Birmingham Paleontological Society

Dr. Henry Barwood, currently Professor of Earth Science at Troy State University, will present a lecture titled "Microstructure of Fossil Bone and Teeth" at the Monday, June 6, 2011 meeting of the Birmingham Paleontological Society.  Dr. Barwood has done extensive research in rock staining techniques, fluorescence and luminescence in minerals, structure of pegmatites, turquoise and other copper minerals from various states, and has researched the phosphate minerals of Cherokee County, Alabama.  

Dr. Takehito Ikejiri, from the University of Michigan, will be our guest speaker on May 2, 2011.  Dr. Ikejiri "Ike" is currently conducting research in Alabama on the morphology and structure

Dr. Roger Sauterer, from Jacksonville State University, will be our guest speaker on April 4, 2011.  Dr. Sauterer is a Professor of Biology and does research on environmental toxins.  In his free time, he studies dinosaurs, specifically T.rex, and will be presenting his lecture "Fast Times in the Cretaceous; the Life and Times of T.rex".

Okay, how many of you let a 90% chance of rain stop you from coming on the field trip?

Six of us showed up to hunt fossils in spite of the predictions of 90% rain over the entire south.  The weather report was correct this time!  It didn't rain on the way there, lulling us into believing it would hold off most of the day.  

With such a small group we decided to go to a location where we have not been in several years.  This location has a very poor road with large potholes, not much room to park, and a short hike to get to the lake.

Our speaker for the March 7, 2011 BPS meeting will be Christa Marks, a hydro-geologist with the Alabama Surface Mining Commission.  Her topic will be "Coal Mining in Alabama:  What We have Uncovered", which will cover geologic conditions that contributed to the coal beds here in Alabama, the fossils one finds when digging coal, and she will give us some insight into the geology part

The next regular meeting of the BPS is Monday, March 7, 2011, 7-9 pm at the McWane Science Center in Birmingham, Alabama.

Dr. Jim Lacefield will be our featured speaker at the February 7 BPS meeting.  Dr. Lacefield is the author of "Lost Worlds in Alabama Rocks; a Guide to the State's Ancient Life and Landscapes".

BPS members headed to St. Clair County this month to search for Devonian fossils.  With the past week having numerous days below freezing, we were hoping the predicted 48 degrees would be bearable.  It actually turned out to be a very pleasant sunny day.  After a too-long hiatus from fossil trips, we had members showing up from Huntsville, Birmingham, Mobile, Anniston, Montgomery, and Georgia to spend the day outside digging in the dirt.  Quite literally!   We had been asked to collect soil samples for Jun Ebersole so the first order of business was to collect baggies of dirt.

UA ALLELE Lecture Series Continues with NC State Biologist Mary Schweitzer

Dr. Mary Schweitzer of North Carolina State University will present her lecture, "T. Rex Under the Microscope: A New Look at an Old Dinosaur," Jan. 20 at 7:30 p.m. in the Biology Building auditorium on The University of Alabama campus. Schweitzer is a professor of marine, earth and atmospheric sciences at North Carolina State University. Her presentation is the third in the 2010-2011 Alabama Lectures on Life's Evolution, known as ALLELE.

The next meeting of the BPS will be Monday, January 3, 2011, 7-9 pm at the McWane Science Center in Birmingham, Alabama.  

This will be a concurrent Annual Meeting, Directors Meeting, and Regular Business meeting.  We will elect and install officers for 2011.  The Awards Committee will be honoring numerous individuals for their various contributions to the group, including hard work and events that provided us with hours of laughter and entertainment!