BE ADVISED: On Saturday 10/11, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum will host the USC vs. University of Michigan football game. Kickoff is at 4:30 pm. This event will impact traffic, parking, and wayfinding in the area due to street closures. Please consider riding the Metro E (Expo) Line and exiting at USC/Expo station.

A Fossilized Turtle Revealed

Uncover the methods behind preparing fossils with Vertebrate Paleontology Department preparator Alan Zdinak.

By: Tyler Hayden

Ever wonder how a fossil goes from the field to the collection? Explore the methods and tools our museum technicians use to prepare fossils from the field with Vertebrate Paleontology preparator Alan Zdinak as he prepares 30-million year old turtle bones. From the jackets that keep fossils safe after excavation, to the teeny picks used to clean sediment, our preparators are busy getting fossils ready for the collection and further study. It's an exacting and essential process on the road from the field to scientific research.

Preparator James Preston working on fossils from home.
A Different Kind of Prepping
For Vertebrate Paleontology Preparator James Preston, science doesn’t stop.
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