From Trilobites to Mammoth Tusks: How Fossils Connect Us with Deep Stories of the Planet

No matter where you wander in Washington, you are never very far from the past and the evidence of the plants and animals that came before. You can find trilobites near the Idaho border, primitive horses on the Columbia Plateau, exquisite flowers in Republic, giant bird tracks near Bellingham, and curious bear-like beasts on the Olympic Peninsula. With abundant and well-exposed rock layers, Washington has fossils dating from Ice Age mammals only 12,000 years old back to marine invertebrates more than 500 million years old.

Join co-author David B. Williams as he discusses this amazing array of past life, which is featured in Spirit Whales and Sloth Tales: Fossils in Washington State. David will provide the background on what inspired him and co-author Dr. Elizabeth Nesbitt to write the first book ever on fossils in the state, why they chose the fossils they did, and some of the new science that has allowed paleontologists to tease out the 500-million-year long story of life in this region. In addition, he will highlight several of the fossils profiled in the book.

About the Saturday Speaker Series

The Saturday Speaker Series is presented by the Redmond Historical Society on the second Saturday of the month with three programs each in the fall and spring. Topics range from local and Washington State history to topics of Pacific Northwest regional historical interest.

About the Redmond Historical Society

The Redmond Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to serve the community through stewardship, collecting, preserving, and sharing Redmond’s unique heritage. We are recognized as a resource for everything historical in the community. Through our staff, volunteers and programs we serve the diverse community―families and schools, business and civic organizations, and government―attracting experienced leaders, supportive donors, and enthusiastic members.

Link to more info: www.redmondhistoricalsociety.org/RHSevents

Image caption: An imaginary view of Columbian mammals (left) sharing Western Washington tundra with a herd of bison, in front of retreating glaciers of the last Ice Age around 13,000 years ago. Illustration by Julio Lacerda for the Burke Museum, used with permission. (From “Spirit Whales & Sloth Tales”)