Welcome to the Dallas Paleontological Society Website

The officers for 2023 are: 

Vice President: Joe O'Neil

Fossil Record Editor Bill Weaver

Secretary:  Dana Baggott   

Treasurer Pam (Paul) Lowers                   

The DPS offers extra benefits for Members. Types of Memberships and costs of each can be found under MEMBERSHIP choice in the menu bar, then New Member Online Application. Below is a list of what Members receive and the reasons you should plan to join (or re-join) us in our paleo adventures!

                                        MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS

Newsletter: The Fossil Record, the Society’s monthly newsletter, is sent to all members.

Special Events: Members receive Eblasts on surprise events and reminders of upcoming events.

DPS Website: Current members have access to the Members only section of the DPS website, which includes the Membership Directory, past newsletters, and more.

Field Trips: Some field trips have limited access (quarries, Oklahoma trilobites, etc.), and some field trips are designated members-only.

Excavations: Participation in Fossil Bureau of Investigation (FBI) excavations.

Discounts: Fossil prep kits, display items, books, and other unique items are occasionally offered at a discount to members.

Occasional Papers: Each Occasional Papers is a collection of in-depth articles on paleontology written by members. One copy per membership is free to members for a limited time immediately following publication. Past Occasional Papers are available for purchase.

Volunteerism: Volunteer opportunities to work the DPS booths provides community outreach, interaction with the public, and occasionally free entry to an event.

Family: Family Membership provides a discount to a second adult and allows for PIT Crew membership in which children can participate in special PIT Crew-only workshops, classroom activities, and field trips.

Dues pay for: food and drinks at the monthly meetings, refreshments on field trips, scholarships, and professional speakers for special meetings.

Looking ahead to 2023

Lake Ralph Hall/North Sulphur River, Fanin County

To view a new 18 minute film on Florissant Fossil Beds Monument, please click on the link below:

https://www.nps.gov/media/video/view.htm?id=42760664-E715-FE44-F38270C2561E1366

We at SMU prepared a short video about the Smithsonian exhibit, "Sea Monsters Unearthed: Life in Angola's Ancient Seas," that has been posted on the Embassy of Angola in the United States website (https://angola.org) and on the Embassy Facebook page.  To see it, click on the link (https://angola.org), which will take you to the website.  The video is playing without sound on the banner.  Scroll down to Highlights and you will see a photo of a fossil. Click on that photo and you will see the video with sound and Portuguese captioning on the Embassy Facebook page. Attached is an information sheet about the exhibit, prepared for the Angolan Embassy.  If you would like the video with English captioning, just let me know.  Enjoy!

Louis Jacobs, DPS Advisor        jacobs@mail.SMU.edu  

NMNH Notice and Links_July 2020.docx       (This will download to your computer to view.)

We are very happy to announce that the very first Occasional Papers Volume 1, written by 9 members of the founding group of the DPS is now available to download!  It is under the HOME choice on the menu bar, then Members-Only Content and then Documents and Resources.

To see the info for Earth Science week, click here.

The Paleontograph back issues are now available at the following link

MOSS CREEK Field Trip April 1

The North Sulphur River has long been a favorite fossil destination for hundreds of members and the public, as well. The channeling (straightening) of the river has greatly amplified its erosion so that many wonderful paleontological specimens have been exposed and collected. So many that the DPS chose to dedicate an entire Occasional Paper to the various facets of the NSR. This OP sold out of the original 2000 copies, was beautifully revised by Mark McKinzie (thank you very much) and has been reprinted.

So, with thousands of fossil collectors probing the NSR and all of its tributaries, it was only a matter of time until Moss Creek and its unique selacian (shark and ray) fauna were discovered. It is a clean, narrow creek that is usually wadable. Stratigraphically, it is in the Menebites danei ammonite zone of the Ozan Member of Campanian Age (Taylor Group), Gulfian Series of the Upper Cretaceous. That makes these shark teeth about 80 myo.

Shark researchers Shawn Hamm and David Cicimurri are writing a paper on Moss Creek. He describes the red beds exposed here as a result of a low-sea level, turbulent environment that was inhabited by small sharks, rays and osteichthyans (bony fish). The conditions must have been a slow-depositional, nutrient-rich habitat because there’s an abundance of shark and ray teeth in this relatively thin interval. The good news is YOU WILL FIND TEETH - hundreds of gorgeous teeth of many species if you collect and screen properly. The bad news is that most of the teeth are small. Here is a photo of some of the largest teeth you should find. (Note the tooth ON the ruler.)

This trip is on very private land, so a Hold Harmless Agreement is required.

Your collecting success will be dependent on your collecting method. You can go around and pick up a few teeth on the surface or bulk sample and screen later (strongly recommended). Hopefully, the creek will be wet with pools of water for washing sediment. You can use standard screens of ½ then ¼ inch in the field then window screen followed by ½ mm screen* at home to capture most of the teeth. A paint strainer (see GOOGLE) is wonderful to collect all sediment below window screen. I plan to take home buckets of sediments for later screening and sorting on hot summer days and cold winter nights.

Dried sediments can be treated with hot vinegar and/or hot water or both to further reduce the volume (to lessen sorting time). This is especially critical for microsorting samples less than 1mm under a microscope.

We’ll provide some 5-gal. buckets BUT start collecting your own now – they’re free. McAlister’s and Jason’s Delis, for instance, throw away dozens of buckets a month – just go in (or eat in) and ask or call them for ‘empty pickle buckets’. They will even save them for you if you’re nice or even tip (I give a $2-bill for 3 or more). Secondary reason here is to keep large, non-biodegradable items like these out of landfills. NEVER BUY BUCKETS! – too many free ones out there.

Roger Farish can address any concerns you may have 972-898-2700.

As usual, contact the DPS HotLine 817-355-4693 if weather is questionable.

Come and join us for a great time at our next meeting, and click below to become a member.  Individual and Family memberships are available, and kids can participate in the PIT Crew (Paleontologists In Training).

Mail Check to:

DPS

PO BOX 223846

Dallas, Texas 75222-3846

JOIN US

The Paleontologists In Training is a program of the DPS that is open to kids from age 7 to 15.  If you are interested in fossils, want to have fun on field trips, and like learning about our beautiful world, come join us at one of our meetings, or field trips.  You will find it educational, and fun at the same time!

For more information, Click the link here or click the link under the home page called "For Kids - The Pit Crew" , to see policies, upcoming events, announcements, and how to sign up to take advantage of this new program.