March/April 2016

Miner als • Dinosaur s • F ossils
Tate Geological Museum
Geological Times
Mar./Apr. 2016 • Vol. 20, No. 8
casp er co l l ege. ed u/ t a t e 3 0 7 - 2 6 8 - 2 4 47
Fossil of theGreenMonth
–
River Formation Insects
©Drawing by Zack Pullen.
By J.P. Cavigelli, Tate Geological Museum Collections Specialist
This month’s featured
fossils are a pair of
Eocene insects. They
look like squashed flies,
and basically they are.
Not squashed by a
flyswatter, but squashed
by layers of fine detritus over the millennia.
Insects are not terribly common in the
fossil record, but there are some sites
around the world where they can actually
be expected. The Green River Formation
is one of those sites. The Green River
Formation is a series of flat lying, welllaminated lake deposits from three separate
lakes that existed during much of the early
Eocene Epoch. The three lakes are: 1)
Fossil Lake, which was in what is now Uinta
and Lincoln Counties here in Wyoming, 2)
Lake Gosiute, which covered a much larger
area in Sweetwater County, Wyoming and
Director’s Note
2016 Tate Conference
Werner Wildlife Museum
Page 2
Page 3
Page 3
3) Lake Uinta, which also covered a large
area along the Utah/Colorado border. The
lakes were each a bit different, and their
respective geology as well as paleontology
are each unique. Fossil Lake, for example,
is famous for its fossil fishes. There are
a dozen or so quarries in Lincoln County
where commercial collectors excavate
fossil fishes. Thousands of the more
common fish are collected every year, and
along with those are much smaller numbers
of rarities, including insects. Quarries in
Lake Uinta deposits, on the other hand, are
among the best fossil insect sites in the
world, but contain very few, if any, fish.
the sides, and at least two legs folded up
under its head. This specimen is part of a
donation from the Office of State Lands and
Investments. The scale bar is in millimeters.
Modern March flies are herbivores, and
their fossils date back to the Cretaceous.
The first specimen here is from Fossil
Lake. It is likely a specimen of the March
fly Plecia pearli, by far the most common
insect in Fossil Lake. You can clearly see
an eye (dark round spot), the body (about
11 mm long), two wings jutting off to
We will be visiting one of the Green River
fish quarries near Kemmerer, Wyoming,
as part of our 2016 Tate Conference (see
details and registration forms in this issue).
What’s inside
DVD Review
Easter Baskets
Tate Conference Forms
Page 4
Page 4
Page 5-6
The second specimen is much smaller
and comes from Lake Uinta. There are
several well-known sites in the Lake Uinta
beds where fossil insects are actually quite
common, namely Bonanza in Utah and
Douglas Pass in Colorado. This specimen
did not come with any locality data but the
rock it is in is definitely from one of those
two sites. This insect is unidentified.
? and Answers
Events Calendar
Page 7
Page 8
2
DEE THE
MAMMOTH IS ONE
OF WYOMING’S
TOP ARTIFACTS
FOR 2015!
By Patti Wood Finkle, Director of Museums
DATE NIGHT AT THE MUSEUMS:
This February’s Date Night was a great
success! Organized by the Casper Museum
Consortium, this Valentine’s Day themed
date night wined and dined visitors at four
Great news! Dee is
of Casper’s best museums, including the
number 2 on the list of
Tate. We saw lots of new faces and met
Wyoming’s top 10 artifacts for 2015. Be
many great people. Thank you to everyone
sure to stop by the museum to pick up your who participated. The next Date Night at
free Dee the Mammoth 2015 Award Winner the Museums is scheduled for July. Check
sticker today. THANK YOU to everyone who the Casper Museum Consortium website in
voted, we couldn’t have done it without
June for more details.
your support!
ZOOLOGICAL ILLUSTRATION:
DEE T
HE
MA
M
M
Ar
tifa
c ts
H
OT
fc
an
t
©Drawing by Zack Pullen.
Director’s Note:
2015 Award Winner:
y
of W
One
o
st
Mo
g’s
min
i
gn
Si
SPRING LECTURE SERIES:
Join us for the second half of our Spring
Lecture Series to learn about the Dinosaurs
of Wyoming! This year the lecture series
will be held in the Wheeler Auditorium,
Room 103 in the Wold Physical Science
Center on lower campus at 7 p.m. on the
following dates.
MARCH 24:
“Dinosaur Footprints of the World”
Russell J. Hawley
Tate Geological Museum
APRIL 14:
“Dinosaurs of the Lance and
Hell Creek Formations”
Peter L. Larson
Black Hills Institute of Geological
Research, Inc.
The museum is offering another scientific
illustration class. Join the Tate’s very own
Russell J. Hawley to learn the basics of
how to draw animals in this semester’s
offering, “Zoological Illustration.” This class
is for both novices and experienced artists
alike. Supplies and an evening snack will be
provided. This class is designed for those
16 and older. Call the Tate to reserve your
spot today at 307-268-2447.
Cost $5 per person
Date: Tuesday, April 26
Time: 6-8:30 p.m.
COFFEE, TEA AND DEE:
Beginning in February, we held a
drawing for our loyal Coffee, Tea and Dee
participants. Our caffeinated regulars put
their names in the hat for a drawing to win a
$5 Tate gift certificate. Wendy, of P. Hawk’s
Coffee Roasters, drew three lucky winners.
Feeling left out? Don’t worry! We will hold
the drawing again in March, April and May
so be sure to stop by for a free cup of
coffee or tea and a chance to win a $5 gift
certificate to the Tate gift shop.
SUMMER DINOSAUR DIGS:
Due to popularity, we have scheduled five
week-long summer digs this year. As of
February 16, three of the digs have already
sold out and the remaining two are filling
up fast. We currently have space on both
August digs (15-19) and (22-26). If you are
interested in participating on either of these
digs, check our website or call the museum
for availability and more information. Don’t
delay, register today!
SPRING BREAK RAPTOR CACHE
SCAVENGER HUNT:
The Tate and the Werner museums are
working together on an activity for the
Natrona County School District’s spring
break. Stop by the museum between March
25 and April 2 to participate in our Raptor
Cache Scavenger Hunt. Learn about raptors
both past and present and have your name
entered in a drawing to win a prize.
Tate Museum
Geological Times
3
2016 Tate Conference
The 2016 Tate Conference will be held
June 3-5. The theme this year is “Rivers
of Time: Ancient Freshwater Ecosystems.”
We have a fine group of speakers lined
up. Talks will be on Friday June 3, with
a keynote talk by Dr. Nazir Ibrahim of the
University of Chicago that evening. He will
speak to us about his amazing Spinosaurus
find in Morocco, which he argues is the
first example of a dinosaur designed to live
more in water than on land. From what I
have read, the story of its discovery is just
as exciting as the story of the animal.
By J.P. Cavigelli, Tate Geological Museum Collections Specialist
The field trip will be a two-day trip to
tropical wetlands and lakes of the Eocene
Epoch in southwestern Wyoming. We will
visit Fossil Butte National Monument to,
as my Danish friend Niels likes to say,
“see the really cool fossils that we will not
find.” Then we will go try to find them by
spending the afternoon at one of the fish
quarries outside of Kemmerer. The quarry
we are going to is the only one that allows
us to keep everything we find … Oooohh.
We will spend the night in Kemmerer,
Wyoming, where we may get a bonus
Werner Wildlife Museum
The Werner Wildlife Museum is gearing
up for two big events in April: the opening
of “Artisans Unbound: Feathers, Fur and
Fiber” and the concurrent opening of “The
Lair,” WWM’s long-anticipated children’s
interactive area. The events will take place
at an open house to be held on Tuesday,
April 12 from 4-6 in the afternoon. The
public is encouraged to join us and
participate in a tour of the museum and the
craft show. Children are welcome to explore
The Lair and participate in craft stations
led by museum assistant Eileen Lemm and
work-study student Viola Foderler.
“Artisans Unbound” is dedicated to fine
crafts created by Wyoming artisans who
work with natural materials including wood,
plant and animal fiber; leather, stone and
similar materials. Unlike the art show, which
opens each November, “Artisans Unbound”
is open to all state residents and we’ve
already received requests for guidelines
from several distant communities. We
Tate Museum
Geological Times
are particularly interested in displaying
handmade utilitarian pieces; this is not
the show for oil paintings, watercolors,
photography, or bronzes that would
ordinarily be considered fine art as opposed
to fine craft.
The Lair is finally taking shape after a
year of planning and the donation of many
volunteer hours. Located in the diorama
room on the lower level of the museum, The
Lair is an interactive area aimed specifically
at children from toddlers up through the
elementary grades, but we won’t tell if we
discover older siblings and parents playing
in the puppet theater or measuring their own
arm spans against the eight foot span of a
golden eagle. The Lair will also include an
interactive ground map of wild Wyoming, a
fishing tank, and a reading and puzzle area
with cushions to sit on and a hollow stump
to hide in.
The Werner continues its tradition of
thrice monthly wildlife programs with
presentation about Green River Formation
fossils. The next day we will collect at
two sites on our way back to Casper. One
is a very productive site in the Wasatch
Formation where pieces of Eocene turtles,
crocodilians, fish, lizards, and mammals
can be found. The second stop will be
at a turritella agate site where thousands
of fresh water snails died on the edge of
Eocene Lake Gosiute. The list of speakers
and registration forms are available online at
caspercollege.edu/tate-geological-museum/
events/conference.
By India Hayford, Museum Assistant
Animal House on the second Thursday of
each month, Raptor Rap on the third, and
the Wildlife Study Group for adults on the
fourth Thursday. All presentations take
place at the Werner with Animal House
and Raptor Rap meeting at 4 p.m. and
the Wildlife Study Group presentations at
noon and 7 p.m. Subjects for upcoming
programs include hawks and otter, mink,
and beaver in March and in April, bison and
human-raptor interactions. The Werner will
offer a special treat in May when Audubon
naturalist Zach Hutchinson offers a handson program on catching and banding birds.
The Werner Wildlife Museum is open all
year long, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-5
p.m. For more information, call the museum
at 307-235-2108. Interested people can
visit the Werner’s Facebook page for regular
activity and news updates.
4
DVD Review:
By Russell J. Hawley, Tate Geological Museum Education Specialist
The excellent
BBC documentary
series “Walking
With Prehistoric
Beasts” depicted
Cenozoic faunas
in Africa, Europe,
Asia, and South
America with
glorious detail and
realism. The only
drawback to that
series was that not one of their scenes was
set in the United States! I guess the Brits
must have felt guilty about this oversight,
because a subsequent series, “Prehistoric
America,” focuses entirely on the faunas of
the North American continent, specifically
those that lived during the Ice Age.
view of Ice Age America possible. In the
“Canyonlands” chapter, for example, we
are shown middens of packrat droppings
that have been in continuous use since
the Pleistocene. By sampling seeds from
successively deeper layers of dung,
researchers have been able to trace the
changes in local vegetation that have taken
place over the last 10,000 years. Then we
are shown a panoramic shot of the modern
Canyonlands setting and – through the
magic of digital effects technology – the
scene shimmers and changes and we’re
looking at the same scene, but with the
original Ice Age vegetation restored!
The level of detail in this program is just
jaw dropping. Many popular programs
about the Ice Age are content to show
us a few mammoths and sabretooth
cats and leave it at that. But “Prehistoric
America” delves a lot deeper, exploring
all of the available lines of evidence to
provide the most complete and accurate
There are, of course, lots of megamammals in “Prehistoric America” –
mastodonts, sabretooth cats, glyptodonts,
ground sloths, and the best Columbian
mammoths I’ve ever seen on screen. These
are brought to life with some top-notch
computer animation, interspersed with
Easter
In another sequence, we are shown how
the changing climate of Florida affected the
distribution of modern amphibian species in
the area.
at the
Tate Museum Gift Shop!
footage of the original fossils, showing the
various bony clues that paleontologists use
to reconstruct the life stories of these long
dead beasts (I found the mystery of ‘who
killed the Seminole Field Glyptodont?’ story
to be particularly fascinating. The answer
may surprise you!).
“Prehistoric America” isn’t afraid to
occasionally take some nice, long shots of
Ice Age landscapes, just to let the viewers
immerse themselves in this ancient world
that they’ve so meticulously re-created.
While this is a godsend for people like me,
it does mean that “Prehistoric America”
won’t appeal to young children. If your kids
are content to get all of their information
about the prehistoric world from watching
the “Jurassic Park” movies, this series
probably won’t hold their interest. But for
those with a deep interest in the wild and
woolly fauna of the Pleistocene, “Prehistoric
America” is a must!
Hmm … this review is so good I seem
to have convinced myself to go home and
watch “Prehistoric America” again. So, until
next time!
Easter is on its way … and the Tate
Geological Museum Gift Shop has baskets for
your grandchildren, cousins, daughters, sons,
or anyone. Each basket consists of merchandise
from the gift shop and is made with geological
themes such as dinosaurs, fossils and rock
collecting. We are also providing the option to
build-your-own basket with handpicked gift
items. Pre-made baskets will be $20 to $25,
while the build-your-own option will vary in
price. The Tate Easter Baskets will be available
from March 1-26. Stop by to get yours today!
Tate Museum
Geological Times
22nd Annual Tate Conference
RIVERS OF TIME: ANCIENT FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS
Tate Geological Museum at Casper College
June 3-5, 2016
REGISTRATION FORM
Please check the applicable boxes and fill in the cost box. Note the following: registration deadline for field trip and all meals is Sunday, May 15,
and payment must be made at the time of registration.
Friday conference only (Includes Thursday icebreaker; Friday lunch, dinner and keynote) $110
Saturday and Sunday Field Trip (Includes all meals: sack lunch and snacks Saturday and Sunday, dinner + $175
on Saturday, and motel Saturday night in Kemmerer, Wyoming)
Single room in Kemmerer - additional fee
Tate Membership (Single $18, Family $36 – please indicate)+ $18/$36
Conference t-shirt – Available only through pre-order! (XS, S, M, L, XL, $16 each. XXL and XXXL also available for $18 each) Donate to the Tate Geological Museum
XS
XL
S
XXL
M
XXXL
L
+ $50
+ $16/$18
+ Donate
Please choose ONE of the following if applicable:
Subtotal
Student discount (Include a copy of current student ID) -
$25
Speaker discount -
$55
Total
PLEASE COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING
Print name for badge:
Last First Middle
Institution for name badge:
Home mailing address:
P.O. Box or Street Number
City
State
Zip
Phone
Email address:
In case of emergency please notify:
Relative or friendPhone
Please specify any dietary requirements:
Roommate choice in Kemmerer hotel:
Payment must be made at the time of registration.
Visa/Mastercard/Discover
Card number:
CVS:
Exp. date:
Signature:
Date:
Check payment
Check number:
Check for CEU credit or call 307-268-2085
To pay online via the Tate website go to: caspercollege.edu/tate
Please mail this registration form and payment to: Tate Conference, Tate Geological Museum at Casper College, 125 College Drive, Casper, WY 82601-4609, or fax form to: 307-268-3308, or register by
phone at: 307-268-2447. Please make checks payable to: “Tate Museum.” In the memo section of check put “Tate 2016 conference.”
FIELD TRIP DISCLAIMER AND
WAIVER OF CLAIMS FORM
FIELD TRIP DISCLAIMER AND WAIVER OF CLAIMS FORM
In order to participate on a field trip as a participant at the Tate Geological Museum, this release statement must be
completed and returned to a Tate Geological Museum staff member prior to participating in the event.
I, _____________________________, for and in consideration of being permitted to participate as a participant in the
Tate Geological Museum field trip, do hereby fully release Casper College and its board of directors, the Tate Geological
Museum, all administrators, instructors, and personnel attached thereto, and their successors, heirs and assignees from all
claims for damages or injuries of every kind and description, including, but not limited to, my personal injury and DEATH,
while participating as a participant, both as to any right of action which may occur to myself, my heirs and or my personal
representatives. I stipulate and agree while participating as a participant to be bound by all orders, rules, regulations,
and directions of Casper College and the person or persons charged with supervising my participation as a participant. I
understand that in all such activities, one or more Tate Geological Museum or Casper College staff
members will be available at all times.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my signature this ________day of __________________, 20____
Signature of participant:
Printed name:
Signature of parent or guardian (if under age 18):
Witness (not a family member):
Please list any aspects of your medical history of which we should be aware, including rare blood type, respiratory or heart
problems, physical impairments or limitations, asthma, allergies, epilepsy, diabetes, or other chronic conditions.
EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION
Name:Relationship:
Phone:
Cell:
Email:
FIELD TRIP: Participants must be capable of fairly strenuous physical activity to reach the excavation sites. Wyoming weather can be changeable! T-shirt and jeans are the norm, with boots or tough
walking shoes. WATER, a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen are advisable, but bring a sweater and lightweight rain gear too. Hammer and hand lenses are useful options.
RETURN THIS FORM TO A TATE GEOLOGICAL MUSEUM STAFF MEMBER, CASPER COLLEGE, 125 COLLEGE DRIVE, CASPER, WY 82601 • 307-268-2447
7
? and Answers
©Drawing by Zak Pullen.
Q:
By Russell J. Hawley, Tate Geological Museum Education Specialist
Since the antelope have evolved to outrun the now extinct American
cheetah how are they kept in balance? If they are kept in balance by a
predator, will the predator evolve or the antelope de-evolve now that
there is no need for the extra speed?
– Derek Stoops, Lafayette
Jefferson High School
A:
The pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) used to perplex
zoologists. It was much faster than it needed to be to
escape from wolves, pumas or any of the other predators
of the North American continent. Why? The mystery was
solved with the discovery of Miracinonyx in 1960. Miracinonyx had
a long flexible back and long legs – it was proportioned almost
exactly like a modern African cheetah and presumably it was just
as fast. During the Ice Age the pronghorn would have needed its
speed to escape from this speedy cat. Miracinonyx seems to have
become extinct around 11,000 years ago, but the pronghorns
remain and they’re still built for speed. I’ve had pronghorns race
alongside my car and then cut across the road in front of me for no
apparent reason – it’s almost as if they miss being chased!
The fast-running Miracinonyx chases a pair of
Ice-Age pronghorns on the west slope of the
Bighorn Mountains some 12,000 years ago.
Tate Museum
Geological Times
Today the populations of the pronghorn are kept in check by
hunters, collisions with automobiles, entanglements with fences
during blizzards, and the limits of their food and water supply.
Packs of coyotes can sometimes corner and kill pronghorns, and
golden eagles take an occasional fawn.
If pronghorns lived on an oceanic island, they might eventually
lose their ability to run (like the Balearic Cave Goat, Myotragus,
did on the island of Mallorca) but here on the carnivore-infested
continent of North America something will undoubtedly evolve to
fill the vacant niche – perhaps a gracile, fast running descendant of
the modern puma.
Casper College
Tate Geological Museum
125 College Drive
Casper, WY 82601
Non-Profit Organization
U.S. Postage
Paid
Permit No. 112
Casper, WY 82601
Tate Museum Event Calendar
Geological Times
MARCH
Tate Museum
Minerals • Dinosaurs • Fossils
CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
5 Saturday Club, “Mammoths and Sabretooths,”
10:30 a.m.
23 Coffee, Tea, and Dee, 7:30-11:30 a.m.
24 Spring Lecture Series,
Russell J. Hawley, 7 p.m.
28 Through April 1, Natrona County School District
spring break – Tate and Werner Museums’ Raptor
Cache Hunt!
APRIL
1 Tate Spring Art Show
Opening Reception, 3-6 p.m.
2 Saturday Club, “Oceanography and Creatures of the
Sea,” 10:30 a.m.
12 Werner Spring Art Show Opening
Reception, 3-6 p.m. (Rescheduled from April 8)
14 Spring Lecture Series,
Peter L. Larson, 7 p.m.
20 Coffee, Tea, and Dee, 7:30-11:30 a.m.
26 Zoological Illustration Class, 6-8:30 p.m.
27-30 Colorado-Wyoming Association of Museums
annual meeting – Casper
MAY
4
Last Coffee, Tea, and Dee of the season,
7:30-11:30 a.m.
7 Saturday Club – Fossil Footprints at the Science Zone!
10:30 a.m. Reservations required. Call the Tate to
reserve a spot.
9 Tate Spring Art Show closes
21 Adult Members’ Only Field Trip
JUNE
3-5 Annual Tate Conference
11 Members’ Only Kids’ Expedition
JULY
18-22 Dinosaur Dig – Como Bluff
18-22 Museum Consortium Camp
30 Members’ Only Field Trip – all ages welcome!
Mark your calenders:
TATE CONFERENCE – June 3-5, 2016