Talks

50 years of Discovery: Burgess Shale Research at ROM

Jean-Bernard Caron became fascinated with fossils as a child in his native France. He spent the summers of his teenaged years volunteering at archaeological and palaeontological digs in France and Spain. He joined ROM Burgess Shale field crews as a volunteer in 1998,1999, and 2000 at the invitation of late Senior Curator of Invertebrate Palaeontology Dr. Desmond Collins.

Joe Moysiuk recently completed his doctoral dissertation at the University of Toronto and Royal Ontario Museum and is Curator of Geology and Palaeontology at the Manitoba Museum, Research Associate at ROM, and Adjunct Professor at University of Saskatchewan.

His expertise centers on the oldest animal fossils and insights they provide about the evolution of major groups. Much of his research has focused on early arthropods, distant relatives of modern insects and spiders. Joe has taken part in paleontological field work across Canada, notably including major expeditions to the Burgess Shale in B.C. that have unearthed troves of new fossil species from the dawn of animal life. He has also enjoyed many opportunities to share these discoveries with the public, including through museum exhibitions and public talks. At the Manitoba Museum, Joe expands his previous research of rare fossil deposits exhibiting soft tissue preservation to Manitoba. 

Dave Rudkin is a retired (2017) Assistant Curator of Invertebrate Palaeontology at the Royal Ontario Museum and former cross-appointed Lecturer in the Department of Earth Sciences — University of Toronto. Dave’s ROM career began in 1974 in the Department of Invertebrate Palaeontology and he was a member of the ROM’s first Burgess Shale Expedition the following year. For 40 years Dave held departmental positions of increasing responsibility, with primary research interests in fossil arthropods and the palaeontology of the Hudson Bay and James Bay lowlands. Fieldwork, including return trips to the Burgess Shale, was an important component of these studies. He remained actively involved in geoscience education, promoting interest in geology and palaeontology through university teaching, public programs, field trips, lectures, temporary exhibitions, permanent galleries (including the Willner Madge Gallery — Dawn of Life), and popular writing. Upon retirement, Dave was appointed Departmental Associate in Natural History (Invertebrate Palaeontology)

Todd Keith is a senior planner with Parks Canada, with over 25 years experience working in national parks and sites from Newfoundland and Labrador to the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Since 2007 he has been the Land Use Specialist in the Lake Louise, Yoho, and Kootenay Field Unit. In this role he is responsible for overseeing the management of the Burgess Shale fossil sites in Yoho and Kootenay national parks, and for facilitating scientific research into these globally significant fossils. Todd is currently also Parks Canada’s representative on the Canadian Fossil Resource Management Committee. Prior to entering the conservation profession, Todd worked as a mineral exploration geologist in various localities across the Canadian Shield. Todd earned an Honours Bachelor of Science degree in Geological Sciences from Queen’s University in Kingston, and a Master of Environmental Studies degree from Dalhousie University in Halifax.

Ivan Semeniuk covers science for The Globe and Mail, a beat that ranges from the furthest reaches of the cosmos to the most pressing issues and discoveries related to the environment, technology and human health. A career science journalist, editor and broadcaster, he has previously worked for the journal Nature, New Scientist magazine and Discovery Channel. His work in various media has garnered several awards and nominations.

Ivan has produced many stories highlighting ROM’s Burgess Shale research in the past, including extensive coverage of field work.