Exposing a difficult crab fossil - 25 hours of work in 4 minutes of video

Patreon: / mamlambo for behind-the-scenes footage and bonus preps.
This was a really tricky crab to prep and took more than double the time similar sized crabs have taken me because of the "stickiness" of the crab. The rock wasn't flaking off the crab and I had to use the stylus to scrape the rock away bit by bit.
It took over 25 hours but turned out quite well and is very complete and the carapace is nicely inflated.
It would have been easier with an air abrasive setup, might have to save up for one! This is a Tumidocarcinus giganteus and around 12-million-years-old. The crab species is extinct and was encased in a concretion which is like a natural cement.
Patreon: / mamlambo
Instagram: / mamlambofossils
Facebook: / mamlambofossils
Website: mamlambofossils.com
Email: [e-mail]
Postal address:
Morne Mamlambo
PO Box 78018
7648
New Zealand
#fossilhunt #dinosaurs #newzealand

[@MamlamboFossils]

Check out my Instagram for updates on the 50lbs crab I am working on: instagram.com/mamlambo_nz/

[@Anthony-jl1lo]

Nope

[@AlecFlackie]

Fascinating to watch you work; wasn't it Michelangelo who commented that a sculpture is already in the stone and just needed help getting out, much like your fossils. Thank you for liberating them from their millions of years of imprisonment and sharing the experience. Fossils have always fascinated me, maybe in another lifetime I could have the opportunity to do what you do.

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks Alexander! I do it as a hobby, so never too late to start!

[@ElisA-mo6mj]

Life sometimes can be so unfair 25 hours of work for you and 4 minutes of pleasure for us. Thank you we got all the benefit but you have the CREDIT from all of us

[@MamlamboFossils]

It's my pleasure 😁 I also enjoy the time-lapse, you don't get that view when it's so gradual.

[@bobm5500]

To short , I for one never get sick of watching the fossils emerge from the rock .

[@MamlamboFossils]

I'll have to do a longer version as well next time :)

[@GRANMotherH3N]

I love the prep videos. But I also love your enthusiasm whilst looking for fossils. Definitely agree, I'd like to see more prep videos. But why the change in music, apart from the end? 😆

[@GRANMotherH3N]

I'd love to prep one of the crabs. I don't live in an area known for fossils. Currently working on a nodule from Dorset UK, but it is looking like there's nothing in it. Need something to occupy myself with something promising during our lockdown. X❤

[@billrobbins5874]

This was truly amazing! Is that a pneumatic tool? 🦀

[@gaylereid8264]

Being from the States, i'm used to seeing men in big groups going out into the desert to dig out some mega fauna!! Sometimes in plaster jackets ! I don't mind watching the whole process from beginning to end!!! Your task, however, is far more cerebral & far more intense. Not only do you "find" the fossil encased totally in concretion, you must decide if it's worth taking to your workshop, what is in the eggy, by following obscure clues, then teasing it out. WOW! That's 3xs the work!!! And i L❤️VE every minute of your process❣️ I knew you were good. Just dint know how!! Subscribed 1st vid!! Thank You

[@TheOldladyB]

How does it feel to expose a fossil that is millions of years old and seeing it for the first time? Beautiful.

[@MamlamboFossils]

It's pretty darn amazing! Knowing I'm the first person to ever see it :)

[@lasalleman]

Great video. Like watching the crab somehow come to life as the accretions are removed. Incredible amount of work. And patience.

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@CraigH999]

I really enjoy these fossil prep videos - and your choice of music adds to the fun! Cheers from up here in British Columbia, Canada!

[@beefrogthedestroyer]

I love watching the fossil emerging from the rock :) You are really skilled to be able to this so precisely without damaging the fossil

[@MamlamboFossils]

THanks so much! I'm glad you enjoyed it :)

[@MichaelFienen]

Part of me REALLY wants to buy one of these. The other part of me has no clue if he sells them though, and if he does, I'm pretty afraid of what one would cost just in the labor alone. Worth every dollar though, because man his preservation work is great.

[@MamlamboFossils]

Hi Michael - I'm making some copies of them using the rock I removed, crushed and mixed in with plaster. I will make some available in a limited quantity :)

[@nick56677]

@@MamlamboFossils Id buy a real one for a good price. Not a fake plaster. If u ever sell any hit me up

[@visualsbysri]

From the heavens above, crab must be showering you with blessings ❤️

[@brucevanderzanden9638]

Nice fossil prep MamLambo!

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks Bruce!

[@bi1735]

So cool and fascinating. Love watching your preps.

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks Belinda! this was a tricky one :)

[@sandraanderson217]

Not sure what I love more... watching you find the fossils... or reveling them! It’s cooling getting to see what is inside! Thank you for the amazing adventures!

[@MamlamboFossils]

Glad you like them! They are quite satisfying to do!

[@pretzeltime3900]

Love seeing all your epic crab fossils. Excellent work!

[@wherewendytravels]

Amazing find. A lot of talent and experience shown here. I am very impressed.

[@bluecrab4167]

Always exciting to watch what you will find!!!I love seeing the crab appear from your discovery!

[@michaelhill9738]

That is one beauty of a crab! Fantastic prep work.

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks Michael!

[@davidthomas6859]

Absolutely fantastic,love watching your videos .Keep them coming.⚒

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks, will do!

[@abrumarci]

Amazing! Another video "condemned" to be watched again and again! And again. Nice job! I can't have enough of it.

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks again! Glad you enjoyed it Marius :)

[@S550STANG]

It is truly amazing how something that old could be so well preserved.

[@MamlamboFossils]

Yeah it is! Some of the crabs look good enough to eat!

[@S550STANG]

@@MamlamboFossils hahaha now you have me curious. What would happen if you decided to boil it. I doubt there would be any color change in whats left of the shell. Or Is it mostly sediment that replaced the shell and body?

[@MamlamboFossils]

@@S550STANG the body has been replaced by rock, so there won't be much of a change 😁

[@S550STANG]

@@MamlamboFossils ah ok. Kinda makes sense. Cheers from Manitoba Canada 🇨🇦

[@wendymorrison5803]

Fascinating. The finding, the tools, the skills. Thanks for this.

[@CarlosDiaz-je1bg]

How do you not damage the fossil? Like how do you not "cut" too deep, it seems it's like all rock

[@johnenright9859]

So not an expert but I study geology and I'm a pretty longtime sub to this channel and a few others like it, so I should be able to give a loose idea. Essentially the crab part of the fossil is still the original crab shell material, so there is a contact between the two materials. This contact is weaker than the surrounding rock, so the rock 'wants' to break along that contact (and thus leaves the shell intact)... at least in theory. In practice, you have to have a pretty good intuition for the rock you're working with, and make sure that you only take off thin layers each time, and working slowly and carefully towards the crab, otherwise, the fractures might not form in quite the right places (and then you'd cut too deep). So there's definitely some serious skill and learned knowledge involved, and this comes from a lot of practice (learning the shapes to expect from the fossils and knowing where it's likely safe to remove material, how the rock behaves, etc.). Some other techniques like applying a stabilizer compound (you see the shell get shiny a few times in the video when he does this) help to make the shell stronger and more resilient to little bumps/ mistakes /general stress release from removing the rock that could damage the shell.

[@sydneymomma11]

@@johnenright9859 Thank you so much for explaining this! 💗

[@hardstylelife5749]

@@johnenright9859 very well explained, thanks for that!

[@colombecouture7974]

Beautiful. Thank you for the video.

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks for watching!

[@sarejen6868]

THAT still fascinates me to watch it being revealed from the host rock. Actually pretty too. Thank you for sharing your skill 😀

[@MamlamboFossils]

I love it as well!

[@donnamenhenitt5957]

Dude that looks awesome! Love your channel!

[@MamlamboFossils]

Glad you're enjoying it!! More to come 😁

[@margiebrown7436]

I love watching the prep work. It is mesmerizing. ♥️♥️♥️

[@MamlamboFossils]

It is quite satisfying!

[@lennynash8221]

Yet another amazing prep 👍👍I could watch you prep these crabs all day, it's so fun and interesting to watch it come back to life in a sense.

[@MamlamboFossils]

Glad you enjoyed it! I love watching the time-lapse as well !

[@lennynash8221]

@@MamlamboFossils keeps me memorized lol

[@betojdesigns]

That was awesome. The detail on the tips of the claws was incredible. One of my new favorites of yours. Great job 👏

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thank you so much 😀

[@PatriotStacker]

You do an amazing job! They all look so beautiful! Thanks for sharing!

[@MamlamboFossils]

My pleasure 😀

[@tanyatonks7335]

I too would have liked to see a slightly long video, a joy to watch these awesome creatures come to life after a millennium of hiding

[@MamlamboFossils]

Next time I will make it longer :)

[@dreamweaver3095]

Just found your channel - and lovin' it! You're working some kinda magic right there haha - definitely subscribing!

[@dyannejohnson6184]

What a wonderful patient road to discovery...your work is really breath taking

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks Dyanne!

[@jakemoeller7850]

Very cool video! Thanks for the upload. 👍

[@MamlamboFossils]

Anytime! Glad you enjoyed it 😁

[@PM-ij2dx]

They look AWESOME!

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks Pete!

[@DiamondMinerIvins]

Amazing discovery! Glad KZbin is rewarding you for it. Unlike some channels.

[@emdorris3319]

You are so talented. I am loving the crabs.

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thank you so much 🤗

[@stanf7371]

I’m a new subscriber. These videos are awesome!!!!! Wow! I never thought there would be a fossil encased in a rock like this….. Super cool!

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks so much Stan! 😃

[@1atrcooper]

Wow from Texas.. Very cool, so nice watching craftsman work..

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks so much!

[@lizzymoore54]

This is so satisfying for us to watch Mamlambo and it must be so gratifying for you after all the hard work you put into these beautiful crab specimens! 👏👏👏🧡👏👏👏

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thank you so much!

[@thadmiller1722]

You badass thank you for your video... That is the nicest collection I've ever seen.

[@lauragoyette8172]

Wow! It is truly amazing watching the fossil emerge from the host rock. You are certainly perfecting the craft. Congratulations on another exciting video.

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thank you very much!

[@ofelsewhere13]

So awesome to watch the crab emerge from the rock!

[@MamlamboFossils]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@bigbensarrowheadchannel2739]

Awesome!! Well done 👏

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks so much Big Ben 😀

[@ianunderwood1764]

Awesome work manlambo! As usual. Beautiful work, keep it up buddy, still hoping for that elusive penguin!

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks! It has to be out there somewhere 😁

[@emanuelaceves9958]

Great collection. Amazing work, keep it up

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks so much!

[@campbellmcgrannachan3859]

Absolutely awesome cant wait to see the next one its so cool watching you grinding the stone away from the fossil cant wait for the next one hopefully its a bit longer

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks 👍 Hopefully it won't be long!

[@jasjps]

I'm a new subscriber to your channel and I'm hooked, amazing work 👍

[@MamlamboFossils]

Yay! Im glad you're enjoying the videos!

[@tomgarzaiii7111]

Awesome video, like always.

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks Tom!

[@seanparchim9165]

Just amazed every time you do a prep a stunning fossil emerges very cool...cheers mate

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@joshuajackson6442]

Wowzers, great job!!!

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks!

[@jakaparker]

Amazing content, I sub you, btw how long u finish this fossil? Edit: Oh 25 hours.. great work!

[@MamlamboFossils]

Wow, your channel is amazing! Just checked it out now. I can't believe you've been to North Korea

[@Akumacom]

Beautifully prepared. Love it!

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks so much!

[@kirktingblad6667]

Thank you so much for filming your adventures and the fossils being born out of the rocks

[@MamlamboFossils]

Anytime Kirk!

[@timtaylor1365]

You are a sculptor, craftsman, paeleontologist, marine biologist, scientist, teacher and engineer all at the same time....

[@serba_serbi]

Excellent work,very very excellent..❤️❤️👍

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks Serba!

[@TeamFishweights]

Great job! Thats many hours sitting on that display at the end! Phew!

[@MamlamboFossils]

Many, many hours 😁

[@Treasurehunter11001]

Amazing prep work !

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks 😁

[@raygrange7312]

Amazing. And what a great collection.

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks Ray!

[@robingw2615]

It’s just amazing to see a fossil slowly get removed from the rock And WOW ! 25 hours that’s a really long time but really good job 👍

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks Robin!

[@robertspikes1376]

Man thats so cool!!! Plus some catchy tunes

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks Robert!

[@robertspikes1376]

@@MamlamboFossils anytime brother! I always enjoy your channel.

[@Talenten]

Amazing work! Well done!

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks!

[@apeacefulgrower]

That was pretty kooL 😎 Thanks for sharing 👍

[@MamlamboFossils]

Anytime Kevin!

[@UyenTranonyoutube]

Amazing work

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks a lot 😊

[@leonacrowley164]

Awesome collection

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks!

[@garryfrazer6328]

Very cool and interesting, thanks for sharing

[@MamlamboFossils]

Anytime! Glad you enjoyed it 😀

[@michelleb8623]

This is so zen! Well done sir! 👏👏

[@MamlamboFossils]

Glad you liked it!

[@gembelchannel273]

Skill high level 👌 Good job 👍👍

[@tracybranham8648]

Favorite videos you make

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks Tracy!

[@wigglewiggle3789]

New subscriber, wish I had found you sooner. Love the vids, you must have some God like patience to spend so much time slowly extracting them from the rock. Amazing to watch. Love the funky tunes that you put your vids too. Here I am, watching a guy extract a prehistoric crab from a piece of stone whilst shaking my ass. And I am a large, hairy, middle aged man. Apologies for that visual. Love it.

[@MamlamboFossils]

Hahahaha your username is also relevant! Glad you enjoyed the video :) Keep well!

[@fossilwildlife5198]

Wow great work 👍🏻 I love your website 😃 I hope lots of people have already visited it 😉 Really cool that you describe your preparation process with all your gear and workflow there. Many greetings from Germany 🇩🇪

[@MamlamboFossils]

Glad you enjoyed it! I need to spend some time updating it actually 😁

[@mctron22rd]

I remember when it was a few thousand of us not Mamlambo has almost hit the 50,000 mark! Is that not crazy!?? I k we his channel would be a great resource for fossil hunting, carving the fossils out of pure concrete like rocks and rock hounding! I never tire of seeing people finding amazing items!

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks mate!

[@jakaparker]

Amazing content, I sub you

[@Ramboos]

Put ASMR in the title and you will get millions more views! This is just incredible to watch! makes me wanna get out and do the same!

[@annettehalliday8892]

absolutely AMAAAAZING love your content 👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks Annette!

[@p3pable]

That's so cool!

[@filippozauc]

Pretty nice work! I was waiting to both side prep

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks!

[@raybrown8412]

Amazing job dude.

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks!

[@oneshotme]

Wow! New sub Great job Really don't know what to say Enjoyed the video and I gave it a Thumbs Up

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks for the sub! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@clanfozzy4171]

That was amazing !!!! Thanks for sharing. :) :) :)

[@MamlamboFossils]

My pleasure 😁

[@ZenWithKen]

Thank you for sharing. Your content is enjoyed and appreciated.

[@MamlamboFossils]

I appreciate that!

[@jamesh5460]

This is amazing!

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks James!

[@VictorAnox]

Wow. Its amazing.

[@sashimislayer8089]

Wow man you love fossils👍👍👍

[@bfarm44]

Awesome job on that beauty

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks 👍

[@Biffle-re3db]

I agree with Bob M. Love watching the crabs emerge from stone.👍✌💖

[@MamlamboFossils]

Same here! It's so satisfying!

[@gaelicwarrior5064]

Nicely done.

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@DwayneAdkins]

Just stumbled on this. Fascinating

[@feliciamuniz8028]

Finding one of these is on my bucket list for sure 😍

[@MamlamboFossils]

I hope you find one!!

[@VelruthLach]

Dang the patience you have to work on that man, it's very pretty to see a crab hidden in plain sight, keep it up!! Too bad I can't buy any of these since I lack money xD

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks! I'll be making some casts of the fossil crab which won't be too expensive 😀

[@lisar9314]

Awsomeness, thanks for sharing!!!

[@MamlamboFossils]

My pleasure!

[@Happyhandcannon]

Very cool!

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks Jason!

[@wilbondcajunrockhound5758]

wow thats crazy good job

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks Wil!

[@alansdorsetfossils4028]

That's beautiful I'm well impressed. The first time I watched your channel you were talking about hoping to find a fossil penguin. I switched off thinking it was one of those spoof videos. I am not used to thinking in terms of 12 million year old fossils. I guess there were penguins back then.

[@butchh11]

Awesome Job

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks!

[@giocoto5511]

Nice 😎 greetings from Costa Rica 🙌

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks !

[@khoetranst..4391]

wow.Thank you for sharing .

[@MamlamboFossils]

My pleasure!

[@busch6538]

WOW! Grate job.

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks!

[@denisechoppin1043]

Beautiful!

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thank you!

[@JerseyJimFish]

If there was a full week of this specific content on this channel, I would call out of work!🤣 Well done sir!😁

[@MamlamboFossils]

Hahahaha that's awesome! Thanks for the great comment 😀 it made my day!

[@JerseyJimFish]

It is so fascinating to see a stone birth a creature from our distant past. Also given this passion, through your hand and this technology, I get to witness this unveiling. This is my pleasure, truly.😁 I too have a channel. Mostly fishing here in New Jersey. I have a guy from NZ that compulsively watches my movies(Jamie). Really blows my mind that somebody that lives in such a beautiful place could watch a guy from NJ!🤣

[@MamlamboFossils]

@@JerseyJimFish I've subbed 😀

[@JerseyJimFish]

...and you have just made MY day!🤣 Not my intent, but thank you sir!😁

[@lindalewis5066]

Wow! That was an impressive prep! 🦀 I don't know how you figure out where the fossil begins & ends without damaging any of it at some point. Good eye! 👏👏👍💌

[@MamlamboFossils]

Thanks for watching! It's pretty easy as they are different textures and colours for this fossil. Sometimes they aren't though!