Prosauropod Dinosaur Dig Begins this Month
It's the stuff novels and movies are made of -- the romance and lore of hunting for dinosaurs that has consumed humans for centuries. On Friday, July 16, a small group of Fundy Geological Museum staff and volunteers will embark on a once in a lifetime opportunity to participate in a fossil dig.
The group, led by palaeontologist Tim Fedak, will return to North America's richest prosauropod dinosaur site located on Nova Scotia's Fundy shore, near Parrsboro, Cumberland Co.
Several dinosaurs have been found at this site, but Mr. Fedak's last excursion in the summer of 2000 yielded the most complete and largest example of Canada's oldest dinosaur -- the prosauropod.
Prosauropods belong to a group of herbivorous dinosaurs, which range up to eight metres in length, and are characterized by a long neck, long tail and small head. The prehistoric beasts may have been a forerunner to the much larger and more recent sauropods, like the brachiosaurus and apatosaurus.
Although several prosauropods were collected in North America in the 1880s, Mr. Fedak notes that the Nova Scotia animals are unique. "It seems likely that we are looking at a new type of prosauropod dinosaur," he said.
In addition to this ground-breaking research, Mr. Fedak's recent examination of a very small prosauropod specimen collected in 1986 revealed that the dinosaur was less than a year old at the time of its death. The discovery of the young animal suggests the presence of egg shells and other yearlings, which is great inspiration for dinosaur hunters everywhere.
Mr. Fedak and his crew will also be keeping an eye out for skull material. Ongoing preparation of previously collected material at the Fundy Geological Museum revealed additional neck bones, which indicate the presence of a second skull. The fragile skull bones, so crucial in species identification, are extremely susceptible to erosion. The dinosaur bone quarry is located near the base of a sandstone cliff, which is subject to a tidal range of more than five metres and an erosion rate of about one metre per year, giving the workers an even greater sense of purpose.
Funding for the two-week expedition has been provided by the Jurassic Foundation. The foundation was established in 1997 by Universal Studios and Amblin Entertainment to fund paleontological research projects.
For more information on prosauropod research in Nova Scotia, visit the museum's website at museum.gov.ns.ca/fgm/lab/lab.html .