A Puzzle Arrives
This week the staff of Paleolab received the first delivery of parts of a plesiosaur skeleton. Preparator Dan Pickering examines every piece before sorting it into the position it would have held in life.

Sorting and comparing the bones is particularly important in this project. A preliminary survey yielded some material of a very small plesiosaur mixed in with the adult skeleton. This could have important scientific implications. Are the small bones an unborn baby plesiosaur, or was it a snack? The former would be a strong indication that plesiosaurs gave birth to live young.

Most of the elements currently in the lab consist of rib fragments, a few vertebrae, pelvic elements, and a flipper.