technical skills.

Archival Housing.

In the course of my time working at the NCMNS, I have made or assisted in the making of numerous large, complex cradles, including both portions of the Triceratops tail and the Triceratops foot. My next undertaking will be the cradling of the proximal section of Nanotyrannus tail. The video to the right shows a timelapse of the process of flipping the distal portion of trike caudals.

Above are some process pictures from the cradling of the Triceratops foot, including an Aubrey for scale!

Above are some images showcasing the process of cradling the proximal caudal section of Triceratops tail.

Molding and Casting.

I have extensive experience creating research-quality molds and casts of fossil specimens. My specialty is microfossils, predominantly teeth, the majority of which have come from Mongolia. In addition to standard procedures, I have implemented the process of tattooing specimen labels on the external surface of silicone molds.

Sectioning the femur of MOR 1125, or "B. rex," using a bandsaw.

Histology

I have experience sectioning specimens that range from teeth that are barely a centimeter long to nearly meter long femora, such as the one pictured left. As with all histo, most of my experience is in grinding and polishing though I am also gaining familiarity with the interpretation of histological data.

3D Modelling & Printing

One of the primary research directions for the Dueling Dinosaurs was investigating the taxonomic affinities of our tyrannosaur. This involved the creation of our tyrannosaur comparative anatomy collection. In the last 2 years, I have edited, processed, and printed nearly 300 elements from over 50 different specimens using 3d data surface models and some CT data. In the process, I have become proficient in photogrammetry, surface light scanning, Blender, MeshMixer, MeshLabs, and multiple slicing softwares. I also have a wealth of experience in the maintenance and repair of UV resin based 3d printers including mechanical, electrical, and software manipulation.

Mesh

Texture

________ 1cm

Form

Above shows the process of painting the cast of Zavacephale rinpoche, the oldest known pachycephalosaurid.

Progress pics of Nanotyrannus cast painting

Finished painting of Nanotyrannus cast

LSF & XRF

Organic preservation can be analyzed using numerous techniques. Some that we have employed have been Laser Simulated Fluoresence anf X-Ray Fluoresence. These allow us to visualize and test the composition of organic layers preserved in fossil sediments. I am proficient in the workflows involved in the data collection of each method.

Laser passing over the skull of NCSM 40001.

XRF pointed at an extant alligator skin.

A mummified pelican that we XRF'd the feathers of.

Left to right, Jenn, Eric, and Marianne working to XRF NCSM 40000.

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