Carnivorous dinosaurs in Cookeville?

by Karen Lykins

Tennessee Tech students help make the Highlands Prehistoric Museum a reality

"There are dinosaur bones in Cookeville, and I am getting to work with them!” Tennessee Tech University zoology student Kyla Anderson of Jamestown, Tenn., summed up her amazement with the opportunity she and TTU students have begun at the recently opened Highlands Prehistoric Museum. More than a half-dozen TTU undergraduate students say they never envisioned working with real dinosaur bones in their own backyard.

But they and dozens of other university students, including TTU art and drama majors, are big reasons the museum can offer a glimpse of prehistoric life and the processes it takes to find, prepare and showcase dinosaur bones.

“They’re right, in this part of the country, you just don’t get that chance,” said Jerry Jacene, a retired military man who’s made dinosaurs his passion for the past 20 years. “But we want this museum to be an extended campus for TTU students of all majors to bring their talents and enthusiasm.”

Located at the former Wilson building near the depot, the museum offers dinosaur fans in the midstate and beyond a chance to see actual fossils and behindthe- scenes looks at how the bones are handled.

But for TTU students, the opportunities are just unfolding. Geology, wildlife and zoology majors are learning to prepare, mold and cast fossils, and construct dioramas. These students work daily on an 11-by-8-feet slab from Montana’s Two Medicine Formation that holds numerous bones. The slab, affectionately called “BOB,” for bunch of bones, is encased in a field jacket, a plaster casting made in the field to hold soil and remains for transportation.

TTU geology professor Larry Knox supports and applauds this rare opportunity for students.

“Our students are excavating the surface of the rock slab and revealing dinosaur bone and teeth,” he explained. “The slab has about three large carnivorous dinosaurs and several duckbill dinosaurs.”

As students have worked with the slab, they’ve seen a story unfold of six duckbill dinosaurs that dropped in their tracks. The slab also contains evidence of several other dinosaurs that experienced the same fate. Based on more than 200 shed teeth, predigested bones and stomach contents, Jacene says these students have seen evidence of cannibalism that others have never seen.

Jesse S. Hill, a junior geology major, works on excavating fossils and bones from BOB (Bunch of Bones), a slab from Montana’s Two Medicine Formation that holds numerous bones.

Junior geology major Jesse Hill of Nashville says he is stunned at his good fortune.

“As a kid, I thought scientists had dinosaurs all figured out,” said Hill. “I’m amazed at how much there still is to discover.”

Justin Holeman, a junior wildlife major from Cookeville, may have the biggest story to tell from the experience. His patience paid off when he found a tooth in the hip bone of one of the fossils. Big deal?

“Yes, the tooth is the first evidence that this particular dinosaur was cannibalistic,” said Jacene. “Had Justin picked it up and said, ‘What’s this?’, the evidence of the find would have been destroyed.

“It’s a rarity to find young people with this much patience,” said Jacene.

Jacene says his TTU connection started about 20 years ago when he wandered into Knox’s office seeking his help identifying a local fossil he’d found.

“All of this,” Jacene said, pointing around the museum and laughing, “is his fault. Larry allowed me to audit some of his classes and helped me develop a passion for this work.”

The museum extends the classroom for students other than geology, biology and zoology majors. Thirteen TTU art students began filling museum walls with murals in mid-March. Jacene is offering the walls as canvases to Professor Pat Coleman’s class focusing on teaching art appreciation in schools.

“We have a one-hour field component that leaves us open to opportunities to paint murals all over town,” said Coleman. “Jerry called and offered us this opportunity in time for me to write it into the syllabus, so we started work at the museum as a class.”

The art students submitted renderings to Jacene of their visions for the murals after spending about two weeks researching what authentic flora and trees should be included.

Jacene also had some inspiring words about the motivation about what visitors take away from the painted walls. He likened it to a scene that provoked strong emotions after tornados ripped through Tennessee towns last year.

“It reminded me of Earth’s violent past and times of extinction,” he said. “Life changed then and now, and it will change in the future. But life adapts.”

Tech art students create the educational murals for the Highlands Prehistoric Museum as part of a class project.

Following his inspiration, students created a sunrise setting that reminds visitors that new birth always follows extinction and destruction.

Coleman says she expects her fall class to pick up the project; the agreement is to change murals each time dioramas change.

In the future, TTU drama students will also be invited each semester to perform skits for children at the dino theater area within the museum.

The Highlands Prehistoric Museum is located in Cookeville, Tenn., and is open Monday-Saturday. For more information, visit www.highlandprehistoricmuseum.com or call (931) 526-3204.

(Summer 2009)