| The Free Site | vBuddy - social networking for webmasters | Cheap Web Hosting - starting at $5 |
Chapter 3:
Student Debating
Sleeping very soundly, Ellie slowly
began to distinguish the sound of the alarm going off. She opened her eyes and
searched for the alarm clock, as she wasn't quite used to where things were in
her new apartment yet. In seconds, she spotted it and turned it off. It was
She
took a quick shower, got dressed, and then headed straight for the kitchen. She
turned on the coffee pot and made herself some French Toast. During the quick
meal, she spent some time looking at her local map of
Glancing
at the top of the television, she noticed a piece of paper. The same paper that
she placed on the television every night since she had been there. It was
Alan's phone number. She hadn't called him yet, thinking that would be very
awkward, so she just kept it, hoping the timing would be right at some point.
She
tucked the piece of paper in a pocket and headed for the front door. The plan
was to meet Allison and Logan at the dig site at
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The
afternoon sun was blazing down upon the hard-working people, causing Alan to
call for a break in the action. The students and volunteers were starting to
work very well together, now that it was the end of the first week. Everyone
was getting to know each other and various friendships were being made.
In
order to let people rest for a little bit, Alan had led everyone under a tent
and had initiated a conversation. At first, Alan and Dr. Harper were at the
center of attention, talking mostly with the students, trying to get their
minds working. It was one of many talks about different view points of what the
study of paleontology means. At this moment in time, the students were having a
debate of their own. To Alan's happiness, Ellie was right in the middle of it.
She was a very intelligent person and was very, very knowledgeable in a great
many things.
"Well,
cold-blooded crocodiles, raised under very warm conditions, also show rapid
bone growth. Dinosaur growth may have had more to do with climate, than with
internal thermal regulation," Ellie countered.
The
two students were debating a topic that had been debated for years and years.
Endothermy vs. ectothermy. Warm-blooded vs. cold-blooded dinosaurs. Ellie was
coming down on the cold-blooded side of the issue. The student debating with
her was none other than Greg Diamond. Alan didn't like that kid very much for
various reasons, and he was secretly hoping that Ellie would be able to shut
him up. The debate went on.
"How
can you explain the vertical triangular plates on the Stegosaurus? Or the
sail-like fins on the Dimetrodon or the Spinosaurus? These things were used to
radiate away excess body heat, which suggests warm-bloodedness," Greg
asked.
"They
could have been used for mating and dominance rituals. Maybe even protection
and/or interspecies rivalry. The fact is, we just don't know what these plates
and fins were used for," Ellie stated.
All
eyes fell on Greg, who was getting tired of being upstaged by a female.
"Well,
what about the fossils that have been found in the Arctic and Antarctic regions?
Cold-blooded creatures, such as crocodiles, could not cope with such low
temperatures today. The polar dinosaurs had to be warm-blooded to endure the
challenging climate," Greg retaliated.
"I
never said there wasn't proof of some warm-blooded creatures," Ellie
pointed out.
"Well,
there's absolutely no proof that they were cold-blooded," Greg said in a
confident manner, "All of the evidence points to warm-bloodedness."
This
is where Alan stepped in, to offer some of his own final thoughts before lunch.
"Perhaps
both cold- and warm-blooded dinosaurs existed. Or maybe they were intermediate
between the cold- and warm-blooded extremes. The large dinosaurs may also have
maintained a nearly constant body temperature by mass or inertia homeothermy.
In this view, their bulk provided a large reservoir of heat. In other words,
they may have kept warm simply by being large," he explained.
Greg
didn't like the fact that he seemed to be siding with the female, who obviously
knew nothing.
"Name
a species as a proving point," he challenged.
"Large
saltwater crocodiles of northern Australia. Although cold-blooded, their
internal temperature has been measured to stay within a two-degree Celsius
range, day or night."
Greg
was about to try and protest, by saying just about anything at this point. He
hated to be out-debated. But Dr. Harper interrupted.
"Okay,
I think we've had enough discussion for now. Let's get back to digging and
exploring, shall we?"
"Actually,
Dr. Harper, I think it's time for lunch," Rob spoke up.
"Very
well, then. Carry on," Harper said.
Alan
and Harper stayed behind and watched everyone leave. When they were gone,
Harper looked at him.
"What's
that young man's name? The one debating with Ms. Sattler?"
"Oh,
that one. That's Greg Diamond. His personality hasn't developed past elementary
school yet."
"I
will have to agree with that statement. He's not very likable."
Frederick
Harper was a 67-year-old man, who had spent most of his adult life in various
universities around the country. He was retired from teaching now, but still
insisted on fulfilling his position at the dig site during the summer months.
He was clean shaven and his hair was almost completely gray, with a few darker
strands here and there. Alan actually had the opportunity to take a paleobotany
course with him, years before. When he was looking for intelligent and
qualified people to help out in Montana, Dr. Harper was the first person he had
asked.
"Well,
it's just for the summer. Hopefully, we can put up with him for that short
amount of time and then he'll move on."
"Like
most of them do," Harper added.
"Yes,
they do come and go rather quickly," Alan agreed.
Harper
looked around to make sure everyone was gone.
"Did
Mr. Hammond's check come?"
"Yes.
Yes, it did," Alan quickly answered, "This morning. I was getting
worried myself."
"It's
certainly not like him to wait this long, that's for sure."
John
Hammond was a couple of years younger than Dr. Harper and was Alan's main
investor. The Hammond Foundation had been sending him a check for thirty
thousand dollars a year for the last three years. Alan had never gotten the
chance to meet Hammond in person, but he had talked with him on the phone on
several occasions. Hammond seemed nice enough, as he appeared to just have a
boy's fascination with dinosaurs. Alan never questioned too closely, why
Hammond chose to fund his digs. He just really appreciated the funding, so he
was very pleasant with Hammond during each phone conversation, answering his
every question patiently. A few years back, on the insistence of Kathryn, Alan
had agreed to write a paper for Hammond on the dietary habits of juvenile
dinosaurs for a hefty fee. At least it was hefty in Alan and Kathryn's point of
view. Fifty thousand dollars. After Hammond's lawyer continued to hound him on
the phone, at all hours of the night and day, Alan had called the deal off.
After a quick negotiation, he had settled for twelve thousand and the promise
of no more phone calls. Now things were more peaceful, and he was allowed to go
about the business of digging up dinosaurs for a living without distractions.
"He
didn't even send the traditional letter, wishing us success and good
fortune," Alan said.
"He
must be a very busy man," Harper guessed.
Alan
nodded in agreement, and then thought of something else to ask his associate.
"Did
we get a delivery date on that hauler?"
"I'm
not for certain. You'll have to ask Rob about that."
"Okay.
Well, I'm going to get something to eat. I'll talk to you later."
"I'm
going to begin cataloging some of the more significant finds that we've had, so
far."
Alan
had already turned toward his trailer. When Harper had mentioned something
about significant finds, he turned around again.
"You've
already collected some good stuff?"
"Yeah.
A few things, here and there. Some of the students have been finding things on
the East Hill, Horizon 1," Harper said, smiling.
"That's
great, Fred."
"With
some luck and good timing, I'm hoping to surpass last year's collection of
discoveries," Harper commented.
Chapter 4: A
New Discovery
May 29,
1991 – Wednesday
Alan's presence had been requested
on the East Hill, Horizon 1, of the dig site. It seemed that a couple of students
had uncovered a possible new discovery for the team, in the way of a plant. He
reached the correct location and found Allison and Ellie standing next to some
rocks and staring at the ground. Secretly, he was very happy that it was these
two students, who might have found something substantial. They were very
knowledgeable people and were very hard working. Logan was usually with them,
though, and there were no signs of the boy. He would try and ask about that
later.
"Rumor
has it that something good may have been discovered here," he said.
Hearing
his voice, Ellie looked up and smiled.
"I'm
hoping the rumors are true," she said.
Alan
smiled back, and then knelt down to investigate the discovery. After a few
moments of silence, he finally stood up. Ellie and Allison looked at him with
great anticipation. He finally said something.
"This
is wonderful. It looks to be complete, too," he said. He looked at Ellie,
"Can you identify it, Ms. Sattler?"
Ellie
thought for a few seconds. She had already been trying to figure out that very
question, even before he had arrived. She had an idea, so she went with it.
"Well,
I believe it's Class Magnoliopsida," she answered.
Alan
nodded.
"Sub
class Rosidae," she added.
"Very
good perception," Alan said proudly.
"From
the Cretaceous Period."
"I
agree. And when it is examined by Dr. Harper, would you like to be
present?"
"Yes!
That would be wonderful, thank you," Ellie said.
Alan
smiled and then looked over at Allison.
"You
are invited, as well, since it looks as though the two of you have discovered
it together."
"Thank
you, sir. I'd be honored," Allison said, smiling.
"Which
brings me to a question. Where's Logan?"
"He's
not here today. I think Rob said something about him being sick," Allison
answered.
"That's
too bad, too. He would have loved this," Ellie said.
Alan
was pleased to see how Ellie was really sincere about Logan. She was a very
decent human being, but he had already known that much.
"Well,
let's see about extracting this great find, shall we?" He asked the two
women.
"I'm
very much looking forward to that," Ellie said.
"Before
you disturb its resting place, we'll need to mark the area and get it charted.
And the fossil should be stabilized. We'll need some glue."
"Okay,"
Ellie said.
"The
glue is stored in one of the supply tents. I'll be right back."
Ellie
nodded and then Alan turned to walk away. He didn't get far before he turned to
face her again.
"Would
you like to come along?"
"Yes,"
Ellie said as calm as she could manage. Then she looked at Allison, "I'll
be right back. Keep an eye on our find, so no one else claims it."
Allison
laughed.
"I'll
guard it with my life," she said smiling.
Ellie
smiled in return and then caught up with Alan, who was already walking away.
When she was shoulder to shoulder with him, he looked her way.
"You
really are very lucky. There haven't been very many complete plant discoveries.
I'm very glad you're here. You have a great eye."
"Thank
you, Dr. Grant," she said.
Alan
changed the subject toward something more personal.
"Did
you get your car window fixed?"
"Yeah.
I just had to pay a deductible, so it worked out fine."
"That
drunk guy should be paying your deductible."
"Well,
I think I may have gotten him fired, so that's probably payment enough."
He
nodded. They continued to walk through the dig site. They passed three or four
trailers and several teepees, before Alan slowed down. He looked as though he
were temporarily lost, and then he snapped his fingers and continued.
"Not
a tent. It's in a teepee," he said to himself aloud.
Still
following him, Ellie could hear music playing from somewhere, as he went into a
nearby teepee. He opened the flap and gestured for her to go first. She did and
when she got inside she was quite surprised at just how much room was in there.
There was an old radio inside, tuned to an AM oldies station. "Will You
Still Love Me Tomorrow" by the Shirelles, had just begun to play. The song
continued on for a few verses.
Tonight you're mine
completely
You give your love so
sweetly
Tonight the light of
love is in your eyes
but will you love me
tomorrow ...
Ellie
interrupted it.
"This
one teepee holds quite a lot of supplies," she said, looking around still.
"Yes
they do. They're much better than bloody tents. They have more room inside and
the ever present wind doesn't blow them over."
She
nodded as she watched him rummaging through some supplies. She was about to ask
him if he needed help, which is when he sort of found what he was searching
for.
"Ah-ha!
There it is. I just have to squeeze in there and get it. It must have fallen
down somehow."
He
removed his fedora, placing it on a nearby metal table, and then he bent down.
Ellie almost immediately picked up the hat. It was heavier than she had
expected it to be. She quickly put the hat back where she had found it before
he noticed. Alan found the item he was looking for . . . the glue.
"Got
it," he said, as he got up from the ground.
He
put the glue container on the table next to his hat, picked up the hat and
placed it on his head. Ellie reached for the glue, trying to help, but he was
already reaching for it, too. Their hands lightly touched for a second and then
Ellie moved, letting him pick up the item. Both of them were quiet for a
moment, as the song continued to play.
... that your love
is love that I can be
sure of
so tell me now and won't
ask again
will you still love me
tomorrow ...
Alan
was starting to feel the same way he had felt when he had first laid eyes on
her. He was attracted to her, that was for certain, but he knew it wouldn't be
wise to react to that attraction. Ellie mostly felt the same way, but she had
some questions that were in need of answering.
"Dr.
Grant," she began.
He
looked at her. She felt weird addressing him as Dr. Grant after she had already
been calling him Alan a few days ago. She tried not to let that bother her.
"I
was wondering," she pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket, "if
I was to call this number . . . would it come here?" She asked, gesturing
to the phone on the metal table.
"No.
It would go to my trailer, which is a bit more south of where we are right
now."
"Oh,
okay."
The
song ended with repeats of the chorus.
so tell me now and I
won't ask again
will you still love me
tomorrow
will you still love me
tomorrow
will you still love me
tomorrow
After
a beat, Ellie asked another question.
"Do
you find it awkward to talk to me?" She asked directly.
"No,
not really. Well, maybe a little," he confessed, scratching the back of
his neck.
Ellie
was about to ask more questions, when he glanced at his watch.
"I've
got to get going. I was supposed to meet Dr. Harper about ten minutes ago. I'll
get him to come and chart your discovery."
Ellie
nodded. Alan continued.
"Now
that you have the correct tool for the job," he handed the glue to her,
"you'll be able to properly protect your find now."
"Thank
you. Why is this stuff stored in here?"
"Well,
there is acetone in the mixture and it can't be exposed to the sun."
"Like
nail polish remover?" She asked.
"Exactly.
The acetone evaporates quickly and the glue remains, helping to prevent the
fossil from shattering."
"Oh,
okay."
Alan
smiled, as he put his hat on.
"When
things are found, they need to be protected as soon as possible, so you can
begin doing that," he said.
"I'll
try not to disappoint you."
Alan
had already started to walk toward the flap entrance. He turned around, looked
at her, and smiled.
"I
don't think that it's possible for you to disappoint me, Ms. Sattler. I'll meet
you back at the digging area in about ten minutes. Get that solution on as soon
as you get over there, okay?"
Before
she could respond, he walked out of the teepee, quickly disappearing. Ellie
stood there for a second, shaking her head and laughing, and then she exited
the teepee, as well. As she left, she was humming the words to "Will You
Still Love Me Tomorrow."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She
found Allison near their digging area, arguing with Gregory Diamond. Ellie
began to walk faster, already deciding to be on Allison's side before she even
knew what they were arguing about.
"What's
going on?"
Her
yelling got their attention. As Greg looked her way, Ellie continued.
"And
what are you doing here?"
"This
is a great find. It looks to be complete and intact. I'm going to help with the
extraction," he said.
"No,
you're not," Ellie stated, getting closer to whom she perceived as an
idiot.
"That's
EXACTLY what I already tried to explain to him, Ellie. Only he doesn't have the
capacity to listen," Allison angrily said.
Greg
looked at both women, who were obviously upset with his being there. He didn't
care though. All he knew was that there was a perfect fossil in front of him
and since no one else of importance had seen it yet, he was going to claim a
part of it. Maybe even all of it.
"Well,
since I don't see any of those famed scientists around, I'm including myself in
your little discovery."
Allison
was about to correct him, as she knew that Dr. Grant had seen the fossil
already, but Ellie stopped her from pointing that out, by shushing her. Allison
slightly smiled, knowing that it would look much worse for Greg to claim his
discovery on his own in the presence of Dr. Grant. Ellie looked at Greg.
"This
is your last chance to cease being an asshole, for once in your life."
Greg
answered her request by grabbing the glue out of her hand. He knelt down next
to the fossil.
"Just
shut up and learn your place here," he said as he began to remove the lid
from the glue container.
Ellie
was beyond furious, especially with that last crack at the female race.
"Allison,
could you go get Dr. Grant and tell him we're ready to log our discovery?"
"Sure."
"I
think he's with Dr. Harper," Ellie suggested, never taking her eyes away
from Greg.
Allison
nodded and left the area. Ellie leaned in and grabbed the container from the
truly annoying man.
"My
glue. I went and got it. Get your own, you lazy, lying, good-for-nothing
asshole."
Greg
stood up.
"Fine,
I will," he said, as he looked to his right, "just as soon as Dr.
Grant is here and gone."
Ellie
followed his gaze and saw Allison and Alan coming in their direction. Allison
had found him and they were en route to the discovery. Alan smiled as he opened
the journal in his hand. It was a daily journal, already about half full. There
was still about three hours of daylight left, too, making this particular day a
great one, in terms of discoveries. As they approached the location, he noticed
that there was a third student near the find. That Diamond kid.
"How's
everything going?" He asked, as he stopped in front of the area.
Ellie
stood by and let Greg Diamond make a fool of himself. The undeserving young man
stepped up to the plate.
"I
found this just a few hours ago, Dr. Grant. I believe it to be intact,
sir."
Alan
eyed the student closely, but didn't speak. He was giving him a chance to take
back his statement. He didn't seem to be considering any type of retraction or
confession, though.
"Mr.
Diamond, when did you say you found this?"
Greg
began to sweat slightly, trying to remember when Ellie had found it.
"About
. . . a half hour ago, sir."
Alan
looked at Ellie and Allison. The two women were just standing there quietly. He
had thought that one or the other would have spoken up by now, but it looked as
though they were leaving it up to him. He turned his attention back to the
little jerk.
"A
half hour, you say?"
Greg
nodded, looking like he might not be certain anymore.
"Yes,
sir."
"Well,
that is quite funny, Mr. Diamond."
"It
is?" Greg said, swallowing uncomfortably.
"Yes.
Yes, it is."
Alan
continued to stare at him for quite a long time. He managed to make the kid
feel so uncomfortable, that Ellie actually started to feel a little bad for
him. Finally, Alan spoke again.
"Tell
me, Mr. Diamond, how could you find something that Ellie and Allison had
already found about an hour before you?"
Greg,
who had been full of snide remarks and just pure meanness since he had gotten
there, could only think of one response.
"Huh?"
"Good
answer," Alan commented. He waited another second and then continued,
"It looks as though you've been caught in a slight lie."
"I
can explain . . ."
"I
bet you can. But you want to know a little secret? I don't care to hear that
explanation. You are not a team player, Mr. Diamond."
"I
can be, Dr. Gr---"
"I
want you packed and out of here in an hour."
"What?
You can't do that!"
"I
can. And I just did."
"These
girls wouldn't know what to do with this find. They would just screw it up. You
know that. Paleontology is a man's job."
Ellie
became enraged very quickly. She was about to say something, when Alan put up
his hand, halting her verbal . . . and possibly physical . . . assault.
"I'm
not going to comment on that. You have a lot of growing up to do. And if this
is all the growing up that you're planning on doing, then maybe you should look
into another profession."
Greg
stared at Alan for several seconds. Ellie and Allison witnessed the tension
between the two. Alan may have been the boss, but Greg was about two inches
taller than he was, making him look fairly menacing. Alan held his ground, though.
The young man turned and angrily walked toward one of the tents. Ellie breathed
a little easier and noticed that Alan was doing the same thing.
"Well,
that was fun," he said, taking a deep breath.
"I
thought he was going to deck you," Allison said.
Alan
laughed.
"You
and me both."
They
all laughed nervously, and then Alan got down to business.
"Okay,
let's get this beautiful discovery out of the rocks and into Dr. Harper's
office."
Ellie
and Allison nodded and the three of them began the protecting process.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As
was usually the case, Alan was the last person working at the dig site. He
walked past the few small parties that were set up in the camp, nodding and
greeting various people, and then reached his trailer. He wasn't in a very good
mood. First, there was that confrontation with Greg Diamond, and then Ellie and
Allison had spent the rest of the day with Dr. Harper. When the examination of
the fossil plant was finished, Harper had sent them home. He didn't even know
that Ellie had left the site, which sort of disappointed him for some reason.
He just wanting to get inside the trailer, get to sleep, and end the day.
That's
when Greg Diamond approached him in a civilized manner.
"Dr.
Grant. I really need to stay here. I need to complete this summer volunteer
work, or I'll be forced to hold off my progress in school."
Alan
looked at him. He was astonished at how this kid didn't give up.
"Mr.
Diamond, you should have thought about that before that little mishap in the
field today."
"Just
reinstate me," Greg said in a serious tone.
"I'm
not going to reinstate you."
Greg
was beginning to unravel some. He took a step closer to Alan.
"I
NEED this job. I need you to forget about what happened out there today.
Please."
Alan
was starting to feel as if Greg wasn't really asking him to do something. He
was telling him to do something.
"I'm
sure you can find another place to finish up your volunteer work. Why don't you
try a different state?"
Greg
got even closer.
"No.
You don't understand. It's VERY important that I stay here."
Greg
had come from a wealthy family, but had a very eccentric great grandfather.
According to his great grandfather's will, Greg had to finish certain things at
certain times in order to get his inheritance. The old guy had been a geologist
and wanting Greg to follow in his footsteps. That was the only way he would
ever see Greg as being fit for the money. Greg needed to be finished with his
second year by the end of the summer. And he needed this volunteer work to be
able to move forward. The school his grandfather had hand-picked required
volunteer work in the field, in its curriculum. There was only a handful of
approved sites, so Greg had no choice but to stay, since this was the only one
that had accepted him at all.
"I
suggest you back off. I'm not letting you back in," Alan said strongly.
"How
about I pay you for the inconvenience of the happenings from earlier?"
"Sorry,
Mr. Diamond. I'm not the bribe-taking kind of guy."
Greg
had tried everything in his power to help himself. It was clear to him that
this asshole of an instructor wasn't going to let him back into the program. He
decided to give up on the idea and leave, but his rage got the better of him.
He took another step closer to Alan . . . and pushed him.
"You
will regret that decision one day."
Alan
stepped back. He couldn't believe the guts this kid had.
"Now
you're resorting to threatening me?"
"It's
just a general statement. Take it as you like," Greg said, turning away.
Alan
stood there in shock. All these years on the job and he had never once been
threatened by a student. He did feel slightly endangered. He was just relieved
that Greg had given up and seemed to be going away. The kid was a rotten apple.
Chapter 5:
Evolution of Dinosaurs
June 1, 1991 –
Monday
Bright and early, on the first day
of the new month, Alan decided to begin the day with a topical conversation.
Rob had gathered everyone near one of the trailers, allowing Alan to begin
talking about his favorite topic of conversation, when it came to dinosaurs.
"Anyone
have any thoughts about the dinosaur and bird theory? Either for or against
it?"
Dave,
the twenty-year-old student, raised his hand.
"Dave,
you have some thoughts on the subject?"
Alan
was much taller than Dave. He didn't want to intimidate the young student in
the least, so he leaned against a nearby table that had been set up by the
trailer.
"A
few, yes. I'm no expert, but from what I've been able to read, I think the idea
that dinosaurs evolved into birds is . . . well, kind of silly."
Some
of the other students and volunteers agreed, as they nodded and quietly talked
amongst themselves for a second. Rob shook his head, as he knew this was one of
Alan's favorite debates. Almost every summer, he was able to persuade people to
join the other side of the debate.
"Well,
Dave, it may sound silly, but there is a lot of proof to back it up."
"I
wasn't really aware of the proof, Dr. Grant," Dave commented, getting more
curious about the subject matter.
Alan
smiled and continued.
"There
are, indeed, incredible similarities between birds and the theropod dinosaurs.
Especially the coelurosaurs. And then there's also the work of Dr. J.H. Ostrom,
from 1969, about the similarities between the Deinonychus antirrhopus and the
Archaeopteryx. And then, for a more recent study, Dr. Gauthier's work in the
mid-1980's provided the best analytical support for the theory. The list of
studies and reports is endless."
Rob
took notice of how everyone was quiet and just staring at Alan. There were a
few people in the crowd who looked as though they were just given a key to
their open-mindedness. He had done it again. He was able to get a few more
people on his side.
Ellie
wasn't one of them yet. She had her own thoughts and ideas on the subject,
mostly influenced by another professor from California.
"But
there is no convincing evidence that dinosaur skin or scales ever mutated into
feathers," she pointed out.
Alan
stood up and turned his attention toward her, and then she added something
else.
"No
example of scales changing into feathers has ever been found, at least to my
knowledge. A convincing fossil link between dinosaurs and birds is still
missing."
"That
is true, but there are many scientists, myself included, that are trying to
find evidence to the contrary," he said, as he talked with his hands
moving about, "I believe it's just a matter of time, and money, before
substantial evidence will be discovered, showing that feathers and scales are
more similar than not."
Ellie
sort of bought that statement, but she still wasn't convinced.
"What
about the finger digits of dinosaur forearms and the corresponding bird wing
bones of birds? There are putative differences between theropod and bird finger
development," she said.
"That
argument, and others, such as lung morphology and ankle bone morphology. They
all stumble on certain fundamentals of research, including the lack of relevant
data on extinct theropods, misinterpretations of anatomy, simplifying assumptions
about developmental flexibility, and/or speculations about convergence,
biomechanics, or selective pressures."
Alan
loved debating about this topic. He was behind this theory one hundred percent.
He could tell that Ellie was starting to think about what he was saying, which
pleased him. He realized she wasn't quite convinced, though, as she offered
another counter measure.
"The
fossil bird Archaeopteryx. It causes fundamental time conflict for
dinosaur-bird evolution. A gap in the fossil record, if you will," she
said.
"This
overlooks the blatant fact that other maniraptoran coelurosaurs, such as
Ornitholestes, Coelurus, and Compsognathus, are known from strata of Late
Jurassic age. If other maniraptorans were there, it logically follows that the
ancestors of dromaeosaurs were there."
"Dr.
Grant," someone said, interrupting the debate.
Alan
turned around and saw Dr. Porter looking at him.
"What
is it, Dr. Porter? Something good for once?"
The
students and volunteers chuckled, and so did Dr. Porter.
"Actually,
yes. Possibly, very good news. I need to talk to you in private, if you don't
mind."
"Sure,"
he said, as he looked at the crowd, "Back to work I guess. The morning
debate is over."
Alan
politely excused himself, as the students and volunteers began to get to work.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dr.
Carl Porter walked rather quickly, trying to find somewhere private to talk to
Alan.
"Carl,
what's this about?"
"I
was just speaking to Mr. Hammond's lawyer. Donald Gennaro."
"How
incredible," Alan joked.
"He's
interested in getting a little more research about specific species of
dinosaurs in the infancy stages."
"I'm
not writing another paper for him. He's way too pushy."
"He
just wants some research, things that you probably already have jotted down
somewhere."
Carl
Porter was 41 years old with blond hair and a full beard. He had happened upon
this job through an advertisement that Rob had placed, three summers ago. Alan
had found him extremely beneficial at that time, with the untimely death of
Kathryn taking up most of Alan's mind, keeping him from working as he should.
Having been married himself at the time, Porter could sympathize with the
younger scientist, and was more than willing to take up the slack. He was a
serious-minded and dedicated man, leaving little time for a personal life. He
was classified as a geologist, but also had some undergraduate work in both
paleontology and general science.
"What's
he offering?" Alan asked.
"Another
ten thousand. Just for some notes that you have shoved in a folder somewhere,
Alan. You cannot say no to a request like that."
"Yeah,
probably not," Alan said quietly, slowly adjusting to the idea.
"It
could help pay for that hauler."
"Good
point."
Porter
was going to attempt to further talk him into it, when Alan put up a hand.
"Okay,
Carl. I'll do it. When does he want the data by?"
"Tomorrow.
Tonight, if at all feasible."
"Tonight?
That guy is really annoying."
"All
lawyers are annoying. Why should this one be any different."
Alan
smiled.
"The
divorce isn't going all that well, huh?"
Porter
rolled his eyes, clearly angry about the so-called divorce.
"That
is an understatement. It seems she has decided that she cannot do without the
furniture, that we had already agreed to letting me have."
"Why
don't you just give the furniture to her. Get it over with."
"I
would, but then my wonderful and ever-so-knowledgeable lawyer has informed me
that she'll just keep insisting on more belongings."
Alan
couldn't think of a thing to say to Porter. A divorce was such a stressful process.
People once inexplicably in love would suddenly turn against one another, with
nasty name calling not very far behind. It was something he had never had to
deal with and he didn't know how to help the poor man. He knew one thing,
though. The lawyers probably weren't helping very much.
"Maybe,
the two of you should get rid of the lawyers and try to resolve it
yourselves."
Porter
laughed.
"If
I did that, I'd end up with just the tent that's out here."
Alan
laughed with him.
"Well,
I'm not much help, am I?"
"That's
okay. You can redeem yourself by getting that data ready tonight, instead of
tomorrow."
"Okay,
Carl. I'll get started on it, in just a little while."
Porter
nodded and smiled, obviously happy with Alan's answer.
"Very
well, then. I'll be seeing you later, to fax the paperwork over to
Gennaro."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ellie,
Allison, Logan and Dave stayed together most of the afternoon. It was a very
hot day and they were getting discouraged fast, as they weren't able to find
something worthwhile. Ellie was going to dismiss herself very soon, and start
heading back to camp. She wanted to get to the research trailer, so that she
could see if Alan's book was there. She was sure that it would have to be
there, since he was so prominent here.
Allison
interrupted her thoughts.
"What
were you guys planning on doing for dinner tonight?"
"I
hadn't really thought about it much," she answered.
"Dinner
is usually ready when I get to the ranch," Logan answered.
"Lucky
you," Allison said, and then she looked at Ellie, "There's this
restaurant about fifteen minutes away. I've heard some of the volunteers talk
about how good the food was. Wanna try it?"
"Sure,
but I'll have to go to my apartment first. You know, change clothes and get
cleaned up," Ellie answered. She looked at Dave, "Are you going to
come, too?"
"Maybe.
I'll let you know, okay?" He answered.
"Sounds
good," Allison said, "Oh, before I forget. Are there any openings in
that building you live in?" She asked Ellie.
"Why?
Are you getting tired of living off the land?" Ellie teased.
Allison
laughed.
"Yeah,
I guess you could say that."
"Well,
I'm not sure. But if you want to stop by and talk to the manager, Mr. LaVoight,
I'm sure he'll be able to let you know."
"I
think I'll do that, then," Allison said, nodding.
"Okay.
I'll write the directions down for you."
"Thanks,
Ellie."
"So,
are we going to start heading back? We've got about an hour walk I think,"
Logan said.
Ellie
looked at her watch.
"Yeah,
we should start back. Good idea, Logan."
"I
can't believe how far we've walked in this heat," Allison said, as she
looked at her map.
"And
to find nothing," Logan said.
"Yeah,
what a let down," Dave added.
Ellie
laughed.
"Well,
it's not every day when you can find a rare fossil, get a student kicked out of
the program, and sit in on Dr. Harper's research."
"True,
true," Allison agreed, "I think we may have become somewhat spoiled
by that first discovery."
"Definitely,"
Ellie said.
"Yeah,
and I missed that one, too," Logan complained.
"Cheer
up, Logan. I'm sure you'll be able to find something."
Logan
smirked.
"Thanks."
They
continued their trek back to base camp.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After
arriving back at camp, Ellie had said her goodbyes and had walked around,
trying to find the research trailer. She wanted to ask someone where the
trailer was, but there wasn't a soul in the vicinity. She continued to scan the
area and found Alan walking quite a distance away from where she was. She
watched him go into a trailer on the other side of the camp. She smiled and
began to go in that direction. There were teepee's set up everywhere with one
lone trailer in the middle. When she was close to the trailer, she could see
the words "Research" stamped on the front door. She began to feel a
sense of urgency steadily growing inside, as she slowly approached the trailer
door. The wind was strong that afternoon. The screen door drifted open, and
then quickly slammed shut again, several times. She was about to grab the
screen door after a gust of wind, when she was startled from behind.
"Ellie?"
Allison asked.
She
turned around quickly grasping her chest in surprise.
"Allison.
You scared the hell out of me!" She whispered in an excited voice.
Allison
laughed.
"Sorry
about that. What are you doing? Whatever it is, it seems secretive since I
scared you so easily just now."
"I
. . . just need to ask Dr. Grant a question. He just went in here."
Ellie
tried to throw her off the trail. She really didn't want to explain everything
going through her mind at the moment. Now that she thought about it, she didn't
think she could explain it since she had no clue what she was doing either.
Allison
decided to buy the story . . . for now.
"Okay,
I'm going to go find Dave. He decided to go eat with us."
Ellie
grabbed hold of the swinging door. She made it up to the fourth and final step,
and put a hand on the door knob of the real door.
"Okay,
okay."
"I'm
starving, Ellie, so hurry up," Allison said, trying to get her to realize
that she was serious.
Ellie
threw a look of annoyance her way.
"I
know. Just give me a second."
Allison
nodded, but it was obvious that she knew something out of the ordinary was
going on. She would try and get it out of her later in private. She turned and
walked away, looking for Dave and leaving Ellie to her secretive mission.
Ellie
was watching Allison disappear from view before she went inside. She still had
her hand on the door knob, when it was suddenly pulled in the opposite
direction. She was jerked forward, running directly into the person on the
other side of the door. Alan Grant. He was looking down at a folder in his hand
as he walked out, stopping him from seeing her. They gently collided with each
other on the small wooden landing.
"Oh,
excuse me," he said, looking up.
When
he realized who he had run into, a smile crept upon his face. Ellie noticed and
returned the smile.
"That's
okay. My fault really. I'm the one that's not where she belongs."
She
turned and began to walk down the four stairs. She had made it all the way to
the dirt.
"Did
you need something?" Alan asked, his voice stopping her movement.
With
her back to him, she took a giant breath of fresh air and then turned around.
"Well,
uh . . .I wanted to ask you a question actually."
This
was the same thing she had told Allison. It was no truer now than it had been a
few minutes ago, but it was all she could think of on such short notice.
Alan
walked all the way out of the trailer, holding the screen door so that it
wouldn't flap in the wind. Ellie was backing up and was already off the steps,
while Alan stared at her. Her mind was blank. She couldn't come up with a
single intelligent thing to say. The wind picked up even stronger, causing the
screen door to rip from his hand and begin flapping again. The papers in the
folder he was holding threatened to blow violently away in the wind. Since she
was just standing there, saying nothing, he spoke up.
"Let's
go back inside . . . where the weather is a bit nicer."
"Okay,"
she said as she quickly walked up the steps and went inside.
He
held the door open for her. When she was inside, he closed the main door,
leaving the screen door to fight the wind alone.
The
room was fairly quiet, as Ellie looked around. This trailer held nothing but
research materials; shelves and shelves of books and various scientific
journals, as well as instructor notes and things. Alan noticed she was
curiously looking around.
"This
is the research trailer."
Ellie
looked in his direction and nodded, and then after a short silence, "I
don't really have a question," she quietly confessed.
He
chuckled at her honesty. He was sort of hoping that she came here for something
else anyway. He decided that he would let her make the first move. He wasn't
going to say another word unless she did.
She
began to have the urge to kiss him and that was the only thing allowed into her
mind. She cleared her throat and looked away from him.
"How
strange this whole thing is," she commented.
He
nodded.
"Yes.
It is a little awkward."
After
another short silence, Ellie changed the subject.
"So,
you live here at the dig site?"
The
only thing she wanted out of the question was to know where his bed was.
"Yeah,"
he paused, "Well, not in this trailer. But the larger trailer over near
the South entrance."
"That's
convenient."
They
stood there staring at each other. Alan was thinking about how beautiful she was.
Ellie was dreaming of kissing his lips. They walked a bit closer to each other
and Alan put a hand on one of the chairs in the room. The chair was the only
thing between them now and he rolled it out of the way. Ellie took a step
closer, taking up the space the chair had occupied. He wanted to lean in and
kiss her. She wanted to do the same. They were about to get caught up in the
moment, when the door suddenly opened. Alan took a step back and directed his
attention away from the beautiful woman in front of him.
Hello,
Dr. Porter," he said.
Carl
Porter was probably the instructor with the most knowledge at the dig site, but
with the least common sense. He hadn't even noticed how close his fellow
professor was to the young beautiful student.
"Dr.
Grant, I was wondering if you might have seen the field journals from two
months ago."
Alan
glanced at Ellie. He really wanted to continue what they were about to do, but
he tried to place that thought far back in his mind.
"They're
not in the file cabinet in Trailer A?"
"No.
I already looked there."
"Okay,
well, I haven't seen them, but I'd be happy to help you find them."
"Thanks
Alan. That would be a grand help."
Alan
nodded to Dr. Porter and then looked at Ellie again.
"Anything
else you need, Ms. Sattler?" He asked, hoping that it sounded convincing.
Ellie
wanted something else, but didn't see that this was the appropriate time or
place for divulging her feelings. She began to envision throwing Dr. Porter out
of the trailer and it made her slightly smile. She was about to answer is
question, when she noticed his book laying out on one of the tables.
"Actually,
I'll just grab this and I'll be on my way," she said, picking up the book.
She
excused herself from the trailer, walked to the door and took one more look
inside. Alan was looking back at her, while Dr. Porter was searching the room.
She smiled, as she was certain they both wanted the same thing now. She could
wait. She had no choice really. She walked down the path to find Allison and
Dave.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Allison
pulled up to the apartment complex. She double-checked the directions that were
scribbled on a piece of paper. When she was satisfied that she was in the right
place, she parked her car. Ellie had gotten out of going to eat, leaving Allison
to eat with Dave by herself. After dinner, Allison was supposed to go to her
apartment to meet the manager.
Ellie
was sitting on the couch in her small living room, reading the book that she
had borrowed from the research trailer. She had taken several minutes, just
thumbing through the fully illustrated book, before she actually got down to
reading. It was a very quiet time of day and she was deep in thought, as she
read to herself.
The
dinosaur-bird connection was first popularized by evolutionist Thomas Henry
Huxley as early as 1870. Supporters point to the theropods, small meat-eating
dinosaurs. Most of these animals were ten feet or less in length, moved about
on two legs, and had small forearms. The theropods had a superficial ostrich
type skeletal appearance, which led to the idea that these dinosaurs eventually
changed into birds.
Her
reading was interrupted by a buzzing noise, coming from the call box. She
quickly got up, placed the book on the coffee table, and went to the call box.
She pushed a button and leaned forward.
"Allison?
That you?"
A
few seconds went by and then she heard Allison's voice.
"Yep."
Ellie
pushed another button, allowing the door downstairs to be unlocked. She opened
her apartment door and looked for Allison. Allison gained entrance and walked
up a flight of stairs, meeting Ellie in the hallway.
"Did
you find it okay?" Ellie asked.
"Oh,
yeah. No problems."
They
went inside the apartment and Ellie shut the door. Allison took in the
surroundings. The apartment had three rooms. The main living area with a
kitchen, a bedroom and a bathroom.
"Small,
but nice, Ellie."
"Thanks.
I like it."
Allison
went to go sit on a chair and noticed the book Ellie was reading. She laughed.
"Evolution
of Dinosaurs, by Dr. Alan Grant, PhD?"
Ellie
hurried to the coffee table and picked up the book.
"I
thought some of his points were very well thought out. I just wanted to
research the topic a bit more."
"He
really struck a chord, huh?"
"What
do you mean?" Ellie asked, defensively.
Allison
shook her head.
"It's
just you were against his viewpoint. And now you're changing your tune."
"Oh,
well, I hadn't had the opportunity to hear someone explain it the way he does.
That's all. A student's viewpoint is always influenced by the instructors
around her."
"Yes,
that is true," Allison said.
"His
theories sound feasible and he has quite a bit of research to back them
up," Ellie added.
The
way Ellie was holding the book, Allison could see the back cover. There was a
picture of Alan, taken at the dig site. He was wearing his hat and looking very
handsome in the Montana sun.
"Plus,
he looks really good," she said, gesturing to the back cover.
Ellie
turned it around and looked at it. He had looked very good, that was obvious.
She had already noticed the picture, but suddenly she felt like Allison might
see right through her feelings for Alan if she admitted that.
"Yeah,
it is a very nice picture. I hadn't noticed," she said, placing the book
on the couch next to her.
Allison
picked it up and quickly scanned a few pages. She opened it up to a list of the
similar characteristics between birds and dinosaurs.
The
first birds shared the following major skeletal characteristics with many
coelurosaurian dinosaurs (especially those of their own clade, the Maniraptora,
which includes Velociraptor):
1. Pubis (one of the three bones making up the vertebrate
pelvis) shifted from an anterior to a more posterior orientation (see
Saurischia), and bearing a small distal "boot".
2. Elongated arms and
forelimbs and clawed manus (hands).
3. Large orbits (eye
openings in the skull).
4. Flexible wrist with a
semi-lunate carpal (wrist bone).
5. Hollow, thin-walled
bones.
6. 3-fingered opposable
grasping manus (hand), 4-toed pes (foot); but supported by 3 main toes.
7. Reduced, posteriorly
stiffened tail.
8. Elongated metatarsals
(bones of the feet between the ankle and toes).
9. S-shaped curved neck.
10. Erect, digitgrade
(ankle held well off the ground) stance with feet postitioned directly below
the body.
11. Similar eggshell
micro structure.
12. Teeth with a
constriction between the root and the crown.
13. Functional basis for wing power stroke present in arms
and pectoral girdle (during motion, the arms were swung down and forward, then
up and backwards, describing a "figure-eight" when viewed laterally).
14. Expanded pneumatic
sinuses in the skull.
15. Five or more
vertebrae incorporated into the sacrum (hip).
16. Strap-like scapula
(shoulder blade).
17. Clavicles
(collarbone) fused to form a furcula (wishbone).
18. Hinge-like ankle
joint, with movement mostly restricted to the fore-aft plane.
19. Secondary bony
palate (nostrils open posteriorly in throat).
After
reading through the first ten characteristics, Allison nodded in agreement with
them all. She looked at Ellie.
"Could
I borrow this book when you're finished?"
Ellie
smiled.
"Sure."
Allison
placed the book back on the coffee table and clapped her hands together.
"Okay,
let's go meet with the apartment manager," she said.
Ellie
nodded and they left the apartment, in search of Mr. LaVoight.
© 2002 Yvonne Bartha