1939
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Expeditions. Sweet Expedition, 1939. Dinosaur remains had been reported in the Big Bend Area
of TX. This is to be part of the proposed Big Bend national Park. It seemed advisable to send a
reconnaissance expedition to this new locality. The party consisted of Dr. Erich M. Schlaikjer, in
charge, Mr. William O. Sweet, who financed the expedition. The last week in July Through the first
week of September were devoted to this work. Widely distributed over the region, particularly around
the Chisos Mountains, are extensive exposures of the Aguja Formation. The lower half of the
formation is marine; the upper half is continental and contains saurian remains.. Since the purpose of the
trip was to investigate the abundance and quality of the material, only part of one specimen (a lower jaw,
a skull element and several limb bone, presumably a ceratopsian) was collected. This specimen was
particularly endangered by weathering. From their investigation it was possible to determine that
several new forms are represented, including an extremely large carnivore that is bigger than T. rex, a
new ceratopsian and a new and very large sauropod which occurs stratigraphically with the ceratopsian.
Schlaiker thinks the Aguja Fm. is near the Fruitland Fm. Expedition, 1939. Arrangements were made
with the North Continental Oil and Gas Corp. Ltd. Of Canada, by which they paid field expenses for an
expedition to Alberta and Montana. ; Dr. Brown was in charge with Dr. Harold E. Voles and Mr. R. T. Bird.
They collected over 25,000 invertebrates, 2 new types of fossil fish and a Triceratops skull. Venezuelan
Expedition, 1939. Dr. G. G. Simpson returned to Venezuela and made a large collection of poorly
preserved, but important, Pleistocene mammals from near Barquisimeto; a small Miocene collection
from the plains region of Zaraza. He also mad a collection of recent mammals. Expedition 1939.
Albert Thomson, financed by the Frick Pliocene Fund left for South Dakota about June 20th. He was
joined during July and Aug. by Dr. Joseph T. Gregory and during Sept. and Oct. by Dr. Walter Granger.
Camp was made near Scenic. They made a fairly large collection of Oligocene mammals from that
region. The also found artifacts and broken pottery, the first find from the Big Badlands. It was turned
over to the Archaeology Department. A short trip was made to the Slim Buttes area, but material was
collected. Expeditions 1939 R. T. Bird spent June and July with Dr. Harold Vokes. Vokes collected
fossil invertebrates in Alberta. Then in August collected from the Burgess shales in British Columbia.
A large fish skull was collected from the Fermie Formation, Jurassic. In Sept. Mr. Bird prospected near
Sweet Grass Hills, northern MT, examining Paleozoic and Mesozoic strata and collected a few fossil
vertebrates. Part of October was spent S of Ft. Peck, MT and ceratopsian skull was collected from the
Hell Creek beds near Twitchell Ranch. Expeditions 1939. Miss Clara Woolridge became interested in
the reports about the Carboniferous amphibian fauna found many years ago at Linton, OH. This is now
called Yellow Creek. She visited the site for a week in the Spring. She found the dump of the original
"Diamond Mine", from which fossils had been collected. She collected matrix which looked promising.
She also found another mine on the other side of the creek, but was unable to collect there, due to
weather conditions. She brought he collection to the museum and at least one perfect fish and part of an
amphibian could be seen. She gave the whole collection to the museum and when it is worked up, there
may be more interesting material.
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