Geological Society of America meeting in Phoenix and Payson fossil footprint site

[DPS Ammonite]

My friend, Bill Ludlow, who is an advanced amateur paleontologist and volunteer evolution and human origins educator at the Arizona Museum of Natural History, (https://www.arizonamuseumofnaturalhistory.org/), presented a poster about Permian footprints and other fossils at the GSA convention in Phoenix in late September. I had a  pass to see all the events for two days. Bill is working on a paper with professional paleontologist, Spencer Lucas and advanced amateur paleontologist Tom Olson (he first found the sponge, Chaunactis olsoni,  in the Payson area: link)

 

Here is a picture left to right of Bill, Tom and Spencer standing in front of their poster:

 

A few days later, the Southwest Paleontological Society had a trip to a site on the Mogollon Rim where Bill found footprints that he, Spencer Lucas and others are writing a paper about. Bill had a federal permit that allowed him to create casts of the footprints. Yes, you need a permit to create reproductions of vertebrate fossils.

 

Bill’s poster of Coconino Sandstone footprints:

 

Large slab of Permian Coconino Sandstone with multiple Chilichnus footprints. 5 inch long pen for scale. 

 

Detail of prints.

 

Making of print mold with alginate.

 

Mold of prints. 

 

 

Sadly Bill Ludlow passed away yesterday from cancer. RIP Bill, you left way too soon.  He was also a Southwest Paleontological Society Member and an active blogger.  He created many educational evolution videos: ps://creationsciencefiction.com/about

 

and 

 

https://creationsciencefiction.com/htt