Latest news with #Bamforth
Hamilton Spectator
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
Grande Prairie area dinosaur featured in upcoming Walking with Dinosaurs television series
After almost 25 years a show that brought dinosaurs to life on our television screens is returning, with a local dinosaur taking the spotlight. BBC's Walking with Dinosaurs will feature Wembley's own Pipestone Creek bonebed and its locally unique dinosaur, the pachyrhinosaurus. 'I really loved the original Walking with Dinosaurs, because it was the first time that they had brought dinosaurs to life in a way that presented them as animals,' said Emily Bamforth, Philip J. Currie Museum (PJCDM) curator. She said although dinosaurs were seen on the big screen in movies like Jurassic Park they were depicted as monsters. 'Walking with Dinosaurs was really like a nature documentary about dinosaurs, and no one had ever done that before, so it was hugely influential for me as a kid, and I think it was one of the milestones in terms of the things that influenced me, in terms of the wanting to go into paleontology.' Bamforth is now part of the series as she will help tell the more than 70-million-year-old story of the pachyrhinosaurus and the river of death. 'We tell a story about the bonebed and the herd of animals and the dying from a flood and then getting preserved, but to actually have that brought to life is kind of jaw-dropping,' said Bamforth. She hasn't yet seen the final episode, but an early draft left her with 'tingles' due to how real it felt. 'These aren't just dusty old bones sitting in the ground, these were animals living in this ecosystem,' she said. 'All of this happened right here in northern Alberta, this was our world back then.' A young pachyrhinosaurus named Albie will be featured in the fifth episode of the new series. 'Every year, his herd makes an epic journey north as the seasons change,' says a BBC press release. 'Along the way, he will encounter clashing bulls, tyrannosaur predators, and freak weather events.' According to the BBC, the visual effects teams built up the skeleton, musculature, and finally, the skin in a process that took about 2.5 years. Bamforth says the BBC initially contacted her in 2023 when the show was scouting for various sites worldwide to feature. 'All of the sites in the world, and all the big museums doing big research, they chose us as one of six sites in the world featured for this series, so it really is an incredible honour,' she said. Bamforth and the paleontologist team at PJCDM have been busy: Just last year they made the most significant find to date: a 1.6 metre-long, 461-kilogram skull. It made international headlines and now the museum is once again in the global spotlight thanks to the BBC. 'I think it's bigger than we sort of expected it to be,' said Bamforth, who said she's done over 11 media interviews in the past week from outlets in Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom and the Netherlands. 'It is a very special site; it's like no other in the world, like no place I've ever worked has been like this.' The Pipestone Creek bonebed is one of the densest dinosaur bonebeds in North America. 'I think the community of Grande Prairie and the surrounding communities should be really proud of the fact that this is here and that we have the PJCDM that is helping tell that story, and now we have people from around the world that are interested in coming here,' said Bamforth. 'This is something that's ours, and we can really showcase the amazing paleontology that we have up here, which hasn't really been well appreciated in the past.' She hopes it will bring more international and local visitors to the site to discover what it offers. Walking with Dinosaurs premiered in the UK on May 25 and will premiere on PBS in Canada on June 16.
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
73-million years old Dinosaur mass grave with thousands of fossils found in Canada's 'River of Death'
Image: Reuters world of fossils often moves slowly, bone by bone, layer by layer. But sometimes, certain unique fossils send ripples through the scientific community, giving unknown information about prehistoric life. These moments aren't just about finding ancient skeletons, instead, they're about unlocking stories frozen in time. When fossils are found in large numbers, especially from a single event, they can give a clearer picture of how those creatures lived, moved, and even died. Unlike isolated dinosaur skeletons found scattered across the globe, mass fossil sites tell a tale of migration, survival, and sudden catastrophe. They give a rare peek into a day in the life of the Cretaceous period. For fossil researchers, these locations aren't just dig sites, they're time treasures, giving the kind of evidence that textbooks can't always explain The fossil site in Alberta Alberta's Pipestone Creek, is popularly known as the graveyard of Dinosaurs, because it has a dense layer of dinosaur bones, stretching nearly a kilometre, has been unearthed and it may represent one of the greatest fossil finds in North America. The site, which is dominated by remains of the horned dinosaur Pachyrhinosaurus , is unlike anything researchers have seen before. The fossils are tightly packed, so much so that bones are stacked on top of each other. According to the BBC, 'Jaw-dropping in terms of its density,' is how Professor Emily Bamforth, who leads the excavation, describes it. While some bones are easily recognisable, like ribs or hip bones, others remain a subject for research. She explains that some are 'a great example of a Pipestone Creek mystery.' According to Bamforth, the most likely cause was a sudden flood that wiped out a migrating herd around 73 million years ago. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch Bitcoin và Ethereum - Không cần ví! IC Markets BẮT ĐẦU NGAY Undo Fossils are vital for understanding Earth's history and the evolution of life. They provide evidence of past organisms, their environments, and how species have changed over time. By studying fossils, scientists can reconstruct ancient ecosystems and understand extinction events. Fossils also help in dating rock layers, offering a timeline of geological and biological events. They give insights into climate changes and continental shifts over millions of years. Moreover, fossils are essential in evolutionary biology, confirming links between species and supporting theories like natural selection. In essence, fossils are time capsules that unlock the story of life on Earth. What is so special about it? The Pipestone Creek is unique because all the bones seem to belong to the same species and the same moment in time. This rare event allows scientists to study an entire group of dinosaurs at once, giving information about the age, size differences, and herd behaviour. Unlike the individual fossil discoveries that reveal skeletons of a single dinosaur, Pipestone provides a population-level perspective that is important for understanding how these animals lived and moved together. So far, only a tennis-court-sized area has been excavated. But with over 8,000 bones catalogued and more fossil-rich ground waiting below, researchers believe this is just the beginning and is being managed by the Philip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum, It was however first spotted by a schoolteacher in 1973. Pipestone Creek, is now called the 'River of Death' and is becoming a wellspring of ancient knowledge that may change how we understand dinosaur life forever.
Saudi Gazette
19-05-2025
- Science
- Saudi Gazette
Scientists try to solve mystery of mass dinosaur grave beneath lush Canadian forest
ALBERTA, Canada — Hidden beneath the slopes of a lush forest in Alberta, Canada, is a mass grave on a monumental scale. Thousands of dinosaurs were buried here, killed in an instant on a day of utter devastation. Now, a group of paleontologists have come to Pipestone Creek — appropriately nicknamed the "River of Death" — to help solve a 72-million-year-old enigma: how did they die? Trying to work out exactly what happened here starts with the hefty strike of a sledgehammer. Brute force is needed to crack open the thick layer of rock that covers what Professor Emily Bamforth, who's leading the dig, describes as "paleo gold". As her team begins the more delicate job of removing the layers of dirt and dust, a jumble of fossilized bones slowly begins to emerge."That big blob of bone right there is, we think, part of a hip," Prof Bamforth says, watched on by her dog Aster — whose job today is to bark if she spots any nearby bears."Then here, we have all of these long, skinny bones. These are all ribs. And this is a neat one — it's part of a toe bone. This one here, we have no idea what it is — it's a great example of a Pipestone Creek mystery."BBC News has come to Pipestone Creek to witness the sheer scale of this prehistoric graveyard and see how researchers are piecing together the of fossils have been collected from the site, and are constantly generating new bones all belong to a dinosaur called Pachyrhinosaurus. The species, and Prof Bamforth's excavation, feature in a new landmark BBC series — Walking With Dinosaurs — which uses visual effects and science to bring this prehistoric world to animals, which lived during the Late Cretaceous period, were a relative of the Triceratops. Measuring about five meters long and weighing two tonnes, the four-legged beasts had large heads, adorned with a distinctive bony frill and three horns. Their defining feature was a big bump on the nose called a dig season has just started and lasts each year until autumn. The fossils in the small patch of ground that the team are working on are incredibly tightly packed; Prof Bamforth estimates there are up to 300 bones in every square far, her team has excavated an area the size of a tennis court, but the bed of bones extends for a kilometre into the hillside."It's jaw dropping in terms of its density," she tells us."It is, we believe, one of the largest bone beds in North America."More than half of the known dinosaur species in the world are described from a single specimen. We have thousands of Pachyrhinosaurus here."Paleontologists believe the dinosaurs were migrating together in a colossal herd for hundreds of miles from the south — where they had spent the winter — to the north for the area, which had a much warmer climate than it does today, would have been covered in rich vegetation, providing abundant food for this enormous group of plant-eating animals."It is a single community of a single species of animal from a snapshot in time, and it's a huge sample size. That almost never happens in the fossil record," says Prof this patch of north-western Alberta wasn't just home to Pachyrhinosaurus. Even bigger dinosaurs roamed this land, and studying them is essential to try and understand this ancient hours drive away, we reach the Deadfall Hills. Getting there involves a hike through dense forest, wading — or doggy-paddling in the case of Aster — across a fast-running river, and clambering over slippery digging is required here; super-sized bones lie next to the shoreline, washed out from the rock and cleaned by the flowing water, just waiting to be picked up.A huge vertebra is quickly spotted, as are bits of ribs and teeth scattered across the Jackson Sweder is particularly interested in what looks like a chunk of dinosaur skull. "Most of what we find here is a duck-billed dinosaur called Edmontosaurus. If this is a skull bone, this is a dinosaur that's large — probably 30ft (10m) long," he Edmontosaurus, another herbivore, roamed the forests like the Pachyrhinosaurus — and is helping paleontologists build up a picture of this ancient is the collection manager at the Philip J Currie Dinosaur Museum in nearby Grande Prairie, where the bones from both of these giants are taken to be cleaned up and analyzed. He is currently working on a huge Pachyrhinosaurus skull that's about 1.5m long and has been nicknamed "Big Sam".He points to where the three horns should be at the top of the frill, but the one in the middle is missing. "All the skulls that are decently complete have a spike in that spot," he says. "But its nice little unicorn spike doesn't seem to be there."Throughout years working at the extraordinary site, the museum team has collected 8,000 dinosaur bones, and the surfaces of the lab are covered in fossils; there are bones from Pachyrhinosaurus of every size, from young to material from so many animals allows researchers to learn about dinosaur biology, answering questions about how the species grows and the make-up of the community. They can also look at individual variations, to see how one Pachyrhinosaurus could stand out from the herd – as may be the case with Big Sam and his missing of this detailed research, in the museum and at the two sites, is helping the team to answer the vital question: how did so many animals in Pipestone Creek die at the same time?"We believe that this was a herd on a seasonal migration that got tangled up in some catastrophic event that effectively wiped out, if not the entire herd, then a good proportion of it," Prof Bamforth the evidence suggests that this catastrophic event was a flash flood — perhaps a storm over the mountains that sent an unstoppable torrent of water towards the herd, ripping trees from their roots and shifting Bamforth says the Pachyrhinosaurus wouldn't have stood a chance. "These animals are not able to move very fast because of their sheer numbers, and they're very top heavy — and really not very good at swimming at all."Rocks found at the site show the swirls of sediment from the fast-flowing water churning everything up. It's as if the destruction is frozen in time as a wave in the this nightmare day for the dinosaurs is now a dream for paleontologists."We know, every time we come here, it's 100% guaranteed we'll find bones. And every year we discover something new about the species," says Prof Bamforth."That's why we keep coming back, because we're still finding new things."As the team packs up their tools ready to return another day, they know there's a lot of work ahead. They've only just scratched the surface of what's here — and there are many more prehistoric secrets just waiting to be revealed. — BBC
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Row erupts as opposition councillors brand VE Day decorations ‘dismal'
A row has erupted about VE Day 80th displays in and around Bolton Town Hall which have been described by some opposition councillors as "abysmal". Bolton Conservatives posted images of decorations and commemorations in the town centre to mark today's anniversary. They show a poppy display which sweeps down the town hall steps and small Union flags which have been placed in flower beds and herbaceous borders. The cam net poppy display outside Bolton Town Hall placed to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day (Image: Supplied) But Labour and independent councillors defended the displays and criticised people trying to political point score as "the lowest of the low". In a Facebook post, the Conservative group, said: 'Bolton Labour had planned nothing to mark the 80th Anniversary of VE Day and are now scrambling to put up these dismal displays. 'Do you think that Bolton deserves better?' The Tories' new leader on Bolton Council, Cllr Nadim Muslim called the display "embarrassing". Bolton Conservatives have branded the display around the town hall 'embarassing' He said: 'A sad indictment of Bolton Labour. No care for Bolton, whatsoever, but they were more than happy to do a full event for the socialist International Workers' Day.' Cllr Hilary Fairclough echoed those views. She said: 'This 'show' is abysmal, and an insult to those who lived through the dreadful war years, many of whom didn't make it to see VE Day.' However, Cllr Ryan Bamforth, an independent councillor representing Horwich North and Bolton Council's armed forces champion, has defended the displays and called those criticising them "disrespectful". Cllr Bamforth, himself a veteran having served 20 years in the army, said: 'Let's remember, I and other veterans didn't fight and for some, die for this country for decorations, displays or gratitude. 'We served because it was the right thing to do. 'To attempt to use this occasion as a political boxing glove is nothing short of disrespectful, disgraceful and vile. 'We deserve better than what some are putting on display, politics is a vile environment at times, keep the armed forces out of it. 'Respect those that gave all for your freedoms, they didn't die for your political parties, they died for the freedom of the people, for the Victory in Europe and this week we should be celebrating that, nothing less, nothing more.' Cllr Bamforth said he "loved the simplicity of the cam net with poppies" on display and the town hall. He added: 'They are symbolic of war, sacrifice, peace and the freedoms we have today, but more importantly, they help us remember those that gave all.' Council leader, Labour's Nick Peel, said: 'Politics has its place but for some people to slate our poppy display to score a point, is the lowest of the low.' The closing event of the borough's celebrations will be a civic church service and beacon lighting at Bolton Parish Church at 7.30pm on Thursday, May 8. Military standards will be on parade, the mayor of Bolton will lay a wreath on behalf of the people of Bolton, and Bolton Hoover Band will perform both wartime and military songs. At 9.30pm, Bolton will join communities across the UK and the Commonwealth in lighting a beacon from the top of the church tower. Attendance is free and free refreshments will be served in the church afterwards.
