Amy Davidson Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History

1. The use of cyanoacrylates and Butvar B-76 (polyvinyl butyral) on a specimen of Shuvuuia deserti (IGM 100/977)from Ukhaa Tolgod, Gobi Desert, Mongolia Amy Davidson Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History

2. The use of cyanoacrylates and Butvar B-76 (polyvinyl butyral) on a specimen of Shuvuuia deserti (IGM 100/977)from Ukhaa Tolgod, Gobi Desert, Mongolia Specimenin preparation, 1994

3. BUTVAR Trade Name: Butvar Trade Name: Krazy Glue®

4. BUTVAR Trade Name: Butvar Grade: B-76 Chemical name: polyvinyl butyral Manufacturer: Monsanto Date of purchase: 1986 Trade Name: Krazy Glue® Grade: 201 ethyl white cap(low viscosity) Chemical name: cyanoacrylate Manufacturer: Borden, Inc. Date of purchase: 1994

5. SOLUTION ADHESIVE (sets by evaporation of a solvent) REACTION ADHESIVE (sets by irreversible chemical reaction) BUTVAR Trade Name: Butvar Grade: B-76 Chemical name: polyvinyl butyral Manufacturer: Monsanto Date of purchase: 1986 Trade Name: Krazy Glue® Grade: 201 ethyl white cap (low viscosity) Chemical name: cyanoacrylate Manufacturer: Borden, Inc. Date of purchase: 1994

6. SOLUTION ADHESIVE (sets by evaporation of a solvent) REACTION ADHESIVE (sets by irreversible chemical reaction) BUTVAR Shallow, weak, resoluble Penetrates, strong, insoluble Trade Name: Butvar Grade: B-76 Chemical name: polyvinyl butyral Manufacturer: Monsanto Date of purchase: 1986 Trade Name: Krazy Glue® Grade: 201 ethyl white cap (low viscosity) Chemical name: cyanoacrylate Manufacturer: Borden, Inc. Date of purchase: 1994

7. IGM 100/977 fifteen years ago

8. IGM 100/977 now

9. 2,000 gallons (7,570 liters) of fuel On the road from Ulaanbaatar, 1993

10. UKHAA TOLGOD

11. An oviraptorid in-situ Typical Ukhaa Tolgod preservation

12. broken bone in cross-section Bone is soft, porous and weak

13. Excavating ”Big Mama”

14. Plastic eyedropper for dispensing Extraction impossible without consolidation Heavy consolidation with Butvar B-76 is essential

15. “Big Mama” Preparedwith Butvar B-76 Oviraptorid in brooding posture over nest of eggs

16. Two oviraptorids juvenile protoceratopcians Prepared with Butvar B-76 Photos Mick Ellison

17. 140 lb. (63.5 kg) barrel Date of purchase: 1986 ButvarB-76 has a long shelf life and is a very stable material Feller, R.L. et al. 2007. Photochemical deterioration of poly (vinylbutyral) in the range of wavelengths from middle ultraviolet to the visible. Polymer Degradation and Stability 92 (5): 920-931.

18. Butvar B-76 is soluble in a wide range of solvents a more commonly available solvent a rare bottle of lab grade ethanol

19. Butvar B-76 coatings are very easily re-dissolved and reworked

20. Butvar B-76 coatings are weakly adhesive… …and easy to peel off.

21. Matrix is consolidated yet easily removed

22. Butvar B-76 can be mixed with ground matrix to form a paste

23. Butvar B-76 and matrix pastes are strong yet easily reworked or removed

24. Butvar B-76 is a shallow but effective surface consolidant

25. Saichangurvel davidsoni • Heavy coatings can be reduced later • Shallow, weak consolidation does not interfere with preparation • Butvar B-76 has an aesthetically pleasing matte finish Photo Mick Ellison

26. Return to Ukhaa Tolgod 1994

27. Specimen in-situ

28. Mononykus?

29. Forelimb of Mononykus olecranus Casts and mount - Dennis Wilson and Marilyn Fox Photo- Mick Ellison

30. ? The first complete skull ?

31. Heavy consolidation with Butvar B-76

32. Preparation from bottom AMNH prep lab 1994

33. Preparation up toward consolidated surface…

34. Preparation halted

37. Fibers associated with bones

38. Feathers Fibers- no adhesive present SEM images show similar structure

39. Isolated fibers embedded in LR White acrylic and thin-sectioned • Digestion with cellulase – not plant or fungus • Transmission electron microscopy- hollow structure • Time of flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy –original molecules present • Immunohistological studies- beta-keratin in fibers is comparable to beta-keratin in feathers

40. Schweitzer,M.H. et al. 1999. Beta-keratin specific immunological reactivity in feather-like structures of the Cretaceous alvarezsaurid, Shuvuuia deserti. Journal of Experimental Zoology (Mol Dev Evol) 285:146-157. Direct evidence that IGM 100/977 was covered with feathers

41. Skull separated from postcrania for continued preparation Why cyanoacrylates?

42. Cyanoacrylates are effective micro-consolidants- can wick into tiny cracks and pores Cyanoacrylates form extremely thin, hard coatings Cyanoacrylate coatings are insoluble but can be softened and removed on a tiny scale The tiny teeth of IGM 100/977

43. Cyanoacrylates can be applied in extremely tiny drops

45. Krazy Glue® Type 201 Ethyl White Cap™ Date of purchase: 1994 Aron Alpha ® Industrial Krazy Glue Type 201 Date of Purchase: 2009 How will they age? Down, J.L. and E. Kaminska. 2006. A preliminary study of the degradation of cyanoacrylate adhesives in the presence and absence of fossil material. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 26 (3): 519-525.

46. How to make this strong enough to handle?

47. Reinforcement with Butvar B-76 and matrix

48. Cyanoacrylate and fiberglass armature

49. Attaching a removable armature

50. Butvar B-76 and matrix paste over armature to build handle