Next APS Meeting:

Monday, April 5, 2010

TOPIC: Paleoenvironment of the Coon Creek Formation - a Late Cretaceous Tropical Paradise

SPEAKER:   Sandy Ebersole, PhD

                      Geological Survey of Alabama

   Dr. Ebersole will discuss her recent PhD thesis on the Coon Creek Formation.

PRESENTATION TIME: 07:00pm. 

LOCATION: Birmingham Zoo -- Auditorium
For directions to the Zoo, see their Web site at http://www.birminghamzoo.com 
Prior to the meeting everyone is invited to the optional supper at Taziki's Greek Fare in Mountain Brook near the Zoo exit, 2737 Highway 280 S, Mountain Brook, AL. (*NOT* the location farther out Highway 280). We gather there about 5:30/5:45pm.

FIELD TRIPS: APS conducts monthly field trips to fossil localities in Alabama and surrounding states strictly with permission of landowners (please refer to our Ethical Statement for further details).  In accordance with our Statement of Purpose, we frequently make educational presentations to schools and public gatherings on subjects related to paleontology.   Field trip participation is generally limited to members but individuals interested in coming on a field trip as a guest with an eye towards membership should contact APS President Ashley Allen (ichnofossil@yahoo.com), Vice President Prescott Atkinson (patkinson@peds.uab.edu) or Field Trip Coordinator Milo Washington (themilum@yahoo.com).  We have also hosted classes ranging from upper elementary school grades to college geology groups and other groups with an interest in geology and paleontology on select field trips.

LINKS:

Steve Minkin Paleozoic Footprint Site photographic index: an extensive assembly of trackway photos from the Steven C. Minkin Paleozoic Footprint Site maintained by APS member Dr. Ron Buta at the University of Alabama: http://bama.ua.edu/~rbuta/monograph/index.html

Alabama Museum of Natural History: The AMNH sponsors a great program of family friendly weekend field trips throughout the year to various sites focusing on geology, paleontology, ecology and other areas.  The AMNH has an immense paleo research collection accumulated over the past 100 years (including what may be the largest mosasaur collection in the world) and is always looking for volunteers to help with cleaning and cataloguing specimens.  In addition, for the past 30 years the AMNH has conducted a several week-long summer Expedition, usually focused on archaeology or paleontology in which participants  camp in the field and work with experts to uncover the remote history of human activities in Alabama or the much more ancient fossil inhabitants of the State:        http://amnh.ua.edu/

McWane Science Center:  In addition to its world class interactive exhibits on the other sciences and its eye-popping IMAX Theatre, the McWane Center has a spectacular fossil exhibit, with lifesize replicas of dinosaurs including several whose remains have been found in Alabama, as well as the actual fossil remains of other fossil creatures that once inhabited the State such as a virtually complete mosasaur (a giant marine Cretaceous lizard related to the Komodo dragon) and a giant ground sloth:  http://mcwane.org

Oceans of Kansas:  Mike Everhart’s spectacular website on the Cretaceous world, focusing on the western interior sea previously occupying present day Kansas, USA:  www.oceansofkansas.com

Winds of Kansas:   Roy Beckemeyer’s encyclopedic website on  recent and fossil insects, with particular emphasis on the Permian insect fauna of the Wellington Formation in Kansas and Oklahoma and numerous interesting links:  www.windsofkansas.com