Field Techniques of Vertebrate Paleontology • J-Term • �ǿմ�ý

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This three-week course provides students with hands-on experience with collecting fossils in the American west. The goals are to familiarize students with the geological history of the Hell Creek Formation, introduce them to the fauna of the Hell Creek Formation and their osteology, train them in field-collecting techniques used by vertebrate paleontologists, and train them in data collecting techniques used by vertebrate paleontologists.

The first week is on campus for lectures in the mornings and practical labs in the afternoons. Assessment is based on daily quizzes, labs, and a final exam. The second and third weeks are spent in southeastern Montana, with the goal to excavate Triceratops bones in a quarry setting. Assessment is based on aptitude, cooperation with others, and field skills. After the field experience, students will fly home from Rapid City, South Dakota.

This course fulfills the LAB SCI and SE requirements.