James E. Martin Paleontology Research Laboratory

Paleontology Research Lab
The 33,000 square-foot Paleontology Research Lab (PRL) provides a safe, environmentally controlled location for the Museum of Geology’s paleontological, geological, and archival collections. The PRL also acts as a repository for federal, state, and tribal agencies such as the United States Army Corps of Engineers and the United States Forest Service. The PRL currently holds over 500,000 specimens. 

Collections Include:

PRL Laboratories

The PRL also houses several laboratories for the preparation and conservation of fossils, and other forms of research.

Foster Preparation Laboratory

The preparation laboratory is dedicated to the cleaning and stabilization of fossil specimens as well as their restoration and repair.

Frank M. & Gertrude R. Doyle Fabrication Laboratory

The Doyle Fabrication Laboratory accommodates a variety of Museum activities, including design and fabrication of replicas and exhibit structures.

Imaging Laboratory

The Imaging Laboratory serves as a space for data capture and imaging of fossil and mineral specimens with a variety of equipment, including a stereomicroscope with an attached camera, a 3D laser scanner, and a macro-photography station.

Sample Processing Laboratory

This laboratory provides space for the processing of sediment samples, which are broken down; screen-washed to remove mud and silt; and then examined to find small fossils, or microfossils.

The PRL also greatly enhances research-intensive educational opportunities for undergraduate and graduate curricula in the Department of Geology & Geological Engineering, including the only MS degree in Paleontology in the nation.

The PRL was also the first state-owned building in South Dakota to receive a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold rating from the U.S. Green Business Council.