Moving a Ten-Ton Dino Deathtrap | National Geographic

this project we have a large section of

this project we have a large section of rock that’s full of very sensitive

rock that’s full of very sensitive

rock that’s full of very sensitive fossils and organization that we can’t

fossils and organization that we can’t

fossils and organization that we can’t really angular cut up individually and

really angular cut up individually and

really angular cut up individually and so what they’re have to do is we have to

so what they’re have to do is we have to

so what they’re have to do is we have to take this down a very steep slope as

take this down a very steep slope as

take this down a very steep slope as you’ll be able to see and to move such a

you’ll be able to see and to move such a

you’ll be able to see and to move such a large section of rock without breaking

large section of rock without breaking

large section of rock without breaking it up it’s quite a challenge

we are just north arches nat’l park on a

we are just north arches nat’l park on a section of state land which bears all

section of state land which bears all

section of state land which bears all nice assemblage of dinosaurs that we

nice assemblage of dinosaurs that we

nice assemblage of dinosaurs that we discovered about ten years ago we got a

discovered about ten years ago we got a

discovered about ten years ago we got a grad student to do a study of that big

grad student to do a study of that big

grad student to do a study of that big sandstone ledge behind me as he was

sandstone ledge behind me as he was

sandstone ledge behind me as he was working I told him keep your eyes open

working I told him keep your eyes open

working I told him keep your eyes open for dinosaurs and he reported back to me

for dinosaurs and he reported back to me

for dinosaurs and he reported back to me that he found what the only thing he did

that he found what the only thing he did

that he found what the only thing he did find was what looked like a human arm

find was what looked like a human arm

find was what looked like a human arm bone sticking out of the rabe something

bone sticking out of the rabe something

bone sticking out of the rabe something about this big around and Hollow

about this big around and Hollow

about this big around and Hollow turned out to be a foot of the

turned out to be a foot of the

turned out to be a foot of the Utahraptor we also had parts of a plant

Utahraptor we also had parts of a plant

Utahraptor we also had parts of a plant eating dinosaur iguanodons

eating dinosaur iguanodons

eating dinosaur iguanodons basically we think that was the

basically we think that was the

basically we think that was the attractor to bring these animals in and

attractor to bring these animals in and

attractor to bring these animals in and we ended up finding 10 different jaws

we ended up finding 10 different jaws

we ended up finding 10 different jaws every one of them with all the teeth on

every one of them with all the teeth on

every one of them with all the teeth on them we now interpret this it’s probably

them we now interpret this it’s probably

them we now interpret this it’s probably the first good site where we have a lot

the first good site where we have a lot

the first good site where we have a lot of dinosaur skeletons that were trapped

of dinosaur skeletons that were trapped

of dinosaur skeletons that were trapped in quicksand the preservation is

in quicksand the preservation is

in quicksand the preservation is exceptional

exceptional

exceptional every time we’d go in we find springs in

every time we’d go in we find springs in

every time we’d go in we find springs in order to rub we’d find feed leg bones

order to rub we’d find feed leg bones

order to rub we’d find feed leg bones realizing we can’t split it up and

realizing we can’t split it up and

realizing we can’t split it up and that’s when we made the decision we got

that’s when we made the decision we got

that’s when we made the decision we got to take out a mammoth block there are

to take out a mammoth block there are

to take out a mammoth block there are other people who have dug up really big

other people who have dug up really big

other people who have dug up really big blocks but typically you can drive some

blocks but typically you can drive some

blocks but typically you can drive some big piece of machinery up closer to it

big piece of machinery up closer to it

big piece of machinery up closer to it and take advantage of it this there was

and take advantage of it this there was

and take advantage of it this there was hardly any place to stand and so the

hardly any place to stand and so the

hardly any place to stand and so the difficulty now is getting a frame around

difficulty now is getting a frame around

difficulty now is getting a frame around this thing and getting a drag down the

this thing and getting a drag down the

this thing and getting a drag down the hill to a flatbed so we can get out of

hill to a flatbed so we can get out of

hill to a flatbed so we can get out of here and remove them as well well my big

here and remove them as well well my big

here and remove them as well well my big thing in terms of removing the base is

thing in terms of removing the base is

thing in terms of removing the base is you know we clean it up get the frame

you know we clean it up get the frame

you know we clean it up get the frame put on and the frame on that it’s gonna

put on and the frame on that it’s gonna

put on and the frame on that it’s gonna be like to the ground in the back

be like to the ground in the back

be like to the ground in the back paleontologists look real hard for years

paleontologists look real hard for years

paleontologists look real hard for years and years to get all this set up the way

and years to get all this set up the way

and years to get all this set up the way they needed it to be and actually this

they needed it to be and actually this

they needed it to be and actually this rock is exactly where they found it and

rock is exactly where they found it and

rock is exactly where they found it and it hasn’t moved at all

it hasn’t moved at all

it hasn’t moved at all so they actually built the framework

so they actually built the framework

so they actually built the framework around it and then had to remove rock

around it and then had to remove rock

around it and then had to remove rock underneath it to get it to set down on

underneath it to get it to set down on

underneath it to get it to set down on the sled so then last fall we were able

the sled so then last fall we were able

the sled so then last fall we were able to actually dig a tunnel underneath and

to actually dig a tunnel underneath and

to actually dig a tunnel underneath and so that enabled us to put these big

so that enabled us to put these big

so that enabled us to put these big Timbers in and that was a little bit

Timbers in and that was a little bit

Timbers in and that was a little bit scary because you were just on these

scary because you were just on these

scary because you were just on these pillars and you have this probably 10

pillars and you have this probably 10

pillars and you have this probably 10 ton block of rock under and you’re

ton block of rock under and you’re

ton block of rock under and you’re underneath there plastering it’s a

underneath there plastering it’s a

underneath there plastering it’s a pretty solid frame here some major bolts

pretty solid frame here some major bolts

pretty solid frame here some major bolts and hardware so we’re hoping that once

and hardware so we’re hoping that once

and hardware so we’re hoping that once we give it a little pull here it’ll all

we give it a little pull here it’ll all

we give it a little pull here it’ll all hold together pretty well

well we block off the Mesa one more mile

well we block off the Mesa one more mile of flat dirt and hopefully we can load

of flat dirt and hopefully we can load

of flat dirt and hopefully we can load this thing up onto a semi-truck right

this thing up onto a semi-truck right

this thing up onto a semi-truck right now what we’re going to do is bring in

now what we’re going to do is bring in

now what we’re going to do is bring in we have a couple of guardrails Baltimore

we have a couple of guardrails Baltimore

we have a couple of guardrails Baltimore guardrail boots that we have on the

guardrail boots that we have on the

guardrail boots that we have on the front because the wood has been wearing

front because the wood has been wearing

front because the wood has been wearing off the bottom and if we go much farther

off the bottom and if we go much farther

off the bottom and if we go much farther like this we wouldn’t have anything

like this we wouldn’t have anything

like this we wouldn’t have anything holding it together at all

once we get into lab the preparation

once we get into lab the preparation will be done under three microscopes on

will be done under three microscopes on

will be done under three microscopes on home mounts by my team which has 120

home mounts by my team which has 120

home mounts by my team which has 120 years of experience between the group of

years of experience between the group of

years of experience between the group of us finally getting this thing after 10

us finally getting this thing after 10

us finally getting this thing after 10 years down off the mountain this is huge

years down off the mountain this is huge

years down off the mountain this is huge progress