Bonebed

Picture a fossil dig. What do you imagine? A dusty site in the desert. The team is uncovering a single perfect skeleton. That’s one type of dig. Another kind is in a bonebed. Bonebeds are a collection of bones all messed up and tangled together. Most form in riverbeds. Think of a stampede of water buffalo. Sometimes whole herds drown. Bonebeds aren’t as sexy as a single skeleton, but they can speak to scientists about herding, social relationships, and many other things you just can’t get from a single skeleton. We joined Phil and Eva at several bonebeds way up north in Alberta.