Advancing paleontologic mapping: A GIS and drone photogrammetry approach to the Lance Formation beds of Glenrock, Wyoming

Small museums and volunteer-driven field programs often lack the resources required for detailed geological mapping, limiting the stratigraphic data associated with their fossil collections. To address this challenge, an affordable and replicable mapping workflow was developed that combined drone-based photogrammetry, GIS analysis, and targeted structural measurements using the Glenrock Exposure of the Lance Formation as a study site. The resulting 3D outcrop models, bedding-plane reconstructions, and 750-m-thick stratigraphic column provide the first comprehensive spatial framework for 35 fossil quarries curated by the Glenrock Paleon Museum. The results reveal tightly clustered fossil-bearing horizons, a long interval lacking preservation, and a notable Triceratops prorsus site consistent with known morphospecies stratigraphic patterns. This study illustrates how modern mapping tools can empower small institutions to transform local field sites into robust datasets that advance regional paleontology and support future research.