After teaching a course at Daemen about dinosaurs, Domenic D’Amore, Associate Professor of Biology, wanted to learn more about the meticulous fossil excavation process. In 2014, he started volunteering as a field paleontologist with the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHMLA). Each summer, the museum’s Dinosaur Institute goes on a series of digs in various sites in New Mexico and Utah, the largest of which is the Gnatalie Quarry in southeastern Utah.
Dr. D’Amore’s research was featured in a September 2024 National Geographic article How to Build a Dinosaur. The article discusses the process of finding dinosaur fossils, excavating them, preparing them, and finally mounting them for display.
D’Amore was part of a team from the NHMLA that used hammers, chisels, rock saws and pneumatic drills to excavate numerous fossils from several dinosaurs.
The resulting display at NHMLA will be a 75 foot long, 150 million year old green dinosaur. D’Amore explained that the unique green color is a result of the minerals that replaced the bones during the process of fossilization. A photo of Dr. D’Amore working at the Gnatalie Quarry can be seen in the magazine.
“While I was not trained as a field paleontologist, this first-hand experience on actual dinosaur digs has greatly enriched my teaching of dinosaur paleontology,” reflected D’Amore.
Diane Ramos, Department Chair of Natural Sciences remarked, “We are proud that Dr. D’Amore was part of this remarkable excavation project featured in National Geographic.” Ramos added that “Dom’s experience helps bring concepts to life for our students,” and that “one year, a Daemen student even had the opportunity to join him on a dig site.”