Seasonal paleontology assistant

Badlands Dinosaur Museum, Dickinson ND is hiring a seasonal paleontology intern. 40hrs pw, start and finish expected mid/late May to end Aug (flexible). Application Deadline 8th April. Please email me with any questions. denver.fowler@dickinsongov.com

Subsidized housing may be available, so we encourage applications from anyone currently able to work in the United States!

SEASONAL PALEONTOLOGY ASSISTANT
As part of its summer programming, Dickinson Museum Center is seeking a seasonal paleontology assistant for the 2019 summer tourist season, starting in mid-late May or early June (flexible), and lasting into August (at latest to Labor Day)

POSITION SUMMARY:

The seasonal paleontologist is a position that combines education & outreach, exhibit interpretation, and work in the preparation laboratory. The amount of time dedicated to each responsibility will depend on the ability and experience of the applicant.

About Badlands Dinosaur Museum:
Badlands Dinosaur Museum is a growing institution located on the 12 acre campus of Dickinson Museum Center in Dickinson, ND.The museum was founded in 1992 by Alice and Larry League and operated as Dakota Dinosaur Museum until 2015 whereupon it was acquired by the City of Dickinson. In 2016, Dr. Denver Fowler was hired as curator of paleontology and the museum was renamed as Badlands Dinosaur Museum in 2017.

Badlands Dinosaur Museum is undergoing a complete overhaul of the facility, exhibits, and programming. New fossil specimens are being collected by our fieldwork program that are prepared in our public viewing laboratory, which has a sliding window to allow visitors to ask questions. Fossil storage facilities have been upgraded to meet standards for a federal repository. Our evolving exhibit features new displays each year.

RESPONSIBILITIES
Essential duties:

• Assists in design of outreach and educational activities in paleontology that utilize the exhibit and education collection. May involve visiting groups or buildings outside of the museum campus.
• Implements outreach and educational programming in paleontology aimed at local population and regional summer tourism.
• Will offer interpretive assistance in the paleontology exhibit hall: answering visitor questions, giving short tours, and explaining exhibit content and core scientific concepts in paleontology.
• Assists in the public preparation laboratory in preparing specimens for exhibit and research.
• Provide general assistance to the curator and laboratory fossil preparator.
• Assists in outreach, special events, and donor development.
• Other duties as assigned.


Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Enrollment in a post-secondary educational program in a subject appropriate to Paleontology (e.g. Biology, Geology), or equivalent experience in a museum or education setting.
• Good general knowledge of paleontology, including being able to discuss core concepts with visitors and answer typical questions.
• Comfortable with public speaking in front of small groups and larger audiences.
• Willing and able to engage visitors in a friendly and approachable demeanor.
• Happy to work with children and families.
• Basic familiarity with fossil preparation methods.
• Ability to work independently on outreach & education and other fossil projects.
• Must be able to lift at least 25 pounds.
• Knowledge of appropriate specimen handling protocol.
• Demonstrable interest and knowledge of museums and their role in society.
• Basic proficiency with Microsoft Office software.
• Valid driver's license.

Additional desirable skills/experience:
• Prior experience in outreach and education.
• Prior experience working with children and families.
• Prior experience in a museum setting.
• Knowledge of anatomy, especially dinosaurs.

WORKING CONDITIONS
• Positions in this class typically require: talking, hearing, seeing and repetitive motions.
• Work is performed within routine office environment with minimal exposure to hazardous or unpleasant conditions. Physical demands are usually limited to sitting or standing in one location much of the time. Some stooping, lifting of objects may be required.
• Medium Work: Exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 25 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects.

Compensation: $11.19 per hour (wage includes $1.25 per hour Skill-Based pay)

http://dickinsongov.com/2019/03/20/job-opening-museum-fossil-preparator-intern

Reconstruyendo cráneos de insectívoros fósil a partir de material fragmentario

Las aragosaureras Raquel Moya, Gloria Cuenca y Blanca Bauluz acaban de publicar un nuevo artículo en la revista PLOS ONE donde desarrollan una nueva metodología de la reconstrucción del cráneo de mamíferos sorícidos a partir de fragmentos.

Un problema común a la hora de estudiar y de hacer divulgación con determinadas especies extintas es que los fósiles correspondan a pequeños fragmentos y dientes sueltos y por tanto sea difícil saber por ejemplo cómo es un cráneo completo porque simplemente no se han conservado en el registro fósil. Esto es especialmente común en el estudio de microvertebrados (ratones, musarañas, murciélagos, pájaros, lagartijas, ranas, etc) con los que además está la dificultad añadida de su pequeño tamaño.

En este trabajo se explica una forma de resolver este problema y se ha aplicado en la reconstrucción de los cráneos y mandíbulas de dos musarañas de los yacimientos de Atapuerca: Beremendia fissidens y Dolinasorex glyphodon. Para ello se seleccionaron los fósiles más completos que se encontraron, aunque estaban concrecionados y no se podían ver bien, y otros fósiles complementarios para completar el cráneo. Para reconstruir la parte posterior del cráneo, como no hay fósiles, se utilizó una especie actual de características parecidas a las extintas.

Primero se digitalizaron todos los fósiles y el actual usando la microtomografía computarizada. Después se usaron distintos programas gratuitos de reconstrucciones y diseño 3D para limpiar y restaurar virtualmente los fósiles y generar los modelos. Además se duplicaron, escalaron y encajaron los fósiles necesarios para llegar a un cráneo completo de cada especie.

Finalmente pudimos comparar con especies actuales aspectos que de otra forma sería imposible como la forma del morro, la apertura de las mandíbulas o las cavidades internas del hocico de las musarañas. 

Aquí está el enlace a la publicación. En el apartado de “Supporting Information” se pueden descargar los modelos en formato 3D PDF para poder visualizar y ocultar dientes, mandíbulas y cráneo además de vídeos de las reconstrucciones entre otros materiales: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0213174