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"He-Man" (Part 2)
One of the best ways to understand a fossil dig is to look at the fate of a single bone...
The journey of “He-Man” the fossil continues (scroll down for He-Man's backstory)! The plaster covering the bone has hardened into a solid, safe casing. After driving massive wedges and chisels into the ground to loosen the fossil, there is only one thing left to do: flip it over!
Four of the incredibly dedicated University of Lynchburg team members worked with Dr. Brooke Haiar and VMNH curator Dr. Adam Pritchard rotated the 150+ pound fossil jacket, safely removing it from the ground. (Sorry for the low video quality! Turns out, connectivity in the most remote parts of Wyoming can be tricky!)
So much for the easy part! Now, this fossil must travel a quarter-mile across the dry plains of Wyoming to reach the expedition pick-up truck. Seven students from the University of Lynchburg and the College of William & Mary wrapped the beast in a giant tarp and carried it with a few stops along the way.
He-Man is now removed from the ground, in the hands of the paleo team, and ready for storage and then scientific study! Weeks of chiseling, gluing, plastering, and elbow grease has paid off in the best way: a new specimen and a new window into a gigantic creature that lived over 150 million years ago.
"He-Man" (Part 1)
The crew recently prepped and jacketed a bone first discovered by former VMNH paleontologist Dr. Alex Hastings in 2018 and it's been waiting underground for 5 years!
One of the best ways to understand a fossil dig is to look at the fate of a single bone...
This large bone (a bit bigger than VMNH Assistant Curator of Paleontology Dr. Pritchard's torso) hidden under plaster is TS3-2023-10. It was nicknamed “He-Man”, when it was first discovered by Dr. Alex Hastings and his teammates in 2018. They did not have time to remove it safely from the earth, so they left a protective coating of aluminum foil, burlap, and plaster for future digs. In 2021 and 2022, the plaster-covered “He-Man” was uncovered again, but there was never time to completely remove it. It was protected again for future years.
It is likely the upper arm bone, or humerus, of a long-necked sauropod dinosaur (Art by Wikimedia user Fred Wierum).
Now, He-Man returns for 2023! VMNH curator Dr. Adam Pritchard and University of Lynchburg team members Beverly Reid, Paden Garrard, and Charley Inman have worked for days to fully uncover the edges of the massive bone in preparation for ANOTHER plaster jacket. This time, the jacket will not only protect the bone, but serve as its new home as it travels from the ground to the museum!
The borders are set and the plaster is on! The bone is now protected and will soon be “popped” from the ground for transport to the museum!
You can stay up-to-date on the team's progress by following the Virginia Museum of Natural History on Facebook at www.facebook.com/VirginiaMuseum!
