BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Western Interior Paleontological Society - ECPv6.16.3//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-WR-CALNAME:Western Interior Paleontological Society
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://westernpaleo.org
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Western Interior Paleontological Society
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-Robots-Tag:noindex
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:America/Denver
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0700
TZOFFSETTO:-0600
TZNAME:MDT
DTSTART:20250309T090000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0600
TZOFFSETTO:-0700
TZNAME:MST
DTSTART:20251102T080000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0700
TZOFFSETTO:-0600
TZNAME:MDT
DTSTART:20260308T090000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0600
TZOFFSETTO:-0700
TZNAME:MST
DTSTART:20261101T080000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0700
TZOFFSETTO:-0600
TZNAME:MDT
DTSTART:20270314T090000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0600
TZOFFSETTO:-0700
TZNAME:MST
DTSTART:20271107T080000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260302T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260302T210000
DTSTAMP:20260606T034621
CREATED:20251123T150929Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260209T012928Z
UID:17465-1772478000-1772485200@westernpaleo.org
SUMMARY:March 2026 - Heather F. Smith - Ph.D.\, FAAA\, Professor of Anatomy - A revised turtle assemblage from the Upper Cretaceous Menefee Formation\, NM with evolutionary and paleobiostratigraphic implications
DESCRIPTION:Abstract: The middle Campanian Menefee Formation (Fm.) of the San Juan Basin of New Mexico is a relatively understudied terrestrial deposit in southern Laramidia preceding the fossil-rich upper Campanian Fruitland and Kirtland formations that have been studied for more than a century. Previous collection efforts have revealed a diverse dinosaurian and crocodyliform fauna in the Menefee Fm.\, including ankylosaurian\, tyrannosaurid\, hadrosaurid\, ceratopsian\, and neosuchian taxa. Nearly a decade has passed since the last description of the Menefee turtle fauna\, and we present new material that provides insight into turtle evolution during the Campanian in the Colorado Plateau\, with implications for Late Cretaceous turtle paleobiostratigraphy in Laramidia. In particular\, we extend the stratigraphic ranges of the baenids Neurankylus baueri and Scabremys ornatabackwards from younger San Juan Basin strata\, along with the nanhsiungchelyid Basilemys. Additional material increases Menefee representation of the relict helochelydrid Naomichelys\, and the regionally prevalent derived baenids Denazinemys and Thescelus. Additionally\, we report new pan-trionychian specimens\, which provide insight into the persistence of Adocus and multiple trionychid and plastomenid species through the remainder of the Campanian in the San Juan Basin. A cluster analysis of turtle diversity across early-middle Campanian sites in Laramidia shows distributions consistent with latitudinal provinciality in some groups. For instance\, derived baenids were restricted to latitudes south of southern Utah\, along with marine taxa (bothremydids and protostegids) and pan-kinosternoids. Basin-scale endemism is also suggested by some baenid and trionychid distributions. Otherwise\, the turtle fauna of the Menefee most closely resembles those of the similarly-aged Wahweap Fm. in southern Utah\, and the Aguja Fm. in the Big Bend area of Texas and Mexico to a lesser extent. The Menefee turtle assemblage is consistent with reconstructed paleoenvironments characteristic of the western shoreline of the Western Interior Seaway. Recurrent cyclothems in these settings shaped the development of fluviodeltaic deposits that preserved distal components of large channels with surrounding floodplains and swamps\, along with evidence of freshwater\, brackish\, and possibly shallow marine influence. This research was funded by a grant from WIPS. \nBio: Dr. Heather Smith is a Professor of Anatomy at Midwestern University\, the Editor-in-Chief of The Anatomical Record journal\, and a Fellow of the American Association for Anatomy. She earned a B.A. in Anthropology (Arizona State University’s Barrett Honors College\, 2001)\, M.A. in Biological Anthropology (Stony Brook University\, 2003)\, a Ph.D. in Biological Anthropology (Arizona State University\, 2008)\, and completed her postdoctoral training at the University of Arizona’s College of Medicine\, Phoenix (2009). She is an evolutionary biologist\, comparative anatomist\, and paleontologist. Her research combines both living species and the fossil record\, with a special interest in ancient turtles\, to reveal how bones and body structures evolved through millions of years. In particular\, she investigates how cranial and shell morphology evolved across extinct and living turtle species using 3-D geometric morphometrics and other tools to trace phylogeny\, adaptation\, and developmental change. \nDr. Smith has been conducting paleontological fieldwork and research since 2012\, primarily focusing on North American Late Cretaceous and Paleogene turtles\, and has been involved in the descriptions of 4 new species of fossil turtle. Since 2024\, she has been a founding co-director of the Menefee Paleontological Project\, coordinating paleo fieldwork in the Campanian Menefee Formation of New Mexico.
URL:https://westernpaleo.org/event/march-2025-heather-f-smith-ph-d-faaa-professor-of-anatomy/
LOCATION:Front Range Community College\, 3645 West 112th Avenue\, Westminster\, CO\, 80031\, United States
CATEGORIES:Programs
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/gif:https://westernpaleo.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/HeatherSmith_Menefee300x300.gif
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260406T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260406T210000
DTSTAMP:20260606T034621
CREATED:20251123T210955Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260327T110621Z
UID:17502-1775502000-1775509200@westernpaleo.org
SUMMARY:April 2026 – Spring ice cream social and 'meet and greet' (in-person only)
DESCRIPTION:WIPS’ April meeting will be a Spring ice cream social and ‘meet and greet’ in-person event. There will be no Zoom presence or speaker this month. \nMembers and guests are invited to join us in person at Front Range Community College (Westminster campus). There will be refreshments\, fossils\, field trip news and fun! \n• Enjoy an ice cream sundae while you socialize.\n• Learn about WIPS-supported research and committee activities.\n• Hear about summer field trips and see fossils from those places.\n• Meet one of the instructors for WIPS’ upcoming Petrified Wood Workshop and see petrified wood specimens.\n• Show ‘n tell of member fossils\n• Door prizes and giveaways galore \nLook forward to meeting you there! For questions\, contact programs@westernpaleo.org
URL:https://westernpaleo.org/event/april-2026/
LOCATION:Front Range Community College\, 3645 West 112th Avenue\, Westminster\, CO\, 80031\, United States
CATEGORIES:Programs
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://westernpaleo.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Sundae_1053x1140_.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260504T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260504T210000
DTSTAMP:20260606T034621
CREATED:20251118T095356Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260410T195219Z
UID:17430-1777921200-1777928400@westernpaleo.org
SUMMARY:May 2026 - Patrick O’Connor\, PhD  |  Director\, Earth & Space Sciences\, Senior Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology\, Denver Museum of Nature & Science  |  Avian Dinosaurs from the Latest Cretaceous of Madagascar and Antarctica: A Tale of Two Birds and Two Sub-Continents
DESCRIPTION:Dr. Patrick (Pat) O’Connor is a vertebrate paleontologist who integrates data from the fossil record with our understanding of form-function relationships in modern animals to explore eco-functional implications of morphological novelty in different groups of backboned animals (e.g.\, non-avian dinosaurs\, birds\, crocodiles). He completed a degree in biological anthropology at Michigan State University\, followed by a PhD in anatomical sciences at the Stony Brook University School of Medicine. Following his PhD\, Pat took a tenure-track position (Neuroscience and Anatomy) at the Ohio University College of Medicine\, where he advanced to the rank of full professor and presidential research scholar while simultaneously serving several administrative roles in both research and curriculum. He took on the role of Director of Earth and Space Sciences at DMNS in January 2024. \nPat’s field research projects span from Colorado and Utah to Madagascar\, eastern and northern Africa\, and Antarctica\, united by the common theme of characterizing the impact of large-scale environmental change on biotas during the Late Cretaceous and Paleogene. Along with students and colleagues from around the globe\, Pat and his collaborators regularly describe species new to science\, including several exciting and oftentimes bizarre non-avian dinosaurs\, birds\, crocodiles\, and mammals.
URL:https://westernpaleo.org/event/march-2-2026-patrick-oconnor-director-earth-space-sciences-senior-curator-of-vertebrate-paleontology-denver-museum-of-nature-and-science/
LOCATION:Front Range Community College\, 3645 West 112th Avenue\, Westminster\, CO\, 80031\, United States
CATEGORIES:Programs
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://westernpaleo.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Pat-OConnor.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260908T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260908T210000
DTSTAMP:20260606T034621
CREATED:20251123T193723Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260410T195117Z
UID:17482-1788894000-1788901200@westernpaleo.org
SUMMARY:Sept. 2026 - Gale Bishop\, PhD\, Emeritus Professor of Geology  |  The Search for Fossilized Cretaceous Sea Turtle Nests and the Edges of the Continents; Western Interior of the USA and Proto-Adriatic Tethys of Croatia
DESCRIPTION:Emeritus Professor of Geology\, Georgia Southern University\, Research Associate; American Museum of Natural History (NY\, NY) National Geographic Society Explorer (1976 – Present)
URL:https://westernpaleo.org/event/september-8-2026-ph-d-emeritus-professor-of-geology-georgia-southern-university-research-associate-american-museum-of-natural-history-ny-ny-national-geographic-society-explorer/
LOCATION:Front Range Community College\, 3645 West 112th Avenue\, Westminster\, CO\, 80031\, United States
CATEGORIES:Programs
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://westernpaleo.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/gale.bishop.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20261005T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20261005T210000
DTSTAMP:20260606T034621
CREATED:20251123T195613Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251123T204512Z
UID:17486-1791226800-1791234000@westernpaleo.org
SUMMARY:October\, 2026 - Annual Meeting and SHOW 'n TELL
DESCRIPTION:
URL:https://westernpaleo.org/event/october-5-2026-annual-meeting-and-show-n-tell/
LOCATION:Front Range Community College\, 3645 West 112th Avenue\, Westminster\, CO\, 80031\, United States
CATEGORIES:Programs
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://westernpaleo.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Denniss-Insect.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20261102T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20261102T210000
DTSTAMP:20260606T034621
CREATED:20251123T201406Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251123T204241Z
UID:17491-1793646000-1793653200@westernpaleo.org
SUMMARY:November\, 2026 - David W. Krause\, PhD Senior Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology of The Denver Museum of Nature and Science
DESCRIPTION:
URL:https://westernpaleo.org/event/november-2026-david-krause-emeritus-chief-curator-of-the-denver-museum-of-nature-and-science/
LOCATION:Front Range Community College\, 3645 West 112th Avenue\, Westminster\, CO\, 80031\, United States
CATEGORIES:Programs
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://westernpaleo.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/krause_david_1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20261205T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20261205T170000
DTSTAMP:20260606T034621
CREATED:20251123T200750Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251125T032405Z
UID:17488-1796479200-1796490000@westernpaleo.org
SUMMARY:December 2026 - Annual Auction
DESCRIPTION:Menu\n											 \n\n\nPaleoZone Auction Bid Sheets\nNote for Printing Auction Excel Files\nAuction Bid Sheet for Selling Rocks or Fossils: XLSX\nAuction Bid Sheet for Selling Rocks or Fossils: PDF\nAuction Bid Sheet for Selling Publications: XLSX\nAuction Bid Sheet for Selling Publications: PDF\n\n\nEveryone is invited to our annual holiday auction and potluck! Bid on numerous items of paleontological– and geological– interest\, including books\, fossils\, fossil replicas\, minerals\, art\, and much more. Enjoy potluck refreshments. (Bring a dish to share if you’dlike!) The verbal auction later in the afternoon will feature bigger ticket items. Proceeds benefit WIPS grants and scholarships for research and education in paleontology. \nThis year\, payments can be made online using a QR code displayed at the auction.• 1 p.m. – Doors open for setup• 2 p.m. – Refreshments being• 2:30-5:30 p.m. – Silent auction with verbal auctioncirca 3:30 p.m. for special items• 5:30 pm. – Cleanup and checkout• 6:30 p.m. – Doors close
URL:https://westernpaleo.org/event/december-2026-annual-auction/
LOCATION:Front Range Community College\, 3645 West 112th Avenue\, Westminster\, CO\, 80031\, United States
CATEGORIES:Programs
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://westernpaleo.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Auction-2025-3.jpg
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR