Today's blog post on the Rising Star Expedition blog provides an FAQ about the expedition's results so far: "What We Know and Don’t Know So Far".
I tackle questions about the dating of the site, the context, the fossil collection so far, and most importantly, how we are proceeding with an open science strategy with the excavation:
Aren’t you afraid that other scientists will scoop your results? The most important implication of open access is the change in the scientific culture. When you have a culture of secrecy, you breed people who trade in secrets. When you have a culture of openness, you must train people in responsible sharing. Our team and the curatorial practices at the University of the Witwatersrand will facilitate collaboration and sharing of datasets, and we expect the field will embrace these open standards.
Here's a photo of the caver's tent and Science tent, now humming with activity as we process and catalog the fossils:
