Palæontological Society Bulletin AlbertaVOLUME 29 • NUMBER 3 www.albertapaleo.org SEPTEMBER 2014 ALBERTA PALAEONTOLOGICAL SOCIETY OFFICERS THE SOCIETY WAS INCORPORATED IN 1986 as a non-profit President organization formed to: Cory Gross [email protected] (403) 617-2079 a. Promote the science of palaeontology through study and education. Vice-President b. Make contributions to the science by: 1) Discovery. 2) Collection. (Open: To volunteer contact the President) 3) Description. 4) Education of the general public. 5) Preservation Treasurer of material for study and the future. Mona Marsovsky [email protected] (403) 547-0182 c. Provide information and expertise to other collectors. Secretary d. Work with professionals at museums and universities to add to Vaclav Marsovsky (403) 547-0182 the palaeontological collections of the province (preserve Alberta’s Past-President heritage). Wayne Braunberger [email protected] (403) 278-5154 MEMBERSHIP: Any person with a sincere interest in palaeontology is DIRECTORS eligible to present their application for membership in the Society. Please Editor enclose membership dues with your request for application. Howard Allen [email protected] (403) 274-1858 Single membership $20.00 annually Membership Family or Institution $25.00 annually Howard Allen [email protected] (403) 274-1858 Programs SOCIETY MAILING ADDRESS: Harold Whittaker [email protected] (403) 286-0349 Alberta Palaeontological Society Field Trips P.O. Box 35111, Sarcee Postal Outlet Wayne Braunberger [email protected] (403) 278-5154 Calgary, AB, Canada T3E 7C7 www.albertapaleo.org COMMITTEES Fossil Collection THE BULLETIN WILL BE PUBLISHED QUARTERLY: March, June, Howard Allen [email protected] (403) 274-1858 September and December. Deadline for submissions is the 15th of the Library month prior to publication. Material for the Bulletin should be sent to: Reg Spratley [email protected] (403) 263-0556 Howard Allen, Editor, APS Logo Design 7828 Hunterslea Crescent, NW Cory Gross [email protected] (403) 617-2079 Calgary, AB, Canada T2K 4M2 Public Outreach [email protected] Cory Gross [email protected] (403) 617-2079 Requests for missing Bulletin issues should be directed to the Editor. Social Send changes of contact information to the Membership Director. Dan Quinsey [email protected] (403) 247-3022 Symposium NOTICE: Readers are advised that opinions expressed in the articles are (Open: To volunteer contact the President) those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of the Website Society. Except for articles marked “Copyright ©,” reprinting of articles Vaclav Marsovsky (403) 547-0182 by exchange newsletters is permitted, as long as credit is given. Upcoming APS Meetings Meetings take place at 7:30 p.m. in Room B108, Mount Royal University, 4825 Mount Royal Gate SW, Calgary, Alberta. Friday, October 17, 2014—Gregory Funston, University of Alberta. The Relationships and Biology of the Caenagnathidae, a Family of North American Oviraptorosaurs. Friday, November 21, 2014—Dr. Duane Froese, University of Alberta. Ice Age Yukon: Mammoths, Migrations and Extinction in the Northern Refugium. Friday, December 12, 2014 (Second Friday)—Christmas Social. Watch the APS website for updates on upcoming programs. ON THE COVER: Bighorn Falls, on the Yahatinda Ranch, plunges over cliff-forming siltstones of the Triassic Sulphur Mountain Formation, Rocky Mountain Foothills, Alberta. Site of the APS August 2014 field trip (see Page 10). Photo by Keith Mychaluk. APS Bulletin 2 September 2014 to satisfy everyone’s interest. We are also hoping to continue the trend of having President’s Society members give short ten-or-so minute talks at each meeting. These brief “appetizers” to the main lecture are a great way to share your trips, explora- Message tions, investigations, and pet projects with the rest of us. If you think you might have something to share— By Cory Gross and we know you do!—then make sure to speak with Harold. Even if you don’t think you’d enjoy doing ello everyone and welcome back for another that, we still encourage you to bring along fossils to Hseason of excellent talks and activities with the each meeting for show-and-tell. It’s always great to Alberta Palaeontological Society! see so many fascinating things on display! If you’re I hope that many of you were able to get out and not sure of what something is, that’s even better! enjoy the warm weather this past summer. Wayne Somebody might, and a little mystery always livens Braunberger organized some great field trips, and if up a meeting! you’ve never been on one then I would recommend The APS is committed to making active contribu- making a point of coming along next year. They are tions to palaeontological science, and there are op- great excursions to some sites that may be more dif- portunities for members to become directly involved ficult for individual collectors to get out to, with the in the work being done by academics. Consider benefit of expert guides and a nice chance to get to donating some of your time to sorting microfossils know your fellow Society members. some Saturday this winter! See Page 6 of this Bulletin While our field trips are for members, the APS for dates! also does public outreach. At the beginning of Thank you to everyone, from amateurs to academ- August we participated in Historic Calgary Week ics, from the executive to the general membership, once again, during which I led a group of 80 on “An young and seasoned alike, for helping to make the Ice Age Tour of Nose Hill.” In the coming year we’re APS what it is! And thank you for allowing me to looking forward to meeting even more members of serve you once again as President of the Society. Our the public at events like the Rock N’ Fossil Road 2014–2015 season is going to be great! o Show and Calgary Gem and Mineral Show, both in October. If you know of any opportunities for outreach, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me to let us know! Program Summary As we engage more with the public, we are try- ing to freshen up our image a bit. In addition to new banners, displays and activities, we’d like to step up September the contest for a new logo. Howard Allen and I have been involved in that committee, having written Jason Pardo about it several times in the Bulletin (and see Page 5 University of Calgary of this issue). We’re prepared to really beat the bushes for entries, with the goal of having our democratic Lysorophia, a Poorly-Understood selections before our programming year is through. Tetrapod Group from the Late If you’ve had an idea or two stewing in your head, now’s the time to get it down on paper or pixels to Palaeozoic of North America pass along to the logo committee! Friday, September 19, 2014, 7:30 p.m. Our main activity during the non-summer seasons Mount Royal University, Room B108 are our monthly meetings. Harold Whittaker has lined up some fantastic speakers with intriguing sub- ysorophia is a poorly-understood group of fossil jects to speak about. I’m particularly looking forward Ltetrapods known from the Late Carboniferous to our November talk on Yukon’s Ice Age megafauna and Early Permian of North America. Some prior by Dr. Duane Froese, since mammoths and sabre- workers have noted similarities between lysorophians tooths have become a passion of mine. Harold works and modern amphibians, suggesting that lissamphib- hard to ensure that we have a nice breadth of subjects ians may have evolved from lysorophian-like ances- APS Bulletin 3 September 2014 tors. Jason discussed the history of research on this Although complete specimens are now known group, as well as recent work using high resolution from Asia and the United States, Albertan caenag- x-ray micro-computed tomography (hr-xct) to nathids remain a mystery. Isolated fossils represent- study skulls of the lysorophian Brachydectes newber- ing nearly every element are known, but understand- ryi from the Early Permian of Kansas and Nebraska, ing how they relate to each other taxonomically is USA. He presented a detailed description of the difficult. Only two partial skeletons from Alberta skeletal morphology of these skulls, including fine have been described and their diagnostic elements structure of the braincase. He also discussed new, do not overlap, making relationships unclear. Many phylogenetically-informative characters from the mandibles, phalanges, and metatarsals are known, braincase and the phylogenetic implications of these but vary greatly in morphology and size, and are characteristics. Restudy of lysorophian anatomy isolated or fragmentary. tells an unexpected story about adaptation to ter- This problem is being tackled from three angles. restrial environments and the origin of burrowing in First, a new specimen, tmp 1993.051.0001, is being tetrapods. described. Uncovered in 1993 and initially mistaken for an ornithomimid, the specimen sat unprepared Biography for fifteen years, until it was finally prepared in Jason is originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 2008. Besides being articulated, the specimen is well He completed his undergraduate education at the preserved and nearly complete, allowing us to unite University of Colorado in Boulder and recently com- isolated material. pleted his M.Sc. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Another dinosaur, Elmisaurus, has long been an at the University of Calgary. He is currently a Ph.D. enigma. Originally found in Mongolia, specimens student at the University of Calgary in the Depart- from Alberta now appear to be close relatives of ment of Veterinary Medical Science. His research in- the Mongolian form. A slew of new material lets us terests include Late Palaeozoic vertebrate evolution, reevaluate the position of Elmisaurus relative to the lissamphibian origins and vertebrate craniofacial caenagnathids, and understand relationships within development.