The who's who of paleontology from across the world gather in Morden

The who's who of paleontology from across the World gathered in Morden last week as the Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre (CFDC) played host to the Association for Materials & Methods in Paleontology's (AMMP) 15th annual meeting. 

According to the Association's web site, it is a non-profit organization consisting of people interested in the field of paleontological collections care and methodology including conservation, preparation, sampling, and collection of fossil animal remains. Members have the desire to maintain and further the profession through increased communication with peers and encouraging others with the desire and capabilities to enter the profession. Members promote better understanding of the profession by the general public, those persons requiring such services, and increase the respect for the profession by maintaining and encouraging high standards of competence and ethics.

Over 70 museum creators and technicians took in symposiums, committee meetings, workshops and gave oral presentations. However, the week kicked off a field trip around the Manitoba Escarpment, showcasing the region's geology and the CFDC'S current dig sites, and was capped off with a field trip to the University of Manitoba and the Manitoba Museum. 

Over 70 museum creators and technicians took in symposiums, committee meetings, workshops and gave oral presentations.

Adolfo Cuetara, Executive Director of the CFDC, says this is one of the few times the annual meeting has happened in a smaller city, with previous events essentially held in larger cities like Seattle, Denver and Philadelphia. 

"That's really great for Morden, for the museum," he said, noting the opportunity offers many positive impacts from any point of view. "We are now the world-centre of fossil preparation. They are not only coming to learn what we are doing but also, they are giving us ideas and a new focus, new perspectives about the problems we have with the preservation of our fossils as they are very specific. They're just brainstorming a lot of new techniques and proposals for us."

Additionally, Cuetara noted, the contingent is also bringing firsthand information about the CFDC back to their own museums.

Greg Brown is the President of AMMP, and he explained Morden was selected to host the annual meeting because of its generous offer backed by local people. 

"It's fascinating place. It's a really fascinating little museum," he said. "They do have some amazing sea critters from the Cretaceous period. That's something we have also down in the States, in Nebraska where I'm from, and it's nice to see up here." 

In fact, added Brown, the CFDC and surrounding dig sites are home to preserved creatures that were known to also live in other parts of the World. "The big Bruce, the Tylosaurus. There are Tylosaurus that live and lived in Europe and even Asia. So, worldwide critters and they're preserved right here in Canada."

"We've held annual meetings in big cities, big museums, and that's fine. But most of us are used to spending time out in the rural area and being surrounded by open spaces, and this is a wonderful place," added Brown. 

With over 500 papers and workshops having been presented at the organization's annual meetings over the years, Brown says the event is pivotal to preserving fossils for prosperity. 

"It's a chance for us to get together and talk about things, talk about new techniques, new materials and to educate the young ones coming into the science about the best way to do their jobs instead of just blindly following what people told them 20 years ago."

The week kicked off a field trip around the Manitoba Escarpment, showcasing the region's geology and the CFDC'S current dig sites,

For Marilyn Fox, AMMP Vice President, recently retired from the Yale Peabody Museum in Connecticut. She was most eager to learn what the CFDC is doing with its work on Mosasaurs and other interior seaway animals and compare it to the collection at her home museum. 

"Well, it's very exciting," she said. "I mean I've done lots of field work myself and it's always such a thrill when you find something that nobody alive has seen, to find new things and then to bring them home and put them in your collection and take care of them. And then people from all over the world can come and do research on your specimens."

"I like to see that the community supports this museum and the research that's being done," she added.

With files from Robyn Wiebe