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VanPS meeting Dec 13: World Tour of “Dinosaur, The Greatest Show Unearthed”

The next VanPS meeting is on Wednesday, December 13 at 6:30 pm at the Burnaby Public Library at Metrotown.

Perry Poon will present, “The Dinosaur World Tour.  The Greatest Show Unearthed” (1993 and 1995).

The Dinosaur World Tour began in Edmonton, Alberta, and the exhibit was titled, “The Greatest Show Unearthed”.

Dinosaur, Greatest Show on Earth

The exhibits were the scientific results from excavations by a group of Canadian and Chinese paleontologists from the Canadian Museum of Nature (Ottawa, Ontario), Institute of Vertebrate and Paleoanthropology (Beijing, China), and the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology (Drumheller, Alberta) working in the field in the Gobi Desert, Northern China; Canadian Arctic, Baffin Island; and Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta.

The key researchers were Dr. Dale Russell (Curator of Fossil Vertebrates at the Canadian Museum of Nature), Professor Dong Zhiming (Institute of Vertebrate and Paleoanthropology), Professor Zhao Xijin, and Dr. Philip Currie (Head of Dinosaur Research, Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleaontology).

This presentation shows some of the dinosaurs and discoveries from China, Alberta, and the High Arctic that were seen in the exhibit in Edmonton, Alberta (1993) and Vancouver (1995).

This presentation will be a physical meeting and a Zoom meeting. Zoom participation details will be forwarded to paid VicPS members before the meeting as soon as they become available.

Alberta Palaeontology Meeting speaker: Dr. Hallie Street will present “More than Monsters: Mesozoic marine reptiles”

BCPA member organizations’ members – including VicPS – have been invited to the Alberta Palaeontology meeting on Friday, November 17, 2023 at 7:30 pm MST (6:30 pm Pacific Standard Time) to hear Dr. Hallie Street present “More than Monsters: Mesozoic marine reptiles”.

Subject abstract and Zoom meeting details have been sent to all VicPS members. Please contact vicpalaeo@gmail.com in case you’ve lost that email or are about to join our ranks.

image courtesy linkedin

 

VicPS November Meeting: Tuesday, Nov 14th, 7:30 pm

The November VicPS meeting will be in person and virtual; Zoom participation details have been sent to VicPS members in an email.

For those joining in person, the meeting is:

The Community Room entrance is in the Uptown Shopping Centre parking garage (easy access) on Level 1 (Green).  If you’ve ever parked under WalMart and taken the escalator up, the room is to your right at the top of the escalator. If you’re facing the Walmart entrance (about to enter the store), turn left, and at the top of the escalator, turn left. The room is directly ahead.

VicPS president Jerri Wilkins writes: The meeting topic “will be a pictorial walk through of the RBCM’s current exhibits (Sue the T. Rex and Dinos of BC).  Both exhibits sparked a lot of questions for me about what we find (and don’t find) here on the island.  I’m very curious to hear what you see, as we do a virtual walk-though.”

“We will also have A SHOW AND TELL of specimens from the recent field trip to Boomerang Lake. Thank you, Andrew Fidell, for an enjoyable experience, and the bonus side-trip to Qualicum Beach to take in a public presentation on cephalopods by Graham Beard! That bit of serendipity was absolutely fabulous! I was too engaged to take many photos, but I will talk about it!”

“As usual, anyone in the BCPA family is welcome to join our meeting.”

BCPA family members not in VicPS: send an email to request the Zoom details.

VicPS field trip: Sunday, October 29th

When:7:30AM, Sunday, October 29th, 2023
Travel:Meet at Helmcken Park & Ride at 7:30AM to arrange carpooling.
Where:Paid members will please check their email for more details.
Equipment:Hammer large enough to break concretions, chisel, wrapping paper, masking tape, marker, GPS and notebook for recording details.

Bring lunch, water, snacks, dress for changes in weather and wear
shoes appropriate for shallow water.

Please note: The initial PDF emailed to members may show an incorrect date for this field trip. It is in fact planned as per the subject line, Sunday, October 29th, 2023.

Fall 2023: Recent and Upcoming Activities

Paid VicPS members wll have received an email with the following information, and more detal about upcoming planned field trips.

Sept 10th Fieldtrip, Cowichan Head, Saanich

We had beautiful weather this past weekend putting our eyes to work for the RBCM to supplement the Cowichan Head Pleistocene collection with some new material that has eroded from the bluffs over the past season (see photos on the VicPS Facebook page). Dr. Richard Hebda gave us an overview (and for some, a refresher) of the relative ages of each strata, and where the marine became deltaic, etc. up through time. He pointed out the various ‘zones’ along the beach where macrofossils, plant material and marine fossils are likely to be collected, and reminded us that, in the macrofossil zone, look for bright white (bone) and black (tooth material). We did not find more fish (like the beautiful specimen posted to Nanaimo Group Fossils Facebook page last month, and in short order delivered to the RBCM), but we did find what Dr. Hebda identified as fish coprolite. Derek left with a heavier pack containing a handful of plant specimens, a feeding trace and a few tiny bone bits, and we all took away a wealth of information about the history of the bluffs and what current interpretations reveal about environmental change here on the Peninsula over that past 100,000+ years.  A big shout out to newest member, Logan, for scoring the BEST find of the day…a small piece of wood perfect for carbon-dating.  Logan, we’ll make sure you hear what the research on your discovery reveals!

October 15th Fieldtrip

This is the date for our next planned field trip. Details to follow once confirmed. Also, look for an announcement on a joint field trip of VicPS and VIPS to make up for one that was cancelled last year.

September 20th Meeting IN PERSON!

We begin our fall meetings with an IN-PERSON MEET & GREET and SHOW & TELL! We have not had a show and tell since COVID began in 2020, so please bring AS MUCH MATERIAL AS YOU CAN and let’s see what we can identify. Details of time and place to follow. Finding a room we can afford has been a challenge and your Council are checking out a few.  If anyone is aware of a room big enough for 15-20, Internet enabled, please advise.

We will also hold a VicPS Director’s meeting on September 20th, after which we will hold a Symposium wrap-up meeting (date pending) and report out on the Symposium outcomes, including financials.

October 21st, BCPA AGM

The BCPA will hold its AGM in October. We will share the insights we get into what’s happening across BC with you after the meeting.

Welcome back from summer, and please watch for further emails with details on the planned activities above.

14th BC Paleontological Symposium 2023

June 9-12, 2023
Bob Wright Centre, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada

On the traditional territory of the lək̓wəŋən peoples, the Songhees, Esquimalt and W̱SÁNEĆ, whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day.

Enjoy 2 keynote speakers, 15 presentations, 4 posters, 3 tours, 2 workshops and unlimited opportunities to network. Details here: 14th British Columbia Paleontological Symposium 2023

HAVEN’T REGISTERED YET?

You have a few more days. $145 CDN, $95.00 for students. 14th BC Paleontological Symposium Registration, Fri, 9 Jun 2023 at 8:00 AM | Eventbrite

ALREADY REGISTERED?

Check to make sure you registered for ALL activities (tours, workshops, fieldtrips). 14th BC Paleontological Symposium Registration, Fri, 9 Jun 2023 at 8:00 AM | Eventbrite

All registrants will receive a detailed itinerary following close of registration.

STAY INFORMED:

Visit our website Victoria Palaeontology Society | We dig deep (vicpalaeo.org)
For specific inquiries email vicpalaeo@gmail.com or contact Jerri Wilkins at 250-812-3970.
Follow us on Facebook Victoria Palaeontology Society | Facebook

VicPS presents Wednesday, April 12th 7:30pm: “Exploring Paleontology: From Finding a Dinosaur to Seeing it on Display”

VicPS members will have received an email that invites them to join our monthly online presentation, compliments of the UVic Speaker’s Bureau. On Wednesday, April 12th at 7:30pm, please welcome:

Ms. Emily Cross, Graduate Student, School of Earth & Ocean Sciences, as she presents

Exploring Paleontology:
From Finding a Dinosaur to Seeing it on Display

This presentation covers the steps from finding a fossil to seeing it on display. It delves into what kinds of tools paleontologists use and examples of interesting research. It also examines what museum collections are like and the work needed to get exhibits ready for display. The presentation also covers different fossilization environments and different types of fossil preservation.

VicPS members should reference the aforementioned email for instructions and links to join this April 12th Zoom presentation.

Symposium workshop: “Sutures, Septas and Siphuncles:  Identifying Ammonites with Ease”

As the 14th BC Paleontological Symposium approaches, our planned activities are being better defined, as this workshop on identifying ammonites in BC shows:

If you want to know your Bostrychoceras from your Glyptoxoceras, this workshop’s for you! Ammonites are the most abundant fossil cephalopods on the planet. With over 1,500 recorded genera and 10,000 species, identification can be daunting. In this 2-hour, hand-on workshop, BCPA Chair Dan Bowen will share tips and tricks for ammonite identification including basic terminology, morphology and key diagnostic characteristics as they relate to the most common ammonites found in BC. Test your new-found skills on workshop specimens, or bring your own specimens for practice.