2024 Fossil Lecture Series & British Columbia’s New Provincial Fossil

Fossil Huntress — Palaeo Sommelier

In this episode, you'll hear about some wonderful free Zoom Fossil Talks in March and May 2024.

There is no need to register. You can head on over to www.fossiltalksandfieldtrips.com and note the talk dates and times. The link will be shared live on the site on the day of the talk.

Upcoming Free Fossil Lectures via Zoom:

Sun, March 24, 2024, 2PM PST — Dan Bowen — Struck by Lightning: The Mary Anning Story

​Learn about the history of Mary Anning from Dan Bowen, Chair of the Vancouver Island Palaeontological Society (VIPS) and British Columbia Palaeontological Alliance (BCPA).

Mary Anning was an English fossil collector, dealer, and palaeontologist who became known worldwide for her discoveries in Jurassic marine fossil beds in the cliffs along the English Channel at Lyme Regis in the county of Dorset in Southwest England.

Sat, May 4, 2024, 1PM PST — Jean-Bernard Caron, Lower Cambrian Cranbrook Lagerstätte in the East Kootenay region of south-eastern British Columbia, Canada

Jean-Bernard Caron is a French and Canadian palaeontologist and curator of invertebrate palaeontology at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

He will share his insights on the weird and wonderful marine fossil fauna from the many outcrops of the Lower Cambrian Eager Formation near the town of Cranbrook. His team did some extensive field work—particularly at the Silhouette Range locality—a few summers ago and we are keen to hear the results of their efforts.

The fossils we find in the Eager Formation are slightly older than those found at the Burgess Shale Lagerstätte. Burgess is Middle Cambrian and the species match the Eager fauna one for one but the Eager fauna are much less varied. The specimens we find are wonderfully preserved and a few have recently been re-named. Learn about new insights into the species we find here and more about the diverse team that has been studying them.

Sound the horns, beat the drums and stomp your feet—it's official! The Puntledge Elasmosaur is now British Columbia's Provincial Fossil.

Mike Trask found the first elasmosaur in 1988 while exploring the Puntledge River with his daughter. He found the first terrestrial dinosaur remains from Vancouver Island and coined the term "sabre-toothed salmon" of legendary fame.

It was Mike's twin brother Pat Trask, who led the excavation of the juvenile elasmosaur from the Trent River back in August 2020. Many talented souls from the Vancouver Island Palaeontological Society and Courtenay Museum joined him.

Visit www.fossiltalksandfieldtrips.com for Free VIPS Paleo Talks & ARCHEA at www.fossilhuntress.blogspot.com or www.fossilhuntress.com for more yummy goodness!