Welcome to The Weekender

How old did dinosaurs get?
It is not possible, from the fossil record, to age the dinosaurs. Growth rings in the teeth could not be used because they were constantly being replaced throughout the lifespan of the dinosaur. However, based on comparisons to modern reptiles and large mammals, it is estimated that dinosaurs may have lived for 50 - 150 years.

How big were the dinosaur eggs?
Relatively speaking, dinosaur eggs were quite small, considering the size of the dinosaur (i.e. hadrosaur) laid eggs about the size of a turkeys or slightly larger. Even the gigantic sauropods probably didn't have eggs much bigger than a volleyball. This is because the bigger the egg the thicker the shell has to be to keep it form collapsing. A very thick shell poses two big problems. Firstly, it would be too thick for oxygen to permeate so the embruos would not have been able to breathe. Secondly, the shell would have been too thick for the hachlings to push their way out.



The Weekender P.O. Box 1629 515 Hwy. 10 East, Drumheller, Alberta CANADA T0J 0Y0 Phone: 403-823-2580 Fax: 403-823-3864 information@drumhellermail.com Editor - Patrick Kolafa Assistant Editor - Lisa Giesbrecht e-mail us! This web site is Copyright © 2005 The Drumheller Mail Ltd.	The Weekender Story The Weekender idea started in 1998, when the owner of The Drumheller Mail (Drumheller's community newspaper) wanted to offer visitors a guide that would be in-depth and also include a list of up-to-date events that occur within the valley. The original plan was to mass print a full Tourist Guide and then insert a listing of events each week. This process seemed to be too labor intensive. After more intensive brainstorming, The Weekender was born. The Weekender is very flexible and is ever evolving. Since the first draft of the business plan, The Weekender has grown by four pages and the circulation has almost doubled. The most significant addition to the publication was the 'Match the Dino' Contest. This contest takes the tourist around our town in a hunt to match up the correct dinosaur with the corresponding business. A tourist is supposed to take the tour around town, fill in the answers and drop the sheet off at the local grocery store for a chance to win a cash prize. This contest has proven very effective in getting visitors to tour the downtown area in an attempt to win the $100 prize. In 1999, there were over 400 families entered in the contest. In this website, we have included some of the previous stories for you to read as well as a listing of the advertisers that have supported this publication in the past. We hope that these stories are of interest to you and help you pre-plan your stay. Thank you for visiting our website and please return as we are continually updating the site. Thanks again, Editor and Staff, The Weekender


		Sites to See in the Valley (Stories previously featured in The Weekender) Beethoven returns to the Badlands Hidden Valley Motorsports Park Boogie in the Badlands New Exhibits open at Homestead Museum Starmine Suspension Bridge Rodeo Season New Attractions Abound at Royal Tyrrell Museum Swingin' in the Badlands Theatre in the Valley Ski Hill open year round Summer Daze in Hussar Interpretive Centre attracts visitors Fishing the Badlands East Coulee Big Country Show and Shine Huge Excitement in Big Valley Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat at Rosebud Theatre Reptile World Passion Play Area Offers a Variety of Dining Choices Mud Bog is back 49th Annual Rockyford Rodeo Handhills Lake Stampede The Madness is back! New Gallery Opens in Drumheller Tourist Information Caboose in Carbon Chopper Tours at Horseshoe Canyon Hunting Treasures in the Valley Drumheller Stampede (WPCA & Pro Rodeo)
		Listing of Drumheller Businesses Click here to access our listing of Drumheller Businesses. Please feel free to print off our listing in order to plan your trip to Drumheller. Listing of Museums and Attractions Click here to access our listing of Museums and Attractions. Please feel free to print off our listing in order to plan your trip to Drumheller. Coming Events for the Summer of 2007 Click here to access our listing of Coming Events. Please feel free to print off our listing in order to plan your trip to Drumheller. Palaeo Questions (Answered by Royal Tyrrell Museum Palaeontologists) What color were the dinosaurs? Nobody knows the real colors of dinosaurs because the pigment is not preserved in their fossils. Occasionally, skin impressons of dinosaurs are found, but the skin itself decomposes rapidly. Many palaeontologists believe that dinosaurs were probably earth-tone colors (green, grey, brown) similar to reptiles of today, so they would be camouflaged in their environment. How old did dinosaurs get? It is not possible, from the fossil record, to age the dinosaurs. Growth rings in the teeth could not be used because they were constantly being replaced throughout the lifespan of the dinosaur. However, based on comparisons to modern reptiles and large mammals, it is estimated that dinosaurs may have lived for 50 - 150 years. How big were the dinosaur eggs? Relatively speaking, dinosaur eggs were quite small, considering the size of the dinosaur (i.e. hadrosaur) laid eggs about the size of a turkeys or slightly larger. Even the gigantic sauropods probably didn't have eggs much bigger than a volleyball. This is because the bigger the egg the thicker the shell has to be to keep it form collapsing. A very thick shell poses two big problems. Firstly, it would be too thick for oxygen to permeate so the embruos would not have been able to breathe. Secondly, the shell would have been too thick for the hachlings to push their way out.
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