A Volunteer-Powered Dinosaur Excavation in the Upper Triassic of Switzerland

Abstract

Dinosaurs continue to fascinate the general public and are the best vehicle to attract attention to the earth sciences. While much information on the animals themselves is available to earth science teachers at all levels, there is a need for up-to-date descriptions of dinosaur discovery and excavation. This paper describes a large-scale, volunteer-powered dinosaur excavation in northern Switzerland in 1988. Working with volunteers provided by organizations such as EARTHWATCH to excavate the bonebed is also an aspect of general earth science education as well as an alternative way to do paleontological fieldwork. Our team members were characterized by a high degree of motivation and eagerness to learn, making the dinosaur excavation a paleontologically productive and rewarding teaching experience. The aim of our field campaign at the Frick clay quarry was to gather taphonomic information on a mass accumulation of the prosauropod dinosaur Plateosaurus. A number of such Plateosaurus bonebeds are known from ...