Utah Friends of Paleontology Meeting

Assist. State Paleontologist Dono DeBlieux will be talking about 5 years (seasons) of paleo-exploration in Canyonlands next week in the DNR auditorium. The should be of wide interest to the UGS and perhaps others in DNR?

This month's UFOP meeting will be held on Thursday, February 19th at 7:00 pm. We have been able to regain our in-person meetings at the DNR building located at 1594 West North Temple, SLC, UT 84116. Parking for the meeting is in the front of the main building (entrance is on North Temple) and park in any of the spots near the front door. Give yourself a couple extra minutes if you aren't familiar with parking here for a meeting, the Trax line in front requires you enter our parking lot from the north side of North Temple. If you are coming from the freeway just drive past the building entrance on North Temple and do a U-turn at the first available first left turn light. Inside the building we should have someone available to help you find your way to the main auditorium where our meeting is located. 

On the topic of our speaker for February, this month we have a great one. Our very own Don DeBlieux. Here's a talk summary and bio from him.

Don's talk

More Moenkopi Madness! Exceptional tracksites in the Early Triassic of Canyonlands National Park. Don will present an update on paleontological surveys conducted over the last five years by the Utah Geological Survey in Canyonlands National Park. This research has revealed a remarkable trace fossil record within the Early Triassic Moenkopi Formation, documenting over 100 new fossil localities. These sites feature terrestrial tetrapod tracks, fish and tetrapod swim traces, and horseshoe crab tracks. Since many of these findings were recorded using photogrammetry, Don will also provide a brief introduction to the art and science of this technology.

A little about Don

Don has been a paleontologist with the Utah Geological Survey for the last 24 years and is the Utah Assistant State Paleontologist. Don oversees the UGS lab and field program. He has discovered well over 500 new localities while doing field work throughout Utah, including in all of the National Parks, in rocks ranging from Permian to Miocene in age. Don has been a regular UFOP meeting presenter.

Theme: Ore Deposits of the Great Basin – Key to Americas Mineral Independence

Agenda: Fun technical field trips, Short Courses, Exhibitions, Posters, Core shacks and great Social Events.

The 2027 Geological Society of Nevada Symposium (27GSNS) is a technical geoscience event held every five years; bringing together professionals, University thought leaders, and experts from diverse geoscience fields. The symposium is committed to providing a high-caliber geoscience symposium that balances technical rigor with an engaging experience for all participants. The geological symposium comprises talks, papers, exhibitions, posters, courses, core shacks, and field trips.

The Geological Society of Nevada (GSN) is hosting its 9th symposium in 40 years in Reno, Nevada, USA in 2027.  Reno is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada Mountain range home of the scenic and pristine Lake Tahoe region of northern Nevada. Reno proudly boasts the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), which is home to the Mackay School of Earth Sciences and Engineering and has been producing skilled graduates and top-notch researchers since 1888.  The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) also offers geoscience undergraduate and postgraduate programs at its Las Vegas campus.

The GSN warmly invites its loyal and proud members, appreciated affiliates, respected government partners and local representatives, the supporting minerals industry, and distinguished University contributors to come join our next Geological Symposium 2027 where passion for geology, mining and exploration will be showcased.

Reno is colloquially referred “The Biggest Little City in the World” by its historical central business district and boasts a Tesla Gigafactory on the outskirts of town, nearby world-class family ski resorts as well as family attracting and entertaining casinos.  Lake Tahoe, a regional tourist location, is a 30-minute drive from Reno and hosts some of the most pristine waters in the USA. Northern Nevada is home to the globally recognized arts festival known as ‘Burning Man’, held in the salt flats of the Black Rock Desert near Gerlach, NV, where 70,000 attendees celebrated in 2025.

Nevada is an internationally recognized mining state — second only to Utah in the 2024 Annual Survey of Mining Companies conducted by the Fraser Institute — being one of the richest and most highly endowed gold province states in the world, with its envied heap leach mineral resources and mine capability, as well as development plans to build significant lithium mines such as Thacker Pass for the battery industry in the near term.

It’s all happening in Nevada, come and mingle with some world class geoscientists and see for yourself what a top mining and educational jurisdiction looks and feels like.