Flat Stanley's Museum Adventure

March 3, 2010

Wow! I have really lost track of time. It is hard to believe my last blog was six months ago. First things first. I would like to thank all those who have sent me comments. They are very much appreciated. I also want to thank my friend Dr. Jim Kirkland for correcting my spelling of Suarez. I apologize for the mistake and it has been corrected.

Since my last blog our museum has lost our director Dr Reese Barrick and our collections manager Jeff Bartlett. Just wanted to wish them both the best of luck. We are currently in the process of finding a new paleontologist/director.

A short time ago I received a letter from my granddaughter, Abby. She sent me a Flat Stanley. The story goes that Stanley was in the library one day when a row of shelves full of books fell on him and flattened him as thin as a sheet of paper. Stanley found this to be an interesting situation and it made it possible for him to travel through the mail.

In my work with the museum I meet many interesting people and I found Stanley to be someone interesting so I gave him a tour of our museum.

I started with the oldest first

The Dimetrodon lived in the time period before the dinosaurs called the Permian. He had two sets of teeth, one set you can see and the other set is in it’s throat.

This fossil horn coral also lived in the Permian and was collected from the cliffs located outside the entrance to Arches National Park.

Al the Allosaur was found at the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry (CLDQ) near Price. The Allosaur is Utah’s vertebrate fossil. Stanley’s left foot is stepping into the area of the skull where Al’s eye would have been.

Al’s claws are very sharp, but fortunately for Stanley, Al was not hungry.

Stanley enjoyed brushing the sand away from the skull of a Utahraptor.

Our alligator is always hungry. Stanley kept a safe distance from him. Every Friday at 4:00 p.m. is feeding time. Many visitors enjoy watching our animals feed.

The two Stegosaur plates and tail spike are from the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry (CLDQ).

Stanley learned that the process for making replicas is similar today as it was back in ancient Egyptian times.

Many years ago (even before your grandparents were born) an ocean covered the Eastern half of Utah. These fossils are examples of some of the animals that lived in that ocean

Gastonia and Animantax were prehistoric tanks. Armor covered their bodies to protect them from the predators. Stanley feels very safe among the armor.

The coal mines in the mountains near Price have many dinosaur tracks in the roof. Stanley is looking at four different kinds.

Stanley is looking at a picture of what a track looks like to the miners in the mine.

Stanley’s foot would leave a much smaller track than this track left by a duck billed dinosaur.

The Chasmosaur is a cousin to Triceritops.

Many alligator and crocodile fossils are found in the hills above Soldier Summit, Utah

Insects and bird tracks are also found with the crocodiles. This tells us there was a lot of streams and lakes in that area a long time ago.

This pot was found recently on U.S. Forest Service Land in Emery County

UV light is also called “black light”. Some rocks are prettier in the dark.

The ancient Americans would crush colored stones and us the powder mixed with liquid to color many things.

If you look close you can see the head of a clay doll in the cradle board.

Some ancient Americans lived in homes built one on top of the other, like condominiums.

More pottery designs

Stanley wondered if a turkey blanket was for people or turkeys?

This pit house is very different from Stanley’s home.

The Pilling Figurines shown here are the best collection of Fremont figurines ever found.

Hope the mammoth doesn’t kick Stanley too far.

Stanley landed right on the back of a Saber Tooth cat.

Saber Toothed cats and short faced bears became extinct shortly after man appeared in the area.

Stanley found out keeping the museum clean and nice for visitors is a hard job.

Dr. Renee Barlow, the museums archeologist, enjoyed talking with Stanley about her job studying how people lived a long time ago.

Stanley found some dinosaurs his size. These are small sculptures of dinosaurs that were discovered in Eastern Utah over the last few years.

The Utahraptor was discovered at the same time “Jurassic Park” was being filmed.

These are claws from a therezinosaur. this dinosaur was thought to only exist in China until it was found near Green River, Utah a few years ago.

Stanley is standing beside a tail vertebra from an ankylosaur. This ankylosaur would look something like a 30ft long horned lizard.

Stanley is comparing his foot to the toe of the ankylosaur.

Stanley and I had a lot of fun together. I want to thank Abby for sending him to me.

I hope you have enjoyed the tour.

I was unable to show Stanley everything in our museum. I invite all who can to visit us here in Price if you can.

P.S.

Please do not ride any of the animals.