Montana Jurassic Dinosaur Project
Donation protected
Two new Jurassic aged (155 million years old) dinosaurs have been found in central Montana! These two species were previously unknown to paleontologists and are “Brontosaurus” type dinosaurs – long necked and long tailed. When a new dinosaur is found, describing the animal is only a portion of the research necessary. Paleontologists need to know the stratigraphic position before the discovery can be published in a scientific journal. As a geologist, I offered my expertise to a Billings, Montana paleontologist. This initiated research to determine the stratigraphy, sedimentology, depositional facies, vertebrate taphonomy and paleoclimate of the Morrison Formation in central Montana.
Not only do we wish to describe the new dinosaurs, but we hope to virtually bring them back to life in their prehistoric environment. Studying geologic clues to determine the environment in which the dinosaurs lived and died is much like solving a million-year-old murder mystery. My work requires much time in the field studying the formations, making measurements, collecting samples, and examining the rocks. Laboratory tests are performed to verify the field interpretations and provide additional information. It requires patience to scrutinize and interpret the field and lab data and understand how the pieces fit together to formulate a cohesive hypothesis.
For the past five years, I have volunteered my geologic expertise. I have spent weekends, holidays, and personal vacation time doing original research. To this point, I have personally funded the field work and laboratory analyses. Each piece of information is important, and processing the data is very expensive. Clearly, I am passionate about this research!
This past summer, I spent several weeks in the field working with fellow geologists and mentoring students. The field season brought new and exciting ideas to the forefront and we need to complete the lab analyses to understand the final pieces of the mystery. This research will be published in scientific journals for the benefit of all. Without additional funding, I will not have the resources to complete this project.
We need your help. Every donation makes a difference. You can help bring these dinosaurs back to life!
For those who would like a more technical review of the project, follow to the link to: MontanaJurassic
Note: Funds donated will be applied to thin section preparation, lab analyses, and research travel.
We plan to have 21 thin sections prepared for sandstone samples from the Swift, Morrison, and Kootenai formations. Furthermore, we plan to have thin sections prepared for 33 petrified wood samples and 6 freshwater bivalves. The petrified wood and the bivalve data will furnish information about the environment and variations in the Upper Jurassic paleoclimate. We plan to send a rock sample to the University of Washington, Seattle for complex isotope analysis to provide a climatic temperature data point. We hope to be able to obtain an Ur/Pb age date for the Morrison Formation from tufa deposits.
A university student/team member will visit West Chester University, Pennsylvania and the Smithsonian Museum, Washington D.C. to review bivalve collections and identify the species. The student will attend a scientific conference where the research will be presented.
Not only do we wish to describe the new dinosaurs, but we hope to virtually bring them back to life in their prehistoric environment. Studying geologic clues to determine the environment in which the dinosaurs lived and died is much like solving a million-year-old murder mystery. My work requires much time in the field studying the formations, making measurements, collecting samples, and examining the rocks. Laboratory tests are performed to verify the field interpretations and provide additional information. It requires patience to scrutinize and interpret the field and lab data and understand how the pieces fit together to formulate a cohesive hypothesis.
For the past five years, I have volunteered my geologic expertise. I have spent weekends, holidays, and personal vacation time doing original research. To this point, I have personally funded the field work and laboratory analyses. Each piece of information is important, and processing the data is very expensive. Clearly, I am passionate about this research!
This past summer, I spent several weeks in the field working with fellow geologists and mentoring students. The field season brought new and exciting ideas to the forefront and we need to complete the lab analyses to understand the final pieces of the mystery. This research will be published in scientific journals for the benefit of all. Without additional funding, I will not have the resources to complete this project.
We need your help. Every donation makes a difference. You can help bring these dinosaurs back to life!
For those who would like a more technical review of the project, follow to the link to: MontanaJurassic
Note: Funds donated will be applied to thin section preparation, lab analyses, and research travel.
We plan to have 21 thin sections prepared for sandstone samples from the Swift, Morrison, and Kootenai formations. Furthermore, we plan to have thin sections prepared for 33 petrified wood samples and 6 freshwater bivalves. The petrified wood and the bivalve data will furnish information about the environment and variations in the Upper Jurassic paleoclimate. We plan to send a rock sample to the University of Washington, Seattle for complex isotope analysis to provide a climatic temperature data point. We hope to be able to obtain an Ur/Pb age date for the Morrison Formation from tufa deposits.
A university student/team member will visit West Chester University, Pennsylvania and the Smithsonian Museum, Washington D.C. to review bivalve collections and identify the species. The student will attend a scientific conference where the research will be presented.
Organizer
Dean R. Richmond
Organizer
Arcadia, OK
