transporting a 50kg+ lump of rock back to the lab. A wheelbarrow was duly produced, and the rock wheeled "the long way" across the sand to where the road was close to the beach. Although it was better than carrying the rock up the stairs to our usual carpark, Pat still gave us express permission to curse her as we pushed!
A last-minute ornithopod tooth by Mary just on knock-off time won "bone of the day".
We were also visited by some of the scientists who have been involved with the dig for many years - Tom Rich (Museum Victoria), Pat Vickers-Rich and Barbara Wagstaff (Monash University).
Pat requested that we remove a large block of rock covering all of our fossil-bearing strata layers to be taken whole to the Monash labs to be mapped in detail. A rock was chiselled from the hole, and passed inspection (it had a few fossils on the outside including a beautiful turtle vertebra). This left us with the logistical problem of transporting a 50kg+ lump of rock back to the lab. A wheelbarrow was duly produced, and the rock wheeled "the long way" across the sand to where the road was close to the beach. Although it was better than carrying the rock up the stairs to our usual carpark, Pat still gave us express permission to curse her as we pushed!
A last-minute ornithopod tooth by Mary just on knock-off time won "bone of the day".
Tuesday 26 February 2008
Finally some sunny weather
We were finally treated to some sunny weather today after what seemed like an eternity of grey skies and drizzle. We were also visited by 70 Grade 2 and 3 students from Inverloch Primary School, who were very enthusiastic. We had a great day of finding fossils - a lovely complex curly bone which might be part of a skull, and also 4 teeth.
Monday 25 February 2008
Saturday 23 February 2008
Early morning at Prep Rock
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