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Finding Fossils in Antarctica: Week 4


 

December 31, 2018

By Ted Daeschler, PhD Professor, Department of Biodiversity, Earth & Environmental Science
Associate Curator of Vertebrate Zoology, Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University

After a week of challenging weather at our field camp, conditions have improved significantly, and we have located some productive fossil localities in the Middle Devonian Aztec Siltstone.

Antarctica Ice and Rocks

There is still more snow on the outcrops than we would like after the previous week of snowy weather, but we are making the best of it.

Daeschler transmitted this image below on Dec. 30, as the snow and wind finally calmed enough to start digging for fossils.

Temperatures are generally about 15 to 20 degrees. It gets colder after about 7 p.m. when our camp is in the shade of the ridge line we are nestled behind. Winds have been moderate.

It’s great to collect some good fossil fish material. Makes it all worthwhile!

Text and Photos by Ted Daeschler, PhD, curator of paleontology and professor in the Department of Biodiversity, Earth and Environmental Science.

See Ted’s post last week from Antarctica.