Recreating the World of Alaska’s Dinosaurs

Submitted by Amy Hartley
Phone: (907) 474-5823
02/03/06

Students participating in a geology field camp with University of Alaska Fairbanks faculty found the fossilized footprint from a small meat-eating dinosaur in Denali National Park in June 2005. That fossilized footprint is the first concrete evidence that dinosaurs once roamed Alaska’s Interior. What did the Interior and the rest of Alaska look like eons ago when dinosaurs covered the landscape? The answer lies within fossilized plants and the characteristics of rocks that contain fossil footprints.

Associate Professor of Geology Paul McCarthy, of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, says evidence indicates that the Arctic was once considerably warmer and wetter than it is today, providing a cozy home for dinosaurs. An expert at reconstructing ancient terrestrial environments, McCarthy will explain what geology can tell us about the world of Alaska dinosaurs in a free one-hour lecture on February 7. "Recreating the World of Alaska’s Dinosaurs" begins at 7 p.m. in the Westmark Gold Room. Get there early to check out educational displays and demonstrations. All ages are welcome!

This is the fifth installment in the 2006 Science for Alaska Lecture Series, an annual event coordinated and sponsored by the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Information on all lectures and presenters in the 2006 Science for Alaska Lecture Series may be found online at www.scienceforalaska.com

CONTACT: Paul McCarthy, Associate Professor of Geology, UAF: (907) 474-6894 Amy Hartley, Geophysical Institute Information Officer: (907) 474-5823