Tech Division Events
Palaeontology Division
For more information concerning this Division, please contact the Division Chair, Philip Benham, Shell Canada, at (403) 691-3343 or via e-mail at Philip.Benham@shell.com.
Division Profile
The Palaeontology Division runs in association with the Alberta Palaeontological Society (APS) and the Mount Royal College Earth Science Department. Its mandate is to provide a forum for CSPG members and the general public who are interested in palaeontological issues and applications. Topics are wide-ranging and range from technical dissertations on application to the oil industry to general interest such as dinosaur art and palaeontological expeditions. This is to accomodate the diverse group of 30-80 people that typically attend each talk. Unlike most of the other technical divisions the talks are held in the evenings (7:30 PM), typically the third Friday of every month. Facilities and multimedia access are provided by Mount Royal College Earth Science Department. Talks typically average about 45 minutes followed by a short question/discussion period. They are held in Mount Royal College (Lincoln Park Campus) Science Wing room B108 and B101. Speakers for the luncheons are sought from industry, museums, universities and even the art world. Talks run from September through May with a break through the summer. Once a year a two day Palaeontological Symposium is held at Mount Royal College. Events include a full day of lectures, a poster session and educational workshops. Most events are free so as to be accessible to the general public. While these talks are held in association with the APS, that societies' summer field trips require an APS membership.
If you are interested in joining the Palaeontology Division e-mail listing which currently provides monthly event reminders, or if you care to suggest a technical topic or present a talk to the division, please contact Philip Benham (Shell Canada Limited), the current Division Chair. He can be contacted at 403-691-3343 or via e-mail at programs@albertapaleo.org.
Division Talks
A Fieldtrip to the Mesozoic South Coast of England
Speaker
Vaclav Marsovsky,
APS Membership Director
7:30 PM
Friday, April 16th, 2010
Mount Royal University, Room B108
Calgary, Alberta
Abstract
If you have an interest or want to travel to the South Coast of England to see the geology and the fossils, then this presentation is for you! The presentation will follow the route taken during a recent field trip organized by the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology. The major rock units and their fossils will be discussed with a focus on vertebrates. The presentation will cover fossils eroding from the rocks in the field, in private collections of local collectors, and on display at local public museums and Heritage Centres. The rocks were initially studied by the clergy and medical practitioners turned geologists and palaeontologists. The "who's who" in 19th century geology and palaeontology relating to the South Coast will be covered. This presentation will show what the rocks look like and cover the Tertiary / Cretaceous sites from the Isle of Wight and Mesozoic sites from the "Jurassic coast". The term "Jurassic Coast" is a bit misleading because it covers all of the Mesozoic. From the South Coast, a 155km long section (the most interesting and worth protecting) became a UNESCO site in the year 2001. The Jurassic Coast is one of those rare sites where collecting of common fossils is encouraged and amateur fossil collectors play an important role in the science.
A view of cliffs facing into the English Channel at Chapman Pool, Dorset. Cliffs in view are the dark gra
Kimmeridge Clay (Upper Jurassic)with light gray Portland Group above and the white Upper Cretaceous Chalk in the far distance.
Biography
Vaclav Marsovsky has a degree in Engineering, but, like most APS members, lives two lives (one of those having a keen interest in Palaeontology). Marsovsky has been on the board of APS for over 15 years in several administrative roles. He was a contributor to the Guide to Common Vertebrate Fossils from the Cretaceous of Alberta, recently published by APS.
PALEO 2010: Annual Paleontology Symposium
Paleo 2010 is presented in conjunction with the CSPG Palaeontology Division, Alberta Palaeontological Society and Mount Royal University Earth Sciences Department.
Lectures and Poster Displays: Saturday, March 13, 2010, 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Workshops: Sunday March 14, 2010, 9:00 AM- 4:00 PM
Saturday lecture events and poster viewings are free and require no registration. Sunday workshops do require registration and minor fee.
Mount Royal University
4825 Mount Royal Gate SW
Calgary, Alberta
LECTURES
Saturday March 13th
Jenkins Theatre, Mount Royal University
Speakers confirmed so far include (talk titles are tentative):
8:30 - 8:45 AM
Talk: Introduction
Speaker: APS President Wayne Braunberger
8:45 - 9:15 AM
Talk: New Zealand's Fossils: Remnants of a Lost Continent
Speaker: Craig Dylke
9:15 - 9:45 AM
Talk: Using High Dynamic Range Imaging in Vertebrate Paleontology
Speakers: Danielle Fraser, Jordan Mallon, Rob Furr, and Jessica M. Theodor, University of Calgary
9:45 - 10:15 AM
Talk: The Art, Culture and Science of Iniskims
Speaker: Lisa Bohach, FMA Heritage
10:15 - 10:30 AM: Coffee Break
10:30 - 11:00 AM
Talk: Reconstruction of Scows Used in Early Paleontological Research and a Commemorative Expedition Planned for 2010
Speaker: Darren Tanke, Royal Tyrrell Museum
11:00 - 12:00 PM
Talk: History, Mystery and Baywatch: Illustrating the Animals of the Burgess Shale
Speaker: Marianne Collins, ArtoFact
12:00 - 1:30 PM: Lunch Break and Poster Session
1:30 - 2:00 PM
Talk: Changing the Face of Tyrannosaur Rear Ends: Tail Muscle Reconstruction in Theropod Dinosaurs
Speaker: Scott Persons, University of Alberta
2:00 - 2:30 PM
Talk: Komodo Dragons
Speaker: Eva Koppelhuis, University of Alberta
2:30 - 3:00 PM
Talk: My ankylosaur is a big dumb tank! Ankylosaur reconstructions in the scientific literature and popular media
Speakers: Victoria Arbour, Mike Burns, University of Alberta
3:00 - 4:00 PM
Talk: Dinosaurs in Science and Art
Speaker: Philip Currie, University of Alberta
4:00 - 4:15 PM: Coffee Break
4:15 - 5:15 PM
Talk: Dinosaurs of the Lost Continent of Laramidia
Speaker: Scott Sampson, Utah Museum of Natural History, University of Utah
Book signing afterwards
WORKSHOPS
Sunday March 14th
Room B213, Mount Royal University
9:00 - 12:00 PM
Workshop: Permian Vertebrate Fossils from North Central Texas
Presenter: Jason Anderson, University of Calgary
Cost: $15 per person.
Description: This workshop will cover the faunas typical for the classic Permian localities of northern Texas. There will be a brief introduction to the history of collecting in the Permian of Texas. This will be followed by a survey of the most common fossils found. Small collections of fossils from a few localities will be provided for workshop participants to examine and identify. Screenwashed sediments may also be available for participants to examine for fossil remains.
Jason Anderson is a paleontologist and Assistant Professor with the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Calgary. He is Associate Editor of the Journal of Paleontology, coeditor of Major Transitions in Vertebrate Evolution (with Hans-Dieter Sues), and a contributing author to Prehistoric Life, The McGraw-Hill Yearbook of Science and Technology 2009, and the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science, 10th Edition. He is the author of over 30 articles on the early evolution of Paleozoic tetrapods.
1:00 - 4:00 PM
Workshop: Make-a-Saurus
Presenter: Brian Cooley
Cost: $25 per person including cost of materials
Description: Using a variety of simple materials and methods, participants will learn how to make their own dinosaur which they will be able to take home at the end of the workshop. Children should wear clothes that they don't mind getting dirty.
Brian Cooley has been making sculptures of dinosaurs for over twenty-five years. His sculptures may be seen in museums all over the world, most notably the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology in Drumheller, Alberta. He and his wife, Mary Ann Wilson, are co-authors of the children's book Make-A-Saurus.
TO REGISTER FOR WORKSHOPS contact Mona Marsovsky (403) 547-0182 or monahome@telus.net. Make cheques payable to the Alberta Palaeontological Society, P.O. Box 35111, Sarcee Postal Outlet, Calgary Alberta, Canada T3E 7C7. Deadline for workshop registration is March 1st, 2010.
For information on the lecture program please contact Philip Benham (Philip.Benham@shell.com ) or phone (403)-691-3343.
To inquire about submitting a poster please contact Wayne Braunberger (president@albertaplaeo.org) or phone (403) 278-5154.
Information
To present a talk at a future Palentology Division event please contact Division Chair Philip Benham at 403-691-3343 or programs@albertapaleo.org. Visit the APS website for confirmation of event times and upcoming speakers: http://www.albertapaleo.org/.
