The Most Challenging Part of the Project

When working in Susan’s lab, the most challenging aspect was definitely the first few days of trying to identify the insects. We were handed a huge packet of class level 400 college notes about general entomology and a pile of insect fossils and told to just go at it. The insects in the notes and the fossilized remains looked very different, making it difficult to identify them. On the rock they just looked like small smushed up spots. Not really knowing what to look for was incredibly frustrating, and we didn’t have many people to turn to. Most of her lab workers were not experienced in dealing with insect fossils, so there was only so much advice they could give. However, we forged through, and it eventually became much easier.