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Still
interested in the crinoid he continued to maintained close ties
with the quarry owner and workers.. Beane's most significant
discovery came in 1931 when blasting exposed a cluster of
ancient starfish. While workers loaded rock into the crusher,
Beane chipped away at the block of stone to reduce it to a
manageable weight. Still weighing over 600 pounds, he moved the
slab to Beane's farm for study and careful cleaning . Beane,
then 52, worked meticulously to uncover the delicate fossils.
Upon
preparation, the rock yielded the remains of 183 starfish, Schoenaster
legrandensis, and a number of other specimens. This find and
the care shown it its preparation gained Burnice Beane the
interest of paleontologists and gained recognition in the
scientific community across the world.
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Burnice
Beane's painstaking skill in preparing the crinoids he saved
from the crusher is a scientific legacy. Through his efforts
many museums across the world share a portion of Iowa's past.
The State Historical Society of Iowa is fortunate to exhibit
many of the fossils preserved and prepared by Burnice H. Beane.
Beane's
interest in the Le Grand crinoid continued throughout his life,
it filled his house with beautiful fossil slabs and benefited
museums and universities around the world. As his fame spread,
many paleontologists and amateur collectors sought his advice
and an opportunity to tour the famous quarry with the man who
had become the guardian of its treasures.
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