Abstract Acceptance

Recently, I sumbitted an abstract to the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology to present a poster on the research I've been conducting on the stomach contents from our Plesiosaur "Betsy". The results are in. It was accepted!! Now the pressure's on to have everything completed by September, and in order for the conference in October.

As promised in previous postings, I've attached images to show the fossil material that's being removed from the matrix, or gastric residue, left behind. Most of the images are at 60x magnification.

Fish Tooth Fish Tooth (10x) Fish Tooth

MacGregor

The specimen which MacGregor Elementary School discovered last week was excavated by the Fossil Crew. The specimen is of a mosasaur and is comprised of a jaw fragment, 3 vertebrae, 3 ribs and other fragments yet to be identified. I'm glad to announce this class is our Paleo Star of the Week! WAY TO GO!

Jaw Fragment

Only 1 field jacket remains at the dig site and by the end of the week it will be brought in. I'm hoping to have the other remains prepped and ready for display by the end of next week. Make sure you come down for a visit to view the new findings.

School Digs

Our popular "School Digs" program is off to a great start this season. Students participate in actual digs for the museum. They are supplied with a brush and a list of items that could possibly be found at the dig site.

Individuals often ask if we plant fossils for the students... the answer is no. Everything that is found is genuine. We know fossils have been found there in the past and there's always hope we'll find more.

The students act as museum staff for the day helping us locate new specimens to add to our collection. This past week has been awesome! On Monday, one class discovered parts of a plesiosaur and on Tuesday, a class found part of a mosasaur's lower jaw. We're heading out today with another class. I'll keep you posted if anything else turns up. Keep in mind both of these finds are from the same dig site.

We'll have to wait until the end of the week to find out which class is our Paleo Star of the Week. You can see the "Paleo Star of the Week" on our web page www.discoverfossils.com under programs and tours. Good luck to all!

Thesis Work

It was a pleasure to have an under-graduate student from the University of Winnipeg visiting the CFDC. The student conducted research on the Pierre Shale Formation and the Niobrara Formation along the Manitoba Escarpment.

We spent the entire week out in the field viewing rock units, measuring, data collecting and sampling. The samples will be analyzed in the fall. I think its been a great experience for the CFDC, the University of Winnipeg and the student. I'd like to see the CFDC partner with more organizations in the future, especially when everyone can benefit.

I'd like to thank everyone who made our student feel welcome, especially those who helped with accommodations. Thank you!