September Science Talks

A short programme of evening talks on dinosaurs and the New Zealand experience with some of our leading experts. 

Find out about our countries geology and its fossil record, including a look at how we got here (the break up of Gondwanaland), hear our New Zealand dinosaur story, and learn about the discovery of 70-million year old dinosaur footprints in Marlborough.

When:   Wednesday 8th, 15th & 22nd September 2010
Time:    7pm

Where: Waikato Museum Lecture Theatre
Cost:     $5 per person at the door. Cash only. NOTE: No booking required BUT seats are limited at all sessions.

See below for details of each talk.

The geological evolution and fossil record of New Zealand
Professor Cam Nelson, Department of Earth & Ocean Sciences, University of Waikato

When:   Wednesday 8th September 2010
Time:    7pm
Cost:     $5 per person at the door

Talk Summary:

This illustrated talk will overview New Zealand's beginning as a part of Gondwanaland and its subsequent separation as a discrete mini-continent named Zealandia, followed by inception of a major convergent plate boundary through Zealandia that led to the mountains, earthquakes and volcanoes that characterize New Zealand today. It will highlight the rock types that formed at different times during this history, including some of the main fossil groups occurring within them.

Cam Nelson has BSc(Hons) and PhD degrees in Geology and is a Professor in the Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences at the University of Waikato, Hamilton, where he has been on staff since 1971. His research interests are
in sedimentary and marine geology, especially the study of limestones and the history of environmental and climate change in the south-West Pacific region over the last 65 million years. He is a past President and office holder of the Geological Society of New Zealand, and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand in 1994.

New Zealand dinosaurs: evidence and significance 
Dr Hamish Campbell, GNS Science

When:   Wednesday September 15th 2010
Cost:     $5 per person at the door
Time:    7pm

Talk Summary:
This illustrated talk will describe dinosaur fossil discoveries in New Zealand (so far) and what it all means. palaeontologist Joan Wiffen features prominently.  She found the first fossil bone to be recognised as dinosaur from New Zealand in 1975.
Since then, fragmentary fossil remains, including dinosaur footprints, of at least 10 different dinosaurs have been found from four places: inland Hawkes Bay, Port Waikato, northern Chatham Island and Whanganui Inlet (South Island). There are undoubtedly more to be found.

Dr Hamish Campbell is a Wellington-based palaeontologist and geologist with GNS Science. He specialises in studies of the older rocks and fossils of New Zealand. He is perhaps best known as a science communicator (author and speaker), and has the role of 'geologist at Te Papa'. He helped develop the 'Awesome Forces' exhibition at Te Papa and the 'Volcanoes ' exhibition at Auckland Museum.

Following the footsteps of giants...70 million years of earth history later
Dr Greg Browne, GNS Science

When:   Wednesday September 22nd 2010
Cost:     $5 per person at the door
Time:    7pm

Talk Summary:

Dinosaur footprints of Late Cretaceous age (around 70 million years ago) were recently
found in NW Nelson. These are the first dinosaur footprints to be found in New Zealand, and
the first dinosaur remains to be found in the South Island. They occur in tidal sediments and
were fortuitously preserved, in some cases, by sediments deposited by the next high tide to
flood the area previously travelled by the animals. Greg will illustrate what sort of dinosaurs
might have formed the footprints, the nature of the footprints, what the dinosaurs might have
been eating, and some thoughts about how best to preserve the footprints.

Dr Greg Browne is the manager of the Hydrocarbons Section at GNS Science. He has
worked since the early 1980s on many of the sedimentary basins of New Zealand, initially as
part of the NZ Geological Survey in Christchurch, then for GNS Science in Lower Hutt. He
has also worked in Canada, the United States, Australia, and Antarctica. His background is
in sedimentology, undertaking BA, BSc and MSc degrees at Auckland University, and a PhD
at the University of Western Ontario, Canada. He currently manages about 30 geoscientists
researching petroleum related topics in New Zealand sedimentary basins.