Welcome to the Dallas Paleontological Society Website
The Dallas Paleontological Society was founded in 1984 for the purpose of promoting interest in and knowledge of the science of paleontology. It was intended by the founding members that the Society would be a network for the exchange of data between professionals and serious amateurs in this field.
June 9 Meeting was held on ZOOMOur June meeting was on Wednesday, June 9th. We started the online meeting on Zoom at 6:30pm Central Time with informal chat and show-and-tell of fossils, and the formal meeting started at 7:00pm. Dr. Sean Gulick, Research Professor at the Institute for Geophysics and the Department of Geological Sciences at UT Austin, spoke on “Life and Death by Impact: Drilling for Clues.” Here is a short abstract of his talk: The most recent of Earth’s five largest mass extinction events occurred 66 million years ago, coeval with the impact of a ~12 km asteroid, striking at ~60 degrees into what is today the Yucatán Peninsula, México, producing the ~200 km-wide Chicxulub crater. This impact, by some estimations, drove the extinction of 75% of life on Earth at the genus level including all non-avian dinosaurs. Proposed kill mechanisms include thermal effects caused by the reentry of fast ejecta into Earth’s atmosphere, dust, soot, and sulfate aerosols reducing Earth’s solar insolation and ocean acidification. In 2016, 835 m of core was recovered from the Chicxulub impact structure through IODP-ICDP Expedition 364. Analyses done on these cores, downhole logs, and geophysical site survey data have led to a series of advancements to our understanding of impact cratering processes and to how the Chicxulub impact affected the Earth’s environment leading to the Cretaceous-Paleogene mass extinction. Key areas of discovery include: (1) clear evidence for origin of peak rings and crater dynamics in large impacts, (2) highest resolution record to date of impact processes within the crater include deposition of impactites and role of ocean resurge, (3) rapid recovery of life at ground zero with a key niche being filled by cyanobacteria, and 4) development of a long lived hydrothermal system with astrobiological implications. See you in July, second Wednesday of the month, for our next meeting Dallas Library and DPSThe Dallas Library’s Podcast on Natural Dallas (P.O.N.D.) Annual Community Nature Expo includes a video featuring the DPS. Please watch all the videos for some interesting things to do and learn about in the outside world. Visit http://dallaslibrary2.org/pond/ for the videos. Fossil Bits and PiecesWe 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 flier for Discover Earth Science, click here to download their PDF document. 
https://www.aaps-journal.org/the-paleontograph.html
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. | Upcoming Events
Now Available!
DPS Officers for 2021The results of the election of officers for 2021 are: President: Estée EasleyVice President: Kate Fenton Fossil Record Editor: Diane Tran Treasurer: Pam Lowers Secretary: Genevieve Freix Join us now
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 The PIT Crew
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. About Us and Our Monthly MeetingsThe Dallas Paleontological Society normally meets the second Wednesday of every month at 7:00 PM. |
Copies can be purchased at monthly meetings for instant gratification. Or the book can be purchased and shipped to your home by 
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!Buy DPS Books OnlineYou can now buy books from the DPS online by clicking the "Store" button on the navigation bar at the top of this page. If you buy online, and we ship the books to your home, you will have a shipping charge and tax. If you buy the book at a meeting, you will not have to pay the shipping fee or tax. Check out this new service. Questions For DPS?If You have any questions about the Dallas Paleo Society feel free to: Contact Us Hot Line 817-355-4693 |
Who we areThe DPS is a group of professional and amateur paleontologists that want to exchange information, interact, and continue their education in paleontology. We meet once a month on the second Wednesday evening of the month at Brookhaven College, Building H. Mailing address: Dallas Paleontological Society
| What we do
Do you have a question? If you have a fossil you cannot identify, or need a site investigation, contact the Fossil Bureau of Investigation for help. Contact Us at 817-355-4693.
| Why join usWe have fun. We learn stuff. We go cool places. We find interesting things. We make new friends.
Visiting Researcher Program The Dallas Paleontological Society (DPS) offers local logistical assistance to professionals/academics conducting research in the North Central Texas area. Assistance may include the loan of tools, but is not financial. Past projects have included providing transportation to field sites, assistance in locating particular fossils or outcrops of a particular formation, field collection and excavation. If you are interested in assistance, please contact the DPS President at president@dallaspaleo.org |
