Unpacking P.E.I. fossil gives researchers the goosebumps

Researchers have had their first look at how a Prince Edward Island fossil fared over the past several months, and things are looking good. 

The fossil — which they believe could be 300 million years old — was discovered last August by Island school teacher Lisa Cormier while she was taking a stroll on the beach in Cape Egmont.

After being excavated, the fossil was transported to the Parks Canada building in Greenwich, P.E.I. 

Matt Stimson is a fossil footprint expert and the assistant curator of geology and paleontology at the New Brunswick Museum in Saint John, N.B. 

He was in Greenwich Tuesday to help prepare the fossil for its trip to Carleton University in Ottawa.

 Stimson said getting the fossil out of the beach was literally a race against the tide. 

"The fossil was down in the intertidal zone so it's covered at high tide and water," he said.

"We had to dig down quite deep, about two, two-and-a-half feet all around, to basically excavate out a large block with the skeleton and dig underneath it. "

He said the specimen came out in several pieces.

"But that's okay. The skeleton and the main part stayed intact," he said. 

Stimson said there are many steps involved in identifying a fossil.

First, he said, you document where it is physically on the beach, which layer of rock it's in, and what it looks like before you start digging. 

"So we took lots of photographs to make a three-dimensional model of the specimen, which we've done. Just in case something goes wrong and just in case you break something in the process of excavating the fossil," he said. 

He said the fossil was coated in a thin layer of polyvinyl acetate, or liquid plastic, to solidify it during excavation. 

Unpacking excitement and relief

Stimson said the process worked well and the fossil looks to be in good condition — a great relief to him and others involved in the project.

"You never really know how a fossil will react once it dries out. The specimen was completely inundated with water every day, twice a day with the high tide, so once it dries out it could crack," said Stimson.

He was accompanied to Greenwich by John Calder, a part-time faculty member at Saint Mary's University who does contract work for the P.E.I. government and Parks Canada on fossil discoveries.

It's impossible not to get goosebumps. It's an amazing discovery.— John Calder 

Stimson said on the way there, neither of them knew what to expect.

"As soon as we open up the boxes, we're just very excited to see that all the bones were still in place and it's pretty much just like we left it several months ago," he said.

"To find a complete skeleton something like Lisa Cormier found is extremely rare and it's once or twice in a lifetime career sort of discovery." 

Stimson said post-tropical storm Fiona complicated plans for the fossil, as there were other cleanup and repair priorities for Parks Canada and the province. 

Calder said someone from the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation is going to drive the fossil to Ottawa soon. 

"To me that shows the commitment, that both the P.E.I. government and Parks Canada are making, which is lovely because you have a fantastic story of the fossil life on P.E.I. here," he said.

"It's really deserving of a museum." 

At Carleton University the fossil will be studied by vertebrate paleontologist Hillary Maddin and her team.

Calder said the fossil will likely have a CT scan and then the painstakingly delicate work will begin. 

"Teasing the bones out of that rock, it's going to be a challenge because the rock is very soft and it will break apart easily," said Calder.

"To keep those bones intact while you're getting rid of the rock that's holding them together, wow, it's going to be a delicate situation. That work will probably take a year." 

Calder estimates it will be another year before the specimen is described in a scientific journal, and gets a name. 

"I have goosebumps right now. It's always so exciting to see something that has not seen the light of day for 300 million years, has never been seen before.... Just think of that. It's impossible not to get goosebumps. It's an amazing discovery."

Calder said because of all the erosion from Fiona, he expects there will be more fossil discoveries on P.E.I. beaches this year. 

"Keep your eyes peeled. If you do see something, if you're in the park, bring it to the attention of Parks Canada and if it's outside the park, bring it to the attention of the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation," he said.

"We are collecting an incredible array of fossils."