Current Projects
Excavating in Svalbard
Artist's representation of size differences of a killer whale, a blue whale, a pliosaur, and a human. Photo: Courtesy of the Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Norway.
In the summers of 2006 and 2007 Earth Science Curator Dr. Pat Druckenmiller traveled to Svalbard, Norway with researchers from the University of Oslo, to help discover and excavate Jurassic-aged (150 million-year old) marine reptiles. Last summer's work resulted in the excavation of "the Monster," a specimen of a 15m (50 ft)-long short-necked plesiosaur known as a pliosaur. Fieldwork will continue during the summers of 2008 and 2009.
