P a l æ o n t o l o g i c a l S o c i e t y B u l l e t i n VOLUMEA 16 • NUMBER l 4 b e www.albertapaleo.org r t a DECEMBER 2001 ALBERTA PALÆONTOLOGICAL SOCIETY OFFICERS MEMBERSHIP: Any person with a sincere interest in President* Vaclav Marsovsky 547-0182 palaeontology is eligible to present their application for Vice-President* Dan Quinsey 247-3022 membership in the Society. (Please enclose membership Treasurer* (acting) Cindy Evans 285-0144 dues with your request for application.) Secretary* (acting)Dan Quinsey 247-3022 Single membership $15.00 annually Past-President* Wayne Braunberger 278-5154 Family or Institution $20.00 annually DIRECTORS Editor* Howard Allen 274-1858 THE BULLETIN WILL BE PUBLISHED Membership* Howard Allen 274-1858 QUARTERLY: March, June, September and Program Coordinator* Philip Benham 280-6283 December. Deadline for submitting material for Curator Ron Fortier 285-8041 publication is the 15th of the month prior to Librarian Mona Marsovsky 547-0182 publication. Events Coordinator* Keith Mychaluk 228-3211 Director at Large Dr. David Mundy 281-3668 Society Mailing Address: Social Director (position currently unfilled) Alberta Palaeontological Society APAC Representative† Vaclav Marsovsky 547-0182 P.O. Box 35111, Sarcee Postal Outlet * Officers and Directors marked with an asterisk are se- Calgary, Alberta, Canada T3E 7C7 nior board members for executive meeting quorum (Web: www.albertapaleo.org) purposes. † APAC is the Alberta Palaeontological Advisory Material for the Bulletin: Committee Howard Allen, Editor, APS 7828 Hunterslea Crescent, N.W. The Society was incorporated in 1986, as a non-profit Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2K 4M2 organization formed to: (E-mail: [email protected]) a. Promote the science of palaeontology through study and education. NOTICE: Readers are advised that opinions expressed in the articles are those of the author and do not neces- b. Make contributions to the science by: sarily reflect the viewpoint of the Society. Except for ar- 1) discovery 2) collection 3) description ticles marked “Copyright ©,” reprinting of articles by 4) education of the general public exchange bulletins is permitted, as long as appropriate 5) preservation of material for study and the future credit is given. Requests for missing issues of the c. Provide information and expertise to other Bulletin should be addressed to the Editor. Back issues collectors. are available for purchase from the Librarian or the Editor, in hard copy or CD-ROM formats. Copies are d. Work with professionals at museums and univer- also available for loan in the Society library. sities 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 B101 (or B108, across the hall) Mount Royal College: 4825 Richard Road SW, Calgary, Alberta December 14, 2001—Palaeo Photo Contest and Pot-Luck Dinner. January 26–27, 2002—6th Annual Symposium. See details, Page 15. February 15, 2002—Lisa Bohach, University of Calgary: Trilobites of the Cranbrook Area, BC. ON THE COVER: Alberta fossils—Teeth of the mollusc-eating freshwater ray, Myledaphus bipartitus Cope, one of Alberta’s commonest vertebrate fossils. Upper Cretaceous, Horseshoe Canyon Formation. Upper photo shows a fresh occlusal surface; lower photo is another specimen, the result of crunching a few too many mollusc shells. Both magnified 14.5 times. Photos by Howard Allen. Have you got a rare, unusu- al, or spectacular Alberta fossil we can showcase on a future cover? Please contact the Editor! APS Bulletin 1 December 2001 Proposed Dues New Provincial Increase Park Boundaries by Keith Mychaluk, Events Coordinator by Dan Quinsey, Secretary any APS members avidly collect fossils near Dinosaur Provincial Park and Dry Important Notice of Motion MIsland Buffalo Jump Provincial Park. Also, the APS itself has conducted field trips he following motion to increase member- near both of these parks. However, we all need to ship dues will be presented during the an- be aware of recent park boundary changes, which T nual general meeting of May 24, 2002. can be found on the internet at the following site: www3.gov.ab.ca/env/parks/lrm/index.html. By click- Motion: To increase membership dues for the ing on the “Provincial Parks” link, one can locate Alberta Palaeontological Society to $20.00 for maps and legal land descriptions of the current a Single, Family or Institutional membership park boundaries. commencing with the 2003 calendar year. Maps of Dinosaur Provincial Park and Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park (among oth- The annual fixed expense for each membership ers) can be downloaded from the site as Acrobat whether it be a single, family or institutional mem- PDF files and printed at high resolution. Please bership is $16.85. This figure will rise when we take note that the new southern boundary at Dinosaur into consideration postal rates, general inflation, Park now encompasses the popular “Wolf Coulee” and the increasing cost to bring in speakers for or Bonebed 120 microvertebrate fossil site, which general meetings and the annual symposium. was the venue of an APS trip back in 1999. Currently we are collecting $15.00 for a single Apparently new, albeit small, Provincial Park membership and $20.00 for a family or institution. boundary signs have been posted, but I have been In order to continue to provide the calibre of unable to confirm this. Also, additions to Dry speakers we have had in the past and avoid operat- Island Park have been made downstream at the ing the Society in a deficit position, the board of popular campgrounds on both sides of the Red directors are proposing an increase in membership Deer River at Tolman Bridge. I can confirm that dues to $20.00 for a single, family or institutional new signs have been posted there. I do not know membership commencing with the 2003 year. when the changes at either park were made. In accordance with the bylaws of the Alberta Before planning future trips, please refer to the Palaeontological Society, any change in member- above website and make sure you avoid collecting ship fees shall be determined from time to time by in a park. However, I must criticize the provincial the members at a general meeting. Only members government for not making these changes more in good standing with the Society may vote on this public. Signs around Dinosaur Park are rarely visi- motion. Voting must be done in person and not by ble and, in many cases, have been knocked down. proxy or otherwise. Although 15% of the voting The signs merely say “Alberta Provincial Park members are required to constitute quorum at the Boundary” and do not discuss fines for illegal fossil annual general meeting to vote in elections, only collecting or trespassing. Furthermore, the 10% of the voting members are required to consti- province or the Tyrrell Museum (who certainly tute quorum in order to pass a motion regarding must be aware of the changes at Dinosaur) should membership dues. A majority show of hands will formally contact the APS about any changes to pass the motion. park boundaries near fossil collecting localities. The Board of Directors feels this motion must Since the APS represents over 120 individuals and be passed at this time in order to continue with the groups interested in Alberta fossils, we make an programs and events we have become accustomed obvious choice for advertising changes. Obviously to and to remain solvent as a society. ❏ these park boundary changes are meant to protect natural resources, but what if no one in the greater public is aware of them? ❏ APS Bulletin 2 December 2001 In an effort to improve APS field trip safety, sev- eral new measures will be adopted for 2002. These Proposed Field will include a “buddy system,” new safety equip- ment and—perhaps—formal first-aid training for some members and trip leaders (more to follow in the coming months). Currently we are looking for Trips for 2002 donations of safety equipment, including first aid kits, flares, pylons, “bear bangers” and reflective by Keith Mychaluk, Events Coordinator safety vests. Please contact Keith Mychaluk, Events Coor- Onefour area, Alberta dinator, for more information: (403) 228-3211, June 22–23, 2002 (Saturday and Sunday) Email: [email protected] upcom- We will return to the same area we visited in ing Bulletin issues for more details. ❏ 2000 to search for more microvertebrate fossil sites in the Oldman and Dinosaur Park Formations (Late Cretaceous). On this trip, we will explore for new localities. Accommodations and gas stations Program Summary are sparse in this region of Alberta, so please plan by Mona Marsovsky ahead. Campgrounds are located in Foremost, Cypress Hills and Medicine Hat. The nearest motel September 21, 2001 accommodations are in Medicine Hat. Reconstructing the Past. By Gilles Danis, Prehistoric Animal Structures (PAST) Fernie-Sparwood area, BC t the September meeting, Mr. Danis illustrat- July 20–21, 2002 (Saturday and Sunday) ed the trials and tribulations of mounting Our host for this year’s successful trip to A skeletons and how scientific research is es- Cranbrook, Guy Santucci, will once again help sential to determine the best mount for a particular lead one of our trips. We will explore a variety of animal. Jurassic and Cretaceous plant fossil localities in the Gilles Danis graduated with a BA at the Fernie-Sparwood coal mining district. The first University of Laval in 1965. Under the leadership day’s activities will centre around Fernie, so it’s of Dr. Dale A. Russell, Gilles began his career of best to make accommodation arrangements there. mounting dinosaur skeletons for the Canadian On Day Two, we will journey a short drive to Museum of Nature.