amnhnyc:Curious about what a day in the life of a paleontologist is really like? Jack Tseng, a postd
amnhnyc:Curious about what a day in the life of a paleontologist is really like? Jack Tseng, a postdoctoral fellow in the Division of Paleontology at the Museum, is blogging from a fossil-finding expedition in Inner Mongolia. In his most recent post he covers many topics. Breakfast:“A typical day in Inner Mongolia begins with a hearty breakfast…a feast of freshly boiled sheep parts at the crack of dawn, usually accompanied by sheep cheese and milk tea.”Water:“We also make sure we have enough water (both potable and non-potable) to drink and to make plaster casings with, in case we find something worth excavating.”Revisiting old dig sites:“Even at the most surveyed fossil sites, nature works its wonder through wind, rain, snow, and tectonic activities. Existing rock layers at the surface (where most of previous fossil discoveries are located) are slowly weathered away each year, exposing fresh surfaces that have not been studied before.”The necessity of binoculars:“For surveying rock outcrops in the distance, or for bird-watching when no other paleontologists are around!”Read much more in his Fieldwork Journal on the Museum blog. -- source link