Fossil Birds of Wyoming

Wednesday, March 13, 7:00 pm – Mars Ag Center Room 201

Free.

With JP Cavigelli, Collections Manager, Tate Geological Museum at Casper College Angeles, CA

Abstract:
Wyoming is well known for its vertebrate fossil deposits from dinosaurs to fishes to mammals. But what about birds? Birds are generally rare as fossils but Wyoming has produced a respectable suite of bird fossils, many of which have helped describe a pathway for the evolution of birds. This talk is a grand tour of Wyoming’s avian fossil record. And while we are at it… What is a bird?

Biosketch:
Jean-Pierre Cavigelli (JP) has been Prep Lab Manager and Field Trip Organizer and Collections Manager at that Tate Geological Museum at Casper College since 2004.  He has been in charge of many field outings and the preparation of many fossil vertebrates from a mammoth and a T rex to micro-mammal teeth.  Before this he spent two years as Collections Manager at the University of Wyoming where he designed the database he still uses.  JP has also been doing freelance fossil preparation in his private lab for private collectors and academic paleontologists.  He has had the good fortune of having been invited to join paleontological expeditions to Mongolia, Niger, Tanzania, Alaska and North Dakota.  When he is not involved with fossils JP enjoys birdwatching, traveling, and hanging out with his supercalifragilisticexpialidocious wife (and has recently hung up his skates after a 30-year hockey career).