Amy Davidson | American Museum of Natural History (original) (raw)
Papers by Amy Davidson
Will the number you put on your specimen, its tag, box or other housing, be legible in one hundre... more Will the number you put on your specimen, its tag, box or other housing, be legible in one hundred years? Is it rub-proof, water-proof, fade-proof? Will a future worker be able to remove it if necessary? This poster will present a plan for assembling an archival marking kit, adapted for fossils from a similar kit for anthropological objects. Having a
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Methods in Fossil Preparation: Proceedings of the …
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Fossil preparators have a range of adhesives to choose from and it is often difficult to select o... more Fossil preparators have a range of adhesives to choose from and it is often difficult to select one most suitable
for any given task. The adhesives that preparators use can be divided into two basic categories: solution
adhesives, which include Paraloid B-72, Butvar B-76, Butvar B-98, and McGean B-15; and reaction adhesives,
which include various brands of epoxies and cyanoacrylates. Both types of adhesives share some
basic characteristics, however, solution and reaction adhesives differ fundamentally in the manner in which
they set or solidify. Understanding the distinction between these two types of adhesives helps to explain
differences in both their working and final properties. This information can assist the preparator in making an
appropriate and successful adhesive selection when joining, consolidating or coating a specimen.
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Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, Jan 1, 2010
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The American Museum of Natural History in collaboration with the Mongolian Academy of Sciences ha... more The American Museum of Natural History in collaboration with the Mongolian Academy of Sciences has been excavating the locality Ukhaa Tolgod, in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia, a site rich in late Cretaceous dinosaurs. Much of the fossil bone, although well preserved, is very fragile, and many specimens require a combination of meticulous and challenging preparation techniques and manipulation of consolidants in order to strengthen the bone enough to be completely removed from the surrounding sediment. However, results were limited and sometimes unsuccessful, primarily due to the lack of full penetration of the consolidant and the need to consolidate in stages as matrix is removed. An investigation was undertaken into the potential use of Conservare OH 100 for the consolidation and preparation of these specimens. Conservare OH 100 is a tetra-ethoxy silane (TEOS) based reaction adhesive manufactured for the consolidation of architectural stone. This material was chosen because of its extremely low viscosity, which allows for complete, uniform penetration of the substrate. Additionally, while the bone demonstrated a marked increase in strength after consolidation, the surrounding matrix remains virtually unconsolidated. These properties combined allow the entire block to be consolidated before preparation, targeting the bone within. Using this material, two exceedingly fragile specimens, including the type specimen of Citipati osmolskae, were able to be more safely, easily and quickly prepared. A TEOS based consolidant has not previously been used on bone and its consolidative effect and bonding to the bone and sediment were investigated utilizing a variety of methods, including microhardness testing, SEM/EDS examination, as well as visual inspection and examination by a fossil preparator.
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vertpaleo.org
Will the number you put on your specimen, its tag, box or other housing, be legible in one hundre... more Will the number you put on your specimen, its tag, box or other housing, be legible in one hundred years? Is it rub-proof, water -proof, fade-proof? Will a future worker be able to remove it if necessary?
This poster will present a plan for assembling an archival marking kit, adapted for fossils from a similar kit for anthropological objects. Having a well-designed kit saves time, and can help to improve and standardize marking practices. The proposed kit includes a variety of high quality materials, including India ink, acrylic paint, Acryloid/Paraloid B72 in a convenient nail-polish bottle and also in a tube, Japanese and archival papers, Bristol board, and various dispensers, brushes, pens etc. Possible additions to the kit (such as disposable pens) will be discussed.
Even the best materials can fail if not used well! This poster illustrates marking failures and solutions for problematic fossil surfaces (dark, rough, friable, very small or fragile, etc.), and problematic materials such as coated surfaces and plastics. Also included are a discussion of permanence and removability, looking both at the materials included in the kit and others that could be used or have been used in the past.
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Methods in Preparation
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Objects Specialty Group Postprints: Volume 10, 2003, Jan 1, 2004
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Nature, Jan 1, 1995
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Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) films, widely available as plumber’s or Teflon® tapes, are soft, s... more Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) films, widely available as plumber’s or Teflon® tapes, are soft, smooth, thin, stretchy and pliable. They are also chemically inert, nonabsorbent and nonstick. These properties have made PTFE films useful in ethnographic and archaeological conservation as non-abrasive liners and wraps for storage, as isolating membranes for gap-filling and as temporary markers. Here, common half-inch plumber’s tape was used to support a delicate, palm-sized specimen in loosely cemented sandstone. The tape was gently packed around the specimen with a soft, dry brush. A quarter-inch layer of toilet tissue was packed over the tape with a wet brush. Then two layers of plaster surgical bandage were applied over the tissue to encase everything in a thin shell. The soft cushioning and minimal shell provided just enough support to allow the specimen to be grasped, flipped and prepared from the other side. Unlike rigid support systems using Carbowax or cyclododecane, this method cannot take much force from an airscribe or needle. For this particular specimen such rigidity was not necessary and plumber’s tape could: 1) conform without adhering, 2) protect the specimen from the wet tissue and plaster bandage, 3) easily be plucked, cut away or pushed down as matrix was removed, 4) resist sticking to the Butvar B-98 consolidant used during preparation, 5) easily be removed if necessary, 6) resist deterioration if retained for storage. PTFE plumber’s tape is an inexpensive, universally available material that may be equally useful for other aspects of fossil preparation.
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Fossil preparators are often faced with the difficult task of extracting small, delicate elements... more Fossil preparators are often faced with the difficult task of extracting small, delicate elements from sediments that have cracked, expanded and exploded the bone. Open cracks allow the matrix to dislodge and break unpredictably in response to the pressure of the airscribe or needle, and this can damage the bone within. The sand and Butvar B-76 technique was developed to address this problem in a block from Ghost Ranch (New Mexico) containing a dense assemblage of small, partially articulated dinosaur skeletons. The matrix is a mudstone with copious inclusions of fish fragments, concretions, charcoal and other material. The bone is dense and hard but fractured and very thin in places. Cracks throughout the matrix and bone have expanded so that the fragments are separated by gaps. Before preparation it was necessary to stabilize the surface by packing a rigid, gap-filling material into all visible cracks. This material had to be strong enough to resist the force of an airscribe or needle but be easily removable and re-workable. I used a mix of clean children’s playbox sand and smaller-grained black aquarium sand. The mixed grain sizes were for tighter packing and the mixed color was aesthetic. The sand was mixed with Butvar B-76 (polyvinyl butyral) in ethanol to form a cement that was pressed into the cracks and allowed to dry overnight. Butvar B-76 is a weak adhesive and is easily removable with a needle or airscribe, is readily soluble in ethanol that has a relatively low toxicity, and it has acceptable aging properties if any remains after preparation. After filling the gaps on the surface the matrix could gradually be removed in a controlled manner, from the top down. The sand and Butvar B-76 mix was applied, removed and re-applied to cracks and gaps in stages as they were revealed. This technique was successful for the preparation of this block and would probably be appropriate and effective for a variety of matrices.
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Will the number you put on your specimen, its tag, box or other housing, be legible in one hundre... more Will the number you put on your specimen, its tag, box or other housing, be legible in one hundred years? Is it rub-proof, water-proof, fade-proof? Will a future worker be able to remove it if necessary? This poster will present a plan for assembling an archival marking kit, adapted for fossils from a similar kit for anthropological objects. Having a
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Methods in Fossil Preparation: Proceedings of the …
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Fossil preparators have a range of adhesives to choose from and it is often difficult to select o... more Fossil preparators have a range of adhesives to choose from and it is often difficult to select one most suitable
for any given task. The adhesives that preparators use can be divided into two basic categories: solution
adhesives, which include Paraloid B-72, Butvar B-76, Butvar B-98, and McGean B-15; and reaction adhesives,
which include various brands of epoxies and cyanoacrylates. Both types of adhesives share some
basic characteristics, however, solution and reaction adhesives differ fundamentally in the manner in which
they set or solidify. Understanding the distinction between these two types of adhesives helps to explain
differences in both their working and final properties. This information can assist the preparator in making an
appropriate and successful adhesive selection when joining, consolidating or coating a specimen.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, Jan 1, 2010
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
The American Museum of Natural History in collaboration with the Mongolian Academy of Sciences ha... more The American Museum of Natural History in collaboration with the Mongolian Academy of Sciences has been excavating the locality Ukhaa Tolgod, in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia, a site rich in late Cretaceous dinosaurs. Much of the fossil bone, although well preserved, is very fragile, and many specimens require a combination of meticulous and challenging preparation techniques and manipulation of consolidants in order to strengthen the bone enough to be completely removed from the surrounding sediment. However, results were limited and sometimes unsuccessful, primarily due to the lack of full penetration of the consolidant and the need to consolidate in stages as matrix is removed. An investigation was undertaken into the potential use of Conservare OH 100 for the consolidation and preparation of these specimens. Conservare OH 100 is a tetra-ethoxy silane (TEOS) based reaction adhesive manufactured for the consolidation of architectural stone. This material was chosen because of its extremely low viscosity, which allows for complete, uniform penetration of the substrate. Additionally, while the bone demonstrated a marked increase in strength after consolidation, the surrounding matrix remains virtually unconsolidated. These properties combined allow the entire block to be consolidated before preparation, targeting the bone within. Using this material, two exceedingly fragile specimens, including the type specimen of Citipati osmolskae, were able to be more safely, easily and quickly prepared. A TEOS based consolidant has not previously been used on bone and its consolidative effect and bonding to the bone and sediment were investigated utilizing a variety of methods, including microhardness testing, SEM/EDS examination, as well as visual inspection and examination by a fossil preparator.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
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vertpaleo.org
Will the number you put on your specimen, its tag, box or other housing, be legible in one hundre... more Will the number you put on your specimen, its tag, box or other housing, be legible in one hundred years? Is it rub-proof, water -proof, fade-proof? Will a future worker be able to remove it if necessary?
This poster will present a plan for assembling an archival marking kit, adapted for fossils from a similar kit for anthropological objects. Having a well-designed kit saves time, and can help to improve and standardize marking practices. The proposed kit includes a variety of high quality materials, including India ink, acrylic paint, Acryloid/Paraloid B72 in a convenient nail-polish bottle and also in a tube, Japanese and archival papers, Bristol board, and various dispensers, brushes, pens etc. Possible additions to the kit (such as disposable pens) will be discussed.
Even the best materials can fail if not used well! This poster illustrates marking failures and solutions for problematic fossil surfaces (dark, rough, friable, very small or fragile, etc.), and problematic materials such as coated surfaces and plastics. Also included are a discussion of permanence and removability, looking both at the materials included in the kit and others that could be used or have been used in the past.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Methods in Preparation
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Objects Specialty Group Postprints: Volume 10, 2003, Jan 1, 2004
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Nature, Jan 1, 1995
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Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) films, widely available as plumber’s or Teflon® tapes, are soft, s... more Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) films, widely available as plumber’s or Teflon® tapes, are soft, smooth, thin, stretchy and pliable. They are also chemically inert, nonabsorbent and nonstick. These properties have made PTFE films useful in ethnographic and archaeological conservation as non-abrasive liners and wraps for storage, as isolating membranes for gap-filling and as temporary markers. Here, common half-inch plumber’s tape was used to support a delicate, palm-sized specimen in loosely cemented sandstone. The tape was gently packed around the specimen with a soft, dry brush. A quarter-inch layer of toilet tissue was packed over the tape with a wet brush. Then two layers of plaster surgical bandage were applied over the tissue to encase everything in a thin shell. The soft cushioning and minimal shell provided just enough support to allow the specimen to be grasped, flipped and prepared from the other side. Unlike rigid support systems using Carbowax or cyclododecane, this method cannot take much force from an airscribe or needle. For this particular specimen such rigidity was not necessary and plumber’s tape could: 1) conform without adhering, 2) protect the specimen from the wet tissue and plaster bandage, 3) easily be plucked, cut away or pushed down as matrix was removed, 4) resist sticking to the Butvar B-98 consolidant used during preparation, 5) easily be removed if necessary, 6) resist deterioration if retained for storage. PTFE plumber’s tape is an inexpensive, universally available material that may be equally useful for other aspects of fossil preparation.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Fossil preparators are often faced with the difficult task of extracting small, delicate elements... more Fossil preparators are often faced with the difficult task of extracting small, delicate elements from sediments that have cracked, expanded and exploded the bone. Open cracks allow the matrix to dislodge and break unpredictably in response to the pressure of the airscribe or needle, and this can damage the bone within. The sand and Butvar B-76 technique was developed to address this problem in a block from Ghost Ranch (New Mexico) containing a dense assemblage of small, partially articulated dinosaur skeletons. The matrix is a mudstone with copious inclusions of fish fragments, concretions, charcoal and other material. The bone is dense and hard but fractured and very thin in places. Cracks throughout the matrix and bone have expanded so that the fragments are separated by gaps. Before preparation it was necessary to stabilize the surface by packing a rigid, gap-filling material into all visible cracks. This material had to be strong enough to resist the force of an airscribe or needle but be easily removable and re-workable. I used a mix of clean children’s playbox sand and smaller-grained black aquarium sand. The mixed grain sizes were for tighter packing and the mixed color was aesthetic. The sand was mixed with Butvar B-76 (polyvinyl butyral) in ethanol to form a cement that was pressed into the cracks and allowed to dry overnight. Butvar B-76 is a weak adhesive and is easily removable with a needle or airscribe, is readily soluble in ethanol that has a relatively low toxicity, and it has acceptable aging properties if any remains after preparation. After filling the gaps on the surface the matrix could gradually be removed in a controlled manner, from the top down. The sand and Butvar B-76 mix was applied, removed and re-applied to cracks and gaps in stages as they were revealed. This technique was successful for the preparation of this block and would probably be appropriate and effective for a variety of matrices.
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This powerpoint presents the basics steps of how to make an archival cavity mount and also shows ... more This powerpoint presents the basics steps of how to make an archival cavity mount and also shows various examples from the American Museum of Natural History.
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