Palæontological Society Bulletin VOLUMEAAlberta 14 • NUMBER l1 berta MARCH 1999 ALBERTA PALÆONTOLOGICAL SOCIETY

OFFICERS President Wayne Braunberger 278-5154 Program Coordinator Dr. Kris Vasudevan 288-7955 Vice-President Vaclav Marsovsky 547-0182 Curator Ron Fortier 285-8041 Treasurer * (Les Adler 289-9972) Librarian Dr. Gerry Morgan 241-0963 Secretary Don Sabo 278-8045 Events Coordinator Keith Mychaluk 228-3211 Past-President Les Adler 289-9972 Director at Large Dr. David Mundy 281-3668 DIRECTORS Editor Howard Allen 274-1858 Social Director Cory Gross 720-5725 Membership Geoff Barrett 279-1838 †APAC Representative Don Sabo 278-8045 * This position is currently unfilled. Person listed is acting officer on an interim basis only. †APAC is the Alberta Palaeontological Advisory Committee The Society was incorporated in 1986, as a non-profit organization formed to: a. Promote the science of palaeontology through study and education. b. Make contributions to the science by: 1) discovery 4) education of the general public 2) collection 5) preservation of material for study and the future 3) description 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).

MEMBERSHIP: Any person with a sincere interest in palaeontology is eligible to present their application for membership in the Society. (Please enclose membership dues with your request for application.) Single membership $15.00 annually Family or Institution $20.00 annually

THE BULLETIN WILL BE PUBLISHED QUARTERLY: March, June, September and December. Deadline for submitting material for publication is the 15th of the month prior to publication. Society Mailing Address: Material for Bulletin: Alberta Palaeontological Society Howard Allen, Editor, APS P.O. Box 35111, Sarcee Postal Outlet 7828 Hunterslea Crescent, N.W. Calgary, Alberta, Canada T3E 7C7 Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2K 4M2 (E-mail [email protected])

NOTICE: Readers are advised that opinions expressed in the articles are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of the Society. Except for articles marked “Copyright ©,” reprinting of articles by exchange bulletins is permitted, as long as appropriate credit is given. Requests for missing issues of the Bulletin should be addressed to the editor.

UPCOMING APS MEETINGS Meetings take place at 7:30 p.m., in Room B108, Mount Royal College: 4825 Richard Road SW, Calgary, Alberta April 16, 1999—Michael Ryan, University of Calgary: Horned Dinosaurs from the North American Western Interior: New Research and Taxa May 21, 1999—Dr. Kris Vasudevan, LITHOPROBE, University of Calgary: The Hominid Family Tree: A Fossil Perspective June, July, August, 1999—No meetings. See field trip announcements in March and June Bulletin.

ON THE COVER: Dromaeosaurus albertensis (, Alberta) noshing on some freshwater clams. Art by APS Member Cory Gross © 1999.

APS Bulletin 1 March 1999 Field Trip 99-3: Saturday or Sunday, August 21 or 22, Burgess Shale/Mt. 1999 Field Trips Stephen Trilobite Beds, Yoho, B.C. NOTE: Non-members and unaccompanied NOTE: Due to booking requirements with Parks minors will NOT be allowed to attend field trips. Canada, the date of this field trip may have to be For further information on all trips, contact changed to the weekend prior or the weekend Keith Mychaluk (403) 228-3211. after the dates given above. Keep in touch with Keith for last-minute updates. Field Trip 99-1: Saturday & Sunday, Guided tours of the Burgess Shale June 19 & 20, Princess & Wolf Coulee, (Walcott Quarry) and/or the Mount Stephen Alberta Trilobite Beds are being arranged with Parks Meeting Time & Place: Saturday, June 19 at 9:30 Canada. Fees of $45 (Burgess Shale) or $25 (Mt. Stephen) per person are charged for these tours, A.M. at the Dinosaur Corner gas station near the both of which involve very strenuous hikes of entrance to Dinosaur Provincial Park (Highway several hours one-way. Only physically fit per- 544, just south of Patricia, AB). Allow 3-4 hours sons with appropriate footwear should consider driving time from Calgary. attending. Collecting is strictly prohibited! Local Road Conditions: Gravel and dirt roads; Attendance (minimum/maximum) in each tour is passable with most vehicles in dry conditions (no limited by Parks Canada, so the number of mem- large potholes). Only recommend four-wheel drive bers planning to attend will dictate which tours will in wet weather. be held. Please contact Keith Mychaluk (403) Itinerary: Collecting Late Cretaceous vertebrate 228-3211 as soon as possible if you are interested fossils from the Judith River Formation, such as in participating. champsosaur vertebrae, ray teeth, gar-pike fish Sign-up sheets will be made available at all scales, dinosaur bones, etc. The Saturday portion general meetings. Out-of-town members of the trip will include exploration of a coulee near please call Keith to sign up. ❏ the Princess gas plant. The microvertebrate sites in Wolf Coulee will be visited on Sunday. What to bring: Weather conditions always change at a moment’s notice in Alberta, so be prepared for In Memoriam wet or dry conditions. Bring good hiking boots, We are saddened to report the passing of long- sunscreen, mosquito repellent and plenty of water. time APS member Emmette Wallace, on March Accommodations: Excellent camping facilities in 14, 1999, in Austin, Texas. Emmette and wife Jean nearby Dinosaur Provincial Park (reservations rec- Wallace (editor of the Austin Paleontological ommended). Several motels to choose from in Society’s Paleo Newsletter) have been members of Brooks, AB. our Society since 1986, its year of inception. They were regular attendees and exhibitors at the Warning: This is rattlesnake country so please Calgary Rock and Lapidary Club’s annual Show. take the necessary precautions (please, no pets!). Emmette’s enthusiasm for palaeontology and Parents, please watch over your little ones. his generosity are well known. His name is listed as a donor no less than twenty-four times in the Field Trip 99-2: Saturday & Sunday, Society’s fossil collection catalogue, and he has July 17 & 18, Korite Ltd. ammonite contributed many specimens to private collections. Another recent act of generosity was his donation quarry, southern Alberta of a large number of canvas collecting bags to On Saturday, an educational tour of the Korite Society members (Bulletin, September 1997). ammonite quarrying operation (Cretaceous, Emmette was known to many as an especially en- Bearpaw Fm.), south of Lethbridge, will be con- thusiastic student of brachiopods and echinoids. ducted. Some collecting might be allowed, but all Emmette Wallace will be fondly remembered, material will be inspected by the quarry operator. and much missed by our Society membership. We One or more nearby collecting localities will be vis- extend our sincerest sympathies to his family and ited on Sunday. friends, and especially to his wife, Jean. ❏

APS Bulletin 2 March 1999 America’s T. rex. Giganotosaurus, of South America, was probably bigger than the average T. Program Summary rex. Neither of these two belonged to the by Howard Allen tyrannosaurid group. Notre Dame University palaeontologist Keith Rigby’s “ im- December 18, 1998 perator,” recently found in Montana, has been esti- Jaws of Death, Arms of Barney: mated to be bigger than Giganotosaurus, but the Tyrannosaurids in Action, with Eric Snively, evidence is flimsy, and based on incomplete re- University of Calgary mains. Skeletal interpretation suggests that female tyrannosaurs were bigger than males. Eric Snively is a graduate student working on Other important aspects of tyrannosaur anato- his master’s degree at the University of Calgary, my include massive muscle attachment scars on under Drs. Philip Currie and Anthony Russell. He the wide skull, which indicates very powerful jaw received his B.A. in biology from the University of and neck muscles, for crunching through bones California at Berkeley. His thesis work is con- and for side-to-side and backward ripping action. cerned with an anatomical study of tyrannosaurs. Fossils from the Black Hills show that T. rex could The tyrannosaurids are a group of theropod bite right through the femur of a prey . (bipedal, meat-eating) dinosaurs of the saurischian Tyrannosaur arms, in contrast to their legs and (“lizard-hipped”) group. A number have been jaws, were very small and weak: probably stronger found with furculas, or wishbones, providing evi- than human arms, but not by much. dence for a relationship with birds. The tyran- Behavioural interpretations are very tentative. nosaurs filled an ecological role as top predators The Albertosaurus bonebed recently rediscovered during the Cretaceous Period. by Dr. Currie north of Drumheller suggests possi- The earliest tyrannosaurs found so far have ble social and/or pack-hunting behaviour. The been from Asia, for example Alioramus of predator vs. scavenger controversy is another hot Mongolia. From Asia they apparently spread to topic. Forward-facing eye-sockets indicate stereo- North America. Other Asian tyrannosaurs include scopic vision, which would have been an advan- Alectrosaurus and Tarbosaurus. In Alberta, tyran- tage to a predator, in allowing accurately-placed nosaurs have been found in Cretaceous rocks of bites. The powerful legs, jaws and neck muscles three main formations. In the earliest rocks, at suggest—but don’t prove—running down and Dinosaur Provincial Park (Judith River Fm.), subduing struggling victims. A large predator Gorgosaurus and Daspletosaurus are found. In the probably wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to younger rocks of the Horseshoe Canyon Fm., scavenge a dead carcass. Healed bite-marks on around Drumheller, Gorgosaurus has been re- Edmontosaurus bones suggests attack by an active placed by Albertosaurus, while Daspletosaurus is predator, and also puts into question another the- still present. In the youngest rocks, of the Scollard ory: that the saliva of tyrannosaurs may have been Formation in the Huxley area, Tyrannosaurus rex septic, (like that of the modern Komodo dragon), is found. Rocks of equivalent age, in the Montana causing its victims to die slowly of infection. Hell Creek Formation contain the small tyran- nosaur Nannotyrannus. January 15, 1999 Speed and size are of primary importance for Third Annual APS Workshop and Poster the “gee-whiz” crowd. Tyrannosaur running speed Presentation is controversial; Eric thinks that the animals’ leg muscles were probably up to the task of high-speed Our third “Workshop and Poster Session” was running, but whether or not the bones could sus- once again a great success. The following members tain such weights at high speed is questionable. presented displays in two classrooms: The legs of tyrannosaurs were very strong, with Jessica and Jennifer Evans: Ammonites. long bones, which suggests speed. The metatarsal bones of the foot may have spread apart on impact, Roger and Darlene Arthurs: Invertebrates in the like a spring, cushioning the animals’ weight, Upper Banff Formation at Moose Mountain, AB. which would be a good adaptation for running. Joe LeBlanc: Palaeozoic shark teeth. As far as size is concerned, there are a number of large theropod dinosaurs vying for the “biggest Wayne Braunberger: Molluscan biostratigraphy killer of all time” title. Carcharodontosaurus of of the Cardium Formation, Alberta. Africa may have been slightly larger than North [Continued on Page 12…]

APS Bulletin 3 March 1999 American Journal of Science—Dozens of articles Essential Publications on early dinosaur discoveries in the North American west. First descriptions of many type on Cretaceous species. Marsh was a major contributor. American Museum of Natural History— Dinosaurs Excellent for small monographs with extensive sketches of dinosaur and other vertebrate osteolo- by Joseph LeBlanc gy. Tyrannosaurid descriptions by Osborne. Smithsonian Institution—Few works on di- NOTHER 300-page dinosaur nosaurs, but this is the source for an essential semi- A book! What book? Almost any nal publication by Leidy, with a lengthy descrip- recent title will do. How much nitty- tion and sketches of Hadrosaurus foulki. gritty new information is there? A third of the book Geological Survey of Canada—Mandatory publi- rambles…and rambles (yawn) about the history of cations for understanding Cretaceous dinosaurs. dino discoveries; another third promotes almost Monographs by Lambe on Gorgosaurus and fanatical acceptance of trendy theories (the aster- Edmontosaurus. Cope was an early contributor. oid extinction, birds-are-dinosaurs, etc.). Somewhere in the remaining third will be a narra- Royal Society of Canada—Sternberg, Parks and tive devoted to the tribulations and personalities others are frequent contributors. Parks later pro- on a dinosaur dig or expedition. Frustratingly, duces important work on Kritosaurus in only a dribble of actual new science will be provid- University of Toronto Studies. ed on dinosaurs. Yes, it may be an entertaining United States Geological Survey—Early publica- 300-page read but (excuse the pun) where is the tions describe important discoveries. Hatcher’s “Meat on the Bones”? Certainly not in most popu- monograph on ceratopsians is essential reading. lar works to be found on bookstore shelves. Often quoted is Gilmore’s work on Brachyceratops. The Meat on the Bones will be found in scien- tific publications. The nitty-gritty stuff often col- Geological Society of America—Various publica- lects dust in the periodicals section of large public, tions. Try and sift through Lull & Wright’s descrip- university and government (GSC, USGS) libraries. tions of North American hadrosaurs. Want to read the original description of Ottawa Naturalist—Much overlooked work con- Hadrosaurus? Distinguish a Dromaeosaurus tooth tains early descriptions of Canadian dinosaurs by from that of a small Albertosaurus? Find a sketch of Lambe and later by Sternberg, under its revised a ceratopsian caudal vertebra? name, the Canadian Field Naturalist. Below are some of the most useful sources on Journal of Paleontology—Dozens of dinosaur ar- Cretaceous dinosaurs. This list only touches on the ticles. Often leading-edge discoveries. Sternberg vast body of literature that has been generated in was a frequent contributor. dinosaur research. Many universities, provincial and state surveys, museums, etc. have produced Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology—A recent excellent publications. These are too numerous to publication that offers cutting-edge updates on di- include in my selection of essential reading. nosaur research. Palaeontological Society—Nineteenth century Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences—Articles by publications are a gold mine of original drawings Russell, Currie and other “moderns.” Special edi- of the first dinosaurs. Owen’s descriptions of tions devoted to Asian expeditions contribute to Iguanodon, Megalosaurus, et al. are essential reads. understanding the Cretaceous dinosaurs outside of Superb sketches of most bones. North America. Geological Magazine—Concise descriptions of Hundreds of articles have been devoted to un- species by Marsh, Brown and others. Essential for derstanding Cretaceous dinosaurs. Pursue these sorting through early taxonomy. Especially rich in sources. Answers will be found to many questions dinosaur material prior to the 1920s. on Cretaceous dinosaur taxonomy, anatomy, biol- ogy and ecology. The dinosaur enthusiast can tap Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society— into a fountain of knowledge to make intelligent Much of the writing and descriptions of Owen, conclusions in a field that is often more specula- Huxley, Woodward and others provided the basis tion than science. ❏ for future vertebrate studies.

APS Bulletin 4 March 1999 Moon River: a nice song and a great place to go fossiling by Robin Sweeten ossiling in Georgia can be exciting F —and rewarding. One popular site is at a saltwater tidal pool of the Moon River in Georgia, outside of Savannah. (Yes, this is the Moon River made famous by the song.) The tidal pool is conveniently located right off the road on Diamond Causeway, which leads to Skidaway Island State Park. At low tide, the tidal pool area surrenders its cache of Quaternary treasures. There As a side note, I researched occurrences of is an abundance of shark and ray material as well snake bites as well as alligator and shark attacks in as that of drumfish, barracuda and whale. Georgia. The statistics* reflect only a slight risk: My friend Nina Cox introduced me to this spot. 1990–1995: 1 confirmed non-fatal shark attack Nina lives in Savannah and has collected fossils (I personally know of two others in more recent there for years. My experience at this site has been history—one was a close call for a friend of ours). meagre at best. Nina, on the other hand, has made 1988–1995: 5 confirmed alligator attacks, result- once-in-a-lifetime finds—not once, but twice! ing in 1 fatality. While inspecting the banks she noticed an an- 1959–1990: 341 confirmed lightning strikes, re- gular edge protruding from the dirt. She dug it out sulting in 75 fatalities. and was rewarded with an eight-inch Carcharodon megalodon tooth in perfect condition. Some time I could not locate any information on snake later she uncovered an equally impressive six- bites…hmmmm…I think I’ll still carry a stick! incher. It is easy to see why Georgia’s state fossil is the shark tooth. * Source of data: International Shark Attack File, 3 The allure of this spot is that you never know February, 1998 what will materialize. Mundane outings can quick- ly turn exhilarating. However, not all [Robin, our roving reporter in adrenaline producers are good. the USA, is working on articles Fossiling in Georgia requires a constant about fossiling in the states of vigilance for alligators and snakes. Nina Missouri and Virginia. Her next considers a long stick a necessary piece adventure will appear in the of equipment. Poking around with the June Bulletin. Members wishing stick may reveal unpleasant surprises to correspond can reach her at lurking on the grassy banks—better the her new forwarding address: stick than one of your body parts! Robin Sweeten Soon my husband and I will be making our MSC# 6843 yearly pilgrimage to Savannah to visit our P.O. Box 2428 friends. Our itinerary always has two important Pensacola, FL 32513 entries: dinner at “Love’s” on the Ogeechee E-mail: [email protected] River is a must, and one day is allocated to fos- siling with Nina. Perhaps this will be my lucky Says Robin: “I’d love to hear from you!” – ed.] ❏ outing. If not, my visit to Moon River will still be enjoyable. I will not complain about a relaxing day of 74° (23°C) in the middle of winter.

APS Bulletin 5 March 1999 The Vancouver Society Foundation planning “Last field by Mona Marsovsky trip of Millennium” n October 3, 1998 the Jurassic vents Coordinator Keith Mychaluk Foundation held its inaugural E is in contact with the Vancouver Omeeting during the SVP (Society of Vertebrate Paleontological Society, who are planning a major, Paleontology) conference in Snowbird, Utah. This 10-day field trip to eastern B.C., this summer. The new non-profit society is dedicated to funding in- trip will run from August 3 to 12, and will be open ternational dinosaur research and education, from to members only of the British Columbia the to the Cretaceous. The seed money for Paleontological Alliance. APS members who are this foundation is coming from the revenues from interested in this field trip should consider joining the Jurassic Park/Lost World Exhibits which are one of the B.C. clubs. Estimated cost for the trip: under license by Universal Studios and Amblin $180–$400.Tentative itinerary: Dreamworks and Entertainment. Both these ex- hibits travel to various museums presenting real August 3, 1999 (Tuesday)—Leave Vancouver, science (not the movie version) and interactive by car pool. Lunch in Merritt, on to Vernon. Tour displays. Phil Currie is President of The Jurassic Ruby’s Museum, 2 hours. Supper in Revelstoke. Foundation with notable palaeontologists Cathy On to Golden to either a motel or campground. Forster and Jack Horner on the Board of Directors. Wed. 4th—To Field, Burgess Shale Interpretive Another member of the board, Don Lessem, noted Centre, two hours. Lunch, back to Golden, on to that this society will endeavour to put all its money Invermere. Stops of interest include Cambrian– directly to science, with essentially zero overhead. rocks. Dinner at Invermere, meet billets. Dick Costello of Universal Studios described Thurs. 5th—Meet at Invermere museum, how the initial travelling museum exhibit started packed for Diana Lake overnight trip. Convoy to with the first Jurassic Park movie four years ago. trailhead and hike to lake. Lunch and set up camp. That exhibit incorporated the idea that its revenues Off to the fossil beds—scrambling, collecting, should go to science. Since then about 1 million studying stratigraphy. Evening around a campfire, dollars has gone to science. Next summer in comparing finds and discussion. Orlando, the Islands of Adventure will be opening Fri. 6th—Pack lunch and back to fossil beds. and will include—you guessed it—a “Jurassic Adventurous types may want to explore geology. Island.” Dick mentioned that a third Jurassic Park Hike out late afternoon, back to Invermere. film is in the works, and perhaps a third edition of Sat. 7th—Meet at museum, with experts from the Jurassic Park Exhibit. Calgary GSC and Tyrrell Museum for “Ask an Starting in January, 1999, the Jurassic Expert” day. Evening picnic and beach. Foundation will be accepting proposals for re- Sun. 8th—Meet at museum. To Mt. Tegart search. The grants of $1000 to $5000 will be award- graptolite beds. If time, visit Sholinder’s Rock ed in March, 1999. The foundation will concen- Shop in Windermere. trate on funding those researchers who have diffi- Mon. 9th—To Cranbrook via Ft. Steele with culty obtaining funding, including researchers stops of interest. Trilobite beds, T. and J. Bokor as overseas. hosts. One or two days here. Night in Cranbrook. The Jurassic Foundation is currently applying Tues. 10th or Wed. 11th—Back to Vancouver, for charitable status in both Canada and the via Highway 3. Spend last night (or two nights) in United States. They are looking for donations, Princeton at lake beds. funding ideas, volunteers and research proposals. For more information, contact: Contact Phil’s wife, Eva Koppelhus at the Royal Daryl Fuller, [email protected] Tyrrell Museum (call toll-free: 310-0000 and dial 823-7707 or e-mail: [email protected]) or apply to: Membership Secretary, Vancouver for more information or to lend a hand in this Paleontological Society, Centerpoint P.O. Box worthwhile endeavour. ❏ 19653, Vancouver, BC, V8T 4E7 ❏

APS Bulletin 6 March 1999 oxide) and “yellowcake” carnotite (hydrated potassium uranium vanadate). These ores are Raising sauropods much later in age than the Morrison. They likely came from Tertiary igneous intrusives. Uranium- rich secondary minerals were then distributed by for fun and profit ground water to concentrate at their present mine- able sites known as “pods.” Fossil bones and plants Part 2 had an amazing affinity to concentrate these ra- by Sam Richter dioactive minerals, from 10,000 to 100,000 times more than that found in the surrounding matrix. Sauropods reached their peak in the Late ertha, a big brontosaur, bogged Jurassic. Their remains are found on all continents Bdown in the mud at Como Bluff, except Antarctica, which can’t be searched because Wyoming. She was likely going for a drink of water of ice. About 90 recognized genera and 150 species and was not paying attention to where she was are known. They were long-lived as a group, rang- stepping. Most animals and birds need water every ing from the Late Jurassic to the Late Cretaceous. day. Nature never makes allowances for failing to So far, only five genera are represented by com- be vigilant. Later, mud washed in and finished cov- plete skeletons and only twelve specimens had pre- ering her, nicely preserving her lower bones. Some served skulls with them. Most remains are frag- of her bones are now on display in the Tate mentary and consist of some vertebrae or teeth. Museum at Casper, Wyoming. Good sauropod skeletons are hard to get. Digging Fossil bone quarries at Como Bluff extend for them out and preparing the bones consumes an some eleven kilometres, with 24 different bone lay- enormous amount of resources. A big bone from ers. The Morrison Formation is exposed here be- Bertha’s leg can easily take seven months work be- cause the top of an anticlinal fold has been eroded. fore being ready for display. Present day mapping reveals that about 75% of the formation is still buried and most of the rest has been eroded. The exposures available for possible fossil finds make up less than 1% of the total. The Morrison Formation was formed from sed- iments which were deposited in the Late Jurassic. This formation covered some one million square kilometres, which today is all or part of eleven states and three provinces, with a midpoint in Wyoming. At that time this great interior plain was just above sea level. The inland Sundance Sea had retreated, leaving behind a broad undulating land- scape with level, usually dry, floodplain valleys. World climate was much warmer than it is now. The Morrison was mostly a hot steamy place, like the lower Amazon of today, with numerous lakes and rivers surrounded by dense tropical vegeta- The origin of sauropods is controversial, com- tion. Sometimes catastrophic monsoons and hur- plicated, unclear and even a marvelous mystery. ricanes buried many plants and animals. The tum- They suddenly appear thirty million years after the bling action of bodies being tossed around by beginning of the Jurassic Period. How extraordi- violent water possibly twisted the heads off of big nary and different the sauropods are from any liv- dinosaurs, because heads are seldom found. The ing animal! How difficult it is to understand them! climate and plant material available at that time Why was being extra-large an advantage and not a made it a paradise for big sauropods and other ver- disadvantage? There’s been lots of twisting and tebrate genera to live out their long lives together. dancing to jam them somehow into the popular Bob Bakker suggests not putting fossil material but obsolete theory of gradual changes…natural from Como in a shirt or back pocket and leaving it selection. Sudden major changes that occur to there all day. Many Lower Morrison sandstones fauna are not, and cannot, be accomodated by the contain uranium minerals, washed in from some- theory. where; mainly near-black uraninite (uranium

APS Bulletin 7 March 1999 An avian dinosaur changing into an eagle must gestive juices into the mixture and assist in pre- do so very quickly. All the necessary parts that venting unwanted settling and segregation of the make a bird an eagle: ripping beak, sharp talons, material by density. The gizzard is very muscular, strong wings, eagle eyes and brain, meat digesting with a hard interior lining, capable of putting a system; all have to be there and be usable immedi- powerful crushing squeeze on its contents. The ately. Otherwise the “would be” eagle will receive contraction cycle time in ducks is about three per its just reward…as instant maggot food! minute. The first part of the intestine after the Brontosaurs had it good for at least six million gizzard determines whether the mix is suitable for years. They were extraordinarily well adapted to digestion. If not, it pumps the mix back into the function superbly in their environment. gizzard for further processing. Describing these big dinosaurs as “pea brained im- Gastroliths get highly polished from being beciles” is absolutely invalid. Just exactly how rubbed against each other with gastric juices as a many brain neurons are needed to excel at eating, lubricant. The super-polished stones have a sleeping, and rolling in the dirt? Relative brain size greasy-waxy feel to them. How these stones were has no bearing on how well a creature does in its selected by Bertha is unknown. No calipers were environment and can only be of cursory interest. needed in checking the stones for optimum size Vern Johnson, a semi-retired rancher, was try- range. Swiss army knives were not carried by ing to figure out whether these big brontosaurs Bertha or her friends to check selected stones for could survive and thrive in our climate, using pre- an optimum hardness of 7—quartz. Yet these gas- sent day plants as food. Leaning against the show- troliths fall into a limited size range and are quartz! case holding Bertha’s skull bits, he looked for teeth Tate Museum curator, Kent Sundell, thought capable of chewing, grinding, or mashing tough the claws on the three vegetation. Not a tooth, not even empty socket The intended inner toes (equivalent holes for these teeth, could he see. This limits the to our big toe plus the usable food to those plants that are soft and succu- target might not next two) of each lent, needing little or no processing in the mouth even see the tip back foot had several to make them digestible. uses. They could be The teeth that are in the jaw are only in the front of an eighty-two- used in marking its round part that connects the left and right jaw bone, fifteen- territory, as a dog bones together. These teeth appear similar to his does; as a traction aid small pinky finger with a small space between metre long tail, in going up slippery them. The longest tooth was from his pinky nail tip coming at it with slopes; and to anchor to about the second finger joint. Some teeth are hyper speed and the back end when chipped, some are broken and some are missing. snapping the tail with Good thing for Bertha that her teeth were continu- energy. real intent to injure ally being replaced throughout her life. Prehensile something. The claw lips to grab things and a long tongue, like a giraf- on each front foot is located in the same place as fe’s, would be assets in food handling. Vern’s feed our thumb is on our hand. Spreading the front legs supplier, XL Feeds, makes large food pellets for os- apart would dig these claws into the ground, an- triches and emus that would be suitable nutrition choring the front end. With the body anchored for a Bertha; no chewing is required to make them down, maximum tail force could be generated. No digestible. This method of supplying food is both slip-sliding reaction of the body. Sliding around simple and economic. reduces the power that could be put into the tail Vern speculated about those gizzard stones swing. (gastroliths) found with the sauropod remains. In The tail has immense muscle attachment sites birds, stones or grit are unnecessary for digestion on the tail bones near the hips. The intended target and only marginally improve digestive efficiency. might not even see the tip of an eighty-two-bone, Birds will do just fine without them. However, they fifteen-metre long tail, coming at it with hyper do show definite pleasure when given free access to speed and energy. These smashes could come from appropriately sized grit. Crushed granite is the ground level upward, or at any angle, even from usual grit; it can also be crushed quartz. directly overhead. Knees would be destroyed, leg Egg layers that require more calcium should get bones and ribs broken and vertebrae crushed. A access to crushed limestone or oyster shell. Gastric smack to the head could be quick death! The last juices break these down releasing usable calcium. forty bones—about seven metres— of the tail are The gizzard uses the grit to help churn the di- made up of short jointless bones with V-shaped

APS Bulletin 8 March 1999 ends. Hour-glass shaped cartilage filled the joint Calgary Herald, November 25, 1998 between successive bones and gave this part of the T-Rex to terrorize London tail surprising flexibility. Elastic tendons on all sides of these bones strengthened them and helped LONDON, UK—An enormous, animated model prevent bone breakage. Here, there are no muscles of a Tyrannosaurus rex is giving London city coun- and few nerves are needed. The bones taper down cillors headaches as they decide whether or not to until the last two metres are the diameter of a gar- let it rampage in Trafalgar Square. The American- den hose. A formidable weapon against predators built model—all 17 tonnes of it—was airlifted to big and small! The three tail-end bones on display the UK in two pieces, to advertise the IMAX film, show some damage and healing. T-Rex: Back to the Cretaceous.* Officials are wor- Nine pairs of bones reinforcing the belly were ried that the huge weight could punch holes in the found with Bertha. These belly stiffeners (gastralia) roadway, possibly damaging a network of tunnels are also found in some present-day animals. The under the square. They also fear that the model, small diameter bones are found on the underside which nods its head, waves its arms, roars, and of the gut. They aren’t attached to anything, just moves at up to 25 km/h, could trample innocent embedded in the muscles. A stiffened belly likely Londoners if it gets out of control. A plan to let the has to do with more effective respiration. In 1896, monster proceed down Regent Street was nixed, O. C. Marsh pointed out gastralia in sauropods. for fear of tearing down the Christmas lighting. These fragile looking bone structures are also * In a number of related articles, film critics found in some tyrannosaurids. have been nearly unanimous in giving T-Rex: Back Vern took a quick look at some of the other to the Cretaceous (which was partly filmed in specimens on display. Then on to Laramie, Alberta’s badlands) a big thumb up for the breath- Wyoming to have a look at the only full-sized taking special effects, and a big thumb down for brontosaur skeleton on display west of the bad acting, bad writing, and a flimsy plot. Mississippi. ❏ Calgary Herald, November 29, 1998 remains could push back Fossils in the News humanity’s appearance in Asia YANGON, Myanmar (AP)—This brief and badly The Sunday Telegraph (London) researched item documents the discovery in October 25, 1998 Myanmar (Burma) of 40-million-year-old primate Jurassic marine reptile found in bones, including an upper jaw with teeth. fenland clay pit According to the article this fossil discovery, made by a Japanese-Myanmar team, “could lead to a bet- WHITTLESEY, UK—Amateur palaeontologist ter understanding of when man appeared in Asia.” Alan Dawn spotted part of a rib sticking out of a [If “man” evolved in Africa, from 3 to 4 million- Cambridgeshire clay pit, and called in the experts. year-old australopithecines like “Lucy” and the Excavation of the site, near Peterborough, revealed South African specimen documented elsewhere in that the rib was attached to a nearly complete this Bulletin, it’s hard to see how this 40-million Jurassic plesiosaur skeleton, belonging to a new year old primate find relates to “man’s” appearance genus and species. Named Pachycostasaurus dawni in Asia, which couldn’t have occurred before “man” (“Dawn’s thick-ribbed lizard”) by researchers evolved! –ed.] from the Universities of Derby, Leicester and The latest primate discovery, named Portsmouth, the specimen is believed to represent Pondaungia, complements a 1997 discovery in a juvenile (approx. 3 metres long) short-necked Myanmar of the lower jaw of another primate, plesiosaur, and is distinguished by its very large, Amphipithecus. thick ribs. Deep tooth-marks on the skeleton re- veal that it was either killed or scavenged by some The Globe and Mail, December 9, 1998 other carnivorous animal. Mr. Dawn is a prolific fossil hunter, having re- Three-million-year-old skeleton of cently discovered—also near Peterborough—the hominid found in South Africa tusks, legs, and lower jaw (with teeth) of a 117,000 JOHANNESBURG—Much excitement has been year-old ice-age elephant. generated by the discovery of a nearly complete skeleton of a human ancestor in a South African

APS Bulletin 9 March 1999 cave. The bones, estimated to be about 3 million Previous accomplishments of the Mechins, who years old, are among the oldest found in this part have been hunting French fossils for 25 years, in- of Africa. [Two similar articles in other papers con- clude the discovery of a giant running bird, tain inconsistent ages for this discovery (“more than Gargantuavis, and a tortoise, Foxemys. Hints of fu- three million years”—Calgary Herald; “3.5 ture discoveries have already turned up: near the million”—National Post) and for the age of the fa- Variraptor site, the Mechins found an imprint of a mous “Lucy” fossil from Ethiopia, to which this lat- jawbone three times the size of Variraptor’s, “with est find is being compared (“3.2 million” — teeth like ‘sabre blades’.” National Post; “3.75 million”—Calgary Herald), leaving much uncertainty as to which of these fossils The Calgary Sun, December 18, 1998 is older –ed.] Crocs ruled Arctic in 90 million BC The specimen was found in several pieces, in a South African cave, by University of Witwaters- WASHINGTON (AP)—Researchers at the rand palaeoanthropologist Ron Clarke and his University of Rochester (New York) announced in crew, after painstaking excavation under dark, the journal Science the discovery of champsosaur damp and generally unpleasant conditions. The bones at a locality in the Canadian arctic, some skeleton should reveal much about the anatomy, 1000 km. from the North Pole. Bones of the walking habits and general behaviour of this early crocodile-like champsosaur [which are common in ape-man, and shed light on the evolution of mod- Alberta –ed.], were found in association with fish ern humans. and turtle fossils, says Rochester geophysicist John Tarduno, senior author of the study. Of the The National Post, December 11, 1998 Cretaceous arctic climate, Tarduno says: “we think it was typical of what Florida is now.” According to Prehistoric El Niño was an asteroid David Weishampel, of Johns Hopkins University, WASHINGTON (Reuters)—Evidence that an as- this is currently the most northerly record of teroid slammed into Earth 3.3 million years ago champsosaurs. has turned up in southeastern Argentina. Fragments of glassy rock, called scoria, have been The National Post, January 22, 1999 found in soil by a team led by planetary geologist Beware of the turbo dinosaurs Peter Schultz, of Brown University. This scoria is similar to material found around known impact WASHINGTON (Reuters)—Recent studies of a craters. baby theropod dinosaur fossil from Italy reinforce The timing of the alleged impact coincides with the idea that, while probably cold-blooded reptiles, the extinction of giant armadillos, ground sloths the theropod (bipedal, meat-eating) dinosaurs and a large carnivorous bird. Schultz’s team sur- were likely very fast, dangerous animals. The fossil, mises that the impact may have sent up dust and of a flattened, dog-sized Scipionyx, shows well- water vapour that cooled the regional climate, per- preserved internal organs, including intestines, haps triggering the extinctions of the local faunas. liver and some muscles. The animal’s internal or- ganization resembled that of a diaphragm- Calgary Herald, December 17, 1998 breathing creature, like humans and other mam- mals, implying a large breathing capacity, to sup- Previously unknown dinosaur found port an active metabolism. They were “certainly by amateurs in France not slow or sluggish,” says Nicholas Geist of MARSEILLES—Chalk up another one for the am- Oregon State University, who worked with John ateurs! Fossil hunters Patrick and Annie Mechin Ruben and a team at the Museo Civico di Storia discovered the remains of a small (1.8 metre), Late Naturale, in Milan. According to Geist, these Cretaceous (70 ma) theropod dinosaur in the hills theropod dinosaurs had much more stamina than, at Fox-Amphoux, near Marseilles, in the south of say, a crocodile: “What you have is a turbocharged France. Palaeontologists have so far unearthed reptile.” teeth, a backbone and humerus of the animal, But despite their active metabolism, the di- dubbed Variraptor mechinorum, and related to the nosaurs were still cold-blooded, and would have Asian Velociraptor and North American suffered adversely from low temperatures. Ruben Utahraptor. Also found were bones of herbivorous believes that a cooling climate in the latter part of dinosaurs showing tooth-marks from a predatory the Cretaceous period was the death-knell for the dinosaur. dinosaurs, which, he says, “were beginning to lose

APS Bulletin 10 March 1999 diversity and disappear a good six to eight million Calgary Herald, March 11, 1999 years before the asteroid hit…I would suggest that Dinosaur grand-daddy gets a Husky one reason might be that these were very highly moniker specialized cold-blooded animals that could not DRUMHELLER—This article [scooped three survive easily in an environment that was becom- months earlier by the APS Bulletin!—see Program ing seasonally cooler.” Summary, December 1998 –ed.] announces the dis- covery of Sikannisuchus huskyi, a Triassic marine The National Post, February 17, 1999 archosaur, by a Tyrrell Museum team led by Dr. Texas fossil challenges theory on Betsy Nicholls. The animal is named in honour of dinosaurs Husky Oil Ltd., which lent crucial logistical and fi- DALLAS (Dallas Morning News)—95-million- nancial support to the project, including its initial year-old dinosaur fossils discovered by an amateur discovery by Husky geophysicists in the Rocky palaeontologist at Flower Mound, Texas, may have Mountains near Fort St. John, B.C. The discovery thrown a monkey-wrench into the theory that the of the fossil in marine rocks near the Sikanni Chief hadrosaurs (duck-billed dinosaurs) evolved first in River (hence Sikannisuchus—literally “Sikanni Asia, then migrated to North America across a crocodile”) is very significant, as archosaurs, which northern land-bridge. The fossils, discovered by are thought to have been ancestral to both Gary Byrd in 1994, include a toe bone and the ani- crocodiles and dinosaurs, were previously thought mal’s skull, which has been described by Southern to have been land-dwelling animals. Methodist University grad student Jason Head. Remains of the 4-metre long animal include Head has named the dinosaur Protohadros byrdi. jaws; part of the skull; some large, serrated teeth; The idea that hadrosaurs evolved in Asia was vertebrae; and bony plates underlying the skin. based on fragmentary fossils of the same age, from The fossils are described and illustrated in the that continent. But now, says SMU palaeontologist Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, due out soon. Louis Jacobs, “there’s as much evidence that they Dr. Nicholls plans to return to the Sikanni Chief could have evolved in North America as in Asia.” area this summer for more collecting. This interpretation is not without controversy. Dr. Catherine Forster, of the State University of New [Thanks to Les Adler, Trudy Martin, Keith York, in Stony Brook, thinks that Protohadros real- Mychaluk, Roslyn Osztian and Sam Richter] ❏ ly belongs in the iguanodontid group, which was ancestral to the hadrosaurs, and thus doesn’t quali- fy as a true hadrosaur. “When does a hadrosaur become a hadrosaur out of all this iguanodontian stuff?” she asks. But back at SMU, Jason Head Bulletin index points out that this is mostly a semantic argu- ment—whatever group you want to put it in, the new Protohadros is still a member of a group that now available gave rise to the later hadrosaurs. “Everything we think about hadrosaurid evolution is about to fall apart.” comprehensive index to the APS A Bulletin, including all issues from Calgary Herald, March 11, 1999 March 1986 (Volume 1, Number 1) to the current fossil found in Africa issue, is available in digital form. The index in- cludes all articles, reports, executive messages, re- JOHANNESBURG (AP)—The skull of a 260 views, and various notices—even advertisements. million-year-old (), sheep-sized animal It is searchable by volume/number/year; author; has been discovered in South Africa. title; article type; subject keywords; names (of peo- Anomocephalus africanus is the most primitive ple); and scientific names (binomial: genus and known representative of a group of animals called species). anomodonts, thought to be ancestral to . The index is available as a FileMaker Pro™ 3.0 The specimen was found by Drs. Bruce Rubidge database file for Macintosh or Windows, or as tab- and Sean Modesto, a Canadian researcher. delimited text (ASCII). Any APS member may re- According to Rubidge, “it has reinforced the idea quest a free copy by email, or by supplying a 3.5" that the distant ancestors of mammals actually floppy disc. Contact the Editor (see Page 1). ❏ came from South Africa.”

APS Bulletin 11 March 1999 [Program Summary…continued from Page 3] malian characteristics that define the skeleton of Andy and Tammy Godard: Central and southern dinosaurs was recognized, and this fueled specula- Alberta dinosaur fossils. tion on how they stood, walked, ran and lived. Interestingly, the earliest reconstructions were Roslyn Osztian: The pineal “eye” in reptiles. of lively, active animals living much as modern Len Hills: Ancient buffalo fossil—a recent finding. mammals do today. These advanced “mammal- like” reptile reconstructions were used both for As well, a number of scientists from the Royal and against arguments in the debate between Tyrrell Museum and the University of Calgary pro- Europe’s leading naturalists about the new evolu- vided excellent poster displays on the following tionary theories arising in the time of Darwin. topics: Active reconstructions continued when Joseph Lisa Holmstrom: The Burgess Shale. Leidy’s discovery of the first complete dinosaur skeleton in New Jersey in 1858—a hadrosaur— re- Paul A. Johnston: A new interpretation of alleged vealed that some dinosaurs were bipedal, walking mosasaur bite-marks on Upper Cretaceous am- solely on their hind legs. Similar thought patterns monites from Southern Alberta. were used in Knight’s 1907 painting of an athletic Paul A. Johnston: A new interpretation of alleged sauropod, Diplodocus, and Knight’s 1898 sculpture lizard eggs from Upper Cretaceous Protoceratops of the fighting theropods Dryptosaurus. beds in the Gobi Desert. By the 1930s, dinosaurs had become sluggish, Russell Hall: Seirocrinus subangularis: A Jurassic giant reptiles, barely capable of dragging their large crinoid from southern Alberta. bloated carcasses around the Mesozoic landscape. Hadrosaurs and sauropods were confined to living Shayne Tolman, Len Hills and Paul McNeil: out their lives in the supporting water of lakes and St. Mary Reservoir Holocene fauna. swamps while theropods could only muster Darla Zelenitsky, Len Hills and Chris de Buhr: enough energy to scavenge animals that had died Dinosaur eggs and eggshells from Alberta. of other causes. Active dinosaurs were resurrected in the late 1960s by Ostrom’s work on the small Charles Henderson: Conodont biostratigraphy theropod Deinonychus. This trend toward active, and tectonics of the Middle Pennsylvanian to athletic dinosaurs has pervaded modern thought Lower Triassic of Western Canada. trends and cumulated in the production of mod- [The editor, who was absent from these proceedings, ern films such as Jurassic Park. has obtained a partial set of notes detailing the pre- Recent research into dinosaur locomotion in- sentations at the January program. It is hoped that if volves many areas, for example: bone size and the rest of the notes become available, a summary of shape comparisons with living animals, trackway the workshop presentations can be published in the analysis, stress and strain analysis, computer mod- June Bulletin.] eling, and looking at neural function and control. These different methods of investigation have re- February 19, 1999 vealed active animals, living and interacting in dy- A Step Through Time: an Historical Look at namic Mesozoic ecosystems. ❏ Dinosaur Stance and Gait, with Paul McNeil, University of Calgary “Sue-Cam” shows progress Paul McNeil is a PhD. student in the Depart- ment of Geology and Geophysics, University of on Field Museum’s T. rex Calgary. He obtained an undergraduate degree in Engineering Geophysics at Queen’s University, eb surfers can log onto the Field Kingston. His current thesis work is on the biome- WMuseum of Natural History’s site chanics of dinosaur locomotion, under the super- in Chicago and watch “real-time” preparation of vision of Dr. Philip Currie and Dr. Len Hills. “Sue,” the much-ballyhooed Tyrannosaurus rex The following notes are from an abstract of the skeleton from South Dakota. A computer- presentation, provided by Paul McNeil: operated video camera allows internet visitors to pan and zoom the camera as they watch palaeo-lab Since their scientific discovery in the early 1800s preparation work from behind a visitors’ gallery dinosaurs have fascinated both scientists and the window. general public alike. Even in the earliest publica- tions the unique mixture of reptilian and mam- www.fmnh.org/sue/default_icam.htm ❏

APS Bulletin 12 March 1999 data has been added to the base record compiled during the Leakey field seasons. The material is Review being integrated into an electronic database devel- by Les Adler oped with the department of Geomatics at the University of Capetown. The trackway is now cov- ered with five layers of sand and soil, the burial lay- Preserving the Laetoli Footprints by Neville Agnew and Martha Demas, ers separated by polypropylene geotextiles and erosion-control matting, then covered by lava Scientific American, September 1998, p. 44–55. boulders to protect the trackway from cattle and any hominid fossils have been found at other animals. There is also a monitoring trench to MHadar and Omo in Ethiopia, at Lake check the performance of the geotextiles. Two Turkana in Kenya and Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania Masai tribesmen are employed as full-time guards. along the eastern branch of the Great Rift Valley. The Laetoli site is not open to visitors; a perma- The Laetoli area is south of Olduvai Gorge in nent display has been installed at the Olduvai northern Tanzania. Paul I. Abell, a geochemist Museum, overlooking the gorge of the Leakeys’ who had joined Mary Leakey’s team in 1978, found discoveries, a short distance off the road that runs what appeared to be a human footprint at the edge from the Ngorongoro caldera to the Serengeti of a gully eroded by the Ngaarusi River. This area Plain. at Laetoli had already produced thousands of fos- Between the Laetoli footprints and Neil silized tracks including footprints of elephants, Armstrong’s footprints on the surface of the moon rhinoceroses and several other extinct mammal (humankind’s first steps into the cosmos) lies a 3.6 species. million-year-long evolutionary journey. ❏ Excavations of the Footprint Tuff revealed two parallel trails of hominid footprints extending 27 metres. The volcanic sediments were dated radio- metrically as 3.4 – 3.8 million years old. The two CALGARY ROCK & LAPIDARY CLUB northernmost tracks were destroyed by erosion between their discovery in 1978 and reexcavation 1999 in 1996. GEM, MINERAL & FOSSIL SHOW As often happens in palaeoanthropology, dis- agreement soon broke out regarding the interpre- tation of the evidence. Many scientists believe that the tracks had been made by three members of Australopithecus afarensis, the type specimen hav- ing been found close by. Mary Leakey did not as- sign these tracks to any species at all. At the end of each field season, Leakey’s team reburied the trackway for its protection, but made casts of the best-preserved sections and documented the site A SYMPHONY IN STONE fully. Leakey later published a monumental mono- graph providing an unparalleled record of the SATURDAY, MAY 1 1999 SUNDAY, MAY 2 African savanna during Pliocene times and a con- 9 AM – 6 PM NEW HOURS 10 AM – 5 PM text in which to understand the hominid trackway. DISPLAYS, DEMONSTRATIONS, DEALERS Fieldwork ended in 1979. Seeds of Acacia seyal, a FISH POND, SILENT AUCTION large tree, were inadvertently introduced with the ADMISSION reburial fill and tree roots threatened the tracks. Adults $3.00 Seniors $2.00 Youth {7–17} $2.00 The Getty Conservation Institute and the Children 6 and under admitted FREE if accompanied by an adult Tanzanian government collaborated in searching for solutions: (1) removal of the tracks was too WEST HILLHURST ARENA 1940 – 6 AVE. NW risky (2) Construction of a shelter was too risky CALGARY, ALBERTA because of the climate. (3) Reexcavation and re- burial was chosen and a regional representative Chairman Displays Publicity from UNESCO was added. The Laetoli trackway is 242-4129 287-1570 241-3397 now one of the most thoroughly documented [email protected] palaeontological sites. An enormous archive of

APS Bulletin 13 March 1999