Verdict on fossil coming soon
Alberta museum plans to examine apparent bones before Christmas
Paul Bickford
Northern News Services
Published Monday, December 9, 2013
ENTERPRISE
It is expected that the scientific verdict will be delivered later this month on a fossil found at the foot of Louise Falls this summer.
This fossil, believed to possibly be the rib bones from an tetrapod – an early four-legged animal – was discovered near Louise Falls south of Enterprise. - photo courtesy of Bruce Green |
The fossil might be from a type of tetrapod - an early four-legged animal - from 360 million to 380 million years ago, based on the age of the rock in which it was found on the banks of the Hay River, south of Enterprise.
"The only tetrapods around at the time would be amphibian," said Donald Henderson, curator of dinosaurs at the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology in Drumheller, Alta., who cut the fossil out of rock on Oct. 1 and brought it south for study.
Tetrapods are animals with a backbone and legs, such as today's amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.
Henderson said he expects the fossil will be removed from the surrounding slab of rock before Christmas.
That work hasn't happened yet because technician Chris Capoeianco, who helped remove the fossil from the riverbank, has been busy on several other projects, including a massive dinosaur fossil uncovered at Spirit River, Alta., in the fall.
"So we were just scrambling and all the technicians have been so busy dealing with these giant things that had to come out of the field very quickly," Henderson said.
"So he hasn't been able to do much on that specimen. It's going to get done, but you need a lot of patience in this game because you don't want to mess things up. You don't want to rush it."
Henderson said there was also other fossil material in the bank of the Hay River where the possible tetrapod fossil was found, including corrals and molluscs.
"We're pretty sure it's not a corral, but there does exist the potential that it could be one of these molluscs, a large shell thing related to squid and octopus," he said.
If it is a tetrapod, it would be a significant find. Henderson noted no tetrapod fossils from so long ago have been found in Western or Northern Canada, except for what is believed to be an intermediate between fish and early tetrapods found on Ellesmere Island. There are tetrapod fossils in Quebec and Pennsylvania.
The fossil below Louise Falls was discovered by two young sisters - Ashley and Amber Lamalice - from the Hay River Reserve.
