Sincerely,
Dave Ehlert
RMDRC Director
dave@rmdrc.com
 

The RMDRC field crew, led by our Curator Walter Stein, has left for Montana earlier this week (August 2nd) and below is the latest information on progress from the field:

JUVENILE T. REX / MONTANA- We will be revisiting this site later in the season to add to our growing collection of these very special fossils.

CERATOPSIAN / MONTANA - The work on this specimen had begun a few weeks ago in  the Judith River formation. From our last trip, we were unsure as to what specimen we were facing. It now appears that we do indeed have a Ceratopsian that is older than our Triceratops. Work will continue in the following weeks to determine; 1) the exact Ceratopsian species, and 2) the completeness of the fossils.

KANSAS - Unfortunately, the weather has been too hot and when you add biting insects to the mix that adds up to an unpleasant field experience. We plan to go back to Kansas, but not until later in the season.
 

Scavenger Hunt Winner:
     Erik J., age 11

Coloring Contest Winners:
     Age category 9-12
          1st place winner: Breanna H., age 9
          2nd place winner: Paige K., age 11
          3rd place winner: Laura W., age 11
     Age category 6-8
          1st place winner: Ben, age 7
          2nd place winner: Madelyn S., age 8
          3rd place winner: Cassidy K., age 6
          Honorable mention: Andrew K., age 8
     Age category 0-5
          1st place winner: Emily O., age 3
          2nd place winner: Kyle B., age 5
          3rd place winner: Hailee M., age 2
 

     The paleontological field contains a diversity of people and organization from around the globe. This month reflects just such a mixture of discoveries from amateurs to professionals in the field.
     First, we have an unusual finding that suggests one particular dinosaur, Majungatholus from Madagascar, had preyed upon its own kind. For more on this article, check out "Cannibal dinosaurs revealed by tooth marks". Here at the RMDRC, we occasionally come across bites marks - especially from sharks that fed on some of the mosasaurs that were collected in Kansas. Sharks also leave behind their calling cards, their teeth, as they munch on a carcass!
     Next up is an example of how modern equipment reveals ancient mysteries. In the article "Flying dinosaur needed a bird's brain", Archaeopteryx is examined under a CAT scan to show brain size comparisons against modern birds.
     Finally this month it's off to Japan where an amateur paleontologist had discovered fossils from a Lambeosaurus (type of duck billed dinosaur). What makes this story interesting is that finding these types of fossils in Japan is rare and shows that amateurs are making significant discoveries in the paleontological field. Follow this link, "Dinosaur Fossil Reportedly Found in Japan", to read more.

General Admission
 

* NOTE: Must be 18 years old to purchase any membership.

The Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center is located in downtown Woodland Park, Colorado "At the Palms". For more information, please call 719-686-1820 or visit us on the web at www.rmdrc.com. Come join us for an education and entertaining day out!
 

Shark Week:

     As part of our yearly events, we held our "Shark Week" from July 25th through the 31st.
     The theme, of course, was sharks but with an emphasis on ancient sharks that we have collected over the years. We had added some new displays showing fossil remains of sharks such are vertebra and some amazing diversity in their teeth (the rest of the shark quickly decays leaving no trace).
     We had an overwhelming response to our contests and here are a few of our happy winners showing off their prizes:

 
Coloring Contest Winner "Emily", age 3


Coloring Contest Winner "Paige", age 11