vol 25 no. 4 TRACKS AND TRAILS a publication of the Friends of Dinosaur Park and Arboretum, Inc. October - November- December 2009 Donated Rock and Minerals Cataloged for Park’s Collection This summer, two undergraduate geology students from Central Con- mineralogy course this semester, putting her necticut State University began sorting, identifying, and labeling collec- summer experience to good use. Ken, as tions of rocks and minerals that had been donated to the Park in recent president of CCSU’s “Friends of Earth” club, years. Ken Boling and Ali Steullet came in every week to work on two plans geology field trips around Connecticut large collections containing Connecticut rocks and minerals. with his fellow students. He indicated that he really likes studying rocks and has enjoyed One collection was donated by Phyllis Chester, a long-time collector, the element of surprise when poking through hiker, and environmental advocate, who, upon moving to smaller ac- old boxes full of specimens. commodations, wanted the specimens put to good use. She is a member of the Salem Land Trust and now lives in Uncasville. Another collec- tion was donated by Virgil M. Horn, who collected rocks and minerals while on vacations throughout the Northeast and during many trips as a troop leader with the Boy Scouts of America. After Mr. Horn passed away in 1998, his son Howard Horn, of Rocky Hill, CT, wanted the collection used for educational purposes. Thanks to the generosity of Mr. Horn and Ms. Chester, and the assis- tance of Ken and Ali, the park now has an extensive variety of speci- mens. Both collections include specimens that will remain in the park collec- tion for teaching and display, as well as some that will be given away to students participating in programs covering rocks and minerals of Con- necticut or Connecticut landforms. In addition, many teachers who par- ticipate in our Landforms Workshops will receive specimens for their classroom collections. Those items given away will include a Dinosaur State Park label listing the name of the specimen, where it was found, and the name of the person who collected or donated it. During the next phase of this project, new specimens will be added to the Park’s permanent collection; all rocks, minerals and fossils will be Ali Steullet and Ken Boling spent much of the entered in a digital catalog; and specimens will be organized to make summer at the Park, sorting and identifying hun- them more accessible to staff on a daily basis. Several exceptional dreds of rocks and minerals that had been col- specimens have already been incorporated into a Rock and Mineral Box lected and donated by Phyllis Chester and the late that visitors can examine in the Discovery Room. The box includes a Virgil Horn. magnifying glass and booklet with information about each specimen. Even though they have returned to school, Ali and Ken Winter Vacation Programming continue to volunteer their talents. Ali is enrolled in a The park will celebrate December school vacation week with a “Wild Inside” series of programs that will include animal Friends of Dinosaur Park and Arboretum, Inc. demonstrations, track talks, films, an animal track booklet Dinosaur State Park craft, and more. Times and additional details will be posted 400 West Street on the Friends website and the DEP calendar. The program Rocky Hill, CT 06067 www.dinosaurstatepark.org dates are December 26-27, 29-31 and January 2 - 3. TRACKS AND TRAILS 2 Exciting New Insights into the Dinosaur-Bird Connection Several recent news articles reporting new research on the older than Archaeopteryx lays these arguments to rest in a bones of Archaeopteryx may have left many with a false recent paper published in the journal Nature. Anchiornis impression that Archaeopteryx has been toppled from its huxleyi is a small, crow-sized theropod found in Jurassic- perch as the earliest bird. Because of the historic impor- aged rocks from Liaoning, dating to 155 million years ago, tance of Archaeopteryx fossils to our understanding of the 5 million years before Archaeopteryx. dinosaur-bird connection, this new research received con- siderable attention. Despite news reports to the contrary, available evidence continues to support the long-held view that Archaeopteryx represents the most primitive known bird, while new fossil finds are adding significantly to our understanding of the earliest stages of bird evolution. The latest study, led by Gregory Erickson of Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, examined the bone histol- ogy of a juvenile Archaeopteryx. The bones were found to be slow-growing, nearly avascular, and parallel-fibered. Their findings were surprising because the bones were ex- pected to resemble that of modern birds: highly vascular- Anchiornis huxleyi. Drawing by Zhao Chuang and Xing Lia. ized, woven-fibered, and fast-growing. Similar results were found in two others of the earliest known birds: Jeholornis Anchiornis belongs to a group of theropods known as troo- and Sapeornis, suggesting that the Archaeopteryx bone his- dontids. Troodontids, together with dromaeosaurids and tology was typical of early birds. Although these early birds avialans, comprise the group known as Paraves, represent- display many attributes more typical of their non-avian di- ing the closest dinosaur relatives of modern birds. Each of nosaur ancestors, they displayed enough avian attributes to the Paraves groups includes very early examples of feath- have been able to fly. The significance of these findings is ered dinosaurs. The troodontid Anchiornis, the dro- not to undermine the importance of Archaeopteryx, but maeosaurid Microraptor gui and the avialan Pedopenna all rather, to provide new, physiological evidence of birds’ share the unique characteristic of having had four feathered dinosaurian origins. limbs, although it is not yet known if any of these creatures could actually fly. The fact that this same configuration ap- The discovery of numerous feathered, non-avian, dinosaurs pears early in the evolution of each of these groups raises in Liaoning, China starting in the 1990s helped convince questions about the evolution of flight – did early flight in- many that birds evolved from dinosaurs. But these discov- volve a four-winged stage? The presence of bulky feathers eries also created what is known as a “temporal paradox” on the hind limbs also suggests that these dinosaurs may because the Liaoning finds were all from the Early Creta- have been tree-dwellers, because they would not have been ceous Period, living millions of years after Archaeopteryx. able to move very well on the ground. If true, flight may These non-avian, feathered dinosaurs would have to share have evolved from dinosaurs living in trees rather than from an older common ancestor with Archaeopteryx, but no the ground up. Arguments have been made for both hy- feathered dinosaurs pre-dating Archaeopteryx had been potheses of flight evolution, but the recent discovery of An- found. Several vocal opponents of the dinosaur-bird con- chiornis may tip the balance in favor of the tree-dweller nection used this as evidence against dinosaurian ancestry hypothesis. for birds. Finally, the discovery of a feathered dinosaur Hu D, Hou L, Zhang L, Xu X: A pre-Archaeopteryx troodontid The Friends of Dinosaur Park and Arboretum, Inc. is a non- theropod from China with long feathers on the metatarsus. Nature 2009, 461:640-643. profit organization whose purpose shall be to further the exhibits and educational programs of Dinosaur State Park, and to advo- Erickson GM, Rauhut OWM, Zhou Z, Turner AH, Inouye BD, cate to the public, educators, and the corporate community the Hu D, Norell MA: Was dinosaurian physiology inherited by benefits of the Park. For additional information, call (860) 257- birds? Reconciling slow growth in Archaeopteryx. PLoS ONE 7601. Tracks and Trails is published quarterly. Editor: Susan 2009, 4(10):e7390 Lionberger. Christine Witkowski, Park Naturalist October - November - December 2009 3 TRACKS AND TRAILS Geological Society of CT Established On November 9, the Park hosted the first meeting of a new and vibrant organization, the Geological Society of The large turnout for Connecticut (GSC). Park staff participated with the plan- the first ning committee to organize this event and help establish meeting of the society. the GSC necessitated The primary goals of the Society include the advance- innovative seating when ment of the science and profession of geology and its refreshments related branches by encouraging education, research and were served. service through the holding of meetings, maintaining communications, and providing a common union of its members. The society intends to contribute to the public Events Reach Out to New Audiences education of the geology of Connecticut and promote the proper use and protection of its natural resources. It also To promote the park, staff has participated in several high advocates the advancement of professional conduct by profile events this fall. This was the fifth year a group of those engaged in the collection, interpretation and use of staff and volunteers spent a day at the BIG E in the Con- geologic data. necticut Building. The Board of Directors of the Connecti- cut Building reserves a booth for Connecticut museums and Amazingly, the society already has 127 members. More invites a different local museum each day to acquaint visi- than 100 people attended the first meeting. Attendees tors with their facility and distribute exhibit materials. included individuals working in the environmental con- Unlike most large fairs or expos, there is no booth fee and sulting field, college professors, DEP employees, retirees park staff and volunteers receive admission and parking from various related fields, and geology students. There passes. It gives us the opportunity to see thousands of peo- was a short organizational meeting followed by three ple from all over New England in one day.