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Lectures
Excursions
LECTURES
Global
Warming: Did It Cause Ice Age Extinctions?
Dr. Russ Graham, DMNS deputy chief curator and curator of paleontology
At the end of the Ice Age, about 11,000 years ago, many large mammals
went extinct throughout the world. In North America more than 32
genera of mammals met their demise. Giant beavers (as large as black
bears), various ground sloths, deer, and other herbivores were the
ones primarily affected, although there were large carnivores that
also did not survive. The cause of this extinction is highly debatable:
Was it climate change or human predation that played a key role?
Russ Graham will present the case for climate change.
Monday, August 6
7:00–9:00 p.m.
Phipps IMAX Theater
$7 member, $10 nonmember, $5 student
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Mysteries
of the Ice Age Ground Sloths, Revealed!
Dr. Greg McDonald, paleontology program coordinator, National Park
Service
They were weird and they were
wonderful—extinct sloths ranged from the size of an elephant
to the size of a small dog. Though ground sloths were strictly vegetarian,
the size of their claws temporarily confounded a great mind like
Thomas Jefferson—he thought the claws were from a giant cat!
Join Greg McDonald and discover the incredible attributes and oddities
of Ice Age ground sloths.
Tuesday, August 14
11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
VIP Room
$5 member, $8 nonmember
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Ice
Age Carnivores
Dr. Elaine Anderson, DMNS research associate
Saber-tooths, dire wolves, giant short-faced bears, American lions,
and cheetahs lived alongside coyotes, raccoons, grizzly bears, martens,
and jaguars during the Pleistocene in North America. Join Elaine
Anderson, a Pleistocene carnivore specialist, to learn about their
appearance and their habits, and why some of them became extinct
while others continue to thrive here today.
Thursday, August 30
7:00–9:00 p.m.
VIP Room
$7 member, $10 nonmember, $5 student
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Porcupine
Cave Update
Dr. Elaine Anderson and Dr. Bob Raynolds, DMNS research
associates
In Colorado’s Porcupine Cave, scientists and volunteers have
uncovered a treasure trove of superbly preserved Pleistocene-age
fossils of animals that lived in the Colorado Rockies. In a joint
effort that has spanned more than a decade, the Western Interior
Paleontological Society and the DMNS have collected and curated
thousands of specimens from this location. Join Elaine and Bob as
they share the exciting discoveries from this small cave.
Thursday, September 20
7:00–9:00 p.m.
VIP Room
$7 member, $10 nonmember, $5 student
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EXCURSIONS
USGS
Ice Core Lab
What was the weather like during the Ice Age? How much snow did
the woolly mammoths trudge through? Travel back in time on this
visit to the National Ice Core Lab where ice cores recovered from
the polar regions of the world are measured, studied, and stored.
These ice cores enable scientists to study climatic changes over
time—a powerful tool in paleoclimate research. Meet at the
Federal Center in Lakewood, and bring cold-weather clothing (hat,
coats, gloves). Tour limited to 24
participants, ages 9 and up.
Thursday, June 7
10:00–11:30 a.m.
$10 member, $14 nonmember
$8 child 9–12 years
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Paleoclimatology
at NCAR
The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) is recognized
for its scientific contributions to our understanding of climate
change, ozone depletion, solar physics, severe storms, and aviation
weather hazards. Among its many areas of research, NCAR currently
has 4 scientists working in the area of paleoclimatology—the
study of climates of the prehstoric past. Join Dr. Caspar M. Ammann
on a tour of NCAR to learn how research on climate changes, from
times such as the Ice Age, are helping to develop and validate models
of future climate change. Please indicate whether you want to have
lunch at NCAR after the tour and enjoy the view. Ages 12 and up
welcome.
Monday, June 25
10:00 a.m.–Noon
$10 member,
$14 nonmember
Radiocarbon
Dating Revealed
What animals and people lived during the Ice Age, and when did they
die? What can current endangered species trends tell us about our
own future? Radiocarbon dating used on bones, charcoal, and other
fossil remains recovered by archaeologists and geologists not only
reveals the past, but also future trends. Join Dr. Tom Stafford
for a behind-the-scenes tour of Stafford Laboratories, a facility
in Boulder that uses the radiocarbon dating process in numerous
fields. Learn about the process itself and about fascinating research
projects, including the dating of the oldest human remains in North
America.
Limited to 15 participants ages 15 and up.
Thursday, August 2
10:00–11:30 a.m.
$15 member,
$19 nonmember
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