Unit E Lesson E16 Fossils in Alberta
Completion requirements
Lesson E16: Case Study – Amazing Alberta Fossils
Video Lesson
Alberta is one of the best places on Earth to find fossils, especially dinosaur fossils. The geology of our province and its history of warm climates and a waterfront location make it an excellent location in which paleontologists can study ancient life.
Most of the fossils we know about are dinosaurs, but many other fossils are found in our province.
Lesson E16: Case Study – Amazing Alberta Fossils
Fossils in Alberta
Paleontology is an interesting science that combines geology and ancient biology. Alberta is a great place to find excellent fossils and fascinating layers of sedimentary rocks. To understand why we have these conditions, we have to look back over thousands and millions of years and examine the changing conditions that our province has gone through as Earth’s surface and its climate have changed.
This lesson considers some significant fossils found in Alberta. Many more finds are available, and more fossils are found almost daily. Keep watch for fossils where erosion has occurred and sedimentary rocks that contain most fossils are exposed.
Paleontology is an interesting science that combines geology and ancient biology. Alberta is a great place to find excellent fossils and fascinating layers of sedimentary rocks. To understand why we have these conditions, we have to look back over thousands and millions of years and examine the changing conditions that our province has gone through as Earth’s surface and its climate have changed.
This lesson considers some significant fossils found in Alberta. Many more finds are available, and more fossils are found almost daily. Keep watch for fossils where erosion has occurred and sedimentary rocks that contain most fossils are exposed.
Reading and Materials for This Lesson
Science in Action 7
Materials:
Science in Action 7
Reading: Pages 417–418
Materials:
No other materials are required for this lesson.
Figure E.4.16.1 – A guided hike at Tyrrell Field Station is located in Dinosaur Provincial Park, near Brooks. Photo by
Wilson Hui.
Albertosaurus
Albertosaurus was a dinosaur whose fossils are found mostly in Alberta. One of the first discoveries was made by a young geologist named Joseph Tyrrell in 1884 along the banks of the Red Deer River in Horseshoe Canyon, just outside Drumheller. Albertosaurus was named officially in 1905, the same year that Alberta became a Canadian province. Now, a world-famous Alberta museum in Drumheller is named after this young geologist.
Albertosaurus is a cousin of the fearsome Tyrannosaurus. It walked on two legs and had a huge head with a mouth of sharp teeth. Perhaps it was faster than almost every animal in its environment. It was probably a top predator in its ecosystem, but it was smaller than Tyrannosaurus, which did not live in the same area at the same time as Albertosaurus. A typical Albertosaurus was slightly taller than a typical Tyrannosaurus, but it weighed only half as much.
Albertosaurus was a dinosaur whose fossils are found mostly in Alberta. One of the first discoveries was made by a young geologist named Joseph Tyrrell in 1884 along the banks of the Red Deer River in Horseshoe Canyon, just outside Drumheller. Albertosaurus was named officially in 1905, the same year that Alberta became a Canadian province. Now, a world-famous Alberta museum in Drumheller is named after this young geologist.
Albertosaurus is a cousin of the fearsome Tyrannosaurus. It walked on two legs and had a huge head with a mouth of sharp teeth. Perhaps it was faster than almost every animal in its environment. It was probably a top predator in its ecosystem, but it was smaller than Tyrannosaurus, which did not live in the same area at the same time as Albertosaurus. A typical Albertosaurus was slightly taller than a typical Tyrannosaurus, but it weighed only half as much.
Figure E.4.16.2 – An Albertosaurus at the Royal Tyrrell Museum. Photo by
Willem van Valkenburg.
A find of several individual fossils in
Dry Island Buffalo Jump
Provincial Park indicates that Albertosaurus might have travelled in large, scary packs. Albertosaurus lived about 70 million years ago, just before the massive extinction of most dinosaur species.
Figure E.4.16.3 – Albertosaurus was a fierce predator much larger than any land animals in present-day Alberta, including humans. Image by
karkemish00.
Edmontosaurus
Edmontosaurus was almost the same size as Albertosaurus, including a head that was almost a metre long, but it was not a meat-eating predator as was Albertosaurus. Instead, Edmontosaurus was a duck-billed dinosaur that lived about 70 million years ago. It was a herbivore that could walk on either two or four legs, and it may have migrated as the climate changed throughout the year. Edmontosaurus likely travelled in packs, and its fossils are found throughout North America and not just in Alberta. Based on the various locations that its fossils have been found, it seems that Edmontosaurus liked to live near large bodies of water such as oceans and seas.
Edmontosaurus fossils have been found in many parts of North America, including the Horseshoe Canyon near Drumheller. This dinosaur was named Edmontosaurus because of the Alberta location and the type of rocks in which it was found.
Edmontosaurus was almost the same size as Albertosaurus, including a head that was almost a metre long, but it was not a meat-eating predator as was Albertosaurus. Instead, Edmontosaurus was a duck-billed dinosaur that lived about 70 million years ago. It was a herbivore that could walk on either two or four legs, and it may have migrated as the climate changed throughout the year. Edmontosaurus likely travelled in packs, and its fossils are found throughout North America and not just in Alberta. Based on the various locations that its fossils have been found, it seems that Edmontosaurus liked to live near large bodies of water such as oceans and seas.
Edmontosaurus fossils have been found in many parts of North America, including the Horseshoe Canyon near Drumheller. This dinosaur was named Edmontosaurus because of the Alberta location and the type of rocks in which it was found.
Figure E.4.16.4 – An Edmontosaurus was one of the very first almost-complete dinosaur skeletons displayed in the United States in 1917.
Figure E.4.16.5 – This early artwork of Edmontosaurus is accurate except for one thing; paleontologists agree that it did not drag its tail along the ground.
Pachyrhinosaurus
Similar to Edmontosaurus, Pachyrhinosaurus was a herbivore living in Alberta about 70 million years ago. Pachyrhinosaurus was about the size of Edmontosaurus; about 8 metres long and weighing about 4 tonnes – the weight of two minivans! Although Edmontosaurus had a distinctive duck bill, Pachyrhinosaurus had a unique look, too. Pachyrhinosaurus fossils indicate this dinosaur had a huge, flat, bony forehead with a huge horn sticking from the top of its skull.
One of the most significant finds of Pachyrhinosaurus fossils was made in 1974 by a Grande Prairie science teacher named Al Lakusta. Mr. Lakusta found a massive collection of fossils west of Grande Prairie, near where the Philip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum now stands. This collection of fossils, which included Pachyrhinosaurus as well as many other ancient remains, revealed that fossils can be found throughout Alberta and not just near Drumheller. Mr. Lakusta’s find was so important that the specific species of Pachyrhinosaurus he found was named Pachyrhinosaurus lakustai.
Similar to Edmontosaurus, Pachyrhinosaurus was a herbivore living in Alberta about 70 million years ago. Pachyrhinosaurus was about the size of Edmontosaurus; about 8 metres long and weighing about 4 tonnes – the weight of two minivans! Although Edmontosaurus had a distinctive duck bill, Pachyrhinosaurus had a unique look, too. Pachyrhinosaurus fossils indicate this dinosaur had a huge, flat, bony forehead with a huge horn sticking from the top of its skull.
One of the most significant finds of Pachyrhinosaurus fossils was made in 1974 by a Grande Prairie science teacher named Al Lakusta. Mr. Lakusta found a massive collection of fossils west of Grande Prairie, near where the Philip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum now stands. This collection of fossils, which included Pachyrhinosaurus as well as many other ancient remains, revealed that fossils can be found throughout Alberta and not just near Drumheller. Mr. Lakusta’s find was so important that the specific species of Pachyrhinosaurus he found was named Pachyrhinosaurus lakustai.
Figure E.4.16.7 – Pachyrhinosaurus lakustai fossils were found near Grande Prairie. Image by
Nobu Tamura.
Ankylosaurus
Ankylosaurus was another large dinosaur whose fossils are found throughout Alberta. In the video for this lesson, you can see Ankylosaurus fossils being cleaned and prepared at the Royal Tyrrell Museum. Ankylosaurus was about 6 metres long and weighed about 6 tonnes, a little shorter and slightly heavier than Albertosaurus, Edmontosaurus, or Pachyrhinosaurus. It was about as tall as a human adult, which is shorter than the other three dinosaurs discussed in this lesson. Ankylosaurus had heavy armour over most of its body and a club-like tail. Note that Ankylosaurus resembles closely another armoured dinosaur named Edmontonia, which is different from the duck-billed Edmontosaurus.
An Ankylosaurus fossil found near Fort McMurray is one of the oldest dinosaur fossils ever found in Alberta. This 110 million-year old fossil was found nearly a kilometre below Earth’s surface by miners digging for fossil fuel deposits (oil sands). In fact, digging near Fort Mcmurray has unearthed many ancient fossils -- an unexpected bonus in the mining of the oil sands.
Ankylosaurus was another large dinosaur whose fossils are found throughout Alberta. In the video for this lesson, you can see Ankylosaurus fossils being cleaned and prepared at the Royal Tyrrell Museum. Ankylosaurus was about 6 metres long and weighed about 6 tonnes, a little shorter and slightly heavier than Albertosaurus, Edmontosaurus, or Pachyrhinosaurus. It was about as tall as a human adult, which is shorter than the other three dinosaurs discussed in this lesson. Ankylosaurus had heavy armour over most of its body and a club-like tail. Note that Ankylosaurus resembles closely another armoured dinosaur named Edmontonia, which is different from the duck-billed Edmontosaurus.
An Ankylosaurus fossil found near Fort McMurray is one of the oldest dinosaur fossils ever found in Alberta. This 110 million-year old fossil was found nearly a kilometre below Earth’s surface by miners digging for fossil fuel deposits (oil sands). In fact, digging near Fort Mcmurray has unearthed many ancient fossils -- an unexpected bonus in the mining of the oil sands.
Figure E.4.16.8 – Ankylosaurus was probably a peaceful herbivore that could inflict massive damage with its club-like tail when necessary.
Figure E.4.16.9 – Ankylosaurus was estimated to grow to a height about the same as an adult human being. Illustration by
Conty.
Watch More
Digging through sedimentary rock sometimes reveals some incredible finds. Learn how the Fort McMurray Ankylosaurus was found and identified in 2011.
Western Interior Seaway
The Western Interior Seaway existed between 100 million years ago and 60 million years ago, the period of most of the large fossilized animals discovered in our province. When most dinosaurs walked throughout this area, this inland sea provided ideal conditions for plants and animals both in the water and on the land for millions of years.
Enormous dinosaurs and sea creatures lived throughout the central portion of western North America.
The Western Interior Seaway existed between 100 million years ago and 60 million years ago, the period of most of the large fossilized animals discovered in our province. When most dinosaurs walked throughout this area, this inland sea provided ideal conditions for plants and animals both in the water and on the land for millions of years.
Enormous dinosaurs and sea creatures lived throughout the central portion of western North America.
Figure E.4.16.11 – North America about 100 million years ago.
Watch More
Watch this video to see the effect of the Western Interior Seaway on Alberta’s past.
Figure E.4.16.12 – The amazing “Black Beauty” fossil of Tyrannosaurus rex was found in 1980 by two Alberta boys out fishing. Photo by
Mike Beauregard.
Alberta Stories in Stone: Fossils
Drumheller and the surrounding Badlands are famous for their fossils, but many fossils have been found throughout Alberta. Anywhere erosion has exposed layers of sedimentary rock might expose some sort of fossil. A trip through southern Alberta can include many such locations, including along the banks of the Oldman River, which runs through the city of Lethbridge.
To learn more about exploring Alberta's fossil locations, click here to Explore with Elsie.
Figure E.4.16.13 – An amazing find of Centrosaurus bones was made near the town of Hilda, Alberta. Hundreds of these dinosaurs apparently died in the same place at the same time.
Figure E.4.16.14 – The U. koppelhusae specimen discovered in Dinosaur Provincial Park is a type of Leptoceratops. Image by
Jaime A. Headden.
Other Interesting Alberta Fossils
Alberta has so many interesting fossil discoveries that listing all is difficult. Here is a small sample of some other interesting Alberta fossil finds:
The Hilda mega-bonebed (Centrosaurus). The town of Hilda is in southwestern Alberta, very near the Alberta-Saskatchewan border. Thousands of dinosaur fossils have been found near Hilda, including many Centrosaurus fossils (Figure E.4.16.13 ). Centrosaurus was a six-metre long dinosaur with a frilled head plate and a single horn extending up from its nose. The Hilda mega-bonebed includes the remains of thousands of Centrosaurus in one location, an amazing find of fossils from one dinosaur species.
Unescoceratops koppelhusae. Most of the dinosaur fossils found in Alberta are large, but U. koppelhusae (Figure E.4.16.14) is not. This dinosaur was only 2 metres long, weighed about 80 kilograms, and had a beak similar to that of a parrot. It is considered to be a relative of triceratops although it did not have the facial horns of its famous relative. Only one specimen of U. koppelhusae has been identified. It was found by Dr. Currie in Dinosaur Provincial Park, and he named the dinosaur after his wife, Eva Koppelhus.
Alberta has so many interesting fossil discoveries that listing all is difficult. Here is a small sample of some other interesting Alberta fossil finds:
The Hilda mega-bonebed (Centrosaurus). The town of Hilda is in southwestern Alberta, very near the Alberta-Saskatchewan border. Thousands of dinosaur fossils have been found near Hilda, including many Centrosaurus fossils (Figure E.4.16.13 ). Centrosaurus was a six-metre long dinosaur with a frilled head plate and a single horn extending up from its nose. The Hilda mega-bonebed includes the remains of thousands of Centrosaurus in one location, an amazing find of fossils from one dinosaur species.
Unescoceratops koppelhusae. Most of the dinosaur fossils found in Alberta are large, but U. koppelhusae (Figure E.4.16.14) is not. This dinosaur was only 2 metres long, weighed about 80 kilograms, and had a beak similar to that of a parrot. It is considered to be a relative of triceratops although it did not have the facial horns of its famous relative. Only one specimen of U. koppelhusae has been identified. It was found by Dr. Currie in Dinosaur Provincial Park, and he named the dinosaur after his wife, Eva Koppelhus.
Figure E.4.16.15 – A man digging in his Calgary backyard found several 60-million-year-old fish fossils.
Figure E.4.16.16 – A Hadrosaur nesting site, with eggs, was found near Milk River in southern Alberta.
60-million-year-old fish found in Calgary. Not many fossils are found in the Calgary area, perhaps because most of the sedimentary rock found below the surface there is younger than 65 million years, which is right after the large extinction
of the dinosaurs. Recently, however, a discovery of five fish fossils (Figure E.4.16.15) that are 60 million years old has paleontologists very excited. To find the fossils of any living things from that time period is very rare.
Dinosaur eggs. In 1987 a young girl found what she thought were dinosaur eggshells near Milk River Ridge in southern Alberta. She sent her find to Dr. Currie at the Royal Tyrrell Museum. He confirmed the find was shell from a fossilized dinosaur
egg and sent a team to search the area for more. The team found a Hadrosaur nesting site, including babies and unbroken eggs (Figure E.4.16.16).
More recent fossils. Not all fossil finds in Alberta are from the age of dinosaurs. Some are older, and some are not as old. After the dinosaurs became extinct 65 million years ago, mammals such as Titanoides (Figure E.4.16.17 ) began to flourish throughout the world. Alberta mammal fossils from after the dinosaur extinction are found throughout the province.
Burgess Shale. One of the most amazing fossil sites in the world in located in Yoho National Park on the British Columbia side of the border of Alberta.
More recent fossils. Not all fossil finds in Alberta are from the age of dinosaurs. Some are older, and some are not as old. After the dinosaurs became extinct 65 million years ago, mammals such as Titanoides (Figure E.4.16.17 ) began to flourish throughout the world. Alberta mammal fossils from after the dinosaur extinction are found throughout the province.
Burgess Shale. One of the most amazing fossil sites in the world in located in Yoho National Park on the British Columbia side of the border of Alberta.
Figure E.4.16.17 – Titanoides were huge mammals whose 60-million-year-old fossils have been found in Alberta. Image by
Dmitry Bogdanov.
The Burgess Shale is a layer of rock containing not only fossils of life from 500 million years ago (Figure E.4.16.18); even fossilized soft parts have been found there. More than 65 000 fossils were discovered in the first 25 years of searching.
Figure E.4.16.18 – The Burgess Shale near Lake Louise has an amazing selection of very old sea life fossils. Some, such as this 500-million-year-old arm (limb), show details of the soft parts of the fossilized creatures.
Figure E.4.16.19 – Ammonite shells can become fossilized with unique minerals to form the gemstone ammolite, Alberta’s official gemstone.
Ammolite. Ammolite is Alberta’s official gemstone. It is formed when minerals in the sediments that surround fossil ammonites (Figure E.4.16.19 ) settle in the sea creature’s shell. Ammonite fossils are found in areas of Alberta that were once shallow seas, including the southwestern area. These fossils can be up to 150 million years old.
Plant fossils. Many plant fossils are found throughout Alberta, especially in and around where coal is found (Figure E.4.16.20). Because coal is a rock that forms from the remains of living things, especially plants, finding plant fossils in coal is common. Plant fossils in Alberta have been found in coal near Lake Wabamun, Canmore, Luscar, and Grande Cache. These fossils can be up to 300 million years old.
Alberta is a very special location for finding amazing fossils. Do your best to see these fossils and think about our province’s incredible history.
Figure E.4.16.20 – Coal is a sedimentary rock that forms from many layers of decaying organic material. Plant and animal fossils have been found in many Alberta coal beds.
There is no Self-Check for this lesson. Please continue to the next lesson.