Hunting dinosaurs in the bad lands of the Red Deer River, Alberta, Canada : $b A sequel to the life of a fossil hunter
| Language | en |
|---|---|
| First published | 2026-01-29 |
| Rights | Public domain in the USA. |
| Gutenberg ID | #77814 |
Description
"Hunting dinosaurs in the bad lands of the Red Deer River, Alberta, Canada" by Charles H. Sternberg is a scientific memoir of paleontological fieldwork written in the early 20th century. It recounts expeditions in the Canadian badlands and beyond, highlighting major dinosaur finds, hard-won field techniques, and the building of museum collections with his sons. Expect a blend of adventure narrative, natural history, and practical guidance on collecting and preparing fossils. The opening of this volume sets the stage as a sequel, with Sternberg reflecting on recent breakthroughs made with his three sons and their work for the Geological Survey of Canada. He thanks curators and colleagues, then revisits earlier field seasons that yielded a famed duck‑billed “mummy,” multiple Triceratops skulls, a giant tarpon‑like fish, and other notable specimens sent to major museums, while recounting setbacks like a tornado-destroyed skull. Travel sketches through major institutions (Pittsburgh, Washington, New York, Yale) lead into a hands‑on account of mounting a massive Titanotherium in Ottawa with minimal tools. The narrative then moves to Alberta’s Red Deer River, describing the Edmonton and Belly River formations, reconstructing their Cretaceous wetlands, and offering a vivid predator‑prey vignette to illustrate habitat and behavior. Fieldwork near Drumheller brings the discovery and meticulous recovery of a remarkably complete hadrosaur, with step‑by‑step plaster‑jacketing and transport. A river descent to Steveville follows, where the team uncovers an exceptionally complete Gorgosaurus and, after consulting leading paleontologists, resolves to mount it in slab for scientific fidelity. The section closes with further crested hadrosaur finds, delicate skin impressions, and the painstaking challenges of preparation. (This is an automatically generated summary.)