Dinosaur Dreaming

The questions: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10

Ten questions (3):
How did you feel when you first saw the Inverloch mammal jaw?

Tom Rich: "It is just an inconsequential brown smudge of bone and why all the fuss?" That question made me look at it a second time when I then realised what it was. At that stage it was much the same as when I first saw my children. The significant difference was that they were expected.

Pat Vickers-Rich: Wow!

Lesley Kool: When I first looked at the jaw under the microscope, my first impression was that we had another weird fish or lizard jaw. The teeth were not visible with the naked eye, and it was just fortunate that we were working at the house that day and the microscope was handy. When I realised it was something special, maybe mammal, I just sat there for a few seconds thinking of the implications. Then I thought of Tom and how much this would mean to him if this really was a mammal. That's when I got really excited.

Nicola Barton: I realised that it was bone, but wasn't sure if it was worth keeping as part of it was not visible and I still have a lot to learn on the bone identification front, so I checked with someone who had more experience than myself (Cindy) and she said show it to Lesley. The first indication that I had that it was important was Nick telling me I was going to get very fat! I have to say that initally I was confused and thought he was making some comment on the amount of food I'd been eating on the dig.

Nick van Klaveren: Slight disbelief because of the many false hopes in the past, then satisfaction that the ten years of digging was worth it.

Nicole Evered: Awesome!!