Charles Helm, Tumbler Ridge Museum
Over the course of the past few field seasons, it has been realized that the rocks beside the Wolverine River, less than five km from Tumbler Ridge, contain globally unique ichnofossils. Their weight, as much as 500 kg in the case of the heavier specimen, meant that the only potential means of recovery would by a helicopter with a long-line. The uniquely warm, dry summer of 2024 was bad for forest fires but good for fossil recovery, as the Wolverine River dropped to an unprecedented level. This made a safe recovery feasible.
Before we attempted this, and being mindful that things don’t always go as planned, we performed photogrammetry studies on the track-bearing surfaces. In a worst-case scenario we would still be able to generate exact replicas of the specimens, using a 3D printer. A generous donation of $5,000 from LaPrairie Crane then allowed us to proceed. A great team of eleven Museum volunteers helped coax the specimens into position, away from overhanging trees and cliffs, to a riverside location. Ridge Rotors provided exceptional support and expertise, leading to the flawless recovery by long-line of the fossil specimens on September 16th 2023.
The loose blocks were deposited at the staging area, lifted onto the District of Tumbler Ridge picker truck, and safely transported to the Tumbler Ridge Museum, where they were placed on pallets in the collections area. The ongoing support of the District of Tumbler Ridge is of huge value.
It is anticipated that these specimens will form holotypes in planned publications. Bringing them into the museum collections enables them to be formally described, and hopefully then placed on exhibit in the Dinosaur Discovery Gallery for residents and visitors to enjoy.
The heavier rock was initially found by Linda Helm in 2021. The lighter rock was uncovered in 2021 by Daniel Helm, who was turning over large rocks in the hopes of finding dinosaur tracks on their undersides. Both contain priceless examples of Cenomanian vertebrate tracks and traces.
The recovery would not have been possible without the funding support from LaPrairie Crane.” Scott LaPrairie, President & CEO, commented:
“LaPrairie Crane is proud to be a longstanding supporter of the Tumbler Ridge Museum Foundation and we were more than happy to support them with their most recent fossil collection in northern BC. The contributions that the TR Museum and their dedicated, local staff make to the town and to the scientific community is far-reaching in its significance. It is important to us that we support the communities that our employees live and work in, and we look forward to hearing more about this new find.”
Zena Conlin, Executive Director of the Tumbler Ridge Museum, commented:
“The abundance of rare fossil material that is continually being discovered in and around Tumbler Ridge is truly incredible. We’re looking forward to sharing more about this recent recovery when our team of global researchers have more answers. We can’t do this work without partners like LaPrairie Crane whose contribution made the recovery possible.”
With the recovery successfully completed, attention now turns to describing the specimens, as well as other projects. The ratio of fossils to people with palaeontological expertise in northeastern BC is extremely high. Prioritizing the most appropriate specimens from this cornucopia is thus challenging, but those of global importance that will lead to the description of new holotypes, as in this case, make such decisions easy.