How It Works-Book Of Dinosaurs

What do you need for a fossil dig?

Studying the

surroundings

Dig-team members have

to carefully record the

arrangement and

surroundings of the fossil,

to learn as much as they

can about how the

creature lived and died

Chisels

Chisel blades come in a

range of sizes for either

cracking apart larger

stone or trimming away

a rock face

Maps

If travelling to more

remote locations, as well

as for making reliable

notes for future reference,

a good map and compass

are a must

Hammers

Crack and chipping hammers

are essential for carefully

removing and trimming hard

rock. They are also needed for

working with chisels

Brushes

Small, soft bristles are

ideal for working with

delicate remains, while

larger, harder brushes

are best for removing

thicker dust

Sieve

Not all fossils come in huge

sizes, so wire sieves are

perfect for sifting through

sand and silt for teeth and

other small remains

Journals and

reference

Accurately recording

everything you fi nd, where it’s

found, as well as referencing

what it could be, is vital for

making new discoveries

Moving to the lab

Once they are carefully

recorded and stored,

the fossils are

transported off the site

for closer analysis

Isolating the fossil

After the main layers of dirt are

cleared, the fossil is carefully

dusted to isolate it from the

surrounding earth

Tools of the trade

1

2 3

4 5

6

ON THE

MAP

The world’s fossil

hotspots

1 Jurassic Coast, Devon and

Dorset, UK

2 Auca Mahuevo, Patagonia,

Argentina

3 Dinosaur Cove, Victoria,

Australia

4 Joggins Fossil Cliffs, Nova

Scotia, Canada

5 Chengjiang Fossil Site,

Chenjiang Count y, China

6 Como Bluff, Wyoming, USA

© Gett y; Rodolfo Nogueira/Stock trek Images/Corbis; DK Images

DID YOU KNOW? (^) English naturalist Richard Owen first coined the term ‘dinosaur’ in 1842
Protecting
the bones
Before being
removed, each
bone is wrapped
in paper towels,
and then encased
in plaster strips
that dry to protect
the fossils