Fall 2009 Meeting Schedule

Nov 12—Marieke Dechesne will talk about the work that she's been doing with the Denver Museum of Nature & Science and the Colorado Geological Survey on the stratigraphy of the Denver Basin. As always, I think it will be quite interesting!

Dec 11-13—Annual Flatirons Mineral Club Gem and Mineral Show at the Longmont Fairgrounds. Exhibitors and volunteers are solicited (see article p. 5)

Dec 17—Our annual holiday party and anonymous gift exchange—bring a mineral, fossil, or lapidary-related gift in the $5-$10 range, and some holiday munchies. Beverages will be provided by the Club. This is always a lot of fun, especially for the kids!

Jan 14—Our annual towel show: bring specimens you have collected or jewelry you have made during 2009 and compete in one of many different categories, including “ugliest rock”. Categories for kids, too!

 

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Denver Gem and Mineral Show A Big Success!

This year, the focus of the annual Denver Show was on Fossils - Windows to the Past, but there were lots of minerals, rocks, and gems, too. There were many outstanding displays. Here are some of the competition winners:

Denver Gem & Mineral Show 2009 – Winners in the Special Competitions

Richard M. Pearl Trophy: Jack Halpern (Venezuelan gold)

Best of Fossils Trophies:
Thumbnail – Jordan Sawdo (ammonite)
Miniature – Lou Conti (ammonite)
Cabinet – Jordan Sawdo (oreodont)
Oversize Cabinet – Barbara Sky (mesosaur)
Field Collected – Jordan Sawdo (crinoid)
Lapidary/Jewelry – Jody Sawdo (ammonite necklace)
Best of Colorado – Jordan Sawdo (mammoth tooth)
Best Fossil: Jordan Sawdo (titanothere)

Prospector’s Trophy: Steve Knox (Phenakite, Mt. Antero, Chaffee County)

C. E. “Shorty” Withers Trophy: Steven D. Jorgensen, “Growth Stages of Didymoceras Species from the Black Hills”

Winners of Competitive Exhibits:
Best Museum Trophy: University of Wollongong, Australia

Individual Competitive Case Trophies:
Cabinet Minerals, One Species – Larry and Kathy Havens (Masters – Barites)
Thumbnail Minerals, Any Type – Nick North (Novice)
Minerals, Open Class – Richard Tripp (Advanced)
Unlimited Minerals, One Species – Lou Conti (Advanced – Fluorites)
Fossils, One Classification Unit – Barbara Sky (Masters – mollusks)
Fossils, Self Collected – Dennis Gertenbach (Novice)
Fossils, Self Collected – Jordan Sawdo (Masters – animal fossils)
Fossils, Self Collected – Jordan Sawdo (Masters)

Club Prospector Trophy: Littleton Gem and Mineral Club




Dennis Gertenbach with his prize-winning cabinet at the Denver Show
 

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Denver Show Volunteers—A big part of the Show’s Success
Barb Melby, Show Chairman

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
I came to your meetings and ask for help with set up and tear down. And you all delivered and did a great job. I asked for help rolling posters and we almost had too many people volunteering but I would rather have more than less. Last year there was talk of hiring out all the jobs you handled with grace. I said I believed the clubs would come through and you did. You were the greatest volunteers. The show generally uses about 450 volunteers in many areas. We could not put the show together without you. I had many dealers pull me aside and told me how great it was to come to Denver because everything looked so nice and they were all treated with respect. You all can take a bow and know how much each of you is appreciated.

Thanks from the bottom of my heart.

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Council Election

At the club meeting on November 12, we will hold an election for officers to the Denver Council.  Alex Cook, our club’s representative to the Council, will have ballots for the election.  He will represent our club at the election on November 18, voting for the winners of our club’s election.  The candidates are:

President:  Jim Hooten and Gerry Naugle (our former club president)

Vice-president: Cynthia Mahnken

Secretary: Janie Bennett

Treasurer: Maxine Sheel

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Jr. Geologists Activities
 

Kremmling Field Trip

In September, the Jr. Geologists and their families spent a Saturday outside Kremmling to study and collect fossils. The Kremmling area was once covered by the Western Interior Seaway during the Cretaceous period and is famous for the giant ammonite fossils (up to 3 feet in diameter) that are found there. The giant ammonite site is now protected and the Jr. Geologists were treated to a tour of the area by Frank Rupp, the district paleontologist for the BLM.  Frank described what it was like in this part of Colorado 70 million years ago and why scientists think there are so many ammonite fossils in the area.  We want to thank Frank for taking time to lead this tour.

After our tour, we traveled several miles away outside the protected area to collect fossils.  Everyone found lots of Inoceramus clams, plus ammonite fossils to take home.  And, we all had a great time.

Simon Toth examines one of the giant ammonite fossils

Andy Klauber works on removing a fossil

Charles Mock with a very large clam fossil.

Showmanship Badge   

During November, the Jr. Geologists will continue to work on the Showmanship badge, learning how to put together displays for the club show in December.  We will also study the mineral of the month, plus have great door prizes.  The meeting is Thursday, November 19, starting at 6:30, at Charlotte’s home.

The Jr. Geologists program is open to all Flatirons Mineral Club families.  Each month we learn more about geology, plus earn badges for different earth science activities.  For information about the Jr. Geologists program, please contact Dennis Gertenbach.

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FMC Board Meeting

Nov. 30 (Monday) is the next Board, and will be held at Halley Cook’s house, 7737 Country Creek Pl, Niwot, 7:15 p.m. As always, all club members are invited to the club's Board Meetings.

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An Elephant Never Forgets!


A friendly reminder that the annual dues to the FMC become due on October 1st, 2009. The dues are only $18 for individual and their member immediate family. You can pay in two ways:

SEND A CHECK made out to: Flatirons Mineral Club (or) FMC

P.O. Box 3331
Boulder, CO 80307

or

you can pay cash or check to Gerry Naugle, Treasurer or Alex Cook, Membership Chair at any FMC monthly meeting. One of them is at the sign-in table upon entering the West Boulder Senior Center room for the monthly meetings. The payment receipt is your new annual 2009-10 FMC membership card.

Please do not send a cash payment to the Club P.O. Box 3331 by USPS mail. Remember, you can receive electronic (or) paper club newsletters containing the general meetings information, guided club field trips information, annual show opportunities, silent auction opportunities and the club annual summer picnic if you are a member of the Flatirons Mineral Club. Your 2009-10 dues must be received by Jan 31st, 2010 in order to stay current on club newsletters and the many other club member benefits. Thanks.

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Wednesday Nights at Charlotte’s

Lapidary Work/Grab Bag Samples Nights - Remember, use of the club's lapidary equipment, including saws and lapidary machines, is open to all club members every Wednesday night at Charlotte Morrison's home. Also on Wednesdays, help is always welcome to prepare grab bag specimens for next year's grab bags for the kids. Please contact Charlotte to let her know you are coming.

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Tepee Buttes Field Trip
Dennis Gertenbach

Once again, this year’s return trip to the Tepee Buttes northeast of Boone, Colorado was a great fossil collecting day. The site is private land and this year we had permission to collect on both sides of the road, with twice as many buttes to hunt as last year.

The Tepee Buttes are unique geological formations found from the Pueblo area north and east through Colorado and even as far north as South Dakota. The buttes are remnants of reefs that developed around methane gas vents in the floor of the Western Interior Seaway during the Cretaceous period. These reefs provided food and shelter for a wide range of animals, including clams, ammonites, snails, and other invertebrates. A hard limestone core developed at these vents, from which the softer shales eroded away, leaving the cone-shaped hills we see today.

This joint trip with the Western Interior Paleontological Society yielded plenty of nice specimens, as these photos show. We want to thank the landowners for allowing our club to collect on the Tepee Buttes on their property.

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Call for 2009 Show Volunteers

The annual club Mineral show and combined with show the BMRC train club last year went very successfully. The attendance on the Sat. last year was an all-time record.

All of the FMC volunteers and participants had a good time in the many activities held there. The success of this year's show to be held at the same venue as last year's show (please see the 2009 show flyer attached to this newsletter) on Dec. 11th-13th will depend on club members' much appreciated help and participation.

We especially need help on the set-up activities on Wed and Thurs Dec 9th and 10th, and, the show take-down activities on Sunday evening Dec 13th.

Please see the show volunteers’ sign-up sheets at the entrance table at this Nov club meeting on Nov. 12th and/or contact Marie Mozdon as she is coordinating volunteer sign-ups for this year. Thanks, Marie!



FMC board members Anita Colin (left) and Betsy Lehndorff (right) with Charlotte making small yarn figurines (“yarnettes”) for the kid's area of the upcoming FMC show.

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October Silent Auction

 The club had approx 55 members and guests at the October Silent Auction held on Oct. 8th at the West Boulder Senior Center. And, we sold nearly all of the specimens that were brought by sellers to the auction session. After all sellers were paid, the club netted close to $200 for the general treasury funds.

Many thanks to Bob Smith for coordinating this Oct silent auction and also the one earlier in the year in April of 2009 and to all of the great club volunteers who worked in the areas needed to make this silent auction a success. The next FMC silent auction will be held on April 8th of 2010, so mark your new 2010 calendars.

Ray Horton, Barry Knapp and Gabi Accatino look over some silent auction specimens.

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Fossils in the News
Dennis Gertenbach

Colorado Fossil Finds

Several recent fossil finds from Colorado – leaves, dinosaurs, mastodons, and sea creatures – have been in the news over the past several months.

A mastodon jaw and 5-foot tusk were found by two Denver-area teenagers while playing along a stream in Ken-Caryl Ranch. Paleontologists from the Denver Museum of Nature and Science stated that this is the most significant mastodon fossil ever unearthed in Colorado and the first in 85 years. Scientists estimate that this animal died between 50,000 and 150,000 years ago. Although mammoth fossils are fairly common in Colorado, mastodons are not. Mastodons ate shrubs and leaves from trees, which were not prevalent in Colorado at that time, while mammoths ate the prairie grasses that covered the plains. American mastodons were common in forested areas of Michigan and Ohio and in the Northeast. The site also produced a horse tooth that is estimated to be 100,000 years old. Museum scientists are contemplating further excavations at the site.

Colorado has yielded the smallest dinosaur ever found in North America. Although the fossils of four animals were discovered 33 years ago outside of Fruita, they were not recognized as dinosaurs until a recent study was made of the fossils. The paleontology team that made the discovery named the dinosaur Fruitadens haagarorum. Fruitadens lived about 150 million years ago, during the late Jurassic period. The creature, 6 to 8 inches tall, is comparable to a modern-day pigeon or chicken. It was slightly more than 2 feet long and weighed less than 2 pounds. Scientists described the dinosaur as looking like a featherless chicken, except that it had tiny front legs instead of wings, plus it had a beak with fangs. From studying the teeth, the paleontologists determined the animal ate both plants and meat, a biological niche filled by mammals today.

This past month, workers on RTD’s light rail line under construction in Lakewood discovered fossilized leaves of palm trees, ferns, and flowering plants. These fossils, dating from the time just after the dinosaur extinction, indicate that the Denver area was covered by rain forest between 64 and 66 million years ago. A paleontologist from the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, along with museum volunteers, collected specimens from the site for further study. The surrounding rock indicates that the fossils were deposited on a river bank and then buried with sand and mud, possibly during a flood.

And, another construction project uncovered fossils at the Interstate 25/Crossroads Boulevard interchange at Loveland. Fossilized shells and other invertebrates were found, dating from the Cretaceous period when eastern Colorado was covered by the Western Interior Seaway. The state paleontologist examined the fossils, which were found to be fairly common.
 

Velociraptor's Claws Used for Climbing?

That’s the conclusion from a recent study by scientists from the University of Manchester. By studying the biomechanics of velociraptor’s hands, they found that those deadly claws were not used for disemboweling their prey, but for climbing trees and hanging on to prey. Although the claws were sharp enough to puncture skin, they were not sharp enough to rip skin open. However, the hand claw was strong enough to support the dinosaur’s weight when climbing. The study indicates that velociraptor probably hung on to their prey, biting to subdue it. Velociraptor might have used its climbing ability to perch in trees and pounce on prey from above.

Largest Dinosaur Footprints Found

Footprints from sauropod dinosaurs, giant herbivores with long necks, were recently found near Lyon, France, and are the largest ever found. These footprint depressions measure nearly 5 feet in diameter, suggesting that the animals weighed more than 45 tons and were longer than 80 feet in length. The limestone that contains the footprints dates to the late Jurassic, about 150 million years ago. At that time, this area was covered by a warm, shallow sea and the tracks indicate that the dinosaurs were moving along the shoreline.

Algae Killed Off the Dinosaurs?

A recently published study by two Clemson University researchers proposes that toxin-producing algae, not asteroids, did in the dinosaurs. These scientists analyzed data from ancient algal deposits known as stromatolites and found evidence that blue-green algae, which produce poisons and deplete oxygen, were present in sufficient quantities to kill off large numbers of land and sea plants and animals. The researchers claim that although climate change, sea level fluctuations, volcanic activity, and even asteroids were probably contributors to the mass extinction that killed off 50% of all animal and plant species, algae were the mass killers. They point out that the evidence does not support the mass killings by a catastrophic event, such as an asteroid impact, because the extinctions appear more gradual in the fossil record. Most alarming is that the levels of blue-green algae are increasing in our seas today.
 

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Call for Grab Bag Fabric and Sewing
Gabi Accatino

Remember all those grab bags we filled at the picnic? Well, we need to keep making more to get ready for next year. Your help would be appreciated!

First of all, the club needs fabric. The best fabric is light to medium -weight woven cotton fabric. Do you have any to donate? We will take any woven cotton fabric - any color, any print, any quantity.

Secondly, we need yarn or string that is strong enough that it won't break when pulled. Do you have any to donate?

Third, spools of thread - any color. Got thread?

Fourth, we could use your help cutting up the fabric and the string or yarn. We cut the fabric into rectangular pieces that are around 8" by 10" or roughly the size of a sheet of paper (8.5"x11"). The string needs to be cut into 14"-16" long pieces.

And finally, do you like to sew? Once we gather all the materials, we need sewing volunteers to put the bags together. We have written instructions to help you get started and will have packets of cut fabric and yarn for you. It is a really easy sewing project.

Please bring your donations to Charlotte Morrison's house or to the next meeting.

Any help would be appreciated!
 

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CSM Museum Musings
Bruce Geller, CSM Museum Director

Greetings from the Colorado School of Mines (CSM) Geology Museum. In case you never knew it, “Great Universities have Great Museums!” Our Museum has undergone many changes in the last year. Our successes stem from our: Advisory Council, Student Aids, volunteers, donors, specimen loaners, visitors, and campus community.

Our Advisory Council has been busy ratifying a logo, tagline, brochure design, and donation form, developed a policy for public contracting of our XRF unit, allowed the creation of a Collections Manager position, and filled it with Ed Raines and Tom Hughes working together.

We now have a wonderful self-guided tour brochure that was created by one of our Student Aids. Another Aid helped redesign our website, streamlined our Gift Shop accounting system, and revamped our database. Our Museum volunteers have printed 1100 labels, one for each of our displayed specimens. Volunteers have also diligently cleaned, labeled, priced, and restocked specimens for our Gift Shop.

Our Museum now owns a portable X-ray fluorescence unit, and several of our people received training for its use. The Advisory Council has agreed to allow the general public to contract this instrument for chemical analyses for a fee of $50 per specimen. In fact, it has already played a role in numerous assignments, including a collaboration with the Denver Art Museum!

During the year, we received several major collections through donations. We also applied for and received a grant from the Golden Civic Foundation, held a successful Garage Sale, identified many specimens, and lent specimens for a collaboration with USGS Pb isotope investigators.

We are currently creating a non-profit “Friends of the CSM Museum” for people interested in joining a broad network of dedicated Museum enthusiasts, with the knowledge that they are helping to support our Museum. They realize that collections are an essential component of the University’s teaching, research, and out-reach activities. Members may attend special lectures, workshops, tours, trips, and social events; receive 20% discounts in our Gift Shop, and an e-mail newsletter. Membership has its price – dues will start at $35/person, $50/family. Most importantly, members will serve as board members and actually run the Friends of the CSM Museum.

Several new exhibits are debuting in our Museum: the Climax mining district, highlights from John Marshall’s pyromorphite collection, a celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Colorado gold rush, an explanation of the Colorado Mineral Belt, and cave formations from the Clear Creek cave which was discovered in 1988. Loaned displays feature trilobites from Dan Unruh, and Cripple Creek specimens and stock certificates from Ed Raines.

As for coming attractions, gift certificates should be available soon in our Gift Shop, in time for the holiday season, when we should also have a 2010 mineral calendar ready. The calendar will feature specimens from our Allison-Boettcher gold collection. We hope to have our second Museum Book Sale next February 15-19th. In September, 2010, we hope to host a symposium on the Creede mining district, which will be the theme of the Denver Show.

One of the displays we would like help with for next year’s Open House will feature Colorado topaz specimens. If you have a specimen that you’re particularly proud of, we would like to hear from you. If your specimen is chosen, we would gladly display it on loan for a period of one year, starting next August.

In conclusion, I encourage your club to schedule a private visit at the CSM Museum. Simply pick three nights or weekends that your club would like to visit the Museum and have a club representative contact me at 303-273-3823. I’ll try my best to accommodate your club at one of those times. You’re also welcome to visit on your own during our normal hours: Monday – Saturday 9 A.M. to 4 P.M., Sundays 1 P.M. – 4 P.M.

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Upcoming Events, Nearby & Elsewhere

Fri., Nov. 6, Dr. John Foster of the Museum of Western Colorado in Grand Junction will take "Rock Out for the Ridge" guests on a "virtual hike" through Jurassic Morrison from the Sundance Seaway to the Pike Highland. Dr. Foster authored "Jurassic West: The Dinosaurs of the Morrison Formation" and will sign books purchased at the event. Rock Out for the Ridge is an annual Dinosaur Ridge fund-raising event, including a buffet dinner, silent auction, and guest speaker; held at the Red Rocks Park Visitor's Center, 6-10 p.m.; tickets are $75. The theme will be "A Jurassic Safari." Come, dressed appropriately!

Fri-Sun, Nov. 6-8, Mineral, Fossil, Gem and Jewelry Show, Jefferson Co. Fairgrounds, 15200 W. 6th Ave. Service Rd, Golden CO. Fri-Sat 10 am-6 pm, Sun 11 am-4 pm. Free admission, ample parking—public welcome. Produced by Denver Area Mineral Dealers.

Wed., Nov. 11, 7:00 PM, Fireside Chat at Dinosaur Ridge: FODR board member, educator, and geologist John Ghist will present "The Quest for Quarry 1" - about his summer-long research on the Ridge and the rediscovery of Arthur Lakes' Atlantosaurus montanus and little crocodile (Goniopholis) Quarry, opened between March 27, 1877 and July 18, 1877. Dino Ridge Visitors Center, 16831 W. Alameda Parkway, Morrison.

Sat., Nov. 14, Littleton Gem and Mineral Club, Silent Auction; at Columbine Hills Church, 9700 Old Coal Mine Avenue, Littleton, CO; all welcome; setup at 11:30 am, auction at 12 noon until ~3 p.m.; for more information contact Jim Hooten at 303-770-7177.

November 15 (Sunday) Meet Charles Darwin! Brian “Fox” Ellis, re-enactor. Join us to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species as you spend an afternoon with the affable young Charles Darwin. You’ll hear humorous tales of Darwin’s training as a naturalist, his insights into South American geology, his discovery of strange creatures on the Galápagos archipelago, and most important, the scientific evidence that led to his revolutionary theory. Live performance, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, 4:00 pm, $15 member, $18 nonmember.

Sat. & Sun., Nov. 21 - 22, Hands of Spirit Gallery 12th Annual Holiday Mineral and Jewelry Open House from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. You're sure to find an incredible selection of the finest crystal and mineral specimens and a lovely selection of jewelry. Call 303-541-9727 for directions and further information. 

Thu, Dec 3—book signing by Ed Raines at the CSM Geology Museum 13th and Illinois St. in Golden, 6:30pm with slide show of the book photos and extra photos.

Sat.-Sun., Dec. 5-6, 46th Annual Pikes Peak Gem & Mineral Show. Phil Long Expo Center, 1515 Auto Mall Loop, Colorado Springs, CO. Sat 10 am-6 pm, Sun 10 am-4 pm. Hosted by the Colorado Springs Mineralogical Society.

December 10 (Thursday) Sandstorms to Snow Leopards: The Cretaceous Tourist in Mongolia, by Kirk Johnson, Chief Curator and Vice President, Research and Collections Division. "In the summer of 1997, Johnson traveled to remote areas of Mongolia’s Gobi Desert with a Mongolian-Japanese-American team in search of fossil plants from the time of the dinosaurs. Join Johnson for a lively evening as he describes his experiences with Asian dinosaurs, extinct plant life, and wrestling in central Asia." Denver Museum of Nature and Science.

 

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Calendar of Events

Nov. 12 - FMC Club Meeting, 7:00 p.m., West Boulder Senior Ctr., 9th & Arapahoe, Marieke Dechesne on the stratigraphy of the Denver
Basin.
Nov. 19 - Junior Geologists Meeting, contact Dennis Gertenbach.
Nov. 30 - FMC Board Meeting, 7:15 p.m., Halley Cook’s house in Niwot.
Dec. 11-13 - FMC Annual Show, Boulder County Fairgrounds, Longmont
Dec. 17 - FMC Club Meeting, 7:00 p.m., West Boulder Senior Ctr., 9th & Arapahoe, Annual holiday party and anonymous gift
exchange.
Jan. 14 - FMC Club Meeting, 7:00 p.m., West Boulder Senior Ctr., 9th & Arapahoe, Annual (2009) Towel Show
 

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Updated 11/7/09