Fake Banner
Smilodon North of the 49th Parallel

The fierce predator Smilodon fatalis — a compact but robust killer that weighed in around...

First Nation Shell Middens And True Oysters

One of the now rare species of oysters in the Pacific Northwest is the Olympia oyster, Ostrea lurida...

Zenaspis: Lower Devonian Bony Fish Of Podolia, Ukraine

A Devonian bony fish mortality plate showing a lower shield of Zenaspis podolica (Lankester, 1869)...

Oil in Water Beauty: Euhoplites of Folkstone

Sheer beauty — a beautiful Euhoplites ammonite from Folkstone, UK. These lovelies have a pleasing...

User picture.
picture for Hank Campbellpicture for Tommaso Dorigopicture for Patrick Lockerbypicture for Bente Lilja Byepicture for Michael Whitepicture for News Staff
Heidi HendersonRSS Feed of this column.

Musings in Natural History—meant to captivate, educate and inspire.
Palaeontology & Life Sciences—History & Indigenous Culture

Elected Fellow of the Linnean Society... Read More »

 Blogroll
Euryperids: Ancient Predators of Permian Seas

Euryperids: Ancient Predators of Permian Seas

Apr 04 2010 | comment(s)

About two dozen families of eurypterids “sea scorpions” are known from the fossil record. Although these ancient predators have a superficial similarity, including a defensive needle-like spike or telson at their tail end, they are not true scorpions. They are an extinct group of arthropods related to spiders, ticks and mites and other extant creepy crawlies.
Eocene Fish, Flowers and other Fauna of the Princeton Area

Eocene Fish, Flowers and other Fauna of the Princeton Area

Feb 10 2010 | comment(s)



During the middle Eocene, 45-50 m.y.a., a number of freshwater lakes appeared in an arc extending from Smithers, through the modern Cariboo, to Kamloops, the Nicola Valley, Princeton, and Republic, WA. The lakes likely formed after a period of faulting produced a number of basins, called grabens into which water collected.
Princeton's Paleobotanical Gardens

Princeton's Paleobotanical Gardens

Jan 28 2010 | comment(s)



If you like to try your hand at new things and have a penchant for the old or shiny.. no not your dating taste, but something earthier... you may want to consider a trip to Vermillion Bluffs near the town of Princeton, British Columbia. Princeton has long been known as a hotbed of paleobotany.
Unearthing Mongolia: Gigantoraptor Erlianensis

Unearthing Mongolia: Gigantoraptor Erlianensis

Nov 21 2009 | comment(s)

The Paleontologist community in China and around the world are all aflutter over a recent find in the Erlian Basin of Inner Mongolia. Known more for its heavy oil potential and favorite export - pollution, northeastern China is the preferred stomping ground for the savvy petroleum geologist.

As a complete aside, it also boasts the prettiest portion of the gene pool, or so says one of my stomping friends having explored much of Asia. So, home to pretty women today and, as it would seem, an enormous bird-like dinosaur some 70 million years ago.  Fancy that.
Tropical Chuckanut

Tropical Chuckanut

Nov 16 2009 | comment(s)



The siltstones, sandstones, mudstones and conglomerates of the Chuckanut Formation were laid down about 40-54 million years ago during the Eocene epoch, a time of luxuriant plant growth in the subtropical flood plain that covered much of the Pacific Northwest.