Alberta Palaeontological Society

10/12/2026

Palaeontology in Alberta owes much to the legion of dedicated amateurs who scour the badlands for fossils and help with identification and discovery. One of the foremost of these was Hope Johnson (1916-2010), whose contributions to palaeontology are too numerous to mention. Darren Tanke, of the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology, has generously made his biography of this amazing palaeontologist freely available to everyone.

https://albertapaleo.org/resources/opensourcepublications/

10/11/2026

Wednesday, October 14, 5 - 7pm: Fossils! Why Do We Keep Picking Up Rocks? @ ESB 1-39, University of Alberta (University of Alberta Palaeontological Society)
Friday, October 16, 7:30 - 9pm: Monthly Meeting: October 2026 @ Calgary, Alberta
Friday, October 16, 6 - 10pm: Palaeo - Pumpkin Carving @ University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK (University of Saskatchewan Palaeobiology Club)
Sunday, October 18, 1 - 3:30pm: Search for Microfossils this Autumn, 2026
Sunday, October 18, 1 - 2pm: Rock & Fossil Campus Tour @ University of Alberta North Campus, Edmonton, AB (Edmonton Geological Society)

For more information: see https://albertapaleo.org/events/calendar

10/01/2026

Thanks to Luke Nelson, who recently graduated with his Master's degree, for presenting to us last Friday! It was a fascinating exploration of a large sabre-toothed fish, Enchodus, which lived in Alberta in the Late Cretaceous.

https://youtu.be/czalifQ16J8

Enchodus is an extinct genus of teleost fish that lived worldwide i...

09/08/2026

Come sleep with dinosaurs!

The Alberta Palaeontological Society is heading back to the Royal Tyrrell Museum for our Dinovember sleepover, Friday, November 13 to Saturday, November 14.

$54 per person (snacks, breakfast, activities, and museum admission included).

For more details and to sign up: https://albertapaleo.org/events/fieldtrips

09/03/2026

Earlier this August, the APS went to Kananaskis! We looked at the geology and palaeontology of the Mississippian formations around Moose Mountain and found lots of fossils, including crinoids, brachiopods, and worm traces. It was a great way to learn about the different fossils that we can find all up and down the Rockies.

Thanks especially to Jayden Aragon for taking such spectacular photos!

08/17/2026

Another exciting week of palaeo events!

Monday, August 17, 2026, 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.: Tyrant Lizard Kings and Queens, Eh? A Tale of Canadian T.rexes @ Infinity Dome, TELUS Spark Science Centre, 220 St. George's Drive NE, Calgary, AB (TELUS Spark)

Friday, August 21, 2026, 6:30 p.m. - Saturday, August 22, 2026, 9:30 a.m.: Night at the Museum - August @ Philip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum, Wembley, AB (Philip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum)

Saturday, August 22: Pipestone Creek Bonebed Tour and Excavation @ Wembley, AB (Alberta Palaeontological Society)
Sunday, August 23, 2026 - Monday, August 24, 2026: Tumbler Ridge Trip @ Tumbler Ridge, BC (Alberta Palaeontological Society)

Sunday, August 23, 2026, 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.: Hunting Giants: The Dinosaurs of Alberta @ Franks Community Pub, 8815 99 St NW, Edmonton, AB (Frank's Lectures On Tap)

Monday, August 24 - Wednesday, August 26: 34th Canadian Palaeontology Conference (CPC 2026) @ University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan (Geological Association of Canada - Paleontology Division)

For more information: see https://albertapaleo.org/events/calendar

07/29/2026

The field trip season is in full swing! This past weekend Tako Koning led a popular trip to the K-Pg extinction layer in southern Alberta.

You can see the exact layer in the rock where (many) dinosaurs went extinct! It's an amazing experience to be able to touch this layer with your own two hands.

If you'd like to sign up for our other trips, you're just in time - registrations close August 1.

https://albertapaleo.org/events/fieldtrips

07/29/2026

We're sorting microfossils again this fall!

When it's too cold to go looking outside, join us inside to look for microfossils! We'll be in Rm. B140 at Mount Royal University, Calgary.

No experience is necessary - we're happy to show you the ropes!

October 18
November 1
November 22
December 6

https://albertapaleo.org/events for more information!

07/28/2026

More exciting palaeo events!

Wednesday, July 29, 2026, 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.: Fossil Treasures from the Burgess Shale @ TELUS Spark Science Centre, Calgary, AB (TELUS Spark & Burgess Shale Geoscience Foundation)

Sunday, August 2, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.: Devil's Coulee - Sunset Tour of the Fossil Site @ Warner, AB (meet at museum; drive to fossil site) (Devil's Coulee Dinosaur Heritage Museum)

For more information: see https://albertapaleo.org/events/calendar

07/14/2026

Another exciting palaeo event this week!

Wednesday, July 15, 2026, 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.: Dino Day @ Legend Art Gallery, 519 7 Street South, Lethbridge, AB (Devil's Coulee Dinosaur Heritage Museum & Legend Art Gallery)

For more information: see https://albertapaleo.org/events/calendar