Saurian Expedition of 1905
The Saurian Expedition of 1905 was a
Key contributors
Annie Montague Alexander, "a wealthy heiress to a sugar fortune[1]," was a woman that stood out from others of the same status. She always found herself to be drawn to anything outdoors and did not want to abide by the "expectations" of woman in her social class. In way of doing this, she began studying paleontology at the University of California at Berkeley. It was here that she began going on scientific expeditions, such as the Saurian Expedition of 1905.
The expedition was led by
The Expedition
The expedition, which took place during May and June of 1905, covered just 2 square miles. The focus of their work was located in the West Humboldt Range in Nevada. More specifically, these 2 square miles lay within the area that separates the American Cañon from Troy Cañon. The purpose of this trip was uncover fossils by way of examining Triassic limestones located along the pathway. The crew was in search of fossil evidence of ichthyosaurs, large marine reptiles that existed during Mesozoic era and again during the Early Triassic epoch, until being replaced another marine reptilian group, Plesiosauria.[3] The purpose of their expedition would be described by Annie as such,
"Our particular privilege was to unearth swimming reptiles of some ten million years' standing, no light task considering the grip in which they were held.[4]"
They hoped to bring any specimens found back to Berkeley, where they could be analyzed further and later be put on display by the university's museum.[4]
Throughout the duration of the trip, they found themselves setting up basecamps in abandoned mining shacks. They used tools such as shovels, picks, and dynamite to uncover these fossils and release them from the bedrock. Horses were utilized to carry these specimens along the trip.[5][4]
Findings
As stated above, the expedition examined Triassic limestones in the West Humboldt Range northeast of Reno. Some of the specimens were returned to Berkeley and became part of the collection of the University of California Museum of Paleontology, which Alexander helped found and underwrite.
By the end of the expedition, some portions of twenty-five ichthyosaurs had been collected. These uncovered relics were some of the largest and most complete fossils of this species to ever be found (thus far at the time).[6] One of the specimens worth noting was found on Saurian Hill and was said to be twenty-five feet long.
References
- ^ a b jschuethbfr (2021-05-24). "Finding Her Way: Annie Alexander (Part 1)". Bias in the Fossil Record. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
- ^ a b c "The Saurian Expedition of 1905 participants". ucmp.berkeley.edu. Retrieved 2024-04-08.
- ^ "Introduction to the Ichthyosauria". ucmp.berkeley.edu. Retrieved 2024-04-08.
- ^ a b c Alexander, Annie. "Saurian Expedition of 1905" (PDF). Saurian Expedition Scrapbook 1905 A.M. Alexander Papers Volume 1, Series 3 University of California Museum of Paleontology Archives.
- ^ jschuethbfr (2021-06-01). "The Saurian Expedition of 1905 and Geoscience Fieldwork (Annie Alexander, Part 2)". Bias in the Fossil Record. Retrieved 2024-04-08.
- ^ "1905 Saurian Expedition". ucmp.berkeley.edu. Retrieved 2024-03-02.