Even though Dr. Keith Snyder is chairman of the Biology/Allied Health department at Southern Adventist University and his official training is in Animal Behavior and Neurophysiology, he has enjoyed dabbling in paleontology. His B.S. and M.S. degrees were conferred from Andrews Univeersity and his Ph.d dgree was received from Washington State University. He has studied and collected Permian and Triassic fossils in Indonesia and has spent the month of June for the last five summers digging dinosaur bones at the Hanson Research Center near Newcastle, Wy. Dr. Snyder will be telling more about his fascinating "digs" at the Sunday, March 9, meeting of the 55+ Club.
Officials said, "Dr. Lee Spencer (SAU) and Dr. Art Chadwick of Southwestern Adventist University have spearheaded this dig. People from all over the state are invited to participate. The dig site is located on a private ranch and the owners are happy to have families come and dig. It is probably the only scientific dig where anyone can directly dig the bones. All the bones you find are processed, catalogued and then posted on the on-line museum (with your name). The bones are then stored in the repository for the Hanson Research Center. This dig may be the richest concentration of bones in one place in North America.
"The main quarries have primarily Edmontosaurus (duck- billed dinosaurs). These creatures are about 35 feet long and weighed about four tons. Several new quarries are producing tremendous finds such as Triceratops, Nanotyranosaurus (small T-rex size - very rare), Troodon (dog-sized), alligator, turtle, and other small carnivores. In the main quarries, you are assured of finding 15-50 bones in a meter cube of dirt. Dr. Snyder will be showing pictures and telling us more about the fascinaating things they are finding. Here's your opportunity to get more information about becoming a digger!"
Members and first time visitors are encouraged to come to the Fellowship Hall at the Collegedale Seventh-day Adventist Church to visit and possibly join the group as members. Membership is $6 per year, and meets every other month.
Members should bring their vegetarian pot-luck food dishes by 11:30 a.m. to the Fellowship Hall, hot foods being ready for the warmer and cold foods ready to serve. Food assignments are as follows:
A - B Sandwiches/Rolls/ Bread
C - F Potato/Pasta/Rice Dish
G -K Vegetable dish
L - O Dessert
P - S Entrees
T - Z Salad: Tossed/Macaroni/Potato
For further information, call Ralph Neall at 396-2212, or Rita Vital at 505-6605.