Earth Science Club of Northern Illinois - ESCONI

Happy Friday!

NYT: Insects Flew Before Anything Else Did. So How Did They Get Their Wings?

A fossil of a cockroach dating to the Cretaceous period, about 145 to 65 million years ago. Insects took to the skies much earlier, but there is scant fossil evidence from the period showing how they evolved wings. CreditThe Lighthouse/Science Source

The New York Times has an interesting story about the first flyers... insects.  The article discusses recent research to discover how insects evolved the ability to fly.  Strange to think that all those Mazon Creek flying insects were pretty new to the world of flying!

Beetle wings are often hidden. Nestled behind armored shields on the beetle’s back, they unfurl in whirring sheets, whisking their clumsy owners from danger. Beetles don’t have more than two sets of wings — unless they’re in Yoshinori Tomoyasu’s lab.

In research recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Dr. Tomoyasu and co-author David Linz genetically engineered beetle larvae with wings on their abdomens, part of an ongoing attempt to unpack one of evolution’s greatest mysteries: how insects gained the ability to fly.

Insects took to the empty skies sometime between 300 and 360 million years ago, long before birds, bats or pterosaurs. Wings allowed them to conquer new habitats and ecological niches, and Insecta quickly established themselves as one of the most diverse and successful animal classes, a position they still hold today.

 

FOSSIL Project Newsletter for Spring 2018: John Catalani Amateur Spotlight

The FOSSIL Project's newsletter for Spring 2018 has ESCONI's own John Catalani in the "Amateur Spotlight" article!  Great article and congratulations, John!

Volume 5, Issue 1, Spring 2018| FOSSIL Project Newsletter Spring 2018

• Featured Professional: Alycia Stigall
• Amateur Spotlight: John Catalani
• Club Corner: Alberta Palaeontological Society by Mona Marsovsky and Georgia Hoffman
• Featured Fossil: Candelarhynchus padillaidouinia or How a 10-year old boy discovered a 90-million old fish at a Colombian monastery by Oksana Vernygora & Javier Luque
• Research: The Late Pleistocene and Holocene Bison of the Colorado Plateau: Are Bison Native to the Grand Canyon Area? by Jeff M. Martin, Rachel A. Short, & Jim I. Mead 
• Education: Faunal Interchanges, High School Students, and the Paleobiology Database by Andy Farke
• Introducing the Whiteside Museum of Natural History by Christopher J. Flis
• Bighorn Basin Paleontological Institute Celebrates Its First Year by Jason P. Schein
• Research: What Makes a Social Media Message Engaging to Community Members? by Lisa Lundgren
• Fossil Project Updates by Sadie Mills
• Upcoming Events

MAPS EXPO 2018 is Friday, April 6th to Sunday, April 8th, 2018

The Mid-America Paleontology Society (MAPS) EXPO for 2018 will be held from Friday, April 6th to Sunday, April 8th, 2018.  MAPS EXPO is the largest fossil only show in the world.  This is the 40th annual show.  The topic this year is the Permian-Triassic Periods.  The keynote speaker is Dr. Margaret Fraiser of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.  Her talk is titled "Earth's Largest Extinction and Life's Recovery".  It should be a good one!

The show will be held at Sharpless Auctions Facility, I-80 Exit 249, Iowa City, IA.  Here is the 2018 MAPS Flyer with all the details.

Show hours are:

Friday, April 6th: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Saturday, April 7th: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Sunday, April 8th: 8:00 to 3:00 PM

Palaeocast Episode 87: Archaeopteryx

Palaeocast episode 87 is about Archaeopteryx.  Archaeopteryx lived about 150 million years ago, during the Jurassic Period, in what is now southern Germany.  Including the first feather, discovered in 1860 or 1861, there are now twelve specimens.  All have been found in the limestone deposits near Solnhofen, Germany.  The iconic "Berlin" specimen shown above was found in 1874 or 1875.

Archaeopteryx is perhaps one of the most iconic taxa in the fossil record. Exclusively found in the Late Jurassic Solnhofen Lagerstätte in Bavaria, Germany, it is a crucial taxon for understanding the relationship between dinosaurs and birds. Furthermore, it is critically positioned to inform us how flight evolved in this group.

Now, a new study published in Nature Communications, has been inferring how Archaeopteryx was able to fly by examining details of its bones. In this interview, we are joined by lead author Dennis Voeten, Palacký University, who shares with us his hypotheses, methods and results.

Day Two at the 2018 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show

More smiles and adventures at the 2018 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show.  It was a great time.  I hope you didn't miss it.  See you again in 2019!

Day One at the 2018 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show

Lot of fun for everyone!  The vendors had great items, with something of interest for all attendees.  There were many auctions of great fossils, minerals, and equipment.  Much more to follow tomorrow, so come on out!

One Last Peek at the Auction Items in the ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show

Today is the day!  The ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show starts at 10:00 AM and ends at 5:00 PM.  For tomorrow, it starts at 10:00 AM and runs until 4:00 PM.  Come on out!  There will be plenty of activities for everyone.

Here are a few more pictures of auction items. 

Tomorrow is the ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show - March 24th and 25th, 2018

Tomorrow is the ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show!  Come on out, there will be fun for all!

 

Saturday, March 24th - 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday, March 25th - 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Free admittance and parking!

Explore
your interests

Shop
for jewelry, gems, fossils, minerals from world-class vendors

List to Follow Soon, Stay tuned!

Find
unique and interesting books at the used book sale

Learn
from members of club demonstrating their hobbies and collections

Bid and buy
gems, minerals and fossils at the
Silent Auction
and Live Auctions
(photos of some items will be posted on website a week before show)

Enjoy
amazing displays from the
Field Museum & Lizzadro Museum

Win
an amazing earth-science related prize in the hourly raffle if your ticket chosen

AND MORE FOR KIDS ~

Receive
a FREE collection of minerals and fossils at the Junior Booth

Play
games and do crafts at the Kiddie Corner

Split
your own geode

Accomplish
some of the requirements for badges....
 Boy Scout Geology, Collections, or Archaeology Badge
 Girl Scout Jeweler Junior Craft Badge
4-H Science Project

 

Click here to see more photos of past ESCONI Shows

Download 2018 Show Flyer

 
Questions? Comments?

email: [email protected]

www.esconi.org

www.facebook.com/ESCONI.fb

twitter.com/ESCONI

Location -

 

Auction Preview: ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show will be held on March 24th and 25th, 2018

Here are some pictures of lapidary equipment that will be part of the live auction.  There are a few pieces, which includes a 10" Raytech Diamond Rock Trim saw with auto feed and a Stone Hog Lapidary Workshop.  Come on out and check them out!

Auction Preview: ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show will be held on March 24th and 25th, 2018

Yet another mineral specimen for the live auction... Pyrophyllite.

Auction Preview: ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show will be held on March 24th and 25th, 2018

Another live auction preview.  This one is for the mineral fans... Galena.

Auction Preview: ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show will be held on March 24th and 25th, 2018

Here is a Tully Monster that will be available at the live auction this weekend.  Don't miss the show!  There will be many good specimens!

Palaeocast Episode 86: Coal

There's a new Palaeocast podcast, episode 86. It is called Coal.  It discusses the origin and composition of Coal.  The Carboniferous Period "coal bearing" is named for the sheer amount of coal produced during that time period.  Current theories are discussed as to why this happened.

For this interview, we asked Standford University’s Prof. Kevin Boyce to introduce us to coal and to tell us how it’s formed and what it’s made of. We then concentrate on determining why the Carboniferous was the period with the largest coal deposits when we know that forests existed in other periods too. Finally, we look at the impact that coal production and subsequent exploitation has had on the planet.

Reminder: ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show will be held on March 24th and 25th, 2018

Save the date!  We are one week away from the ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show!  Come on out, there will be fun for all!

 

Saturday, March 24th - 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday, March 25th - 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Free admittance and parking!

Explore
your interests

Shop
for jewelry, gems, fossils, minerals from world-class vendors

List to Follow Soon, Stay tuned!

Find
unique and interesting books at the used book sale

Learn
from members of club demonstrating their hobbies and collections

Bid and buy
gems, minerals and fossils at the
Silent Auction
and Live Auctions
(photos of some items will be posted on website a week before show)

Enjoy
amazing displays from the
Field Museum & Lizzadro Museum

Win
an amazing earth-science related prize in the hourly raffle if your ticket chosen

AND MORE FOR KIDS ~

Receive
a FREE collection of minerals and fossils at the Junior Booth

Play
games and do crafts at the Kiddie Corner

Split
your own geode

Accomplish
some of the requirements for badges....
 Boy Scout Geology, Collections, or Archaeology Badge
 Girl Scout Jeweler Junior Craft Badge
4-H Science Project

 

Click here to see more photos of past ESCONI Shows

Download 2018 Show Flyer

 
Questions? Comments?

email: [email protected]

www.esconi.org

www.facebook.com/ESCONI.fb

twitter.com/ESCONI

Location -

 

Auction Preview: ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show will be held on March 24th and 25th, 2018

Another in a series of previews of material that will be available at the live auction during the ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show on March 24th and 25th.  This one is a chunk of nautiloid cephalopods from Graf, IA.  A beautiful piece of the Ordovician!  More details here.

 

Come See Tyler Keillor's Dryptosaurus at the Bess Bower Dunn Museum of Lake County Grand Opening Event on Saturday, March 24th, 2018

Tyler Keillor, a past ESCONI member and paleo-artist will have his latest work, a Dyptosaurus, unveiled at the Bess Bower Dunn Museum of Lake Count on Saturday, March 24th, 2018 from 10 AM to 5 PM.  Details are here.

"... The Bess Bower Dunn Museum of Lake County invites visitors of all ages to attend its grand opening event on Saturday, March 24 from 10am to 5pm at 1899 West Winchester Road in Libertyville. The family-friendly event includes free admission, guided tours of brand-new exhibitions, drop-in activities and the opportunity to meet paleoartist Tyler Keillor who created the world’s first scientifically accurate, life-sized Dryptosaurus for the new Dunn Museum.

The Dunn Museum provides a chronological walk through Lake County’s history from prehistoric times to the present, as well as directs visitors to explore the land on which the history took place..."

Auction Preview: ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show will be held on March 24th and 25th, 2018

Another in a series of previews of material that will be available at the live auction during the ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show on March 24th and 25th.  This one is Apophyllite on Stilbite.  Beautiful minerals from India!

Auction Preview: ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show will be held on March 24th and 25th, 2018

Another in a series of previews of material that will be available at the live auction during the ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show on March 24th and 25th.  This one is Esconites zelus.  The jaws are visible.  This is a nice specimen!

YouTube Channel: PBS Eons - The Tully Monster & Other Problematic Creatures

 

This episode of PBS Eons is about our very own state fossil... the Tully Monster!  It's about 6 months old and mentions some of the recent research.  It even explains some some phylogeny around the whole mystery of where Tullymonstrum belongs in the tree of life.