Lecture: Looking for Sea Dragons in the Desert

Speaker: Simon Carpenter

Entry Fee

Members: Free

Visitors: £5.00

Date and Time

19:30 -

Location

Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution, 16-18 Queen Square, Bath BA1 2HN


Lecture Description

In July 1998, Simon travelled to the Nevada desert in North America to help collect sea dragons for Cincinnati Museum. The talk, illustrated with slides, follows the expedition as it set out to locate and excavate a number of important fossil sites in the Augusta Mountain Range. The rocks here are approximately 225 million years old and were deposited in a shallow Triassic sea. Ichthyosaurs (similar in shape to modern dolphins) were some of the top predators and grew to lengths of 15 metres. The collection of one of these animals was the prime purpose of the 1998 expedition by Cincinnati Museum. The expedition was sponsored by the National Geographic Society. Extreme heat and rattlesnakes were a daily hazard for expedition members in a harsh but beautiful landscape. The desert scenery, geology and wildlife should provide an enthralling and captivating talk.



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