RAPID: Salvage Excavation of a Critically Important Late Miocene Fossil Deposit in North-Central Florida: A Rare Opportunity for Science and Education

2015年11月，在佛罗里达盖恩斯维尔西南约30公里处的一次采砂作业造成的暴露中发现了骨骼化石。佛罗里达自然历史博物馆的古生物学家很快就确定了这个遗址的潜在意义，并开始了采石作业。该网站位于私人财产，土地所有者将允许访问，直到2017年春季，并已同意捐赠所有标本的FLMNH永久研究收藏。然而，挖掘化石的时间有限，因为坑很快就会被填满，然后土地将用于马厩废物回收和牛的牧场。因此，通过仔细发掘，尽可能多地发现化石是非常紧迫的。这个有500万年历史的遗址迄今已发现约50种脊椎动物化石。这些化石的体型范围很广，在与犀牛和大象相同的地层中发现了小老鼠和蝾螈大小的动物骨骼。该遗址的部分地区富含化石，有些地区经常生产关节骨骼。这是东南沿海平原第一个具有完整骨架的该年龄段脊椎动物地点，也是唯一一个具有多样性小型脊椎动物区系的地点。本科生，高中教师和公民科学家将接受培训，并参与这次挖掘。最终标本将在佛罗里达自然历史博物馆展出。

In November 2015, fossil bones were discovered weathering out of exposures created by a sand mining operation about 30 km southwest of Gainesville, Florida. Paleontologists of the Florida Museum of Natural History quickly determined that the site was potentially very significant, and began quarrying operations. The site is located on private property and the landowner will allow access until Spring 2017 and has agreed to donate all specimens to the FLMNH permanent research collections. However there is a finite time to excavate fossils, as the pit will soon be filled in and the land then used for horse stable waste recycling and pasture for cattle. Thus there is a great urgency to recover as many fossils as possible through careful excavation.The 5-million-year old site has so far produced fossils of about 50 vertebrate taxa. A very broad range of body size is represented, with bones of animals the size of small mice and salamanders found in the same strata as those of rhinos and elephants. Portions of the site are richly fossiliferous and some areas routinely produce articulated skeletons. This is the first vertebrate locality of this age in the southeastern coastal plain with complete skeletons, and also the only one with a diverse fauna of small vertebrates. Undergraduate students, high school teachers, and citizen scientists will be trained and involved in this excavation. Ultimately specimens will be displayed at the Florida Museum of Natural History.