High-resolution (centimetre-scale) GPS/GIS-based 3D mapping and spatial analysis of in situ fossils in two horned-dinosaur bonebeds in the Dinosaur Park Formation (Upper Cretaceous) at Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta, Canada

A groundbreaking approach to mapping fossil sites, particularly bonebeds, has been developed using high-resolution GPS/GIS-based 3D mapping techniques. This method, combining centimetre-scale global positioning system (GPS), photogrammetry, and geographic information systems (GIS), provides digital, three-dimensional, and georeferenced data that are statistically indistinguishable from traditional field measurements. The study focuses on two ceratopsid dinosaur bonebeds in Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta, Canada, demonstrating the potential of this approach to revolutionize the documentation and analysis of fossil sites. This innovation offers a powerful tool for interpreting taphonomic history, depositional processes, and palaeoecological behaviors, addressing longstanding limitations in fossil site mapping.

Brown, C. M., Herridge-Berry, S., Chiba, K., Vitkus, A., & Eberth, D. A. (2021). High-resolution (centimetre-scale) GPS/GIS-based 3D mapping and spatial analysis of in situ fossils in two horned-dinosaur bonebeds in the Dinosaur Park Formation (Upper Cretaceous) at Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta, Canada. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, 58(3), 225–246. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjes-2019-0183