70-1 Fossil Preparation in Practice Using Evolving Methods from Field Techniques to Technological Advances

Session: Paleontology, Biogeography/Biostratigraphy & Phylogenetic/Morphological Patterns (Posters)

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Fossil preparation plays a critical role in paleontology. It involves recovering fossils from the field, repairing and cleaning specimens, and creating supports and samples for museum exhibits. After fossils are extracted from the field, preparators must carefully protect them from damage during transportation to museums or research institutions. Once in the lab, preparators ensure that fossils are properly documented, stabilized, and stored for future research and exhibition.

Techniques used in this research included jacketing samples to reinforce fossil structure for transport and storage, air-scribing to remove fossils from the surrounding rock matrix, using Paraloid B-72 to consolidate fragmented specimens, and reinforcing fossil stability with sculpting putty. Additional research explored outdated fossil preparation techniques, evaluated alternative methods, and identified expanded uses for common conservation materials.

Initial techniques utilized in this study originate from the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Dinosaur Institute. Preparation techniques from other institutions have also contributed to this evolving research such as archival clamshell jacketing and sandblasting techniques that were learned from the Phillip & Patricia Frost Museum of Science. Future techniques to be studied include those employed at the Gray Fossil Site, where advanced adhesive methods and 3D printing are used to support fossil conservation and replication. These approaches will be explored for their potential to enhance fossil collections and improve accessibility in educational and outreach settings.

As fossil types and sediment conditions vary significantly across sites, new techniques are frequently developed and adapted to meet specific preservation and functional needs. Fossil preparation techniques evolve slowly, but improvements often lead to safer tools, more stable chemicals, and more effective application of materials. While many fossil preparators have backgrounds in art, the diversity of sedimentary environments and fossil conditions suggests that future preparators may benefit from a more comprehensive background in geology and paleontology.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Program. Vol. 57, No. 6, 2025

doi: 10.1130/abs/2025AM-10706

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