Paleontologists unearth giant skull of Pachyrhinosaurus in northern Alberta

Paleontologists unearth giant skull of Pachyrhinosaurus in northern Alberta

It’s a dinosaur that roamed Alberta’s badlands more than 70 million years ago, sporting a big, bumpy, bony head the size of a baby elephant. On Wednesday, paleontologists near Grande Prairie pulled its 272-kilogram skull from the ground. They call it “Big Sam.” The adult Pachyrhinosaurus is the second plant-eating dinosaur to be unearthed from … Read more

B.C. researchers find fossils in ‘relatively unexplored’ area

B.C. researchers find fossils in ‘relatively unexplored’ area

Paleontologists have uncovered dozens of fossils in northern B.C., only one of which came from a dinosaur that was previously known to that area. Victoria Arbour, curator of paleontology at the Royal B.C. Museum, said it was her team’s third time to the Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Provincial Park, southeast of Dease Lake. The area is … Read more

Rare fossil specimen offers evidence of social behaviour among ancient snakes

Rare fossil specimen offers evidence of social behaviour among ancient snakes

A perfectly preserved burrow of fossilized snakes shows that the reptiles have been social creatures for almost 40 million years, says a new research paper co-authored by a University of Alberta paleontologist.  It’s well known that snakes today gather in burrows for all kinds of reasons, including breeding and surviving cold temperatures by piling together … Read more

Explorers think they’ve found Amelia Earhart’s long-lost plane. Not everyone’s convinced

Explorers think they’ve found Amelia Earhart’s long-lost plane. Not everyone’s convinced

The Current11:27Explorers say they’ve found Amelia Earhart’s plane A deep-sea exploration company says it may have found the wreckage of Amelia Earhart’s plane, reigniting a mystery that dates back to the famed pilot’s disappearance in 1937. “She’s America’s favourite missing person … she was a fantastic person, a pioneer in the aviation field, an early … Read more

Nerene Virgin, ‘trailblazer’ star of Today’s Special and Black history educator, dead at 77

Nerene Virgin, ‘trailblazer’ star of Today’s Special and Black history educator, dead at 77

Nerene Virgin, a former actor, public broadcaster, anti-racism advocate and educator also known for her trailblazing work, has died in Burlington, Ont., at age 77. Virgin, a sixth-generation Hamiltonian, was a teacher before gaining prominence for playing Jodie on the TVO children’s show Today’s Special in the 1980s. She was also host of the CTV public affairs show Eye on Toronto.  In … Read more

Fossilized tracks of rare 320-million-year-old animal found in Cape Breton

Fossilized tracks of rare 320-million-year-old animal found in Cape Breton

People could be making tracks to see an impressive new exhibit of 320-million-year-old footprints at the Cape Breton Fossil Centre in Sydney Mines, N.S. A group of geologists from Cape Breton University recently found fossilized claw imprints that are remarkable for their size and age. “The stuff we get on Cape Breton and in Nova Scotia … Read more