Paleonet: When is it a "dig"?

[Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.]

> From: Paleonet [mailto:paleonet-bounces at nhm.ac.uk] On Behalf Of Roy Plotnick
> Sent: Sunday, June 15, 2014 8:55 PM
> To: PaleoNet
> Subject: Paleonet: When is it a "dig"?
> 
> Paleofolks:
> As an invertebrate paleontologist, I often tell people I don't go on "digs" but conduct "field work."  I know archeologists use
the term
> "dig," and I often see the term associated with dinosaur work, but I was wondering if anyone has ever discussed when collecting
> fossils at a locality becomes a "dig."  Is it indeed discipline based?  Comments appreciated - Roy
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As a dino paleontologist, we definitely dig some of the time (to get rid of the overburden), but as I wrote in my kids'
encyclopedia, it really is a "dinosaur scrape" when you are down at the fossil-bearing horizon.

Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
Email: tholtz at umd.edu	Phone: 301-405-4084
Office: Centreville 1216			
Senior Lecturer, Vertebrate Paleontology
Dept. of Geology, University of Maryland
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/
Fax: 301-314-9661		

Faculty Director, Science & Global Change Program, College Park Scholars
http://www.geol.umd.edu/sgc
Fax: 301-314-9843

Mailing Address:	Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
			Department of Geology
			Building 237, Room 1117
			University of Maryland
			College Park, MD 20742 USA