The FOSSILETTER

Home , Chotecops, Furcaster, Maotianshan Shales, Pleurodictyum

A publication of the Rochester Academy of Science FOSSIL SECTION The FOSSILETTER

VOL. 34 Number 2 October 2016

October Meeting The October section meeting is on Tuesday, October 4, at 7:30 PM at the Brighton Town Hall. SUNY Brockport Professor Dr. Judy Massare, Mesozoic marine reptile specialist, will speak on working with historic collections and the problem of composite specimens. "The challenges of research on historic collections: Lower Jurassic A specimen of Ichthyosaurus on display at the ichthyosaurs from England ". Natural History Museum, London. It is behind glass, so the image is not the best. Judy has provided us with the following summary of her talk: "Large private collections of Lower Jurassic ichthyosaurs were amassed in the President's Report 19th century, and many of those specimens made by Dan Krisher their way to museums throughout Britain and A few weeks ago I sent out an email to Section elsewhere. Historic specimens make up most of members concerning the 2017 Geological Society the Lower Jurassic collections of ichthyosaurs and of American joint meeting of the Northeast and plesiosaurs at the Natural History Museum, North-central Sections and the opportunity to London, Oxford University Museum of Natural attend this gathering. In an effort to ensure this History, and the Sedgwick Museum, University of information reaches the widest audience possi- Cambridge, especially the ‘slab-mount’ skeletons. ble, the information concerning this meeting is The inland quarries from which the ichthyosaurs being repeated here: were collected are no longer accessible, making The Geological Society of America will hold a these specimens even more valuable scientific- joint meeting of the Northeastern and North- ally. A major problem is that stratigraphic data Central Section on March 19 to 21, 2017 in Pitts- were not recorded at the time of collection. A burgh, Pennsylvania. FOSSIL will be hosting a second issue is that some collectors (or perhaps session at this meeting entitled "FOSSIL Collabor- some quarrymen) were more concerned with ation: Enhancing Paleontology through Profess- preparing complete specimens for display than ional and Amateur Partnerships" with the session maintaining their authenticity. Composite speci- consisting of both short talks and posters. Please mens can be found in many museums, where give consideration to contributing a talk or poster hindfins, forefins, or distal parts of the vertebral to this session as either a group and/or as an column were added to make a specimen more individual. The subject should of course be complete. Unrecognized composites have led paleontology related and can deal with but is not previous workers to conclude that some species limited to public outreach efforts, collaborative and genera are more variable than they actually research with local professionals or on-going are. Protoichthyosaurus had been considered a personal research conducted by individual synonym of Ichthyosaurus because of this members. Those wishing to participate must problem, but recognition of composites has made submit an abstract with 2000 characters or less it clear that both genera are valid." no later than January 3, 2017.

The FOSSIL group understands that funds for as National Fossil Day and over the past 7 years clubs or individuals can be an issue so to help this event has grown in scope with events being address this, FOSSIL will be funding presenters as held in many national parks and other venues follows: across the country. This year SUNY Geneseo will (1) meeting registration fee be hosting an event on campus and the Fossil (2) hotel cost for up to three nights Section has been asked to participate. The exact (3) parking for up to three days details of the event are still being worked out but (4) travel expenses up to $250 Fossil will be staffing a table with its usual dis- (5) a group luncheon or dinner on the day of the plays and handouts. Details of this event will be theme session shared with Section members via email over the The meeting website can be found at next couple of weeks. If you are free on that day http://www.geosociety.org/Sections/ne/2017mt be sure to stop by and checked out the activities. g/ and contains information as to meeting If you are interested in helping out drop me any location, lodging and abstract submission with email. additional information to be added as meeting time approaches. To better familiarize yourself Tiny Pictures with what is needed as far as abstracts potential A couple of members have commented that participants can visit: the pictures in the newsletter are really tiny, and https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2016SE/webprogr that details are often difficult to discern. This is am/meeting2016-03-31.html true, but there is a solution. In the first place, the to see abstracts from the 2016 SEGSA "Synergistic pictures are generally quite large to begin with, Paleontology" session. I will be co-chairing the and I will happily send the originals to anyone session and am planning on presenting a poster who wants the better view. Alternatively, I can detailing a database of New York Devonian fossils send you the MSWord version of the newsletter and their stratigraphic ranges I am currently (instead of the *.pdf file) from which the pictures building. If you have any questions please feel can be downloaded in full size. The Adobe free to contact me. Acrobat (*.pdf) version you get is because not everyone has MSWord and not everyone has the Last Field Trip bandwidth for a larger size newsletter file. Let by Dan Krisher me know if you want to subscribe to the MSWord On October 8th the Section will have a field- version. [email protected] trip to the area southeast of Syracuse. We will be visiting the Pompey Road cut famous for its Summer Field Trips Report: Little Middle Devonian bivalves and gastropods and the Beard's Creek and Rickard Hill Road Swamp Road site known for its variety of gastro- by Dan Krisher pods. Depending on time and weather we may The Section annual fieldtrip to the Middle also visit the Sheds site which exposes a sandier Devonian strata of Little Beard's Creek took place facies of the Middle Devonian Windom Shale. If on 6/25 with Richard Lochner, George Wonder, you are interested in attending please email me Mike Potter, Joe Sullivan, Bob Simpson and Dan no later than October 6. Dan Krisher Krisher attending. The drought dried up the creek . to just a slow trickle and once the site was in the

sun it proved to be a hot day. The site produced National Fossil Day Outreach Program the usual abundance of corals and brachiopods as at SUNY Geneseo well as a few snails and trilobite parts. Towards by Dan Krisher the end of the visit a blastoid was found which is As we noted in our September issue, in 2009 a relatively uncommon fossil to find in the New the National Park Service designated October 12 York Devonian.

On 7/9 the Section held a joint fieldtrip with stream bed filled with cobbles and water worn the Wayne County Gem and Mineral Club to the rocks. Steve Mayer provided an introduction to Rickard Hill Road site in Schoharie New York. The the site with Middle Devonian, Ludlowville Form- Lower Devonian site produced many different ation, Jaycox Run Shale member is exposed. species of brachiopods as well as some corals, sponges and fragments of trilobites. The weather was problematic with rain falling when we first arrived and again as we left. We did have a 5 hour window where the weather was perfect. Bob Simpson, Joe Sullivan, Gerry Kloc, and Dan Krisher attended from RAS and Fred Haynes also a RAS member lead the crew from WCGM.

Greens Landing site (photo by Fred Haynes )

Rickard Hill Road site (photo by Fred Haynes )

Rickard Hill Fossils (photo by Fred Haynes )

RAS Summer Field Trips to Greens Landing and Jaycox Creek By Jerry Bastedo There were two excellent fossil collecting field trips, arranged by Dan Krisher, RAS Fossil Club Everyone had an enjoyable collecting day at Greens President, in August that I was fortunate to Landing (author's photo) attend. Both sites are on private property and Approximately 14 members attended, with permission was secured in advance. Brian Bade and Gary Rudolph from Ohio and The August 7 th trip was to Green’s Landing on Rochelle Zabarkes from New York City, traveling the east side of Canandaigua Lake in a mostly dry the furthest. The creek bed was mostly dry and mostly shaded by trees, which helped as the

3 temperatures were very warm. Steve had indi- The larger Favosites specimens in the Tichenor cated that it was only about a 1,000 ft. from the Limestone were too difficult to extract and roadway, but as I walked out, my Samsung phone remain there for others to view when they visit. indicated it was closer to a mile each way. Every- This was another excellent collecting day, even one had a great time collecting a variety of corals, though the temperatures increased as the day brachiopods, crinoid stems, trilobite parts, snails, progressed. Thank you to Dan Krisher for setting and other invertebrates. I was pleased to find a these trips up for us to all visit. The photo below very nice Pleurodictyum sp . It was a great col- was taken from the top of the Tichenor Lime- lecting day with a great group of RAS members. stone viewing the some of the collectors digging The RAS Fossil Group went to Jaycox Creek, in the Jaycox Shale. I am looking forward to the near Geneseo, on August 20, which I have not next field trip and hope you can join us. been to since my undergraduate days in the 1960s. The creek bed was dry and it appeared Jaycox Creek Field Trip that no one had been to the site recently. Per- by Gary Rudolph mission was secured for entrance and collecting. Brian Bade and I have been collecting Middle Before we even left the cars to walk in, a neigh- Devonian fossils together throughout the Mid- bor stopped and asked if we had secured permis- west for more than 25 years. During that time sion to be there. Fortunately, Dan had taken care we have often visited New York with friends and of that and the neighbor was satisfied. We then as members of several clubs. On August 20th, I walked across the field to Jaycox Creek which returned to Jaycox Creek for the fifth time. This exposed the Type Section for the Jaycox Shale is a great collecting site . . . especially for those of member. This site had excellent exposures of the us with a fondness for fossil corals. Here the Menteth Limestone, the Deep Run Shale, the Green's Landing Member of the Jaycox Shale is Tichenor Limestone, the Jaycox Shale, the exposed. Among the prized Greens Landing Stafford Shale, and the older Wanakah Shale. corals is Heliophyllum halli confluens. In discuss- Steve Mayer provided us information on the ions with RAS member Steve Mayer, it has been better collecting horizons. Our group of nine, noted that this is the only horizon in which including Brian Bade and Gary Rudolph from confluens can be found. It has been my goal for Ohio, focused most of our efforts on the Jaycox some time to find one. Shale focusing on the nicely exposed Heliophyll- This particular Saturday at Jaycox Creek was um confluens, brachiopods, trilobite parts, other unlike any of my previous visits with tempera- rugose and tabulate corals, crinoid stems, snails, tures in the 90's and with the stream channel clams, cephalopods, and other invertebrates. completely dry. I planned to collect in portions of the stream bed that were normally under water. For the first half hour I crawled along. Corals were abundant but I gathered very few. Then I took a water break. While sitting on a large block of Tichenor Limestone, I noticed what appeared to be two Heliophyllum barely above the surface of the stream bed. As I scratched away at these, more corallites appeared. After about an hour, the boundary of the coral mass was established (approximately 16" X 14"). For the next two hours, I excavated deep enough to get a pry bar beneath the mass.

Jaycox Shale collecting (author's photo) "The coral, much of it still encased in shale, was removed in four large pieces. Many loose

4 fragments were also gathered up. Right now, State University (2013) resulted from her study of more than 15 corallites are visible. It seems several hundred exceptionally preserved trilobite additional corallites are still encased in the specimens from various localities. These were matrix. As many pointed out, reconstruction will examined for evidence of possible preserved surely be a "long winter's project". For sure, I'll nonbiomineralized internal anatomy and nine never again complain that "I do not do well in the likely candidates for detailed analysis with com- heat." puted tomographic (CT) imaging were selected. Non-invasive, non-destructive CT scans enabled Kathleen Cappon was also at Jaycox and adds her to identify three specimens (to be reposited the following: "This was an interesting field trip at the PRI) that appeared to preserve the trilobite to Jaycox creek.!! I have never seen such dry alimentary canal. These were two specimens of conditions. I found some wonderful horn corals, Elrathia kingie from the Wheeler Formation, UT crinoid stems with some protruding hornlike (Cambrian) and one partially enrolled specimen structures, Pleurodictyum tubular coral clusters of Cornuproetus cornutus of theHamar Laghdad and some good size Favosites clusters. There was Fm, Alnif, Morocco (Middle Devonian). one gas-tropod the size of my thumb, and several Exceptionally preserved specimens represent portions of trilobites. My favorite was the skele- a relatively small number of taxa and nonbiomin- tal carapace of the common Snapperus eralized remains have been described for only turtleus !!! I found this specimen at the lower about 40 trilobite species (out of about 17,000 part of the creek bed. I seem to have the most described species). fun finding stuff in the wash outs. It was a HOT but productive day!!"

Fossil News Most of us have trilobite fossils in our collections and the best ones show excellent preservation of the outer shell covering the body. Unlike most arthropods which rarely fossilize because the outer shell is compose of readily decomposed (or scavenged) proteinaceous chitin, the trilobite exoskeleton is composed of relatively easily preserved calcite and calcium phosphate E. kingii, specimen A, Scale bars: 5 mm. minerals in a lattice of chitin that covers the dorsal (upper) surface of the trilobite's cephalon (head), thorax (body), and pygidium (tail). Our fossils generally lack the legs, gills, and other structures that were made of the softer chitin alone. However, there are Lagerstätten in which soft body (nonbiomineralized) preservation occurs wherein we can learn much about the anatomy of the trilobites. The Burgess Shale is a well-known example, but there are scores of others, which brings us to the following study. Resolving Details of the Nonbiomineralized Anatomy of Trilobites Using Computed Tomographic Imaging Techniques This MS Thesis by Jennifer Peteya at Ohio E. kingii, specimen B

E. kingii, specimen A has a few pyrite frambo- point. Two thin lateral structures occur on both ids that may have been associated with bacterial sides of the central mass and also gradually preservation of soft tissues. E. kingii specimen B decrease in width toward the posterior. Another has many pyrite framboids replicating inferred high density structure extends from the posterior soft tissues in the axial lobe below the exoskele- glabella through the axial lobe and gradually ton. Framboidal pyrite is interpreted as having a tapers in width to the tip of the axis of the microbial origin, and it is likely that pyrite lining pygidium of specimen A. cracks in the glabella of specimen A and the pyrite mass in the glabella of specimen B resulted from the early diagenesis of a microbial biofilm.

E. kingii, specimen A, CT dorsal view

C. cornutus, specimen C, from front

Left: E. kingii, specimen A, Micro-CT MIP image, high density internal structures visible. Right: Sagittal slice through the axial lobe of the specimen. Dorsal toward the left and anterior toward the top. Pyritized material in the glabella of specimens C. cornutus, specimen C, from rear A and B is inferred to be the result of early CT and micro-CT images have revealed intern- diagenetic mineralization of a biofilm-coated al structures in both E. kingii specimens. Bright, hypostome and presumed stomach material. In high density masses occur in the glabellas of both specimen A, pyrite is thickest in the cracks of the specimens, which correspond to the pyrite visible glabella, suggesting that pyritization occurred on the surface. In specimen B, the center of the shortly after the glabella and underlying stomach glabellar mass is ventrally convex. The convex were crushed by the weight of overlying sedi- area increases in width toward the center and ment. Pyritization evidently continued after this tapers slightly posteriorly, although not to a

6 time, perhaps stimulated in part by fluid from the I have the original 38-page thesis paper stomach that seeped into the cracks. The pyritiz- available for anyone who would like to read ed mass in the anterior glabella of specimen B about this in more detail. includes the hypostome in its original position. The mass is convex in the center on the ventral RAS Fall Scientific Paper Session side. The thin, lateral, high density structures on Don't forget to save the date of Saturday, either side of the convex mass are not similar in November 12, 2016 from 8:30AM to 2PM to size and appear to be connected to it anteriorly attend the 43rd Annual Rochester Academy of and ventrally rather than projecting laterally from Science Fall Scientific Papers Session at Roberts a single point, as would be expected if they were Wesleyan College. Registration begins at 8:30 AM foregut glands. It is possible that these structures with coffee and snacks, and oral presentations are a pyritized biofilm covering the hypostome. start at 9:30 AM. The luncheon will begin at The thoracic and pygidial axis of specimen A is 12:30pm in Garlock Dining Hall, followed immedi- lined with pyrite, which appears to connect to the ately by the Larry King Memorial Lecture. The pyrite in the glabella, suggesting that both the luncheon will include a variety of wraps, vegeta- intestine and parts of the stomach are preserved ble trays, dessert, and drinks. Only a limited in this specimen. Neither the stomach material amount of tickets will be available for purchase preserved in specimen B nor the digestive tract on the day of the conference, so please register preserved in specimen A contain sediment or for the luncheon prior to the event. Use this link evidence of skeletal material. There is also no to register and pay the luncheon and presentaion evidence of midgut glands and it is probable that fee. https://www.roberts.edu/department-of- the stomach, when inflated, was large and sac- biological-and-chemical-sciences/rochester- like. academy-of-sciences-presentation-and-luncheon- Based on nonbiomineralized anatomical payments.aspx\. Or, you can opt to complete the evidence (namely gut tracts preserved through long form registration & lunch order form in the early diagenetic mineralization), Elrathia kingii "RAS 2016 Second Call for Abstracts," attached and Cornuproetus cornutus are here considered with this newsletter. to have been predators that did not ingest the Featured presenters will be RAS members, hard parts (sclerites) of their prey. E. kingii was area scientists, and students, who will share their previously interpreted as a particle-feeder be- investigations and interests about scientific cause of its box-like hypostome. However, many topics. The Larry King Memorial Lecture will be articulated specimens with attached librigenae given by Jacob Berv of Cornell University, who (cheeks), including specimen A, have crushed will speak on bird evolution after the Cretaceous glabellas, suggesting that the gut was fluid-filled mass extinction event. rather than sediment-filled at the time of death. Roberts Wesleyan College is located at 2301 The lack of mud infill indicates that mud did not Westside Drive, Rochester NY 14624. A campus enter the gut tract after death nor was it ingested map can be found on: during life. https://www.roberts.edu/about/visiting- The mineralization of the alimentary tract of roberts.aspx these trilobites may be associated with a fluid- filled gut, possibly resulting from a predatory PRI News habit similar to that of some modern chelicerate Changing the "Dating" Game . . . at the arthropods, in which prey is liquefied and then Paleontological Research Institute's AAR consumed. Alternatively, these ancient arthro- Laboratory (reprinted from PRI material) pods may have separated sclerite pieces from Have you ever discovered a shell on the beach digestible food before swallowing it. and wondered about its history and journey to that spot? Maybe you were curious as to how old

7 that same shell might be. Perhaps that shell to just throw in a dumpster because they’re all traveled mere inches, or more likely over hund- historic works of art, essentially,” he said. “They reds, even thousands of miles of shorelines, or are an artist’s attempt to show what fossilized across vast oceans for centuries. Scientists can creatures looked like in the past. Some of these answer these questions using host of methods for objects are classics and have appeared in text- dating rocks, shells, and sediments, including an books over many decades.” innovative method called amino acid racemization (AAR) geochronology. The exciting new research capability AAR offers PRI students and professional scientists is an uncommon opportunity. PRI's laboratory is the only AAR dating facility on the east coast of North America, and the only lab in the world conducting gas chromatography AAR. PRI used a crowdfunding campaign which outlined in detail AAR's role in addressing major scientific challenges in geochronology and the geosciences in general, as well as the importance New PRI Quetzalcoatlus display of AAR for future generations of scientists. Amelia now shares a corner of the dinosaur Although the crowdfunding has ended, you can exhibit with a Stegosaurus named Steggy, also still visit the site to get more information on AAR: from the Smithsonian. https://walacea.com/campaigns/telling-time- from-seashells-please-support-the-only-amino- Book Review & Fund-Raising Raffle!! acid-racemization-geochronology-lab-in-eastern- Normally, the books reviewed here are north-america/ available to be borrowed. Not this time. I have a brand new copy of this gorgeous book, which I PRI Quetzalcoatlus Named (reprinted from PRI am donating to the section to be raffled off at the material) December holiday meeting. The book will be at Following a public contest, a new resident of the next two meeting for members to look at. the Museum of the Earth in Ithaca finally has a Visions of a Vanished World: The name. Museum staffers announced the compete- Extraordinary Fossils of the Hunsrück Slate, By tion last week to give a name to a model of Gabriele Kühl, Christoph Bartels, Derek E. G. Quetzalcoatlus, a winged reptile from the age of Briggs, and Jes Rust; Foreword by Richard Fortey. the dinosaurs, which was transferred to them New Haven (Connecticut): Yale University Press . from the Smithsonian over a year ago. They say $40.00. 128 p.; ill.; index. ISBN: 978-0-300-18460- they wanted to get the public invested in the 0. [Originally published as Fossilien im Hunsrück- addition, which is believed to be one of the Schiefer: Einzigartige Funde aus einer largest flying animals that ever lived. einzigartigen Region , published by Quelle & Exhibits director Beth Stricker revealed the Meyer Verlag.] 2012 winning submission. “Our Quetzalcoatlus’s new As a shell collector walks along the tropical name is Amelia,” she said. “We can only imagine beach, she is able to pick up the shells of clams, that these nominators submitted the name in scallops, and snails, and chunks of broken coral. honor of the fierce flier Amelia Earthart.” Only the hard parts remain, the animals them- Paleontological Research Institute Director selves having been eaten by predators or scaven- Warren Allmon says Amelia has special historical gers before the shells were tossed up on the and educational significance, and was taken in shore. If you could walk along the Devonian after the Smithsonian no longer had a place for it. beach, you could fill your basket with shells of “Those objects were not something they wanted bivalves and gastropods, as well as brachiopods

8 and nautiloids, corals of different types, and bits Creek fossil beds that give us over 400 different of crinoids, blastoids, and trilobites. If you saw a kinds of plants, and hundreds of jellyfish, worms, recently dead critter corpse. It would not be arthropods, fish, and the Tully Monster. The there for long before being scavenged, while the Cretaceous Yixian formation in China exquisitely hard parts accumulate on the shore. If you could preserved the Jehol biota of birds with feathers, dive in that long-ago sea, you would see the same pterosaurs, fish, mammals, dinosaurs, and arthropods. Among the earliest known were the Hunsrück Slates, which have been mined for roofing materials since at least the 1300s. Most of the fine fossils exhibited in museums today were originally found by slate miners. The first scientific publication of Hunsrück Slates fossils was the description of crinoid and starfish by Ferdinand von Roemer in 1862. In many cases, the soft parts of these lower Devonian fossils (~400MYA) have been replaced by minute pyrite crystals, giving near perfect preservation. This book is a collection of 110 beautiful photographs and x-ray radiographs of these fossils,many of them full-page in size, together with other useful illustrations and explanatory text. As Dr. William Ausich, Professor Emeritus of Earth Science at Ohio State University has written in a review 1, "Today, development of new preparation techniques for extracting fine-scale morphology of lightly pyritized soft tissues has revealed setae sort of shells and hard parts of the dead lying on polychaete worms, antennae and appendages on the bottom among the living creatures. These on arthropods, and the epider-mis of ophiuroids, hard parts, when buried , and perhaps leaving all illustrated in Visions of a Vanished World . The only their molds and casts, become the fossils book begins with short explanations of the that we find today here in New York. The actual history of study, geologic occurrence, bodies of the animals, the soft parts, are not preservation, preparation, and other aspects of preserved at all. But there have been rare places Hunsrück fossils. The illustrations are organized and times in the world when the animals died in by major fossil groups, and short descriptions of places where neither scavengers or bacteria these groups with explanations of the signifi- could reach them. They were not eaten or decomposed, but were preserved in some fashion. We can find those fossils and understand what the animal itself was like, not just its outer shell. These were first described by German paleontologists and we still use their word for it—Lagerstätten, from lager 'storage' or 'lair' and stätte 'place' (stätten being the plural). Some of the best examples of soft-body fossilization are the famous Cambrian period Burgess Shale and Three fossils from Hunsrück Slate, not from book. its Chinese counterpart the Maotianshan shales, Above, a Chotecops trilobite underside, showing the Jurassic Solnhofen limestone with legs and gills. Next page, a crinoid ( Taxocrinus ) and Archeopteryx , and the Carboniferous Mazon a brittle star ( Furcaster paleozoicus)

"Time is the dimension traversed in paleontology. Visions of a Vanished World takes one back to the Early Devonian where blastoid brachioles and crinoid arms waved in ocean currents, pycnodonts walked among brachiopods, trilobite gills breathed, and anomalocarids were feared predators that roamed the Hunsrück Sea. This volume portrays marvelously the unique

fauna of the Hunsrück Slate; it is a must for the bookshelf of anyone interested in natural history and in the history of life on Earth." Many of the phylla found in New York are in the Hunsrück—Pleurodyctium, Favosites, Pane- nka, Acathocrinus, Eldrigeops , and others. Any collector of Devonian fossils should have this book on her or his bookshelf and frequently have it open in their hands and enjoy it.

cance of illustrated fossils enhance the understanding of Early Devonian life."

CALENDER OF EVENTS October Tuesday October 4, FOSSIL MEETING 7:30 PM Brighton Town Hall Downstairs Meeting Room 2300 Elmwood Ave. Speaker Dr. Judy Massare, "Recognizing composite specimens in historic collections and the return of Protoichthyosaurus". Visitors welcome. November Tuesday November 1, FOSSIL MEETING 7:30 PM Brighton Town Hall Downstairs Meeting Room 2300 Elmwood Ave. Visitors welcome.

Visitors are welcome to all Fossil Section meetings! Refreshments are served. For more information and the latest updates check the RAS Website (www.RASNY.org). You can also contact Dan Krisher at [email protected] or John Handley at [email protected] for further information. ROCHESTER ACADEMY OF SCIENCE FOSSIL SECTION Monthly meetings are held the first Tuesday of each month from October to December and from February to May at 7:30 pm at the Brighton Town Hall, Community Meeting Room, 2300 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY unless otherwise listed. OFFICERS PHONE E-MAIL President: Dan Krisher 585-698-3147 [email protected] Vice President/Program Chair: Open Secretary: Dan Krisher 585-698-3147 [email protected] Treasurer: John Handley 585-802-8567 [email protected] Director (three-year-term): Open Director (two-year-term): Open Director (one-year-term): Michael Grenier 585-671-8738 [email protected] APPOINTED POSITIONS Field Trip Coordinator: Dan Krisher 585-293-9033 [email protected] FossiLetter Editor: Michael Grenier 585-671-8738 [email protected] ------The FossiLetter is published during each meeting month of the year. Please send submissions to Michael Grenier preferably via e-mail at [email protected] or by U.S. Postal Service mail to 692 Maple Drive, Webster, NY 14580 (585) 671-8738. Deadline date for submissions to the Fossiletter is the 15 th of the month. For scheduling changes and the latest updates please check the RAS Website (www.rasny.org) and click on the Fossil Section link. Last minute updates can also be found on the General Announcements page Cartoon from PRI on their AAR facility of the Academy Website.