Beyond Imagining: Finding "Gracie" the Upper/Middle Turonian Russellasaurina Four-Meter-Long Complete & Fully-Articulated Basal Mosasaur

[Mikrogeophagus]

Congrats on progressing to the next stage! We are all very eager to see how she looks!

[Ludwigia]

Thanks for the update....

[LSCHNELLE]

Here is another update at the end of two days worth of prep work by five people. The matrix is a siltstone and it's very easy to work. But Gracie's bones are fairly fragile so we had to be very careful. We have primarily been using hand tools and there was a little bit of air scribe work this morning. I can tell you that she is a Plioplatecarpinae - not a Tylosaurinae. The genus and species are still not firmed up yet. Here's a picture of some ribs that I was exposing nearer to the pelvic area where we had separated her from the pelvic cast.

[JohnJ]

Great news, Lee.  Enjoy the journey.  

[LSCHNELLE]

Here are a few pictures that I think I have permission to post from last weekend's prep work of the head and upper body cast. Gracie appears to have a fully articulated head and jawbones with some slight left lower jaw displacement, a partially fractured snout, and compression of the head from the sediment load that she was buried under. Enjoy! 

Edited May 1 by LSCHNELLE

[Jared C]

I can't wait to see the bone cleaned up with air abrasives. Flipping gorgeous, with every bone in place. Excited for an ID attempt once cleaned up!

[LSCHNELLE]

On 4/28/2024 at 3:48 AM, Ludwigia said:

Thanks for the update....

Your welcome!

[JohnJ]

11 hours ago, Jared C said:

Flipping gorgeous, with every bone in place. Excited for an ID attempt once cleaned up!

 

Whoaaa!  That is so cool!  You guys will rewrite the Texas Turonian...

[LSCHNELLE]

Moving and opening Gracie's head and upper body cast. Plus a prep shot with me working on the left side with Stephen, Dr. Polcyn, and Jared. Last pic is of left side ribs exposed today.

[JohnJ]

Seeing that 'Gracie' is high up on Dr. Polcyn's priority list is very encouraging.  

[FossilNerd]

Can’t believe I forgot to follow this thread!

 

Oh well… I’m following now and caught myself up on the updates. Very cool to see the prep progression pictures. I’m excited to watch the progression! 

[pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon]

It took me some time to get here and catch up, but thanks for the updates, Lee! I agree with @JohnJ that it's very encouraging to see Gracie be so high up on Dr. Polcyn's priority list, seeing as how much work he's got laid out for him...! She remains a spectacular find, and I can't wait to see and hear more about her! Very cool, in any case, to already know she's a plioplatecarpine! Exciting stuff!

[LSCHNELLE]

No pictures available to post. But, Gracie now has possible cartilage material and a front left limb starting to show!