@ericnguyen nailed it with the single cell thing. Best move is to start emailing your state reps every session about updating NAGPRA to allow for small non-destructive samples in cases this rare. If enough people do it every year the rules might actually shift.

Measuring from the wrong reference point is such an easy trap. Did the same thing with baseboard shoe molding for like two years. Always cut it a hair short thinking I was accounting for the wall being out of square. Turns out I was just measuring from the back of the shoe instead of the front lip. Flipped my tape measure around and suddenly everything fit tight. Feels stupid but it happens when you're in a rhythm.

Loaded a 50-ton heat exchanger three feet past my charted radius last spring because I trusted the boom angle indicator. Turned out it was reading 4 degrees high. Felt like a real genius when I ran the actual numbers later and realized I was practically doing curls with the boom. Crane didnt tip but my pride sure did when I had to re-rig the whole job.