A Montana State University paleontologist is part of a team that discovered a new iguana-like lizard that roamed the earth 75 million years ago, alongside dinosaurs such as tyrannosaurs and bird-like troodons.

David Varricchio, associate professor of paleontology in MSU’s Department of Earth Sciences in the College of Letters and Science, led the expedition on Montana’s Egg Mountain that unearthed two nearly complete fossils of a Late Cretaceous iguanomorph found in a nesting site.

Named Magnuviator ovimonsensis, which means “mighty traveler from Egg Mountain,” the specimens are the oldest, most complete iguanian fossils discovered in the Americas.

Former MSU paleontologist Jack Horner christened Egg Mountain, which is located in the Two Medicine Formation near Choteau, after he and his crew discovered fossil eggs and clutches there beginning in 1979. The fossils represented the first dinosaur eggs from North America.

In 2010, Varricchio received funding from the National Science Foundation that made it possible for him to return to Egg Mountain and excavate.

“We began excavating there in 2010, continuing through 2016,” Varricchio said. “This was the first concentrated effort at Egg Mountain in 25 years. The lizard specimens were discovered during these new excavation efforts.”

Some lizard material had been found at the site before, Varricchio said, but nothing as remarkable as the nearly complete and fully articulated skeletons.  

“In the field, we knew we had some special specimens, as articulated lizards are exceptionally rare in the Cretaceous,” he said. “But, it wasn’t until Dave DeMar really examined the specimens that we knew it was a new species.”

David DeMar, postdoctoral research associate in the University of Washington biology department and the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, is lead author of the discovery paper.

“It is incredibly rare to find one complete fossil skeleton from a relatively small creature like this lizard," DeMar said. "But, in fact, we had two specimens, both from the same site at Egg Mountain in Montana.”

The paper, “A new Late Cretaceous iguanomorph from North America and the origin of New World Pleurodonta,” was published Jan. 25 in Proceedings of the Royal Society B. It details the findings from the four-year study of Magnuviator ovimonsensis, including its appearance and the importance of the discovery.

“It is not particularly distinctive; it would look fairly unremarkable next to modern lizards,” Varricchio said. “For the time, though, it is a relatively big lizard at about eight inches long. It’s somewhat chunky with a high number of small teeth and may have fed on insects.”

Despite its non-distinctive appearance, Varricchio said, the specimens provide new morphological information that will help paleontologists determine some evolutionary and biogeographic pathways.

“For example, Magnuviator belongs to the iguanomorphs, a large group of lizards that includes iguanas and horned lizards,” he said. “The specimen is about 20 million years older than the next oldest specimen from North America. It also provides a better picture of the Egg Mountain ecosystem during that time.”

Because the specimens were so well preserved, Varricchio said, the scientists may be able to answer a number of questions about the lizard.

“We can ask questions about ‘what it did for a living,’” he said. “From its preservation we suspect it may have burrowed, and we will be able to test this given the near-complete skeleton we have. Very few lizards are known from anything more than jaw fragments for the Cretaceous of North America, so these are excellent specimens.”

Mary Hubbard, head of the Department of Earth Sciences, said Varricchio’s work greatly benefits MSU and the science of paleontology through his important discoveries.

“The Department of Earth Sciences at MSU is proud to have Dr. David Varricchio and his students who have the expertise and are able to do the fieldwork in the extensive Cretaceous rock units of Montana that is necessary for making these sorts of discoveries,” Hubbard said.

Sixth grader Carson Knoll will join the Bozeman Symphony Orchestra and Symphonic Choir for upcoming performances of Songs of Destiny on Saturday, March 4th at 7:30 P.M. & Sunday, March 5th at 2:30 P.M., both performances held at Willson Auditorium (404 West Main Street) in downtown Bozeman.  Several talented singers from the Chief Joseph Middle School Choir auditioned for the boy soprano solo featured in Chichester Psalms and the Symphony is thrilled to announce Carson Knoll as the talented young singer.

"My name is Carson Knoll. I am 12 years old and I attend 6th grade at Chief Joseph Middle School. I’ve always loved music and sing wherever I am. This is my first year in Choir and also my first year in Select Choir studying under Mrs. Savery. I auditioned for the boy soprano part because I knew it would be a great learning experience and, a unique opportunity for exposure to professional musicians and Maestro Savery. In addition to my passion for singing, I am a ski racer for Bridger Ski Foundation as a U14 Alpine racer. I also love spending time with my family and dogs in the outdoors hiking, camping, backpacking overnight, exploring the backcountry and traveling. I also love photography and take my camera wherever I explore."

Additional soloists from the Symphonic Choir, Kody Van Dyke (soprano), Mandy Bowker (alto), Jeff Abelin (tenor) and Doug Anderson (baritone), will be featured.  Songs of Destiny features the orchestra and symphonic choir as they present one of Johannes Brahms most profound compositions—his Schicksalslied (Song of Destiny), and for one of Leonard Bernstein’s most joyful and exuberant—the beloved Chichester Psalms. Renowned cellist Adrian Daurov takes the stage performing the epic Concerto in B minor by Antonín Dvořák—a work most of us consider a full-scale symphony with cello soloist.  This one is a must see, and hear! Stunning!

These performances would not be possible without strong community support and sponsorship.  This concert weekend is sponsored by Big Sky Western Bank for Saturday’s performance and Sunday’s performance by Judith King.  Adult ticket prices range from $27.00-$67.00.  Individual tickets are available for purchase online at bozemansymphony.org, by calling 406-585-9774, or at the Bozeman Symphony office located at 1001 West Oak Street, Suite 110.  Student discounts are available.  Tickets may be purchased for rush, based on availability on Friday, March 3rd.  Please contact the Bozeman Symphony for more information on rush tickets and purchase locations.  Join Maestro Matthew Savery, Choir Director Jon Harney, and the orchestra and choir musicians for a reception immediately following each performance at the Emerson Cultural Center, Weaver Room, catered by Corner Bakery Café, located at 111 S. Grand Ave.
 
Please contact the Bozeman Symphony at 406-585-9774 or info@bozemansymphony.org with questions you have regarding performance, ticket sales, venue, and seating information.

The Montana Historical Society has named acclaimed author Ivan Doig to its list of Outstanding Montanans.
 
Doig (1939-2015) is the author of 16 works of fiction and nonfiction primarily set in Montana. Doig’s widow, Carol Muller Doig, awarded Doig’s archive to Montana State University in 2015. The university library has digitized the entire collection; it is now available to the public on the Web as well as in print in the library’s Special Collections and Archives. To view the collection online, visit http://ivandoig.montana.edu/.

The Montana Legislature established the Gallery of Outstanding Montanans in 1979 to honor citizens who have made significant contributions to their selected fields while epitomizing the unique spirit and character that defines Montana, according to the historical society.
 
Inductees into Montana’s hall of fame are rotated into the gallery on a biennial basis and are honored for an eight-year period. Honorees must have been born, raised or lived a significant period of time in Montana. All honors are awarded posthumously.
 
For more information on the Outstanding Montanan honorees, see the historical society website at https://mhs.mt.gov/education/OutstandingMontanans.
 
For more information on the Doig collection, contact the MSU Library at (406) 994-3171, or Jan Zauha, outreach librarian, at (406) 994-6554 or jzauha@montana.edu.
 

In 2015 the Library Journal named the Belgrade Community Library the Best Small Library in America. Now, after a year of planning in collaboration with Montana State University’s School of Architecture Community Design Center, the Belgrade library is on the way to achieving a major expansion.
 
Under the direction of Tom McNab, associate teaching professor in the School of Architecture in the College of Arts and Architecture and the director of CDC, eight architecture and mechanical engineering students prepared a comprehensive design to remodel and enlarge the library.
 
“The Belgrade library was voted one of the best small town libraries in the United States but they are in need of more—more space, more books, more opportunities, more everything,” explained architecture senior Darren Brown of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
 
In the past 16 years alone, Belgrade library cards have increased from 1,788 in the year 2000, to 6,923 library cards in 2016. Feeling the pressure of a needed expansion, library director Gale Bacon approached the CDC to collaborate with the library on the recommendation of former MSU President Geoff Gamble.

Starting in the spring of 2016 and continuing into the following summer and fall semesters, students launched fact-finding investigations to evaluate the library and community needs. They met with community members and stakeholders, toured other libraries and related venues around the state, attended Belgrade library events and then created a design that reflected the community’s needs and desires.

“No matter how many hours it took, [the students] wanted to make sure this project was well done,” Bacon said. “They took this project to heart.”
 
The new design reflects current library design philosophy that proposes an evolution from library to community centered amenity, according to McNab.  The proposed CDC student design entirely remodels the existing Belgrade building, expanding the size from 9,700 square feet to 20,000. The new building will include an upper-level coffee shop, larger adult, children and teen sections, additional staff space, a technology center and a public meeting room that can seat up to 200 occupants.

The CDC focuses on a community/university partnership approach which includes extensive research and design that supports MSU’s land-grant mission of serving the people of Montana, McNab said.
 
“The CDC offers a unique opportunity to work with a client to provide services very similar to a professional setting,” said Shane Caye, a graduate student in the School of Architecture from Missoula. “This real world project was a tremendous stepping stone into my first experience of working in a professional office.”

Throughout the process, students took on individual roles, from documenting research, creating the physical library model and developing digital models and drawings, explained Colin Tippett, who participated during the first semester of the process. Originally from Fairbanks, Alaska, Tippett finished his undergraduate degree last spring and is on track to enter graduate school at MSU this fall.

“Most work in studio classes are individual, so designing as a team was an interesting experience,” Tippett said. “Working in a team was very helpful in balancing ideas and developing a way of testing design ideas. We worked really hard to make sure the Belgrade Community Library would be successful."

Students worked with a variety of local professionals, including Sam Fox of Beaudette Consulting Engineers, Kristi Miller of KMD Design and Darren Huls of Pierce Flooring. Additionally, Sherrill Halbe, MSU interior design instructor, donated her time to work specifically with students to develop an interior design for the library that included selection of materials, textures and colors.

“This project significantly shaped my views on architecture as a whole,” said Chaundra Monical, a senior from Billings who will graduate from the program in May. “In studio we are given a building type with a program and everything else is up to us. It was eye opening to be able to design for a client and really begin to understand the psychological aspect of architecture. Architects are expected to analyze what a client says they want and design something they didn't even know was possible. It was amazing to be able to be a part of this process and to see it first-hand.”

With the students’ extensive planning, design and renderings, the Belgrade library has established a capital campaign to fundraise for expansion. In November, Milesnick Ranch kicked off the campaign with a $400,000 donation to the library.
 
“By connecting with the CDC and bringing in a community task force led by CDC students, we were able to create a vision to address the needs of the library community,” Bacon said. “The models and renderings have given us a chance to help our community and potential donors see the thoughtful and purpose driven planning that went into the process.”

Royce Smith, dean of the College of Arts and Architecture, says the CDC is an important and vibrant initiative in the college.
 
“The College of Arts and Architecture embraces community engagement as the cornerstone of local and global creative citizenship,” Smith said. “The CDC has ensured that as Bozeman grows and faces new challenges and opportunities, our faculty and students can share their innovative ideas and talents with our community leaders and partners.”

MSU students who worked on the CDC plans for the Belgrade Community Library were: Darren Brown, Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Katie Calderwood, Hamilton, Montana; Shane Caye, Missoula, Montana; Chaundra Monical, Billings, Montana; Jacob Ryan, Belle Fourche, South Dakota; Colin Tippett, Fairbanks, Alaska; Andrew Wagenblast, Springfield, Oregon; and Emilee Williams, Lolo, Montana.

Montana State University has received a $499,988 grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology that will support the making of a feature-length documentary film about the international race to redefine the standard for the kilogram and reboot the international measurement system.
 
MSU, in collaboration with MontanaPBS and filmmaker Jaime Jacobsen, an instructor in the MSU Honors College and the principal investigator for the grant, are producing the film, “The Last Artifact.” MontanaPBS is based at MSU.
 
The documentary will detail the scientific race to find a fundamentally new way to define our standard for mass and replace the ‘last artifact,’ an antiquated metal cylinder that has served as the standard of mass for the entire world for more than a century. Since 1889, this cylinder of platinum and iridium, “Le Grande K” or “Big K,” as it is called, has defined the kilogram. The small, polished cylinder, which is about the size of a golf ball, it is kept in a triple-locked vault on the outskirts of Paris.

“Big K” is mysteriously losing minuscule amounts of weight. So, measurement scientists around the world are racing to redefine the kilogram, seeking a constant in nature that can serve as a new base.
 
Jacobsen said the documentary will showcase the beauty and dynamism of the scientific method, as well as the personal journeys and pitfalls of those involved in the global effort to find a new way to define mass.
 
Jacobsen will serve as the project’s co-producer and co-director. An assortment of MSU-connected filmmakers will be associated with the project, including Ed Watkins of Abbey Gateway Productions, who is based in Bristol, U.K., who will serve as the co-producer and co-director of the film. Jacobsen and Watkins are graduates of MSU’s graduate program in Science and Natural History Filmmaking. Other graduates involved with the film are Rick Smith, a member of the MontanaPBS team who will be the director of photography; Parker Brown, sound; and Stefanie Watkins, also of Abbey Gateway Productions, who will serve as the film's editor.

MSU graduate Scott Sterling, who is senior producer at MontanaPBS, will serve as the film's colorist and online editor, and Aaron Pruitt, also an MSU graduate who is associate general manager and director of content at MontanaPBS, will serve as the film's executive producer. MontanaPBS will distribute “The Last Artifact” through a variety of platforms, including cable, satellite, Internet, HD, VOD, mobile and educational forums, as well as create PBS Learning Media resources for classroom use in high schools and colleges across the U.S.

“I couldn’t be more pleased to support our talented and creative production team, as they chart this scientific challenge on film, and reveal the surprising wide-spread implications for our world,” Pruitt said.
 
Jacobsen said work has already started on the film, which is expected to be released in early 2019.
 
“It is a huge honor to receive this award after going through such a competitive selection process,” Jacobsen said. “I’m thrilled to be collaborating with many talented filmmakers on this endeavor. We are excited to create a beautiful film that highlights the hidden process of science, and the work that goes on behind the scenes to modernize the measurement system upon which all of modern life depends.”

For more information about the efforts to redefine the kilogram, see NIST’s webpage. More information about MontanaPBS may be found on the organization’s website.

The Bozeman Police Department is proud to sponsor the tenth session of our popular Citizen’s Police Academy, beginning in just over a month.

This free class will meet every Wednesday evening from 6:30-9:30 pm for ten weeks, with an additional opportunity to ride along with a patrol officer.   The academy starts March 22 and concludes on May 24, 2017.

One of the main objectives of the Citizen’s Police Academy is to foster stronger communication between the citizens of Bozeman and the police department.  Another objective is to provide information about the department and criminal justice system so students have a better understanding of the services the Bozeman Police Department provides to our community.

Topics will include an overview of the department, patrol operations, the detective division, use of force issues,  DUI and drug recognition, drug task force operations, the K9 unit, the special response team, dispatch center operations, and internet crimes functions.

If you are interested in attending this high-energy event or have questions, contact Community Resource Officer Mike Bachich at mbachich@bozeman.net or at 582-2969.  You may also find the application on our website.  Click on Community Partnerships, then look for the Citizen’s Police Academy or go directly to http://www.bozeman.net/Departments/Police/Community-Partnerships/Citizens-Police-Academy.

A Montana State University scientist was involved in a recent discovery of a 250-million-year-old fossil from China that has scientists rethinking how reproduction evolved in a group of animals that includes birds, crocodiles and turtles.

The fossil, called Dinocephalosaurus, is a long-necked, fish-eating marine reptile dating to the Middle Triassic period, and contains an embryo inside its abdomen. This unexpected evidence is the only known example of live birth in this large group of vertebrates known as Archosauromorpha.

“This is the first archosauromorph species known to have given live birth, meaning it didn’t lay eggs” said evolutionary biologist Chris Organ, an assistant research professor in the MSU Department of Earth Sciences in the College of Letters and Science. “The ancestors of Dinocephalosaurus lived on land — live birth was likely an adaptation that helped it reinvade the marine environment.”

The findings were published Feb. 14 in the scientific journal Nature Communications. Jun Liu from Hefei University of Technology in China, was lead author of the paper, “Live birth in an archosauromorph reptile,”  which included Organ, as well as collaborators from England, Australia and the U.S.

The discovery will also be shared in the journals Nature, Science and Science News, among other outlets.  

The specimen was found in three limestone blocks in a field in Luoping County, Yunnan, China.

“We were so excited when we first saw this specimen several years ago,” Liu said. “We first saw the blocks lying at the side of a field. We had to remove the soil and dig out the slabs to take them back to the lab for preparation.”

While the discovery shifts the understanding of how reproduction evolved in animals, Organ and his colleagues predicted as much in a 2009 paper published in the journal Nature, “Genotypic sex determination enabled adaptive radiations of extinct marine reptiles.”

“We predicted that if we found a new reptile fossil completely adapted to life in the ocean, it would also have given live birth and have had sex chromosomes,” Organ said.

Dinocephalosaurus sits on the evolutionary timeline between crocodiles and turtles, Organ said, and its ancestors lived on land.

“Like whales and dolphins, it evolved adaptations to live permanently in water without returning to land to lay eggs,” he said. “Whereas sea turtles are reproductively bound to land to lay their eggs, Dinocephalosaurus was free of this constraint by giving live birth, a trait that was likely preceded by the evolution of sex chromosomes.”

This past year, Organ was also one of three authors of a paper that linked bony cranial ornamentation to dinosaur body size. That paper, "Bony cranial ornamentation linked to rapid evolution of gigantic theropod dinosaurs,” was published in Nature Communications on Sept. 27.

Montana Senator Steve Daines returned to Montana Friday afternoon landing in Bozeman where he was met by a group of constituents seeking explanations on policy set forth by the Trump Administration as well, as reasons for his votes for cabinet key appointments.

The group of roughly 40 constituents gathered at the arrival platform at Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport holding signs saying “we want a town hall meeting”, ”we want answers”, “we just want to talk” and “we want our voices heard”.

As Mr. Daines used a side exit an attempt to avoid his constituents I was able catch Senator Daines and ask a few questions.

KT: What are your feelings on the 9th circuit Court ruling on the Travel ban?

Senator Daines: Happy to be back in Montana.

KT: Senator Daines, is it true Betsy DeVos donated upwards of $48,000 to your campaign, and did that influence your decision on voting for her for education secretary?

Senator Daines: [no comment] Just smiled.
 
KT: How will Mrs DeVos’ plans to overhaul the education system affect Montana schools particularly rural school communities?

Senator Daines: [no comment] He smiled and waved.

KT: Senator Daines, why did you silence Senator Elizabeth Warren on the senate floor?

Senator Daines:. [no comment] He smiled and waved.

KT: Senator Daines are your morals, values and ethics in line with that of the Trump Administration?

Senator Daines: [no comment] He smiled and waved.

                                                                                   photo courtesy KBZK video

Bozeman Magazine has made numerous requests to senator Steve Daines office for an interview. We have yet to hear back from him or his office. We contacted the office Friday and the spokesman at the office said that Senator Daines said “it felt like an ambush”.

An ambush of constituents wanting answers from one of Montana’s only two sitting Senators. We are hoping we will get answers to these questions in the upcoming days.

See KBZK's full story and video here.

Winter can be a tough time for us humans, whether struggling with a pesky cold or digging out from the latest snowstorm. Now imagine what it’s like for Montana’s elk population. It’s an especially stressful time for elk, with deep snow and limited food options. That’s why Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is asking shed hunters and other recreationists to give elk their space until the snow melts and the animals are less stressed.

Shed hunting has become increasingly popular in recent years and more competitive. In some cases, that has led individuals to try to get a head start by running elk through trees to break off antlers or to trespass on Montana’s Wildlife Management Areas where elk find sanctuary this time of year (most do not open until noon on May 15). Both are illegal.

Snowmobilers, skiers, and snowshoers should avoid areas where elk are bedded down. It is safest to admire them at a distance.
 
Finally, many elk often come down to lowlands and might be found near homes. It’s critical that dogs be kept on a leash when elk are present. Dogs can cause serious injury or kill animals much larger than themselves. The stress of a chase alone can eventually lead to the death of the animal. And of course, pets can be injured or killed while attempting to take down an animal big or small. Dog owners might be cited for permitting a dog to harass wildlife.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks released a map today indicating the streams in southwest Montana that have tested positive to date for the presence of Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae (PKX). PKX is the parasite associated with the large fish kill in 2016 on the Yellowstone River.

The Big Hole River is the latest Montana waterbody to test positive for the presence of PKX. Other rivers already found to test positive include the Jefferson, Madison, East Gallatin, Gallatin, Yellowstone, Shields (at the Yellowstone), Boulder, Stillwater, and Big Horn. Of these rivers, only on the Yellowstone River has there been a documented disease event associated with PKX. Several Yellowstone tributaries (as noted on the map with white circles) were also tested and the parasite was not detected.

“The presence of the parasite alone doesn’t mean disease,” says FWP Fisheries Chief Eileen Ryce. “However, this map gives us a better handle on the extent of its distribution and reinforces the need to ramp up our fight against aquatic invasive species statewide.”

Recent aquatic invasive species findings in Montana include PKX and invasive mussel larvae in late fall of 2016. Ryce emphasized the need for Montana boaters and other recreationists to always employ the Clean. Drain. Dry. protocol to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species.