Wearing orange vests and hard hats, the investigators apply sunscreen, wander around until they choose a work area for the day and then lay out their tools: dental picks, brushes, screwdrivers and rock hammers. For the next three hours, they are not distracted by the container-laden ships or the workers nearby or by the geopolitical significance of their surroundings; instead, the scientists are focused intently on the minuscule time capsules from the Miocene Epoch that they dig up, break apart, inspect and dust off.
It is a fight against the clock, as canal workers move in to seal the dredged soil quickly in an effort to prevent landslides. Investigators have anywhere from a week to three months to sift through any given site before they are ushered out. When a contractual dispute halted construction for two weeks in February, a tremor went through the global shipping community, but for Jaramillo, it was welcome news: It bought his team of scientists more time.
Dredging has unearthed not only fossils but also archaeological items such as a 16th century Spanish dagger and pre-Columbian arrowheads, according to the Panama Canal Authority. These have been restored and preserved.