APS symposium displays a variety of subjects in paleontology
By Hannah Caparino, March 19 2025—
The Alberta Paleontological Society hosted their 28th annual symposium on March 15 at the Jenkins Theatre in Mount Royal University. The symposium will cover a wide range of topics within the study of paleontology. Event organizer Mona Trick and speaker Emily Bamforth spoke to The Gauntlet about the symposium.
Trick explains how the curation of the symposium involved scheduling and contacting participants since last November. One of the most important aspects of the symposium is that it is open access and has no cost barrier, allowing everyone to go to the event and learn more about paleontology. The symposium’s talks and displays are open to everyone who is interested, and prior knowledge is not needed for the event as the speakers adjust to accommodate all levels of knowledge.
“We do tell the speakers that this is a general audience, that they’re going to have kids and people who are not specialists in paleontology,” said Trick.
Alongside a lineup of speakers, the symposium includes a number of posters and displays that were created by current students and museums in the field. Trick explores how their involvement allowed for the collaboration among individuals of varying knowledge and expertise.
“We were able to gather various posters from University of Calgary students, University of Alberta students, University of Saskatchewan students; as well as people like Royal Alberta Museum, The Royal Tyrrell Museum and the Philip J Currie Museum,” said Trick.
Bamforth, the curator at the Philip J Currie Museum, will be speaking on the Tyrannosaurus rex, with her section titled, “Tyrant Lizard Kings and Queens: A Tale of Canadian T. rexes.”. Her involvement in the symposium was partially attributed to her role as a curator, with her research giving her the skill to address and educate a wide audience and her content pertaining to her prior research done in Saskatchewan and telling the story of Canadian T. rexes.
“I’m giving a talk on Saturday afternoon on Canadian T. rexes […] and what they contribute to our knowledge,. I will also have a poster that’s based on one of our outreach programs […] that deals with how we use various elements of science to connect with a fun and engaging way,” said Bamforth. “I’m also leading the workshop on Sunday with two of my colleagues which is about imaging fossils in three dimension.”
Bamforth comments on how paleontology creates conversation and curiosity in everyone while introducing the universality of the scientific method through testing and learning.
“Paleontology is great, it’s what we call a gateway science which basically means that it’s a science that people are really interested in,” she said. “Dinosaurs are a huge draw for everyone from all age ranges.”
Bamforth also provides insight regarding the symposium providing space for attendees to network and find opportunities to work with paleontologists. Collaboration was an important factor with the workshop in particular as she had to lead Jackson Sweder, the research and collections technician at Philip J Currie Museum, and Atharva Roy, a member of the APS. Bamforth also emphasized the impact of accessibility in terms of inspiring the younger generation and future students.
“For the younger audiences too, there is visual evidence of [how] you can become a paleontologist [and] you can do it as a career,” said Bramford.
Trick and Bamforth have similar goals for the symposium, emphasizing the impact of knowledge and accessibility of resources. Both close with the hope that people can learn more about paleontology from the event.
“I’m expecting that people will be getting a better appreciation of paleontology,” said Trick, “There’s quite a bit of research being done in paleontology here in Alberta and Saskatchewan.”
“We’re hoping that people will come away from the symposium with an enthusiasm and […] excitement about Canadian paleontology,” said Bramford.
The symposium was hosted at Mount Royal University from 9am – 4:30pm. For more information, visit the APS website.