Perot Museum of Nature and Science and New Mexico State University Conduct Fossil Dig and Exploration at RFS May 22-30, 2025

 Dr. Dori Contreras and volunteer Pamela Riddle from the Perot Museum of Science and Nature joined forces with Dr. Andrew Flynn Dr. Andrew Flynn and undergraduate student Bailey Schafer from the  New Mexico State University Geology Department for a wildly successful field exploration and dig for 10 days starting May 22, 2025 at RFS. The goals of the expedition were to continue excavation of a significant fossil leaf site for RFS Program PMNS001 , and to do exploratory prospecting for new fossil sites of both paleobotanical and vertebrate specimens. The results exceeded all expectations. Plus the team had a great time motoring to remote sites in the RFS Viking UTV, which saved lugging their 50 pound backpacks full of rocks all the way back to camp on foot (though they still had to lug them up all those steep mountain sides)!

The group started out on a strong note with a superb cache of paleobotanical fossils that included gymnosperm (cone bearing plants) wood, branches, leaves (needles), and cones with beautiful preservation, and more diverse species of leaves than were previously found at RFS. Several more days of prospecting yielded more than 10 new plant fossil sites containing an exciting array of plant remains, notably including flowers. The team was thrilled! They are looking forward to further excavations at those sites, as well as continuing to find new ones across a range of depositional settings.

Teaser alert: the team also found other exciting fossils, but that update has to await further field and lab analyses!

The team had a blast sharing the guest trailer, snarfing down Andrew’s secret cooking style of hot dogs, taking photos of the local animals and views. Too bad field work is such a grind!!

Since their visit also coincided with both a quick tree coring field assessment by tree physiologist Drew Peltier from University of Las Vegas, Nevada, as well as the NMSU Capstone Field Course in geology, the three groups got to share their respective experiences and a meal or two!