New Dimetrodons; Field Update Number 1

[dinodigger]

Hi everyone, hope the collecting is going well and safe. Our Permian field season started up again this week. We've been out in the field for a week now, and will be out here for a few more weeks. Winter is finally over and the rains have somewhat subsided allowing us to get back into our site. After a long cold, wet, winter, our site was well washed and has unveiled some pretty nice stuff.

Today our team explored a new section of the ranch called Alana which contains a large valley filled with small articulated amphibians, as wells as some evidence of the monstrous shovel-shaped incisor bearing Diadectes. While the team was on the north end of Alana, I was about a mile to their south exploring some canyons that I had been eyeing last year. The canyon dropped down into a large depression with gorgeous white sandstone beds representing the remains of an ancient channel. Near these beds are the banks of an ancient pond, represented by layers of ironstone concretions and black shales. This is where I made a pretty good discovery. Dimetrodon spines litter one of the red stained hills, a juvenile dimetrodon maybe a hundred pounds or so. Only fifty yards from here is a larger adult Dimetrodon in full, completely exposed on the surface. The femur lays on the surface as well as pretty as can be. The femur is 190 mm, which about the right size for a young one; a large bull Dimetrodon would reach 250 mm. The entire vertebral column is fused in groups of three. Three cervicals, three cervicals, three dorsals, three lumbars, three sacrals, and so on and so on. Pretty cool. The pelvis is interesting. As I handed it to Dr. Bakker, he pointed out that we had both sides of the pelvis. They had just been flattended together. The maxilla was present as well, left and right. More neural spines than you can shake a stick at. And the coprolites. I totally almost forgot to mention those. This area has more shark and dimetrodon coprolites than we could imagine. The largest being nearly 8 inches long, the smallest being a mere three mm. Holy snarge Batman... The new bone bed, now Called Lucy Valley, will hopefully expose more of the un-named Dimetrodon. So far, we have about 50 to 60 percent of the animal, and will probably add another 10 or so this week.

Meanwhile, back at our main site, we checked on it breifly the other day after a big rain and found a few new Dimetrodon verts exposed which we'll map in tomorrow and dig in hard to expose more of him. (This one is named King Richard, cuz he's a big boy.) We also found a record Secodontosaurus scapula which I'll clean up and photo tomorrow as well.

I'll post some pics from today as soon as I can.

I need a sleeping bag that is tick proof...

Chris

[JohnJ]

Thanks for the update, Chris. Looking forward to the photos.

[Auspex]

...I need a sleeping bag that is tick proof...

"Permethrin". Treat the shell (or the bivy sack), and sleep in (relative) peace.

Your project it really exciting; I've been jonesin' for an update!

[bigade]

Thanks for that Chris. Sounds like you're having a very eventful dig.

[TygerTyger]

Wow, how I envy you...even with the ticks!

[MikeD]

Very cool, Chris. Can't wait to see the pictures.

[Hawkeye]

I'd also like to say thank you for sharing this with us, it's the next best thing to being there.

[Phoenixflood]

You always paint a very vivid picture of your digs Now are all your finds donated to museums, or are you allowed to keep a few lesser examples?

[Nicholas]

Great update!

All I can say is I'm jealous, and I want me some pictures!!!!