The Excavation of high Arctic, Late Jurassic - Early Cretaceous marine reptiles and their virtual and manual preparation

Abstract

Abstract: The recent excavation of nearly 60 marine reptile specimens from the Slottsm�ya Member, central Spitsbergen (Svalbard, Norway) straddling the Late Jurassic- early Cretaceous boundary, has led to the testing of numerous novel excavation techniques in the field and developed preparatory methods in the laboratory. Key results of this laboratory work show that the use of the adhesive Mowilith, a polyvinylacetate dissolved in alcohol, represents a good alternative to paraloid-type adhesives for temporarily stabilizing extremely fractured material during preparation. Permanent cyanoacryoloid adhesives used on the material in the laboratory have successfully stabilized the specimens from further deterioration, although thorough cleaning prior to the application is required for a lasting effect. Finally, we present the case study of a plesiosaur skull, where computed tomography is utilised to support further preparation of the specimen. Computed tomography images were used as aid to locate the borders of the bone material, allowing for more of the surrounding matrix to be removed without causing damage to the specimen. We show utilisation of computer tomography provides a virtual preparation alternative for particularly fragile specimens.