Zool 250 - ROYAL TYRRELL MUSEUM- FIELD TRIP
(Not offered 2012)

BurgessFauna
Burgess Shale Exhibit
 BACKGROUND: Nestled in the badlands of southern Alberta is a world-class paleontological museum: The Royal Tyrrell Museum. Although most famous for its dinosaur displays, it also has an impressive display of a Devonian reef environment and a breathtaking walk-in, larger-than-life display of the Burgess Shale fauna. Both of these showcase a wide range of exotic, ancient invertebrates that once roamed the world's oceans. In addition, the museum offers a variety of other invertebrate fossils scattered in amongst the dinosaur and other larger displays.

Visit the Burgess Shale Geoscience Foundation web site for more information about the Burgess Shale fossils and links to other sites.

Hyolith
Extinct Hyolith Mollusc

OpalAmmonite
Opalized ammonite fossil
 THE PLAN: Meet at 7:30 AM on the second floor of the Zoology wing of Biological Sciences Building. The bus will depart from the U of A Faculty Club on Saskatchewan Drive at 7:45 AM sharp. On route, you can sleep, study or watch DVDs from the remarkable Blue Planet series. Upon arrival at the Museum we will have lunch (lunch may be purchased at the Tyrrell Museum Cafeteria, or bring your own). Paul Johnson (past curator of invertebrates at the Tyrrell) and Rich Palmer will provide brief tours of the main invertebrates displays, and a behind-the-scenes tour to view the invertebrates collections, to small groups of students. The remainder of the day (until 5 PM, when the bus departs) will be available for more detailed viewing of the invertebrates displays (and, of course, dinosaurs, if you wish). The bus will drop students off at the U of A Faculty Club on Saskatchewan Drive around 9 PM.

NOTE: The bus will not be stopping for dinner on the return trip, so bring some snacks to stave off hunger until you get home.

DevonianReef
Devonian Reef Exhibit

ESSENTIAL TRIP DETAILS
Trilobite
Trilobite fossil

  • DATE: Saturday, March 24.

  • MEETING TIME: All students should assemble in the hallway outside the Zool 250 lab rooms (Z211 and Z217, BioSciences Building) no later than 7:30 AM.

  • DEPARTURE TIME: The bus will depart from the U of A Faculty Club on Saskatchewan Drive at 7:45 AM sharp (no refunds if you are late).

  • RETURN TIME: The bus will return to BioSciences approx. 9 PM. Bring a snack, as the bus will not be stopping for dinner on the way back.

  • TRIP COST: $30 (make check payable to the "University of Alberta", or you may pay with cash). Price does not include lunch or snacks.

  • SIGNUP AND PAYMENT DEADLINE: Sign-up and payment are due in lecture no later than Monday, March 12.

  • PARTICIPANTS: Participation will be limited to 40 students, so sign up soon to ensure your space.
TyrrellTripGroup07
Trip participants 2007
(picture by Chris Le)

  • CHECKLIST OF THINGS TO BRING:

    • camera, spare camera battery, film
    • notebook & pencil (for taking notes and making drawings at the museum)
    • lunch (if you do not wish to buy lunch at the Tyrrell cafeteria)
    • snacks for the return bus trip (the bus will not stop for dinner)
    • winter jacket etc. (if you wish to explore the badlands around the Tyrrell museum)
    • your curiosity

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Copyright (c) 2012 by A. Richard Palmer. All rights reserved. (revised Feb. 9, 2012)