The Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology’s 2018 Speaker Series starts this Thursday, January 18. with, First Steps onto the Tangled Bank: Evolutionary Experiments in the Early Tetrapod Form.
This talk will be presented by Jason Pardo, Ph. D. candidate at the University of Calgary.
The early origins of amphibians (frogs, salamanders, and caecilians) are not well understood. This is due to their rarity in the early fossil record, as well as an incomplete scientific understanding of four-legged vertebrate (tetrapod) evolution and the anatomy of possible amphibian relatives. Newly discovered fossils from the Triassic Period give us insights into the origins of caecilians, a group of limbless amphibians from tropical rainforests around the globe. This research contributes to an emerging picture of the early evolution of tetrapods, of which the origin of modern amphibians is a part.
In his presentation, Jason Pardo will talk about addressing the gaps in scientific understanding of early tetrapod evolution. Pardo and his colleagues used high-resolution medical imaging technologies to learn more about the possible fossil ancestors of modern amphibians.
The Royal Tyrrell Museum’s Speaker Series talks are free and open to the public. The series will be held every Thursday until April 26 at 11:00 a.m. in the Museum auditorium.
Speaker Series talks are also available on the Museum’s YouTube channel: youtube.com/c/RoyalTyrrellMuseumofPalaeontology.

    Saturday, January 20 is an exciting day for women in the agriculture sector as the annual Ladies Livestock Lessons workshop is set to take place.
 The Acme Community Centre will be buzzing with eager participants and professionals of different areas of expertise.
 “It’s a workshop where you get to learn with other farming women and there are several things you get to learn about for example succession planning, a bit of grazing, farm to plate and social licensing, calving, plant identification, software from Cowbytes,” said Daniela Lemus, a volunteer taking care of the registration for the event. “There’s a whole lot of stuff.”
    Cowbytes is a beef ration balancing software program that allows the user to calculate nutrient values and can combine ration information with management and economics. It is an important decision-making tool for cattle producers when determining what to feed the animal.
    The winter workshop will focus on succession planning which will be directed by Shauna Feth, executive director of the University of Alberta School of Business. Succession planning is a process which prepares families or business dynamics for a transition into a new role or when a position becomes available.
    A presentation on the environmental impact of the beef industry will be conducted by Kelsey Spicer-Rawe and Fawn Jackson of Cows & Fish and a session on From Farm to Plate and social license by Shannon and Danny Ruzicka of Natures Green Acres will happen afterward.
    The social license they will be talking about involves the approval of the surrounding community and stakeholders who may play a part in your business as well as social acceptance of the practice. It is a term for the dynamic and non-permanent structure that is subject to change due to specific beliefs, opinions, and perceptions.
   “They learn lots, you would be surprised how many people there are in the calving business not knowing a whole lot,” said Lemus. “I think it encourages them to go to this because it is intended for ladies and they don’t feel intimidated by it.”
    Breakout sessions are also planned, featuring a calving clinic with Dr. Gord Krebs of Didsbury Veterinary Services.
    Barry Yaremcio of Alberta Agriculture and Forestry will explain the in’s and out’s of Cowbytes and the Ladies Livestock Lessons committee will do a hands-on practice session on plant identification.
  “This is a pretty well-rounded workshop for anybody wanting to get first-hand information on topics given by very well-rounded experts,” said Lemus.
    The registration will cover all meals, sessions, and snacks. Registration is available online at Eventbrite: https://2018LLL.eventbrite.ca/.
    For more information, contact Lemus at 403-335-3311 extension 204 or email her at dlemus@mvcounty.com