2006 FOSSIL LAB INTERNSHIP
MEET ROMAN
Photo E. Schroeter |
Roman remembers his first time going to Montana with Project Exploration and the other Junior Paleontologists (JPs) like it was yesterday (even though it was in the summer of 2004). He couldn’t believe that he was going out of the city for the first time in his life. When he helped carry a jacketed femur up a valley and to a truck bound for the Winifred Museum, he felt like he was doing something important with his life. From that first experience, he was inspired to do more and be one of the best students that he could be. |
Seeing how beautiful Montana was made him determined to go back out in the field again, and when he was chosen to be JP Team Leader in 2005, he strove to set an example.
He is excited to be working in a REAL dinosaur lab because, quite simply, it’s REAL and it’s hands-on. Roman hopes that this opportunity will open many doors for him in the future and plans to use it as preparation for his future plans in science.
Making a Career
by Roman
This year I had one of the greatest experiences of my life. I actually felt like a real paleontologist working in the Fossil Lab at the University of Chicago. I never in my life thought I was ever going to work in a University of Chicago lab. When I received the letter stating that I was chosen to do work in the lab, I was really excited and couldn’t wait to start. I went twice a week for two hours every day.
On my first day, I was actually kind of nervous. But Stephanie— the Lab Volunteer Coordinator—made me feel comfortable and explained things to me.
Roman uses an air scribe to carefully remove the matrix (sediment) surrounding Suchomimus bones.
Photo L. Jansen |
I started off by working on the Suchomimus jacket, which was humongous. Over 95% of the actual bone was still well preserved inside, but there was a lot of rock covering the bones on the day that I started. As I got really comfortable with the tools and managed to remove a lot of rock from the bone, I actually got more bone exposed. This was exciting because I wanted to know what else I had found. The other interns and I plowed through all the rock and left all the bones that were left in the jacket. I felt like I was actually doing something important, seeing these bones that not many people have ever seen. Who knows— maybe I’ll see the Suchomimus out in an exhibit someday in the future! It really made me feel good about myself. |
Opening the SuperCroc skull jacket was also really exciting; I was the one who opened most of the jacket. I used the grinder and started making a small slit separating the jacket into two pieces. Using the grinder was a whole new experience because that was my first time using anything like it. Who knew that something so small could do so much? Dust and rock fragments flew off as I ground off the jacket. It was a good thing that I had goggles on and gloves to protect my hands. When my two hours were gone, my hands and feet got really tired from all of the work that I had done. To me, it did not really seem like I worked for two hours, but time flies when you are concentrating on something like I was.
I was actually really bummed when it was my last day at the Fossil Lab. I learned so many things, and I feel like I could do this for a career. I want to thank Project Exploration for all of the opportunities that have been offered to me, because it’s things like this lab internship and being a Team Leader for the Junior Paleontologist program that makes me work even harder so that I can make a career of all the experiences that I have had.
Roman poses in the University of Chicago Fossil Lab.
Photo L. Jansen
DAYS IN THE LIFE OF ROMAN, FOSSIL PREPARATOR
7.28.06
My first day at the lab. What an excitement! When I walked in I was eager to start working on something, and I worked on a Suchomimus bone. I have to be real careful because I did not want to damage the bone. Working with the air scribe was awesome. Who knew something that little could do so much? I think that I did pretty well for my first time here in the lab. I uncovered a lot of bone which is a good thing. I can’t wait to see what else I am going to work on the next time. And I will work just as hard.
7.31.06
Today I was working on the Suchomimus skeleton. I made some good progress on uncovering another bone that was located underneath the humerus. I also uncovered one end of a rib that Stephanie was working on. I was really excited when I uncovered the end to that rib. You never know what you might find on a jacket that big. You find a rib there, a humerus here, and who knows what else. While I was working on that, my air scribe was acting weird, stopping while I was moving rock. I started getting frustrated. But that did not stop me from working at all. A JP will not give up and will work with what we have.
8.7.06
Wow. I found two new bones in that enormous jacket. A rib bone and a bigger bone that I do not know what it is yet. I would of never thought I was going to find some new bones. While I was uncovering one of the rib bones, it started falling apart. Little pieces here and there. I mean, come on, it’s millions of years old. I got the glue and tried to glue pieces back where they belonged.
8.14.06
Today was even more exciting than the rest of the other days. Stephanie and I both worked on opening a super cool jacket, a skull. Now that was really cool. I got to use the grinder— that thing is really powerful. We went all the way around the jacket, but I ran out of time. That jacket is as big as me, and it is just the skull. It’s amazing how big these animals get. I can’t wait to see all of the things that the jacket holds inside. I hope I’m here for when they open it, just to be one of the first to see the specimen. Next time I come I will be as excited as the first time I came.
8.22.06
Today I went back to work on the Suchomimus jacket. When I walked in, I noticed that the super cool jacket had already been opened. The skull of SuperCroc was so amazing and gigantic. I still got the whole week to work. I wonder if I will finish working on SuperCroc to see how it looks complete. |
Roman stands in front of a mold used for making replicas of fossils and learns how molds are created.
Photo E. Schroeter |
8.25.06
My last day at the lab. Who ever thought that it could ever end? I worked on the Super Croc skull today, removing a lot of rock that was next to the bone—that was really hard. I think that I made a lot of progress on the SuperCroc [skull], given the fact that the rock was harder than the other ones that I worked on. Man, I am going to miss this so much. I had so much fun working on those really well-preserved jackets. If I had this opportunity, I would do it again in a heart beat. Goodbye lab. I’ll be back!
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