Southern Alberta Dinosaur Research Group

Hey Look! I'm back! But only briefly... today is my first day out of the field since arriving in Albera almost a month ago, and I'm only here in Calgary to pick up a colleague who's flying in to join me in the next phase on my field work. So, I just have time for a few quick posts.

First up, the t-shirt design (thanks to Mark Schultz) for this year's SADRG field season. I should have a few left when the season is over and I'll let you readers know how to snap these up when they become available.

For more information on the Southern Alberta Dinosaur Research Group click HERE.

SADRG Photos

Photo © M. Ryan

As part of my work this year with the SADRG I opened a dinosaur bone bed with David Evans in the lower part of the Oldman Formation in the badlands along the Milk River in the the southeasternmost part of Alberta. The site was very productve and I plan to return in 2007 for a larger excavation of the quarry. The bone layer is at waist level of the crew in the above photo.

This photo was taken just before we began overburden removal. Pictured above are (L to R, foreground) David Evans (U Toronto), The Flying Tetsuto (U Alberta), Caleb Brown (U Calgary/RTMP) and Nick Longrich (U Calgary); background (L to R), Liz Russell (CMNH), Dr. Eric Snively (U Calgary), and Delina Christopher (CMNH).

Photo © M. Ryan

Fortunately the overburden was loose shale so its removal went relatively quickly.

Photo © M. Ryan

David Evans explains it all to Delina!

The Scabby Butte

Photo © M. Ryan
Back in the '50's Wann Langston, Jr. collected Pachyrhinosaurus material from a bone bed at Scabby Butte (above) north of Lethbridge, Alberta. Last week David Evans and I revisited the site trying to relocate the quarry. It appears that the original site has been lost to erosion and slumping but we did find a few bones (below) weathering out in the same region.

Photo © M. Ryan
A large ceratopsid dentary with my boot for scale.

Photo © M. Ryan
A small (juvenile) hadrosaur pubis.