DRB Presents: Kailah Thorn (WA Museum) talking about Fossil Vertebrates of the Swan Coastal Plain

Note: no RSVP required.

COVID19: Even though restrictions have eased, we will still be taking some precautions to protect members who attend:

• Please do not attend if unwell.
• Wearing of masks is optional. 
• Hand sanitiser will be available and should be used when entering.
• Maintain social distancing
• Cash handling will be minimised. Correct change sought at meetings Member’s tables/ library / raffle all to have separate PPE and members to be encouraged to use.
• Members and guest door prizes to revert to a numbering system used earlier in 2020
• Proof of vaccination not required. 

Biography

Dr Kailah Thorn is trying to convince herpetologists to put some skeletons in their closets. Palaeoherpetology involves the study of fossil reptiles and amphibians – extant or extinct. Specializing in Australian fossils that are less than 66 million years old (from the Cenozoic), Kailah has described Australia’s oldest skink (Proegernia mikebulli), deciphered when the first true bluetongue lizard evolved, and assembled the largest skink on earth – Tiliqua frangens. She’s now looking at fossils from surface deposits in Western Australian caves to see if we have recently lost any of our reptile fauna to extinction driven by European colonization.

Kailah is currently working as a Technical Officer at the Western Australian Museum, looking after the terrestrial vertebrate collections (birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians).

Talk

Western Australian vertebrate palaeontology has had a slow and bumpy ride from the first staggered descriptions in the early 1900s, to the world famous Nullarbor cave megafauna discoveries at the turn of the century. All these discoveries would not have been possible without members of the public pointing out ‘large bones’ or ‘giant footprints’ to museum or university scientists. The Swan Coastal Plain has several fossil deposits detailing the past faunal diversity of Perth and surrounds, stretching from Jurien Bay to Rottnest Island.

This talk will cover how the public can collect fossils responsibly (permits, safety etc.), where locals may find ‘subfossils’ in the Perth hills, some of the basics for identifying native animal bones, and where to send the ‘weird’ ones.

Plus

• Kids’ talk – one of your younger members will be giving a 5 minutes kids’ talk.
• Boffins talk – A member will give an 8 minutes Boffins’ talk. Mike Green will be giving the talk entitled: “Marri Trees and Red Capped Parrots”. 
• “Nature road show”. Members and visitors are encouraged to bring items to place on the display table or to send photographs to the MC in advance, e.g. a sample flower, an insect, and so on – anything of natural history interest that has legally been obtained. If we have time, one of our experts will identify them or briefly talk about them, or the person bringing them can talk about where they saw it, etc. Photographs are particularly welcome, as everyone can see them. If you wish to show a photograph please email it, no later than the Wednesday before the meeting, to our MC for this night, and she/he will include it on her PowerPoint slides. We have a dedicated email for this purpose” natclub@webco.com.au
• Thing of the month / Things coming up next month: These two presentations are about things in nature happening this month and things coming up, so if you have any photos or information, send them to: natclub@webco.com.au
• Door prizes: You could also be the lucky winner of a door prize. We make sure there are prizes for both members and visitors.
• Raffle: We will have a great raffle  – please raid your piggy bank for a bit more cash, $5 for 3 tickets.

Time: Please come at 7.15pm or earlier if you wish, for a 7.30pm start as we start promptly. We are open from 6.45pm. We finish formal proceedings no later than 9.30pm.

Donation: All this for only a donation of $3 per person for adult members ($0 for child members), and $5 per adult visitor and $1 per visiting child to help with the costs of running the club, venue hire, insurance and so on.  Please bring the right CASH to help us avoid long queues. Thanks. We do not have EFTPOS facilities yet.

Entrance: It is a condition of entry that everyone signs in on arrival, thank you.

Parking: Free parking right outside.

Wheelchair access: Everything is on one level.

Toilets: Are inside.

Bookings: No bookings required.

See you there for fabulous night.