Go back in time to when Oncorhynchus rastrosus swam the Deschutes River.
This is an online program. Registration is required.
Learn about Oncorhynchus rastrosus, a giant extinct salmon that once lived on the west coast of North America. They were 8 - 10 feet long and weighed up to 500 pounds. They became extinct about 6 1/2 million years ago and were filter-feeders, feeding on pinhead-sized zooplankton. They had two enormous teeth in their upper jaw, which has given them the nickname of "Spike Tooth Salmon." Their fossils have been found from the mainstem Columbia River to estuaries in Southern California, and they probably lived in British Columbia and Alaska too. However, the best specimens in the world come from a small gravel quarry north of Madras owned by Sean Vibbert. In the last 60 years, almost 20 partial specimens have been found in this quarry, 16 of them in the last 4 years. This explosion of new specimens will enable us to better understand the anatomy, lifestyle, and ecology of this greatest of all Salmon.
Illustration image by Ray Troll.
About the Presenter:
Gregory Carr is the current secretary of the North America Research Group, a Portland-based club of fossil enthusiasts. He has a long history of collecting and preparing fossils, especially from Oregon. His family has discovered several new species of plants and animals, including the oldest known vertebrate from Oregon (a Triassic Marine Reptile known as a Thalattosaur). He has also found and prepared the majority of the specimens of Giant Salmon Oncorhynchus rastrosus. A frequent public speaker about fossils and paleoclimatology, he also volunteers at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry in their Paleontology lab.
Questions? Contact laurelh@deschuteslibrary.org
AGE GROUP: | Adult |
EVENT TYPE: | Adult Program |
Online Only
