Walking With Dinosaurs

It is Thunder Over Louisville day here in Louisville Kentucky which is an event that is part of the celebration leading up to the Kentucky Derby.   The day is marked by an air show and capped off with one of the largest firework displays in the United States.  I usually leave in the evening before the large crowds (sometimes numbering in 500,000-750,000 people are at full force).  Here is a picture of a F-16 almost hovering over the Kennedy Bridge downtown.

As in past years, I have volunteered at the Louisville Science Center for their fundraiser, ThunderBlast.  This year we had a special visitor from the show Walking with Dinosaurs - The Arena Spectacular.  This baby Tyrannosaurus rex replica suit is part of a show that will be visiting Louisville's Freedom Hall May 14-16, 2010.  Note to self: next year bring sunblock and a hat!

I was sort of expecting some sort of animatronic creature but the suit has a person in and you can see their legs which somewhat removes the realism.  But the movement, sounds and crowd interaction were good and it made for a fun event.

The T. rex would move along the crowd and kids wanted to pet it which it would them but then suddenly snap at them causing them to jump or laugh.  It was interesting to watch the interactions.  Unfortunately for the girl in front of me holding the hot dog and fries, it startled her into dropping her meal.

The T. rex then sort of roared (shriked, laughed, ???) after sending her lunch to the pavement.  It did not go to waste, I saw somebody afterward pick it up for their dog to eat.

Baby T. rex will be making some more appearances around Louisville this month:

Sunday, April 18, 2010 at the Louisville Bats vs. Columbus Clippers game at Louisville Slugger Field, 6:05 pm

Monday, April 19, 2010 at Fourth Street Live! 11 am to 1 pm

Monday, April 19, 2010 at Kentucky Exposition Center's North Wing front patio 3:30 pm to 6 pm

The main show will be May 14-16, 2010 at Freedom Hall check www.freedomhall.org or www.dinosaurlive.com for more information. "Get your tickets before they're extinct!"

Louisville Kentucky Silurian Fossils

This first two fossil images are of the Cystiphyllum horn coral and it is a textbook specimen. I mean that literally because this one matches up well with the images on pages 96-97 Plate 6 figures 23-25 of the Cystiphyllum granilineatum. The book is Erwin Stumm's Silurian and Devonian Corals of the Falls of the Ohio from 1964. To help re-enforce the horn coral was found with a chain coral shown later in the post dating it the Silurian Period and the Louisville Limestone of Louisville Kentucky. It is nice to see the holdfasts that grew on one side of the horn to help anchor it a seafloor base.

Next two pictures are of the Silurian Periods famous index fossil... HALYSITES!  Also so known as  the chain coral with its distinctive pattern.

This last fossil is somewhat of a mystery to me.  It appears to be brachiopod imprint but I am not sure about those divot marks (maybe 7 or so) that look like spines.  Spines that size usually show up on snails so maybe they are some sort of boring marks?  This fossil was found with the others but it could be from the Devonian Period Jeffersonville Limestone.

Delaware Microfossils

Dentalina sp. foraminifera found at the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal dredgings of the Mount Laurel Formation.  Thanks to Shamalama for the material.  These fossils are of creatures that existed in Cretaceous Period.

This is some sort of bryozoan or coral growth on an enchinoid spine.

Here are some more coral or bryozoan pieces.