Acid Preparation of Vertebrate Fossils at The Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis project was to expedite the process of removing rock from the many marine concretions found in the Burke's paleontology collection, through the implementation of chemical preparation techniques. These techniques utilizes acetic acid which eats through the rock surrounding the fossils, drastically cutting down on time spent preparing these specimens. Until now, The Burke has lacked an efficient and regulated acid preparation lab. This thesis implements these practices and make these specimens available to researchers, curators, volunteers and the general museum public. The specimens uncovered as a result of this project will greatly add to our understanding of this ancient ecosystem, as well as provide many new incredible specimens for the museum to utilize in their displays, collections and research. This project has resulted in a new methodology of acid preparation, an SOP, numerous safety protocols, volunteer training workshops over 200 hours of fossil preparation and a comprehensive technical workflow document.