After retiring from the Navy as a submarine Master Chief, Mr. Palmer became Field Collecting Supervisor for the Charleston Museum Natural History Department from 1995-2009. He supervised 6 extended museum field collecting trips to Nebraska and South Dakota between 2002-2008 in addition to being the senior preparation and casting member of the Natural History Department. Billy has discovered over 30 new species of fossil vertebrates and invertebrates while also amassing the largest Middle Eocene decapod collection in the world and the largest collection of North American protocetid material. His lecture will cover the work currently being done in South Carolina to recover and study six new species of Middle Eocene protocetids. Information will be presented on their aquatic development and possible land habitation. Premature whale fossils and two infant skeletons that have been collected from the same area, along with other fossils from this area, lends credence to the theory that during the Middle Eocene, North American protocetids were still having their young on land.

Mr. McCollom has been a fossil collector in the Summerville/Charleston, S.C. area for 45 years, first as a hobbyist and then working as a volunteer with the Charleston Museum for about 7 years. He later shifted his affiliation to the S.C. State Museum where his association with them now spans over 20 years. He has been fortunate to work on some major digs with both museums and in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institution when they were assisting on digs in the Lowcountry. His lecture is based on the Camelot site, located at the Giant Cement Quarry in Harleyville, S.C. This middle Pleistocene age site has an incredible abundance of plant and animal fossils, including those of the saber-toothed tiger, Smilodon fatalis. Ongoing excavations are yielding literally thousands of superb quality fossil specimens that are providing invaluable information about the climate, fauna, flora and environment that existed at that time.

Dr. Kent received his Ph.D from the University of Maryland, where he currently is a professor. He is most well known by fossil enthusiasts for his publication Fossil Sharks of the Chesapeake Bay Region. He also co-authored, with George Powell, Reconstructed Dentition of the Rare Lamnoid Shark Parotodus benedini from the Yorktown Formation (Early Pliocene) at Lee Creek Mine, North Carolina. This publication was based on an associated dentition of the extinct Parotodus shark discovered by Clyde Swindell and collected by a team led by George Powell. His lecture will cover Parotodus benedeni, a large,poorly known (and extinct) shark from the Miocene and Pliocene. An associated set of 114 teeth from this shark, collected from Lee Creek Mine, has provided the first definitive evidence on the structure of its dentition. Additional work on the morphology of its teeth has allowed us a better understanding of how this shark may have lived and its role in Miocene and Pliocene oceans.

The Annual Fossil Auction

Friends of the Museum joined forces to insure this year's event was bigger and better than ever. By donating fossils, archeological artifacts, science publications and other paleo-related items, as well as investing many hours of hard work, Friends contribute considerably to the available operating funds of the museum and we commend the Auction Team for their dedication and hard work to insure the success of this nearly five hour event each year.

BJ Blake and Jay Goldberg pose before beginning the ardous task of organizing the large number of auction items.

Dylan has attended the festival every year since his birth. In 2006, he got to help show off the huge Raffle tooth.

Dylan was back in 2007, again helping to raffle the huge C. megalodon tooth. His bright smile proved irrestible to most. Thanks Dylan!

Dylan is beginning to be recognized on the streets of Aurora. In 2008, as our "Official Raffle Boy", he was again helping Miss Anne sell tickets for the big raffle tooth. His efforts are appreciated.

Few could resist Dylan's efforts at selling raffle tickets for the "big tooth". Thanks Dylan!