Bulletin Albertavolume 28 • NUMBER 2 JUNE 2013 ALBERTA PALÆONTOLOGICAL SOCIETY
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Palæontological Society Bulletin AlbertaVOLUME 28 • NUMBER 2 www.albertapaleo.org JUNE 2013 ALBERTA PALÆONTOLOGICAL SOCIETY OFFICERS MEMBERSHIP: Any person with a sincere interest in President Wayne Braunberger (403) 278-5154 palaeontology is eligible to present their application for Vice-President Cory Gross (403) 617-2079 membership in the Society. (Please enclose membership Treasurer Mona Marsovsky (403) 547-0182 dues with your request for application.) Secretary Arnold Ingelson (403) 249-6748 Past-President Dan Quinsey (403) 247-3022 Single membership $20.00 annually Family or Institution $25.00 annually DIRECTORS Editor Howard Allen (403) 274-1858 THE BULLETIN WILL BE PUBLISHED QUARTERLY: Membership Vaclav Marsovsky (403) 547-0182 March, June, September and December. Deadline for sub- Programs Harold Whittaker (403) 286-0349 mitting material for publication is the 15th of the month Field Trips (To volunteer contact the President) prior to publication. COMMITTEES Society Mailing Address: Fossil Collection Howard Allen (403) 274-1858 Alberta Palaeontological Society Library Reg Spratley (403) 263-0556 P.O. Box 35111, Sarcee Postal Outlet Public Outreach Cory Gross (403) 617-2079 Calgary, Alberta, Canada T3E 7C7 Social Dan Quinsey (403) 247-3022 (Web: www.albertapaleo.org) Symposium Vaclav Marsovsky (403) 547-0182 Website Vaclav Marsovsky (403) 547-0182 Material for the Bulletin: The Society was incorporated in 1986, as a non-profit Howard Allen, Editor, APS organization formed to: 7828 Hunterslea Crescent, N.W. Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2K 4M2 a. Promote the science of palaeontology through study (E-mail: [email protected]) and education. b. Make contributions to the science by: NOTICE: Readers are advised that opinions expressed in 1) Discovery 2) Collection 3) Description the articles are those of the author and do not necessarily 4) Education of the general public reflect the viewpoint of the Society. Except for articles 5) Preservation of material for study and the future marked “Copyright ©,” reprinting of articles by exchange bulletins is permitted, as long as credit is given. c. Provide information and expertise to other collectors. d. Work with professionals at museums and universities to add to the palaeontological collections of the province (preserve Alberta’s heritage). Upcoming APS Meetings Meetings take place at 7:30 p.m. in Room B108, Mount Royal University, 4825 Mount Royal Gate SW, Calgary, Alberta. June, July, August, 2013—Field Trips, no General Meetings (See Page 4). Friday, September 20, 2013—Dr. David A. Eberth, Royal Tyrrell Museum. Climate Influence on Dinosaurian Biostratigraphy in the Horseshoe Canyon Formation (Upper Cretaceous), Alberta, Canada (See Page 3). Friday, October 18, 2013—Topic to be announced. Friday, November 15, 2013—Topic to be announced. Friday, December 13 (Second Friday), 2013—Christmas Social. ON THE COVER: Ganoid scale of garpike, Lepisosteus sp., Upper Cretaceous (Campanian), Dinosaur Park Formation, southern Alberta. Length of specimen is 19.5 mm. Photo courtesy of APS member Randall Quon. See more of Randall’s photography at www.randallquon.com. APS Bulletin 2 June 2013 and proximity to shoreline had little influence on this change; it most likely reflected changes in Upcoming rainfall and substrate response. We speculate that the transition from the H. altispinus-S. osborni zone to the E. xerinsularis zone was also a response to Events palaeoenvironmental change back to wetter-and- warmer climatic conditions, and the re-establishment September of poorly-drained substrates. Thus, the two “faunal turnovers” in the HCFm represent responses to palaeoclimate and are not reflective of significant and David A. Eberth widespread evolutionary events (rapid diversification Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology events or extinctions at the genus level or higher) such as those that distinguish the Dinosaur Park, Climate Influence on Dinosaurian Horseshoe Canyon and Scollard Formation “faunas” and are the basis of the Judithian, Edmontonian and Biostratigraphy in the Horseshoe Lancian LVAs. Dinosaur assemblage zones have also Canyon Formation (Upper been identified in the dinosaur-rich Dinosaur Park Formation (DPFm, upper Campanian, Alberta), but Cretaceous), Alberta, Canada are different from those in the HCFm: (1) there is Friday, September 20, 2013, 7:30 p.m. no evidence for significant climatic changes during Mount Royal University, Room B108 deposition of the DPFm; (2) the HCFm biozones are of much greater duration (1.6–1.9 Ma) with each he Upper Cretaceous Edmonton Group (Horse- one more-or-less encompassing the full duration of Tshoe Canyon Formation (HCFm), Battle and the DPFm (1.5 Ma); and (3) faunal turnovers in the Scollard Formations) has yielded 209 partial-to- HCFm appear to involve more distantly-related taxa. complete dinosaur skeletons and thousands of This suggests a greater degree of anagenic evolu- isolated elements. Considered in a stratigraphic and tion in DPFm ornithischians (possibly due to rapid palaeoenvironmental framework, these fossils reveal socio-sexual selection) contrasted with longer-term a high-resolution biostratigraphy that can help iden- morphological stasis in HCFm ornithischians and tify ecological and evolutionary responses among significant climate-change-driven dinosaur migra- dinosaurs to a wide variety of environmental changes tion-events into and out of the Drumheller area. leading up to the K-T extinction event (e.g., climate, sea level, mountain building). Biostratigraphic analy- Biography sis reveals a least three dinosaurian assemblage zones Dr. David A. Eberth (PhD, University of Tor- in the HCFm, each characterized by a unique assem- onto; MA, University of California, Berkeley), is blage of ornithischians. These are: 1) Edmontosaurus Senior Research Scientist, Sedimentary Geology regalis-Pachyrhinosaurus canadensis (lower zone); & Palaeoecology at the Royal Tyrrell Museum in 2) Hypacrosaurus altispinus-Saurolophus osborni Alberta, Canada. He studies stratigraphy and an- (middle zone); and 3) Eotriceratops xerinsularis cient environments of fossil-bearing rocks and has (upper zone). Whereas the lowest two faunal zones participated in field projects around the world. His (E. regalis-P. canadensis, H. altispinus-S. osborni) are specialties include the study of ancient physical based on numerous specimens of a least two taxa, environments, the age of the rocks, and how ancient the validity of the uppermost zone (E. xerinsularis) is plants and animals are preserved. He also has a deep tentative because it is based on a single specimen and interest in the causes for the revival of American the absence of dinosaur taxa. The transition from the creationism. Dave’s research sheds light on Earth’s E. regalis-P. canadensis zone to the H. altispinus-S. ancient environments and how advances in the Earth osborni zone was a response to climatic change in sciences impact society and culture. southern Alberta that witnessed the replacement Dave has written and presented more than 100 of a warm-and-wet saturated deltaic setting with papers in a career that, so far, spans 33 years. He has a cooler, coastal-plain landscape, characterized by organized and hosted symposia at the Royal Tyrrell more strongly seasonal rainfall and better-drained Museum and is the co-editor and a contributor for substrates. Changes in mean annual temperature two recently published scientific books on bonebeds APS Bulletin 3 June 2013 and horned dinosaurs. He is now co-editing a third est in palaeontology began when she approached book about duck-billed dinosaurs. o Dr. Michael Newbrey of the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology with interest in working on a chondrichthyan project. Dr. Newbrey then offered a study of the age and growth of Myledaphus biparti- Program tus. The study provides important insight into the age and growth of Myledaphus, Rhinobatos productus and Rhinobatos rhinobatos. It also poses questions of their Summary ecology and life histories. Alycia intends to continue working with guitarfish in her future studies. o Alycia Wilson Mount Royal University Guitarfish (Rhinobatidae): a look at Myledaphus bipartitus and 2013 some of its modern relatives Friday, May 24, 2013, 7:30 p.m. Field Trips lycia’s talk was a brief history and overview of a By Wayne Braunberger Awonderful chondrichthyan group. Most people know what a shark, ray or even a chimaera is, but not READ THIS: A proposal to form a field trip committee as many know what a guitarfish is. The aptly named has been put forth. If you have an interest in serving guitarfish (they look like a swimming guitar) are a on this committee please contact Wayne Braunberger cosmopolitan group found in marine waters along ([email protected]) or any member of the continental shelves in tropical to subtropical waters. board of directors. The history of the Rhinobatidae begins in the Late Jurassic when they begin to differentiate from lanning is well underway for this year’s other members of their order, the rays (Rajidae). The trips. For more information please contact star of this presentation, Myledaphus bipartitus, is a Wayne Braunberger at (403) 278-5154 or Late Cretaceous (75 Ma) freshwater guitarfish that by email, [email protected]. A was first described in 1876. Until now very little was Pfield trip registration form was included with the known about its ecology and life history. March issue of the Bulletin and is also available on Age and growth of over 100 specimens from the