A series where we take a #lookback at the stories and history of our community, brought to you by Mick Pryor, Financial Advisor with Edward Jones.
The Dubois Museum has two very fine pieces in our collection that are often overlooked because of other distractions like our augmented reality sandbox. Even though all are in the same natural history area, these two are not augmented reality unless you use AI image rendering or drawings to see what they may have looked like millions of years ago when they were alive.
This image from the New York Times article titled “Fossil Reveals Ancient Seafloor Communities” shows what a bactrite cephalopod likely looked like. These creatures lived basically during the Devonian and Permian Periods between 408-245 million years ago. This shell has linear chambers that the creature would grow and live in, it is unknown at what rate the chambers would be added on. It is possible that bactrite later evolved in the curved ammonite.
The ammonite came later, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods or 201 to 66 million years ago. Fun fact: the largest shell ever found was 5.7 feet across and was found in Germany in 1895. Ammonites were much like bacrite in that they both ate similar things like plankton and if large enough crustaceans, bivalves and fish. They were also eaten by things too in the ocean. Ammonites likely went extinct shortly after the dinosaurs and the asteroid that collided with earth causing a mass extinction. The impact caused a lingering winter that halted photosynthesis on land and in the oceans, thus living beings starved and died.
The Dubois Museum has a bacrite and an ammonite on display. Both were found in the Wind River Valley and are exquisite pieces that show evolution over millions of years. Most natural history museums do not have this nice of piece on exhibit.
Author: Johanna Thompson
Photo credit: Dubois Museum
Next up for the Fremont County Museum
February 8, 6pm at the Dubois Museum, “Brian DeBolt: Wolves in Wyoming” Wyoming Community Bank Discovery Speakers Series
March 3, 4-6pm at the Pioneer Museum, “Celebrating Women’s History Month” Wyoming Community Bank Discovery Speakers Series
March 14, 7pm at the Pioneer Museum, “Wyoming State Flag History” Wyoming Community Bank Discovery Speakers Series
March 27, 6pm at the Dubois Museum, “Bruce Blevins: Mapping Yellowstone” Wyoming Community Bank Discovery Speakers Series
Call the Dubois Museum 1-307-455-2284, the Pioneer Museum 1-307-332-3339 or the Riverton Museum 1-307-856-2665 for detail regarding their programs.
The Wind River Cultural Centers Foundation has been created to specifically benefit The Dubois Museum, the Pioneer Museum in Lander and the Riverton Museum. The WRCCF will help deliver the long term financial support our museums need to flourish. In the current economic environment, the museums are more reliant than ever on donations from the private sector to continue to provide the quality programs, collections management, exhibits and services that have become their hallmark over the last four years. Please make your tax deductible contribution to be used specifically for the benefit of the museum of your choosing by sending a check to Wind River Cultural Centers Foundation at PO Box 1863 Lander, WY 82520 or taking it directly to the museum you choose to support.