Ammonite

a shelled organism belonging to the cephalopod grouping.

Avian

meaning bird.

Cartilage

an elastic tissue in the body.  (Example: the outer ear).

Cervical vertebrae

backbones in the neck region.

Chitin

a hardened supportive external covering of an organism (hardened skin), common in invertebrates.

Consolidant

a liquid compound used to harden or join a specimen, giving it strength.

Cranial elements

items pertaining to the skull or head.

Data

numerical and factual information compiled for study/research purposes.

Dentary

a bone in the lower jaw, closest to the front of the mouth.

Elasmosaurs

a group of long necked Plesiosaurs.

Excavated

the process used to expose and remove (by digging) ancient remains from the ground.

Extinction

the disappearance of a type of organism or group of organisms.

Genera

a grouping of organisms (species) with shared characteristics.

Humerous

the upper arm bone between the elbow and shoulder.

Hypothesized

to make an assumption or educated guess.

Invertebrate

an organism with no backbone or spinal column.

Ossified

a material or item of the body changed into bone.  (Example: cartilage to bone).

Overburden

material deposited on top of the remains of specimens.

Pneumatic

a cavity inside a bone filled with air.

Pterygoid

a bone comprising a portion of the roof of the mouth in a reptile skull.

Polycotylids

a group of short necked Plesiosaurs.

Regression

a decrease in sea level where the shoreline retreats.

Rock formations

a unit of rocks subdivided into smaller units.

Rock Sequence

a given set of rock units in a specific order of succession.

Sediments

small particles or pieces of rocks that have been weathered and deposited.

Shale

a rock composed of many fine grained sediment layers.

Speciment

a solitary item representing an organism.

Tectonic forces

forces or processes causing the Earth's crust to deform and physically change.

Undulations

a wavelike movement, moving from side to side.