OMSI Science Pub Eugene: Dinosaurs

Oregon Has Two Dinosaurs

With Gregory J. Retallack, PhD, Professor of Geology at the University of Oregon

Doors open @ 5PM | $5 Suggested Donation
 

For many years there have been rumors and informal accounts of Oregon dinosaurs, but until October 2018 no formal account of them in the scientific literature. First to be announced in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology was a toe bone of an ornithopod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous shales near Mitchell in central Oregon. Ornithopods are herbivorous dinosaurs including duckbill dinosaurs, and this one was large at about 17 feet long, but not quite a duckbill. University of Oregon fans will be pleased by the report in the Bulletin of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science of a genuine duckbill, an lambeosaurine from Late Cretaceous sandstone at Cape Sebastian on the southern Oregon coast. In one month Oregon went from zero to two dinosaur finds. Join Dr. Retallack for a compelling story of serendipidity for one team and persistence for the other team.

Greg Retallack is a professor in the department of geological sciences at the University of Oregon. His doctoral degree was from the University of New England in Australia, and he completed a post-doc at Indiana University before coming to Oregon. His research is dedicated to the study of paleosols: ancient soils buried with fossils in sedimentary and volcanic sequences of the geological past. Paleosols provide new insights into major events in the history of life on land, such as early human evolution in East Africa, major extinctions of life, and evolution of the first forests. In recent years he has found evidence of life in many paleosols predating the Cambrian explosion of life, especially in very ancient rocks of South Africa and Western Australia.

Science Pub Eugene is a monthly event that is open to anyone and everyone. No RSVP or scientific background required. Just bring your curiosity, sense of humor, and appetite for food, drinks, and knowledge! For more information or to sign up for our mailing list, email: sciencepub@omsi.edu.