UMNH Presents Local Scott Sampson Lecture

Dinosaurs of the Lost Continent

Free Public Lecture by Dr. Scott D. Sampson
Thursday, November 12, 2009
7:00 p.m.
Judge Memorial High School Auditorium
650 South 1100 East
Salt Lake City, Utah

For more than a century, paleontologists have been collecting spectacular dinosaur fossils from the western interior of North America.  Only recently have we learned
that most of these dinosaurs existed on a small, isolated land mass known as
Laramidia, that was about one-fifth the size of present day North America.

Scott Sampson Lecture Directions and Parking Information

Scott Sampson's lecture in Salt Lake City is the kick-off event of his new book, Dinosaur Odyssey: Fossil Threads in the Web of Life (University of California Press, 2009)

UMNH Members: Reserve Your Seats in Advance

About the Book

Dinosaur Odyssey is a captivating book, laced with anecdotes from the field. It gives the first holistic, up-to-date overview of dinosaurs and their world for a wide audience of readers. Situating these fascinating animals in a broad ecological and evolutionary context, leading dinosaur expert Scott D. Sampson fills us in on the exhilarating discoveries of the past twenty-five years, the most active period in the history of dinosaur paleontology. Sampson reconstructs the odyssey of the dinosaurs from their humble origins on the supercontinent Pangaea, to their reign as the largest animals the planet has ever known, and finally to their abrupt demise.

Much more than the story of who ate whom way back when, Dinosaur Odyssey places dinosaurs in an expansive web of relationships with other organisms and demonstrates how they provide a powerful lens through which to observe the entire natural world. Addressing topics such as extinction, global warming, and energy flow, Dinosaur Odyssey finds that the dinosaurs' story is, in fact, a major chapter in our own story."

Dinosaur Odyssey: Fossil Threads in the Web of Life, published by the University of California Press, was released in early November 2009.

About Scott Sampson

Scott Sampson studies the ecology and evolution of Late Cretaceous dinosaurs. Since 1999, Scott has been a vital part of the Utah Museum of Natural History paleontology team, currently serving as research curator. His research efforts are focused on a large-scale project in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument which has yielded abundant remains of a previously unknown dinosaur fauna.

Scott has conducted fieldwork around the world, including Kenya, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Madagascar, Mexico, the United States, and Canada.  He has published numerous scientific and popular articles, and is a popular lecturer to audiences of all ages on dinosaurs and evolution.

Scott was the primary scientific consultant and on-air host of a four-part Discovery Channel series called Dinosaur Planet. He is presently serving the same pair of roles in Jim Henson's Dinosaur Train, a new television children's series for PBS.  Catch "Dr. Scott" on air twice a day with Buddy, Tiny and Shiny on your local PBS station.

More about Scott Sampson

About the Lecture

Join paleontologist Scott Sampson for an evening exploring the many questions that scientists have raised about the dinosaurs of this "lost continent".

• How were so many giant animals able to co-exist on such a diminutive land mass?

• Why were most of these dinosaurs adorned with bizarre bony features such as horns, crests, domes, and spikes?

• How did the predatory giant Tyrannosaurus rex ultimately evolve?

• What factors may have led to the great extinction of dinosaurs at the close of the Mesozoic Era?

At the lecture, Scott will address these questions and more, exploring some of the latest ideas and controversies reviewed in his recent book, Dinosaur Odyssey: Fossil Threads in the Web of Life.

Dinosaurs of the Lost Continent -- A Public Lecture by Scott Sampson

Date: Thursday, November 12, 2009

Time: Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Lecture begins at 7:00 p.m. A book signing will follow the lecture.

Cost: The lecture is free, open to the public, and with general seating

UMNH Members: Reserve Your Seats in Advance!

UMNH Science Educators: Reserve Your Seats in Advance!

Location: Judge Memorial High School Auditorium, 650 South 1100 East, Salt Lake City

Google Map to Judge Memorial High School

Directions: Auditorium is located behind the Judge Memorial High School building; do not enter the school building itself.

Parking Instructions: Parking is available to the west of the school building; enter the parking lot from the driveway to the north and south of the building. Enter the Auditorium directly from the parking lot. Street parking is also available. UMNH recommends carpooling to this event.

Scott Sampson's recent book, Dinosaur Odyssey: Fossil Threads in the Web of Life, will be available for purchase at the lecture.  When released, it will be available at the Museum Store and at your local bookseller.

Questions? Call 801.581.6927 or Email UMNH