Bone Hunters at the Museum

Photo Galleries | Updated 7 years ago

A sign reads "Keep out! WA Museum Mammal Dept Burial Area".The omnious sign warning would-be treasure hunters……..
Copyright WA Museum Two burial pits are covered in green grass and weeds with shrubs in the background during the morningWorkers were briefed on how to dig up the pits without harming the specimens.
Copyright WA Museum workers pull weeds from one of the burial pitsBefore any digging could commence, the pits first had to be weeded.
Copyright WA Museum workers use shovels and a wheelbarrow to shift yellow sand out of the wayA team of hard working staff and volunteers dug all morning.
Copyright WA Museum a specimen is dug up, it is wrapped up in green shade clothThe first specimen to be dug up! What could it be……..?
Copyright WA Museum the green shade cloth is unwrapped and the skull of a beaked whale is revealedThe specimen was a Shepherd’s beaked whale (Tasmacetus shepherdi) skull. The skull is covered in patches of residual oils and the casings of dermestid beetles and their larva.
Copyright WA Museum the skull of an African painted dog on a beige backgroundAn African painted dog (Lycaon pictus) skull.
Copyright WA Museum the skull of a bottlenose dolphin is unwrapped from shade clothUnwrapping a bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) skull.
Copyright WA Museum tiny teeth that have fallen out of the bottlenose dolphin skull are collected in a sieve by staffSifting through the sand to find teeth that had fallen out of the dolphin skulls.
Copyright WA Museum a worker cleans the sand off the bones of a sea turtleBrushing sand from the bones of a leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) skeleton.
Copyright WA Museum the jaw bones of an Asian elephant sit on the grassThe lower (left) and upper (right) jaws of a sub adult Asian elephant (Elephas maximus).
Copyright WA Museum the whole skeleton of a juvenile beaked whale are laid out on the groundA juvenile True’s beaked whale (Mesoplodon mirus) skeleton.
Copyright WA Museum shovels rest on the sides of a now empty burial pitThe emptied burial pit!
Copyright WA Museum two freshwater crocodile skulls in the laboratory are placed in a black tray for processingThe preservation process continues in the lab. Here are two freshwater crocodile (Crocodylus johnstoni) skulls ready for cleaning.
Copyright WA Museum

The Terrestrial Zoology department recently exhumed specimens that had been buried for skeletonising with the help of a team of Museum staff members and volunteers. These specimens were buried whole or partially flensed (flesh stripped from the bones) to allow naturaly occuring invertebrates in the soil eat the remaining soft tissues from the bones. Twenty-five specimens were exhumed, including several marine mammals, sea turtles and the jaws of an elephant. The bones of each specimen were carefully cleaned by brushing the soil off and then scrubbing in soapy water. The skeltons of the marine mammals contain large amounts of oil which continue to leach out of the bones over time causing a bad smell and damaging the bones. These will need to be de-greased before they are stored in the mammal reference collection.