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Dan Bowden @danbowdenpalaeo.bsky.social · 05/09/2025

A #fossil Snakefly and a modern relative. The fossil is from the early #Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Jinzhou, Liaoning, People's Republic of China. #PaleoSky #Palaeontology #Paleontology #FossilFriday

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Dan Bowden @danbowdenpalaeo.bsky.social · 15/08/2025

Metasequoia cf. occidentalis (the Dawn Redwood) is the most common #fossil plant found in the Lower Middle #Eocene Allenby Formation. Leafy shoots and branchlets are most common, but male and female cones are also occasionally found. #PaleoSky #Palaeontology #Paleontology #FossilFriday

Leafy shoots and branchlets of Metasequoia cf. occidentalis from the Allenby Formation, Princeton, British Columbia.

Three examples of staminate (male) cones of Metasequoia cf. occidentalis from the Allenby Formation, Princeton, British Columbia. And a single seed (female) cone (bottom right).

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Dan Bowden @danbowdenpalaeo.bsky.social · 12/08/2025

I missed #FossilFriday so here are some cool #Eocene flower #fossils from British Columbia’s Allenby Formation. Collected near Princeton, BC. #PaleoSky #Palaeontology #Paleontology #Palaeobotany #Paleobotany

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Dan Bowden @danbowdenpalaeo.bsky.social · 25/07/2025

A teaser of some beautiful #Eocene #fossils that I will start featuring on BlueSky. Collected from the Allenby Formation in the area around Princeton, British Columbia. There are many more fine #insect, #plant, #fish, and #feather fossils to come. So stay tuned. #PaleoSky #FossilFriday

Top left: A fossil March Fly
Top right: A fossil bird feather
Bottom left: A fossil deciduous plant leaf with a toothed margin.
Bottom right: A large fossil flower

All were collected from the Eocene Allenby Formation of Southern British Columbia, near Princeton.

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Dan Bowden @danbowdenpalaeo.bsky.social · 14/07/2025

I’ve been occupied with other things and missed a bunch of posts I had planned. So to get the ball rolling again, here are two examples of Ottoia prolifica, a Middle #Cambrian priapulid worm #fossil from the Burgess Shale, Yoho National Park. #PaleoSky #FossilFriday #Palaeontology #Paleontology

A fine example of Ottoia prolifica, a priapulid worm from the Middle Cambrian Burgess Shale of British Columbia’s Yoho National Park. This photo was taken during my first visit to the Burgess Shale in the summer of 1993. The specimen resides in the collections of the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto.

An example of Ottoia prolifica, a priapulid worm from the Middle Cambrian Burgess Shale of British Columbia’s Yoho National Park. This specimen was acquired from an old collection made prior to the Burgess Shale becoming a protected site. Fossils like this were collected by visitors to the park back when such activities were still allowed, but not encouraged. Hundreds if not thousands of fossils were collected by tourists from Walcott’s Quarry and nearby Mount Stephen. These fossils still occasionally show up at local Rock & Gem shows throughout Canada , the USA, Japan, and Europe.

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Dan Bowden @danbowdenpalaeo.bsky.social · 06/07/2025

A small selection of some of the #insect #fossils I’ve collected from the lacustrine deposits of the #Eocene aged Allenby Formation that outcrops in and around Princeton, British Columbia. #PaleoSky #FossilFriday #Palaeontology #Paleontology #BCfossils

A collection of Eocene insects from the Allenby Formation. Present in this photo are examples of March Flies, Craneflies, Fungus Gnats, Beetles, several types of wasps, Sawflies, ants, Shield Bugs, Water Striders, Assassin Bugs, Froghoppers (spittle bugs) and a few indeterminate insects.

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Dan Bowden @danbowdenpalaeo.bsky.social · 18/06/2025

A photo I took of an enigmatic looking #fossil (Aysheaia pedunculata) 32 years ago at the Burgess Shale (Middle #Cambrian) and the same specimen after being prepped, as it appears on the Royal Ontario Museum’s Burgess Shale website. #PaleoSky #FossilFriday #Palaeontology #Paleontology #Lobopodia

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Dan Bowden @danbowdenpalaeo.bsky.social · 13/06/2025

Two slabs of shale, containing #fossils of the #arthropod Leanchoilia superlata, that were excavated by the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) crew, at the Middle #Cambrian Burgess Shale, led by Des Collins in 1993. Photos made using a #NikonF2 #35mmfilm #PaleoSky #FossilFriday #Palaeontology #Paleontology

The arthropod Leanchoilia superlata overlaying the “claw” and mouth parts of the lobopod Anomalocaris canadensis. These beautiful fossils are preserved with pyrite and contrast well against the dark shale.

Three specimens of the arthropod Leanchoilia superlata on a slab of shale.

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Dan Bowden @danbowdenpalaeo.bsky.social · 11/06/2025

In 2002 I made a second visit to the Burgess Shale in Yoho National Park. While in the Walcott Quarry as part of a guided tour, the guide showed us this Wiwaxia corrugata #fossil that had been found by a visitor earlier in the season. #PaleoSky #Palaeontology #Paleontology #FossilFriday #Cambrian

Wiwaxia corrugata is a stem mollusc in the unranked clade Halwaxiida.

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Dan Bowden @danbowdenpalaeo.bsky.social · 10/06/2025

It’s #trilobitetuesday! A pair of photos of a nice example of Olenoides serratus I took back in 1993 while visiting the Burgess Shale in Yoho National Park. Shot on expired slide film using my Nikon F2 and a 55mm macro lens. #PaleoSky #FossilFriday #Palaeontology #Paleontology #Cambrian #NikonF2

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Dan Bowden @danbowdenpalaeo.bsky.social · 06/06/2025

Ptychagnostus praecurrens is the most common Middle #Cambrian agnostid #trilobite from the Burgess Shale of BC’s Yoho National Park. Specimens of Ptychagnostus praecurrens typically reach 8-10mm in length. #FossilFriday #TrilobiteTuesday #PaleoSky #Palaeontology #Paleontology

Two specimens of Ptychagnostus praecurrens at the top right of the slab. Preserved along with two partial tubes of the priapulid worm Selkirkia columbia.

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Dan Bowden @danbowdenpalaeo.bsky.social · 05/06/2025

Examples of the Middle #Cambrian #trilobite Olenoides serratus from the Burgess Shale.The nearly complete specimen was acquired at the BC Gem and Mineral Show in Chilliwack. The others are from a Rock and Gem shop in Burnaby. All are from old collections #TrilobiteTuesday #FossilFriday #PaleoSky

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Dan Bowden @danbowdenpalaeo.bsky.social · 03/06/2025

For #trilobitetuesday two specimens of Ogygopsis klotzi from my collection. These Burgess Shale #fossils came from old collections made on Mt. Stephen in Yoho National Park. Prior to the 1970’s it was fashionable to collect fossils in the park. A practice that is now illegal. #FossilFriday #PaleoSky

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Dan Bowden @danbowdenpalaeo.bsky.social · 27/05/2025

Pseudagnostus cf. josepha is found at many of the late #Cambrian McKay Group #trilobite localities in the Bull River Valley (British Columbia) where agnostids are known to occur and is the most common #agnostid found at those sites. #trilobitetuesday #FossilFriday #PaleoSky #Palaeontology

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Dan Bowden @danbowdenpalaeo.bsky.social · 25/05/2025

Marrella splendens is an iconic Middle #Cambrian #fossil and the most common genus found in the Burgess Shale, located in Yoho National Park, British Columbia, Canada. Discovered by Charles Walcott, in 1909, he referred to them as “lace crabs” in his field notes. #PaleoSky #FossilFriday #Cambrian

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Dan Bowden @danbowdenpalaeo.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

A selection of Upper #Cambrian Pterocephalia #trilobite fossils from the #McKayGroup of Southeastern BC, Canada. Note the size range of the specimens. The top left specimen is 7mm long. The lower right specimen (a pygidium) is 75mm across. #PaleoSky #TrilobiteTuesday #FossilFriday #Palaeontology

A photo of 8 Pterocephalia trilobite fossils of various sizes illustrating their size range. The top left piece in the photo contains a tiny Pterocephalia measuring 7mm in length along with two even tinier Labiostria westropi trilobites.

The large piece at the lower right in the photo is a pygidium (tail) from what would have been a very large specimen. The pygidium measures 75mm across.

Closeup photo of the top left piece in the first photo.

The largest trilobite (Pterocephalia indet. species) measures 7mm in length.

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Dan Bowden @danbowdenpalaeo.bsky.social · 16/05/2025

A perfectly preserved Stiletto Fly (Therevidae) in #Miocene amber from the Dominican Republic. From my personal collection. #PaleoSky #FossilFriday #Palaeontology #Paleontology #Fossil #FossilCollecting #FossilCollector

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Dan Bowden @danbowdenpalaeo.bsky.social · 13/05/2025

Agnostotes orientalis & Agnostotes weugi are similar looking agnostids from the Upper #Cambrian (Furongian) #McKayGroup of Southeastern British Columbia. It’s thought that A. weugi may have originated from the slightly older A. orientalis. #PaleoSky #TrilobiteTuesday #Palaeontology #Paleontology

Agnostotes orientalis (length = 13mm).

Note the shape of the deuterolobe (axial lobe of the pygidium). The margins of that lobe are angular.

Agnostotes weugi (length = 11.5mm).

Note the rounded margins of the pygidial deuterolobe (=axil lobe of the pygidium).

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Dan Bowden @danbowdenpalaeo.bsky.social · 08/05/2025

An unexpected & exciting surprise! This Anechocephalus rebeccaae #trilobite was hidden away with many similar looking Labiostria westropi that I collected 15-20 years ago in the Upper Cambrian #McKayGroup of SE British Columbia. Rarest bug in my collection! #PaleoSky #FossilFriday #TrilobiteTuesday

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Dan Bowden @danbowdenpalaeo.bsky.social · 06/05/2025

Proceratopyge canadensis and Proceratopyge rectispinata are similar species of #trilobites from the Upper #Cambrian #McKayGroup of S.E. British Columbia. Both occur in the Wujiajiania lyndasmithae Subzone of the Elvinia Zone. #TrilobiteTuesday #FossilFriday #Palaeontology #Paleontology #PaleoSky

Note the diffences between the axial lobes, glabella shape and glabellar furrows. Proceratopyge canadensis (left) and Proceratopyge rectispinata (right)

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Dan Bowden @danbowdenpalaeo.bsky.social · 02/05/2025

Now that it’s getting warmer out, it’s Bee season. These tiny bees preserved in #amber once pollinated flowers 15-20 million years ago, during the #Miocene Epoch, in what is now the Dominican Republic. Specimens from my collection. #FossilFriday #PaleoSky #Palaeontology #Paleontology

Miocene Halictid Bee in amber from the Dominican Republic

Proplebia doominicana is a stingless bee

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Dan Bowden @danbowdenpalaeo.bsky.social · 30/04/2025

It’s #trilobitetuesday again so here’s another Upper #Cambrian #trilobite from Southeastern British Columbia’s #McKayGroup. This one is Orygmaspis doriansmithi. Length = 6mm. #FossilFriday #PaleoSky #Palaeontology #Paleontology #fossil #fossils #FossilCollecting #InvertebrateFossil

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Dan Bowden @danbowdenpalaeo.bsky.social · 28/04/2025

These beautiful freshwater snail #fossils are tiny works of art! From the #Eocene #AllenbyFormation of Southern British Columbia’s interior region. #MolluscMonday #FossilFriday #PaleoSky #Palaeontology #Paleontology #FossilCollecting

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Dan Bowden @danbowdenpalaeo.bsky.social · 23/04/2025

Two Upper #Cambrian #trilobites of the genus Orygmaspis from the #McKayGroup of Southeastern British Columbia, Canada. See the figures for details on the differences and species names (Alt text). #trilobitetuesday #FossilFriday #PaleoSky #Palaeontology #Paleontology

Figure plate of Orygmaspis mckelleri (A) and Orygmaspis spinula from a comprehensive monograph on McKay Group trilobites. The diagrams show the differences between these very similar trilobites.

Chatterton, Brian D.E., and Stacey Gibb, 2016. Furongian (Upper Cambrian) trilobites from the McKay Group, Bull River Valley, southeastern BC, Canada. Palaeontographica Canadiana No. 35

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Dan Bowden @danbowdenpalaeo.bsky.social · 15/04/2025

Orygmaspis contracta is one of 8 species of the genus Orygmaspis currently known from the Upper #Cambrian #McKayGroup of Southeastern British Columbia, Canada. #TrilobiteTuesday #Trilobite #PaleoSky #Palaeontology #Paleontology #Fossil #FossilCollecting

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Dan Bowden @danbowdenpalaeo.bsky.social · 14/04/2025

The #heteromorph #ammonite Polyptychoceras vancouverense from the late #Cretaceous #NanaimoGroup of Saanich Peninsula, Vancouver Island. Complete examples are often referred to as "Candy Canes”, because they are cane shaped. #MolluscMonday #PaleoSky #Palaeontology #Paleontology #Fossil

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Dan Bowden @danbowdenpalaeo.bsky.social · 10/04/2025

Some spectacular "hoppers" (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha) preserved in #Miocene amber from the Dominican Republic. Part of my personal collection. #FossilFriday #PaleoSky #Palaeontology #Paleontology #Palaeoentomology #fossil #FossilCollecting

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Dan Bowden @danbowdenpalaeo.bsky.social · 08/04/2025

Two specimens of the #trilobite Olenaspella chrisnewi from the Upper #Cambrian McKay Group of the southern Canadian Rockies. Named in honour of Cranbrook resident and trilobite collector Chris New. #TrilobiteTuesday #PaleoSky #Palaeontology #Paleontology #FossilFriday #FossilCollecting #McKayGroup

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Dan Bowden @danbowdenpalaeo.bsky.social · 07/04/2025

Three Upper #Cretaceous #gastropods collected from the Nanaimo Group of Saanich Peninsula and Sidney Island, British Columbia, Canada. #PaleoSky #MolluscMonday #FossilFriday #Palaeontology #Paleontology #Fossil #FossilCollecting #MyFossilCollection

Internal mould of a Naticidae Gastropod from a construction site along Lands End road, Saanich Peninsula, Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

Indeterminate Gastropod from the Haslam Formation found at a beach exposure near Swartz Bay, Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

cf Hemiacirsa newcombii from Sidney Island, British Columbia

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Dan Bowden @danbowdenpalaeo.bsky.social · 05/04/2025

Another amazing spider preserved in 15-20 million year old #Miocene #amber from the Dominican Republic. Part of my personal collection. #PaleoSky #FossilFriday #SpiderSaturday #SpiderSunday #Arachnid #Arachnida #Palaeontology #Paleontology #FossilCollecting #AmberInclusions

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Dan Bowden @danbowdenpalaeo.bsky.social · 01/04/2025

Two Kendallina sp. trilobites from the Upper Cambrian (Furongian) McKay Group of Southeastern British Columbia. For #TrilobiteTuesday or #FossilFriday

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Dan Bowden @danbowdenpalaeo.bsky.social · 31/03/2025

A couple of beautiful spiders preserved in Miocene amber from the Dominican Republic. I can’t get over how perfectly preserved they are. #Amber #PaleoSky #FossilFriday #SpiderSunday #SpiderSaturday #Palaeontology #Paleontology #FossilCillecting

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Dan Bowden @danbowdenpalaeo.bsky.social · 25/03/2025

They might not look like much, but these Burnetiella leechi are amongst the rarer #LateCambrian #trilobites found in the #McKayGroup of southeastern British Columbia. In 30 years of collecting, I’ve only ever found these 2! #PaleoSky #Palaeontology #Paleontology #FossilFriday #TrilobiteTuesday

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Dan Bowden @danbowdenpalaeo.bsky.social · 18/03/2025

Cernuolimbus ludvigseni Local collectors call them "snow ploughs" after the upturned anterior margin that is plough-like. They are found in the lowest trilobite bearing levels of the #McKayGroup, Southeastern BC, Bull River Valley area. #TrilobiteTuesday #PaleoSky #Palaeontology #Paleontology

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Dan Bowden @danbowdenpalaeo.bsky.social · 17/03/2025

A beautiful Sphenoceramus elegans from the Late #Cretaceous of Vancouver Island. An unexpected find in a beach worn cobble at a spot with no nearby fossil bearing rocks. Perhaps dropped by a glacier during the last ice age. #PaleoSky #NanaimoGroup #Palaeontology #Paleontology #HaslamFormation

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Dan Bowden @danbowdenpalaeo.bsky.social · 11/03/2025

#trilobitetuesday At a spot near Whiteswan Lake, in Southeastern British Columbia, numerous #trilobites are found preserved in lightly metamorphosed green slatey shale. Close to 100% of those #trilobites are Housia canadensis. #PaleoSky #UpperCambrian #McKaGroup #palaeontology #paleontology #fossil

Five specimens of the Late Cambrian trilobite Housia canadensis from the McKay Group of Southeastern British Columbia, Canada.

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Dan Bowden @danbowdenpalaeo.bsky.social · 10/03/2025

Examples of the ammonite Gaudryceras sp. collected from the Upper Cretaceous Nanaimo Group of Saanich Peninsula, Vancouver Island. Though not the best preserved specimens, they are the only ones I was able to collect back in 1990. #MolluscMonday #FossilFriday #UpperCretaceous #Ammonite #NanaimoGroup

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Dan Bowden @danbowdenpalaeo.bsky.social · 03/03/2025

A Pachydiscid ammonite collected from the Late Cretaceous Haslam Formation of Saanich Peninsula. This is the largest and most complete ammonite I’ve ever found on Saanich Peninsula. It measures 23cm at the widest point. #MolluscMonday #FossilFriday #UpperCretaceous #Ammonite #NanaimoGroup #HaslamFm

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Dan Bowden @danbowdenpalaeo.bsky.social · 25/02/2025

#TrilobiteTuesday Eight species of Irvingella are found in the Upper Cambrian McKay Group of Southeastern British Columbia. Irvingella major (top) & I. flohri (bottom) are the most common ones found #PaleoSky #Paleontology #Palaeontology #Cambrian #UpperCambrian #Trilobite #Fossil #FossilCollecting

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Dan Bowden @danbowdenpalaeo.bsky.social · 24/02/2025

A few more more for #MolluscMonday These bivalves were collected from the Late Cretaceous rocks of the Nanaimo Group on Saanich Peninsula, Vancouver Island. #PaleoSky #Fossils #FossilCollecting #NanaimoGroup #Cretaceous #CretaceousPeriod #Paleontology #Palaeontology #FossilFriday

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Dan Bowden @danbowdenpalaeo.bsky.social · 24/02/2025

#MolluscMonday Examples of Sphenoceramus cf sachalinensis and S. cf naumanni from the Late Cretaceous Nanaimo Group of Saanich Peninsula, Vancouver Island. #PaleoSky #Fossils #FossilCollecting #NanaimoGroup #Cretaceous #CretaceousPeriod #FossilFriday #Paleontology #Palaeontology

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Dan Bowden @danbowdenpalaeo.bsky.social · 21/02/2025

An assortment of late Cretaceous spatangoid urchins collected from the Haslam Formation of Saanich Peninsula, Vancouver Island, BC, Canada. Part of an ongoing project to organize and document fossils in my collection. #FossilFriday #PaleoSky #FossilCollecting #Fossils #Cretaceous #NanaimoGroup

Late Cretaceous spatangoid sea urchin fossils from Saanich Peninsula, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.

From the collection of Dan Bowden

More Late Cretaceous spatangoid sea urchin fossils from Saanich Peninsula, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.

From the collection of Dan Bowden

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Dan Bowden @danbowdenpalaeo.bsky.social · 18/02/2025

These spiny Aciculolenus palmeri trilobites are quite small, rarely exceeding 1cm in length. The smallest ones in these photos are around 5mm and the largest around 9-10mm. See my previous post featuring these trilobites earlier today. #PaleoSky #TrilobiteTuesday

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Dan Bowden @danbowdenpalaeo.bsky.social · 18/02/2025

Aciculolenus palmeri from the Upper Cambrian (Furongian) McKay Group of Southeastern British Columbia. These spiny olenid trilobites are some of the coolest in the McKay Group. #Paleosky #Fossil #FossilCollecting #Paleontology #Palaeontology #Cambrian #CambrianPeriod #Trilobite #TrilobiteTuesday

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Dan Bowden @danbowdenpalaeo.bsky.social · 15/02/2025

I am Canadian! Celebrating Canada’s Flag. Representing the "true North strong and free” since February 15, 1965.

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