The APS made an early morning trek to Jackson, MS on Saturday 5 March for the 2022 Fossil Roadshow hosted at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science form 10AM-3PM. This is an annual event that provides the community to visit the museum, listen to presentations, see fossils brought by various groups, and bring fossils (or possible fossils) from their own collections and have them identified by paleontologists. This was the APS's first time joining the event, and we were provided three tables for our display. George Phillips (Paleontology Curator) and the entire staff of the Museum were exceptional and gracious hosts. The APS was well represented with Ashley, Prescott, Karl and Tina, and Jim all present at the booth and additional APS members in attendance.
The APS tables featured fossils of the Carboniferous Age (Upper and Lower or as we like to say in the US the Pennsylvanian and the Mississippian!), including Pennsylvanian Age coal measure plant and trackway fossils from the Birmingham area. We also had Mississippian marine fossils (brachiopods, bryozoans, crinoids, cephalopods, corrals, and shark/bony fish) from the very northern counties of Alabama. Below, Ashley demonstrates a fossil preparation technique to enhance the details of plant fossils, this generated a lot of discussion and interest from visitors.
This was a very well attended event and the APS had a great time and looks forward to participating in the future. The museum provided a wonderful venue as can be seen in the pictures above. Hopefully you can make it to this terrific event, you never know who or what you will see!
