Asphalt: a thick and viscous liquid that is a naturally occurring byproduct of crude oil
Canid: a mammal of the dog family
Damaged areas: Cracks or fractures present in fossil specimens due to preservation conditions
Degreasing solvent: A chemical that dissolves heavy oils and greases such as asphalt
Femur: Upper thigh bone
Hazardous material: A material that can cause damage to human health or the environment
Integrity: Condition of being whole, stable, and/or unbroken
Matrix: The sedimentary material surrounding fossils
Metapodial: A long bone in hands and feet between the wrist/ankle and fingers/toes
Morphology: The shape and form of bones
Permineralization: A type of fossilization caused by water-carried mineral deposition into spaces in an organism
Preparation: The process of exposing fossil features from matrix and ensuring long term stability
Residual: Anything remaining after the original material has been removed
Tar Pit: An informal general term for a fossil deposit created by asphalt
Unfused sutures: Spaces between cranial bones that are closely enmeshed but remain separated during early life, eventually bonding together during an animal’s life
Vertebra: Bone in the spinal column (backbone)
