David Parris will be presenting brand-new information at the annual New Jersey Super Science Weekend in the State Capitol Complex on Saturday and Sunday, May 19 and 20, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the grounds of the New Jersey State Museum in Trenton. Parris, a longtime West Windsor resident and the museum’s natural history curator, will return this weekend from a trip to Dalian, Liaoning, China as part of an exchange program from International Partnerships Among Museums (IPAM) which is part of the American Association of Museums (AAM). “The project is funded by the Department of State, and designed to encourage international cooperation in general,” says Parris. General admission to the two-day event is free, with nominal fees for some activities.
Parris is scheduled to talk about “Ice Age Mammals of New Jersey,” plans to also talk about China’s famous Ice Age fossils including the impressive woolly rhinoceroses that he studied in Dalian. “Dalian and New Jersey have much in common — including beautiful peninsulas with lots of fossils on the east coasts of their respective continents,” he says.
He was working with Wang Xuri, a paleontologist at the Dalian Natural History Museum. “Both of us work much of the time with dinosaurs and other fossil animals of the Mesozoic Era, in rocks that are about 60 million to 150 million years old,” says Parris. Xuri spent a month with Parris last summer, collecting fossils and visiting paleontologists in New Jersey, and then Parris did the same thing in China.
“The trip has been very productive and we plan to design exhibitions for our two museums based on our joint efforts, with each museum lending significant specimens to the other for the duration of the exhibitions in both countries,” he says.
“New Jersey, home of America’s first dinosaur discoveries, is a great place to be if you’re a paleontologist,” he says. “I’m still looking for New Jersey’s first definite evidence of a bison. Back when much of the world’s water was tied up in continental ice sheets, there were animals grazing out there on the continental shelf.”
“New Jersey has lots of Ice Age mammals too, such as our famous fossil elephants and mastodons,” says Parris. “Geologically, they aren’t so old; most of them only 10 to 15,”000 years-old, but they are very significant finds.”
“Many of the latest discoveries are dredged from the continental shelf off New Jersey, and I will be emphasizing those finds; many of them are large teeth and bones,” says Parris. “Part of my presentation will include a production of information from Hunter Research of Trenton.
“Many of the latest discoveries are dredged from the continental shelf off New Jersey, and I will be emphasizing those finds; many of them are large teeth and bones,” says Parris.
His wife, Sue, born in West Windsor, works at New Jersey’s Division of Addiction Services in Trenton. Their sons include Dan, 21, a student at Mercer College; and Tim, 16, a sophomore at High School South. William (Billy), who died in September at the age of 25.
During the two-day event, representatives from numerous scientific organizations, including the Delaware Valley Paleontological Society with a fossil dig sand box for children of all ages, the American Entomological Society’s fascinating collection of bugs, and the Philadelphia Society of Botanical Illustrators’ will offer continuous demonstrations in the galleries.
Parris, not confined to paleontology on his recent trip, received information on all of the natural history of the region of northeastern China, including geology, zoology, and botany, and a good introduction to cultural history, including the archaeology of the area. “Cultural immersion has been very strong,” he says. “Although Mr. Wang speaks English very well, I’m very grateful to Wan Lin (Nancy) Yan for the Chinese language instruction that she has given to me at the West Windsor Senior Center.”
— Lynn Miller
Super Science Family Festival, New Jersey State Museum, 225 West State Street, Trenton, 609-292-6464. www.newjerseystatemuseum.org. Family festival features activities for participants of all ages with more than 30 science exhibitors presenting educational hands-on activities. Rain or shine, on the grounds of the museum. General admission and most of the programs are free. Saturday and Sunday, May 19 and 20, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
