Talks at Colorado Scientific Society Meetings in 2026
CSS January 2026 Meeting
The evolution and recovery of plant life across the Cretaceous–Paleogene mass extinction
Thursday, January 15, 2026
Dr. Gussie Maccracken, Assistant Curator of Paleobotany at Denver Museum of Nature and Science
This meeting was held at Calvary Church Golden and on Zoom.
Abstract: The extinction that occurred at the end of the Cretaceous period is best known as the end of the nonavian dinosaurs. In theory, this paved the way for the expansion of mammals as well as other taxa, including plants. However, there are very few direct records of loss and recovery of biotic diversity across this event. Here we describe a new record from the Cretaceous-Paleogene in Colorado that includes unusually complete vertebrate and plant fossils that describe this event in detail, including the recovery and expansion of mammalian body size and increasing plant and animal biotic diversity within the first million years.
Speaker Background:
Dr. S. Augusta (Gussie) Maccracken is the DMNS Assistant Curator of Paleobotany, studying fossil plants and their ecological interactions in deep time focusing on reconstructing ancient landscapes across the Cretaceous–Paleogene mass extinction event. She has done fieldwork throughout the Western Interior of North America, including Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, and Coahuila, Mexico.
Education
Postdoctoral Fellow; NSF-DMNS Research Fellow in Biology Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
PhD: University of Maryland, College Park, 2020
BA: Colorado College, 2011
Keywords
Paleobotony, K-Pg extinction event, vascular plant evolution, herbivorous insects
Flyer for our CSS talk on January 16, 2026 by Dr. Gussie Maccracken on K-Pg plant evolution
View Zoom recording of Colorado Scientific Society January 2026 Meeting:
The evolution and recovery of plant life across the Cretaceous–Paleogene mass extinction
by Gussie Maccracken
No passcode is needed to access this recording. Just click on the video.
Duration: 01:01:00
Watching this video is best in full screen. (It may sharpen up images.)
DISCLAIMER and FAIR-USE STATEMENT: The following Zoom-meeting recording contains content that expresses the opinions, viewpoints, and conclusions of the speakers and does not necessarily reflect the views, policies, or endorsements of the Colorado Scientific Society. This recording is made available to the public for general information and educational purposes only and is not intended to be used for profit. Any use of copyrighted material included therein for other purposes must obtain express written permission from the author.
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CSS February Meeting
We already know everything?
How fieldwork rewrites 160 years of research in the Niobrara Chalk
Thursday, February 19, 2026
Anthony Maltese, Senior Curator for Research, Exploration And Morphology at Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center
This meeting was held at Calvary Church in Golden.
Abstract: Intense exploration of the late Cretaceous (~85 Ma) Niobrara Chalk began shortly after the Civil War, with Bone-War rivals Charles Marsh and Edward Cope describing dozens of species of fish, mosasaurs and pterosaurs before the turn of the last century. Work was so intense that by the early 20th century interest waned, with researchers believing that everything important had already been found.
Today, renewed intensive fieldwork with improved collection and preparation methods are revealing that even this famous and well sampled formation has more secrets left to give up, from soft tissue and molecular info to many brand new species.
Speaker Background:
Anthony Maltese is a Senior Curator for Research, Exploration and Morphology at the Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center and Treibold Paleontology, Inc., in Woodland Park, CO. He is a seasoned paleontologist and museum professional with expertise in curating, laboratory preparation, fossil reconstruction, grant writing, and community outreach with over 20 years of experience in the field.
Education BA: University of Kansas focused in Geology/Earth Science, 2003
Interview a Geologist: Anthony Maltese (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nA6Ftmnzh90)
Keywords Fossil vertebrates, Niobrara Formation, late Cretaceous, field/laboratory preparation
Flyer for CSS talk, February 16, 2026 by Anthony Maltese about new discoveries in the_Niobrara Chalk
View Zoom recording of Colorado Scientific Society February 2026 Meeting:
We already know everything? How fieldwork rewrites 160 years of research in the Niobrara Chalk
by Anthony Maltese
No passcode is needed to access this recording. Just click on the video.
Duration: 01:04:36
Watching this video is best in full screen. (It may sharpen up images.)
DISCLAIMER and FAIR-USE STATEMENT: The following Zoom-meeting recording contains content that expresses the opinions, viewpoints, and conclusions of the speakers and does not necessarily reflect the views, policies, or endorsements of the Colorado Scientific Society. This recording is made available to the public for general information and educational purposes only and is not intended to be used for profit. Any use of copyrighted material included therein for other purposes must obtain express written permission from the author.
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CSS March Meeting
Mitigation Paleontology is CDOT’s Environmental Program
Thursday, March 19, 2026
Dr. Nicole Peavey, Staff Paleontologist at the Colorado Department of Transportation
This meeting was held at Calvary Church in Golden.
Mitigation Paleontology in CDOT’s Environmental Program
Mitigation paleontology entails the recovery and conservation of fossils that are threatened by human activities, including ground disturbance, vandalism, and poaching. Those activities have resulted in the recovery and preservation of countless scientifically significant fossils worldwide. The mission of the Paleontology Program at the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is to collect, preserve and facilitate the scientific study of important fossils and associated geologic and paleontological data that might otherwise be damaged or destroyed by road construction and maintenance throughout Colorado. Dr. Peavey will describe her work with environmental policy related to paleontology, fossil resources preservation, and project impact mitigation.
Speaker Background:
Dr. Nicole Peavey is the staff paleontologist at the Colorado Department of Transportation, an unusual job made possible by a quirk of Colorado law and the rich fossil resources of the Centennial State. As part of the department’s Environmental Programs Branch, she works with other scientists and specialists to ensure that CDOT follows the rules that protect and manage our natural resources throughout the state of Colorado.
Education:
BA in Geology: Whitman College, Walla Walla WA
MS in Geosciences & Vertebrate Paleontology: Fort Hays State University of Kansas
Ph.D in Geosciences; Texas Tech University: Lubbock TX
Nicole Peavey — Museum of the Earth
Keywords: Mitigation paleontology, fossil preservation, field surveys, specimen recovery, data management and reporting
Flyer for CSS Lecture, March 2026, Nicole Peavey, CDOT Paleontology
View Zoom recording of Colorado Scientific Society March 2026 Meeting:
Mitigation Paleontology is CDOT’s Environmental Program
by Nicole Peavey
No passcode is needed to access this recording. Just click on the video.
Duration: 00:51:04
Watching this video is best in full screen. (It may sharpen up images.)
DISCLAIMER and FAIR-USE STATEMENT: The following Zoom-meeting recording contains content that expresses the opinions, viewpoints, and conclusions of the speakers and does not necessarily reflect the views, policies, or endorsements of the Colorado Scientific Society. This recording is made available to the public for general information and educational purposes only and is not intended to be used for profit. Any use of copyrighted material included therein for other purposes must obtain express written permission from the author.
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CSS April Meeting
Saga of the Dueling Dinosaurs: Putting the science back into one of the most intriguing dinosaur discoveries of this century
Thursday, April 16, 2026
Dr. Eric Roberts, Colorado School of Mines, Department of Geology and Geological Engineering
We met at Calvary Church, Golden
The Dueling Dinosaurs: Putting the science back into one of the most intriguing dinosaur discoveries of this century
Abstract: This talk will focus on the complicated story of the ‘Dueling Dinosaurs’, and specifically the geological context of this now famous discovery of a Triceratops and Tyrannosaur entombed together in a putative death scene. The backstory of the original discovery, legal battles, auction saga, and ultimate homing of the specimens at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences will be discussed. However, the talk will focus on the author’s work in helping to reconstruct the geological context of the specimens by returning to the excavation site over many field seasons to study the sedimentology, stratigraphy and age of these two iconic North American fossils to understand when and why they died and ended up together. The talk will also discuss the broader geological context of the famous Hell Creek Formation in Western North America, which records the end of the age of dinosaurs. The talk will conclude with a cameo from PhD student, Dorian Gursky, whose project is focused on high-precision radiometric dating of Acme of Dinosaur evolution and diversity in Western North America.
Dr. Eric Roberts
Professor, Geology and Geological Engineering
Director, Potential Gas Agency
I am a sedimentary geologist who works on Mesozoic and Cenozoic basins, and maintains close links with industry, as well as vertebrate paleontologists, to better place the continental sedimentary record into a robust stratigraphic and tectonic context.
Research Interests
- Basin analysis, energy exploration and sedimentary geology with a focus on Mesozoic-Cenozoic basins in Gondwana and North America
- U-Pb geochronology and sedimentary provenance analysis
- Critical minerals and resources, including Helium and Hydrogen exploration
- Hydrocarbon exploration and reservoir and seal characterization
- Global energy transitions
- Continental ichnology
- Vertebrate paleontology/paleoanthropology with a focus on stratigraphy, dating, taphonomy and paleoenvironmental reconstruction
Skills and Expertise:
Sedimentology, Stratigraphy, Palaeoecology, Tectonics, Sequence Stratigraphy, Geology, Sedimentary Basins, Sediments, Evolution, Field Geology
Download CSS Lecture_Apr’26_Eric Roberts_Dueling Dinos (PDF) flyer.
View Zoom recording of Colorado Scientific Society April 2026 Meeting:
Saga of the Dueling Dinosaurs: Putting the science back into one of the most intriguing dinosaur discoveries of this century
by Eric Roberts
No passcode is needed to access this recording. Just click on the video.
Duration: 01:10:18
Watching this video is best in full screen. (It may sharpen up images.)
DISCLAIMER and FAIR-USE STATEMENT: The following Zoom-meeting recording contains content that expresses the opinions, viewpoints, and conclusions of the speakers and does not necessarily reflect the views, policies, or endorsements of the Colorado Scientific Society. This recording is made available to the public for general information and educational purposes only and is not intended to be used for profit. Any use of copyrighted material included therein for other purposes must obtain express written permission from the author.
