Alberta family's dinosaur discovery in Castle River could be new species
By Shawn Logan, Calgary Sun
First posted: Tuesday, November 18, 2014 06:33 PM EST
Calgary’s Cappon family is torn — Capponosaurus or Capponodon?
After learning the pristine dinosaur fossil they uncovered this summer in southern Alberta could be a new species, the family is now debating — with tongue firmly in cheek — what it should be called.
Evan Cappon and his two sons, 14-year-old Jared and 11-year-old Aiden, were fishing on the Castle River southwest of Calgary in August when the oldest boy stumbled on the amazing find.
Jared struck out alone upriver from where his dad and younger brother were fishing when he came across a one-tonne sandstone boulder that had a little something extra.
“I walked by big rock that looked like it had a tire track in it — when I came back and looked again I realized it was a spine,” he said.
“When I walked up to it, I realized it was a dinosaur.”
Turns out the 80-million-year-old fossil, likely unearthed during the 2013 flood, was a species of duck-billed dinosaur that had never been found in that part of the province.
The family let scientists at Drumheller’s Royal Tyrrell Museum know about the find and in September managed to fly the boulder to the facility by helicopter.
Jared’s proud dad said the discovery has been very exciting, but until the announcement was made about the potentially new species, they had no idea it would be so big.
“We were actually on holidays so we had no clue,” said the 47-year-old teacher at Master’s Academy.
“I didn’t realize finding a dinosaur in that area was so unique.
“My son Jared has been taking it all in stride — I think I’m more excited than he is.”
The fossil includes the intact skull, neck and chest of the dino, but subsequent searches of the area by researchers failed to unearth any other parts.
Despite the find — along with some other smaller fossils he’d previously discovered — Jared has no designs on becoming a palaeontologist.
“The ironic thing is my brother wants to be a palaeontologist,” he said.
“I’ll go out and do some more exploring, but I want to be a teacher.”
shawn.logan@sunmedia.ca
On Twitter: @SUNShawnLogan
Evan Cappon and his sons Jared, 14, and Aiden, 11, just downstream of Castle Falls where they discovered the almost intact fossilized skeleton of what may be a new species of dinosaur. The 2,500 lb. boulder where the fossil was discovered is currently being examined at Drumheller's Royal Tyrell Museum. (Supplied photo)
Alberta family's dinosaur discovery in Castle River could be new species | Good
By Shawn Logan, Calgary Sun
First posted: Tuesday, November 18, 2014 06:33 PM EST
Calgary’s Cappon family is torn — Capponosaurus or Capponodon?
After learning the pristine dinosaur fossil they uncovered this summer in southern Alberta could be a new species, the family is now debating — with tongue firmly in cheek — what it should be called.
Evan Cappon and his two sons, 14-year-old Jared and 11-year-old Aiden, were fishing on the Castle River southwest of Calgary in August when the oldest boy stumbled on the amazing find.
Jared struck out alone upriver from where his dad and younger brother were fishing when he came across a one-tonne sandstone boulder that had a little something extra.
“I walked by big rock that looked like it had a tire track in it — when I came back and looked again I realized it was a spine,” he said.
“When I walked up to it, I realized it was a dinosaur.”
Turns out the 80-million-year-old fossil, likely unearthed during the 2013 flood, was a species of duck-billed dinosaur that had never been found in that part of the province.
The family let scientists at Drumheller’s Royal Tyrrell Museum know about the find and in September managed to fly the boulder to the facility by helicopter.
Jared’s proud dad said the discovery has been very exciting, but until the announcement was made about the potentially new species, they had no idea it would be so big.
“We were actually on holidays so we had no clue,” said the 47-year-old teacher at Master’s Academy.
“I didn’t realize finding a dinosaur in that area was so unique.
“My son Jared has been taking it all in stride — I think I’m more excited than he is.”
The fossil includes the intact skull, neck and chest of the dino, but subsequent searches of the area by researchers failed to unearth any other parts.
Despite the find — along with some other smaller fossils he’d previously discovered — Jared has no designs on becoming a palaeontologist.
“The ironic thing is my brother wants to be a palaeontologist,” he said.
“I’ll go out and do some more exploring, but I want to be a teacher.”
shawn.logan@sunmedia.ca
On Twitter: @SUNShawnLogan
Evan Cappon and his sons Jared, 14, and Aiden, 11, just downstream of Castle Falls where they discovered the almost intact fossilized skeleton of what may be a new species of dinosaur. The 2,500 lb. boulder where the fossil was discovered is currently being examined at Drumheller's Royal Tyrell Museum. (Supplied photo)
Alberta family's dinosaur discovery in Castle River could be new species | Good