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Herbicide resistance in western Canada has increased interest in alternative weed management strategies. Physical impact mills, a form of harvest weed seed control, have been identified as a strategy that may be well suited for Canadian use. The efficacy of the Harrington Seed Destructor, a physical impact mill, was evaluated in 20 producer fields in Alberta on a wide spectrum of weed species over 3 years. Significant differences in weed densities between the physical impact mill treatment and the regular harvest densities were few; however, some population density reductions were observed. Measurable reductions in weed densities may have been limited by the short timeframe of the experiment, the high initial densities of the weeds, or the targeted weed species having dormancy or longer term seedbanks. Additionally, identified knowledge gaps on how best to optimize physical impact mill efficacy may have reduced the efficacy of the physical impact mill in this study. This study showed no conclusive evidence for the efficacy of a physical impact mill on tested weed species under field conditions. However, it did provide a number of important considerations for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Forest Research is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Plant Science is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Forest Research is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Geotechnical Journal is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Zoology is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Zoology is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Environmental Reviews is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Epigenetics is revealing how "nature is nurtured", with environmental factors such as nutrition, environmental neurotoxicants, and psychological stress influencing DNA expression. In this current opinion paper, we argue that understanding the dynamic interplay between the genome acquired at conception and environmental exposures throughout life requires pregnancy and birth cohorts, and that greater Canadian national commitment to the infrastructure needed for sustaining such cohorts is warranted. We present a framework that is now being implemented in Alberta.

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Copyright of Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Albertosaurus bonebed provides evidence for the mass-mortality of at least 12 Albertosaurus. Albertosaurus, other vertebrates, and trees are concentrated on upper point bar surfaces of a small meandering paleochannel. Throughout the field area, Albertosaurus, other vertebrates, and coalified plants are also preserved patchily in overbank mudstones at the same horizon. Although the bonebed is dominated by Albertosaurus, there are also sparse macrofossil remains of Hypacrosaurus and Albertonykus. The basal lag yields vertebrate microfossils containing at least 19 additional taxa. Freshwater invertebrates are preserved at and below the base of the paleochannel. Large elements are over represented at the site, whereas smaller elements are under represented, suggesting hydraulic sorting. The taphonomic signature of the site suggests that death, disarticulation, and burial took place within one year. We conclude that one or more storms of large intensity downed trees and temporarily drowned the paleolandscape, ultimately killing the tyrannosaurids directly or indirectly. Logs and carcasses were reworked on a point bar during the waning stages of the storm and over subsequent years. Scavenging and breakage of remains by large carnivores was probably inhibited by the mixed log and bone jam. Remains of smaller scavengers (small theropods and snails) are plentiful suggesting these forms were more successful at accessing remains. Juvenile Albertosaurus are under represented at the site suggesting the possibility of age segregation. Because the group of Albertosaurus may have been forced together by rising floodwaters, it is not possible to assess the degree to which the taxon was gregarious from these data alone. Le gisement d'ossements d'Albertosaurus témoigne de la mortalité massive d'au moins douze Albertosaurus. Albertosaurus, d'autres vertébrés et des arbres sont concentrés sur des surfaces supérieures de barre de méandre d'un petit paléochenal méandrique. Dans toute la région, Albertosaurus, d'autres vertébrés et des plantes carbonisées sont également préservés par endroits dans des mudstones de débordement situés au même horizon. Bien que le gisement d'ossements soit dominé par Albertosaurus, il présente également ça et là des restes de macrofossiles d'Hypacrosaurus et d'Albertonykus. Le dépôt de déflation à la base du paléochenal présente des microfossiles de vertébrés d'au moins 19 autres taxons. Des invertébrés d'eau douce sont préservés à la base du paléochenal et sous celle-ci. Les grands éléments sont sur-représentés dans le site, alors que les éléments plus petits sont sous-représentés, ce qui suggère un tri hydraulique. La signature taphonomique du site suggère que la mort, la désarticulation et l'enfouissement ont eu lieu dans la même année. Il est conclu qu'une ou plusieurs tempêtes de forte intensité ont abattu les arbres et provisoirement noyé le paléopaysage, entraînant finalement la mort directe ou indirecte des tyrannosauridés. Les billots et les carcasses ont été remaniés sur une barre de méandre vers la fin de la tempête et au cours des années subséquentes. L'embâcle de billes et d'ossements a probablement empêché la récupération et le bri des restes par des grands carnivores. La présence de nombreux restes de détritivores plus petits (petits théropodes et escargots) donne à penser que ces animaux pouvaient accéder aux restes plus efficacement. Les Albertosaurus juvéniles sont sous-représentés dans le site, ce qui porte à croire à une ségrégation selon l'âge. tant donné que la montée des eaux pourrait avoir provoqué le rassemblement du groupe d'Albertosaurus, il est n'est pas possible d'évaluer le degré de grégarisme de ce taxon à la lumière de ces seules données. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Horseshoeichthys armaserratus, gen. et sp. nov., (Clupeomorpha: Ellimmichthyiformes: Sorbinichthyidae) is described from the Horseshoe Canyon Formation (Maastrichtian), Albertosaurus bonebed locality, Alberta, Canada. Horseshoeichthys armaserratus is classified as an ellimmichthyiform based on the following characters: the presence of a sixth infraorbital with a sensory canal that leads to the fifth infraorbital, absence of a supraorbital bone, subrectangular predorsal scutes, parietals in contact with each other at the midline, and two supramaxillae. The specimen is classified in the Sorbinichthyidae Family as it has abdominal ribs articulating in pits on the centra, posterior spines on predorsal scutes, and absence of a median spine on predorsal scutes. A new genus and species is proposed based on the presence of (anteriorly) Y-shaped mesethmoid, supraorbital, subrectangular predorsal scutes with coarse, rounded serrae on the posterior margin and a large anterior projection, scales with serrae on the circuli, and two postcleithra. This specimen represents the first freshwater ellimmichthyiform from the Upper Cretaceous of North America and the highest paleolatitude (59°N) occurrence known for the family. Furthermore, the dentary and centra have distinctive morphologies that are matched by specimens in microvertebrate localities from three underlying formations, including the Milk River Formation (Santonian), which indicates at least a 14 million year history for this lineage. Horseshoeichthys armaserratus, gen. et sp. nov., (Clupeomorpha: Ellimmichthyiformes: Sorbinichthyidae), de la localité du gisement d'ossements d'Albertosaurus de la Formation de Horseshoe Canyon (Maastrichtien), en Alberta, au Canada, est décrit. Horseshoeichthys armaserratus est affecté aux ellimmichthyiformes à la lumière des caractères suivants : la présence d'un sixième sous-orbitaire présentant un canal sensoriel qui mène au cinquième sous-orbitaire, l'absence d'un os sus-orbitaire, des plaques osseuses pré-dorsales sub-rectangulaires, des pariétaux en contact les uns avec les autres au niveau de la ligne médiane et deux sus-maxillaires. Le spécimen est affecté aux sorbinichthyidés puisqu'il présente des côtes abdominales s'articulant dans des fosses sur le centrum et des épines postérieures sur les plaques osseuses pré-dorsales, et que ces dernières n'ont pas d'épine médiane. Un nouveau genre et une nouvelle espèce sont proposés à la lumière de la présence d'un mésethmoïde (antérieurement) en forme de Y, d'un sus-orbitaire, de plaques osseuses pré-dorsales sub-rectangulaires présentant des stries arrondies et épaisses sur leur bord libre postérieur et une grande projection antérieure, d'écailles avec des stries sur le circulus et de deux postcleithra. Ce spécimen représente le premier ellimmichthyiforme d'eau douce du Crétacé supérieur de l'Amérique du Nord et l'exemple connu de cette famille provenant de la plus haute paléolatitude (59oN). En outre, le dentaire et le centrum présentent des morphologies particulières semblables à celles de spécimens trouvés dans des localités de microvertébrés de trois formations sous-jacentes, dont la Formation de Milk River (Santonien), ce qui indique une histoire d'au moins 14 millions d'années pour cette lignée. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After many years of taxonomic uncertainty, Albertosaurus was established as a new genus in 1905, the year Alberta became a province of Canada. Gorgosaurus is a closely related tyrannosaurid from the Judithian beds of southern Alberta that was subsequently synonymized with Albertosaurus. Although most researchers consider the genera as distinct, there has been considerable confusion over the temporal and geographic range of Albertosaurus. Albertosaurus sarcophagus is only known from 13 skulls and (or) skeletons of varying completeness, and one (possibly two) bonebeds, all from the Horseshoe Canyon Formation (Campanian-Maastrichtian) of Alberta. Many of the major Albertosaurus specimens are scientifically compromised due to poor collection techniques, incomplete locality and stratigraphic information, politics, vandalism, accidents, gunplay, and landowner issues. The background of each specimen is discussed to eliminate some of the sources of confusion and to document how much of each specimen is preserved. Après de nombreuses années d'incertitude taxonomique, le nouveau genre Albertosaurus était établi en 1905, année où l'Alberta devenait une province du Canada. Par la suite, Gorgosaurus, un tyrannosauridé étroitement apparenté provenant de lits judithiens du sud de l'Alberta, était synonymisé avec Albertosaurus. Bien que la plupart des chercheurs considèrent que ces genres sont distincts, une certaine confusion règne concernant la portée temporelle et géographique d'Albertosaurus. La connaissance d'Albertosaurus sarcophagus ne repose que sur treize crânes ou squelettes de divers degrés de complétude et sur un (possiblement deux) gisement d'ossements, tous de la Formation de Horseshoe Canyon (Campanien-Maastrichtien) de l'Alberta. L'intégrité, du point de vue scientifique, de bon nombre des principaux spécimens d'Albertosaurus est compromise en raison de mauvaises techniques de prélèvement, de renseignements géographiques et stratigraphiques incomplets, de questions de nature politique, de vandalisme, d'accidents, de tirs d'armes à feu et de problèmes avec des propriétaires fonciers. Le contexte de chacun des spécimens est examiné afin d'éliminer certaines sources de confusion et de documenter le degré de préservation de chaque spécimen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decade, excavations of a monodominant theropod bonebed from the lower Maastrichtian beds of the Horseshoe Canyon Formation have recovered a minimum number of 26 individuals of the tyrannosaur, Albertosaurus sarcophagus. Examination of skeletal elements from the bonebed revealed a small number of abnormalities from at least two individuals. These include bony spurs (enthesophytes) of unknown origin on three pedal phalanges. Well-healed fracture calluses are present on two rib shafts and a gastralia element. The left dentary of one adult preserves both healed and unhealed parallel bite marks and a perforative lesion attributable to a partially healed, mechanically induced puncture wound. Unfortunately, the limited range in the types and frequencies of pathological changes provides only little information on the distribution of such phenomena but may be suggestive of the overall 'health' of the population. Au cours de la dernière décennie, des excavations d'un gisement d'ossements à théropodes monodominant dans des lits du Maastrichtien inférieur de la Formation de Horseshoe Canyon ont produit un minimum de 26 exemplaires du tyrannosaure Albertosaurus sarcophagus. L'examen d'éléments squelettiques provenant du gisement a révélé un petit nombre d'anomalies chez au moins deux exemplaires, dont des éperons osseux (enthésophytes) d'origine inconnue sur trois phalanges pédieuses. Des cals de fractures bien consolidées sont présents sur deux diaphyses de côte et un élément de gastralium. L'os dentaire gauche d'un adulte conserve des marques de morsure parallèles guéries et non guéries, ainsi qu'une lésion perforante attribuable à une plaie punctiforme d'origine mécanique partiellement guérie. Malheureusement, la gamme limitée des types et des fréquences de modifications pathologiques ne fournit que peu d'information sur la distribution de ces phénomènes, mais pourrait être un indicateur de la « santé » globale de la population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1910 a crew from the American Museum of Natural History discovered a bone bed composed primarily of the large tyrannosaurid Albertosaurus sarcophagus in what is now Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park in Alberta, Canada. Study of the remains from the site allowed the first life table and survivorship curve for a non-avian dinosaur to be created. These have served as a model for subsequent studies of dinosaurian population biology. Since 2006, the discovery and preparation of hundreds of new elements from the bone bed stand to substantially increase the minimum number of individuals (MNI) represented. This would allow testing of previous conclusions regarding the population biology of these animals and refinement of our understanding of the patterns of survivorship. Here, four formerly unrecognized individuals from the Dry Island assemblage are revealed and a revised life table presented. As in the previous analysis, a left skewed age distribution and sigmoidal survivorship pattern were found. Annual mortality rates averaged 3.47% between ages two and 13 and then increased to a mean of 19.5% prior to extinction of the cohort after 28 years of age. Mean life expectancy for individuals surviving to two years of age was 15.19 years. Mid-life increase in attrition corresponds to entrance into the breeding population. The MNI is unlikely to substantially increase, and new individuals are unlikely to affect the pattern of survivorship inferred here. Nevertheless, future excavations stand to reveal more about the anatomical and pathological variance within the Dry Island Albertosaurus population. En 1910, une équipe du American Museum of Natural History découvrait un gisement d'ossements composé principalement de restes du grand tyrannosauridé Albertosaurus sarcophagus, dans l'actuel territoire du parc provincial de Dry Island Buffalo Jump, en Alberta (Canada). L'étude des restes prélevés du site permettait l'établissement des premières table de vie et courbe de survie pour un dinosaure non aviaire, qui ont servi de modèles pour des études subséquentes de la biologie des populations des dinosaures. La découverte et la préparation, de puis 2006, de centaines de nouveaux éléments provenant du gisement d'ossements devraient accroître considérablement le nombre minimum d'exemplaires (NME) représentés, ce qui permettrait de vérifier des conclusions antérieures concernant la biologie des populations de ces animaux et d'améliorer la compréhension des patrons de survie. Quatre exemplaires provenant de Dry Island qui, à ce jour, n'étaient pas reconnus sont révélés ici, et une table de vie révisée est présentée. Comme dans l'analyse précédente, une distribution des âges désaxée vers la gauche et un patron de survie sigmoïde sont obtenus. La moyenne des taux de mortalité annuelle est de 4,47 % pour les exemplaires de deux à 13 ans, et augmente à 19,5 % pour les exemplaires de 28 ans et plus, avant l'extinction de la cohorte. L'espérance de vie moyenne pour les exemplaires qui atteignent deux ans est de 15,19 ans. L'augmentation de l'attrition à mi-vie correspond à l'entrée dans la population en âge de reproduction. Il est peu probable que le NME augmente de manière importante et que l'ajout de nouveaux exemplaires change le patron de survie obtenu. Ceci dit, de nouvelles excavations devraient fournir plus d'information sur la variance anatomique et pathologique au sein de la population d'Albertosaurus de Dry Island. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Geotechnical Journal is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Forest Research is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Geotechnical Journal is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Santonian Deadhorse Coulee Member of the Milk River Formation preserves the oldest dinosaur body fossils found in Alberta. However, vertebrate remains consist almost exclusively of isolated elements and microvertebrate assemblages. Here, 1572 relatively complete shed non-avian theropod teeth from 20 localities in the Deadhorse Coulee Member are measured and analyzed to assess species diversity. Teeth are referred to or similar to Tyrannosaurinae indet., cf. Richardoestesia gilmorei, cf. Richardoestesia isosceles, Dromaeosauridae indet., Dromaeosaurinae indet., Velociraptorinae indet., and cf. Paronychodon lacustris. For the taxa identified, the large sample size allows for the assessment of their range of variation and accurate identification, without the benefit of comparable material of this age. Multivariate statistics, including a principal component analysis and a canonical variate analysis, provide reasonable separation of all taxa, although better results are achieved by separate analyses based on qualitative observations of denticle shape. The best results of the canonical variate analysis identified 96.0% of specimens correctly. This corroborates the qualitative identification of specimens and illustrates a valid way of evaluating diversity in areas and formations from which no described jaw material is known. Le membre santonien de Deadhorse Coulee, de la Formation de Milk River, renferme les plus anciens fossiles corporels de dinosaures trouvés en Alberta. Toutefois, les restes de vertébrés sont constitués presque exclusivement d’éléments isolés et d’assemblages de microvertébrés. Dans la présente étude, 1572 dents perdues relativement complètes de théropodes non-aviens provenant de plus de 20 localités dans le membre de Deadhorse Coulee ont été mesurées et analysées afin d’évaluer la diversité spécifique. Ces dents sont attribuées à Tyrannosaurinae indet., cf. Richardoestesia gilmorei, cf. Richardoestesia isosceles, Dromaeosauridae indet., Dromaeosaurinae indet., Velociraptorinae indet., et cf. Paronychodon lacustris. Pour les taxons identifiés, la taille importante de l’échantillon permet l’évaluation de leur variabilité et de l’exactitude d’une identification réalisée sans le recours à du matériel comparable du même âge. Des méthodes de statistique multivariée, dont l’analyse en composantes principales et l’analyse canonique, permettent une séparation raisonnablement fiable de tous les taxons, bien que des analyses basées sur la description qualitative de la forme des denticules donnent de meilleurs résultats. Dans les meilleurs cas, l’analyse canonique permet l’identification exacte de 96,0 % des spécimens. Ceci corrobore l’identification qualitative des spécimens et illustre une approche valide d’évaluation de la diversité dans des régions ou formations dont du matériel maxillaire n’a pas encore été décrit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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A skeleton of a new ceratopsid dinosaur, Eotriceratops xerinsularis gen. et sp. nov., is described in this paper. It is the first associated vertebrate skeleton found within the upper 20 m of the Horseshoe Canyon Formation. Eotriceratops xerinsularis is a large chasmosaurine that differs from other chasmosaurines in a unique set of features in the premaxilla, nasal horn core, squamosal frill, and epijugal. The most striking of those features includes an extremely tall, non-recessed narial process of the premaxilla; the presence of greatly elongate, spindle-shaped epoccipitals on the squamosal frill; a deep, well-demarcated fossa on the anteroventral surface of the squamosal frill; a sharply conical epijugal with a pronounced proximoposterior process and separate fossa-like facets for the jugal and quadratojugal; and the presence of an obliquely extending vascular trace meeting a transverse vascular trace ventrally on the anterior surface of the nasal horn core. Our phylogenetic analysis suggests that E. xerinsularis is nested within a clade including Triceratops, Diceratops, and Torosaurus, which are all from late Maastrichtian deposits. The upper 20 m of the Horseshoe Canyon Formation comprises a coal-rich interval (Carbon–Thompson coal zone, unit 5), which previously has been assigned to upper Maastrichtian magnetochrons 31n and 30r, and the Mancicorpus gibbus miospore subzone. The ceratopsid specimen was collected from between the Carbon and Thompson coal seams, and thus, is inferred to (1) occur near the top of magnetochron 31n and (2) have an age of 67.6–68.0 Ma. Large chasmosaurine ceratopsids, such as Triceratops and Torosaurus, have not previously been described from the Horseshoe Canyon Formation or from magnetochron 31n or the M. gibbus miospore subzone. Thus, Eotriceratops is distinctly older than any other ceratopsid in the Triceratops group, and the discovery of E. xerinsularis helps fill a biostratigraphic gap between early and late Maastrichtian chasmosaurines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Canadian Journal of Botany is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Environmental Engineering & Science is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Recent archaeological excavations at a deeply stratified site in northwest Calgary, Alberta have uncovered four occupation layers spanning the interval from 8000 to 2000 BP. Depending on the dating one accepts for the Holocene thermal maximum, two or more of these occupations occurred during this interval of aridity. This site thus provides a record of human occupation during the Archaic (Middle Prehistoric I) period in the Calgary area. More importantly, the site occurs in an upland setting, apparently far removed from reliable sources of water and normal environments of deposition. Yet, the cultural deposits occur in sediments which extend 2 m below surface and include five sedimentary units as well as a minimum of three pedogenic units. This paper presents the results of geoarchaeological research on the changing landscape for the site and notes the implications of these changes for the study of Archaic manifestations on the northern Plains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Forest Research is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Artificial neural network (ANN) technology has evolved from the experimental stage into actual industrial applications. To achieve this significant transition, careful planning and adjustment are required. This paper illustrates such an example in the water treatment industry. The project objective is to upgrade the ANN models from a previous research project and install the system on-line in the Rossdale Water Treatment Plant in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, to forecast raw water colour one day ahead. The article discusses the important issues and techniques to upgrade the neural network model to the actual application. Furthermore, sufficient communication is also required between the designers and the users to address the applicability and user friendly issues in model implementation. Failure in communication can render the whole process ineffective. Possible improvements are also recommended for the future on-line applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on the application of artificial neural network (ANN) techniques for predicting the concentration of trihalomethanes (THMs) in finished water at the E.L. Smith Water Treatment Plant (WTP) in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The formation of THMs in finished water involves many complex chemical reactions and interactions that are difficult to model using conventional methods. The formation of THMs has been found to be correlated to raw and treated water quality characteristics such as colour, pH, and temperature and chemical addition such as chlorine, alum, and powder activated carbon (PAC). Three models were derived using raw water, post clarification water, and a combination of raw and post clarification water parameter inputs. The model that most successfully predicted the concentration of THMs in finished water is the model that uses clarifier effluent parameter inputs. This model can be used at the E.L. Smith WTP for early detection of potentially high THM concentrations in finished water and gives plant operators enough advanced warning to reduce THM precursors. With an adequate understanding of water treatment plant processes and THM formation potential it will be fairly easy for any water treatment facility, which has a few years of historical plant data, to develop its own ANN model for predicting the formation of THM in finished water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the application of the artificial neural network (ANN) modeling technique to model a lime softening process at a full-scale drinking water treatment facility. The modeling was done for the Rossdale Water Treatment Plant (WTP) operated by EPCOR Water Services Inc. in Edmonton, Alberta. It was determined that ANN can model a lime clarifier accurately and with superior performance to other modeling methods. During the development stage, a prediction of alum clarifier pH also becomes necessary, and a very accurate inferential (virtual) sensor for pH was developed using ANN. The ANN models were also integrated with the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system of the plant so that real-time predictions of lime doses and effluent total hardness could be monitored. It was shown that the performance of the ANN models that were developed using average daily values for the parameters also work well when they are executed in real time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past few years, artificial neural networks (ANNs) have been used in describing and modelling wastewater treatment processes. Artificial neural network models can be identified without a detailed knowledge of the kinetics of the system to be modelled. Also, ANN models can potentially contain a great deal of information about the system itself, including the same type of information contained in conventional deterministic models. The fact that these models can be continuously updated with minimal resource requirements makes them very attractive for application in a real-time control scenario. In the current paper, applications of ANNs in the field of wastewater treatment performance prediction are reviewed. In addition, this paper presents a case study that reports some comprehensive modelling work to develop nonlinear neural network prediction models for the Gold Bar Wastewater Treatment Plant (GBWWTP), the largest sewage treatment facility in Edmonton, Alberta. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Zoology is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Botany is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Forest Research is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The effects of partial and clear-cut harvesting on forest floor physical, chemical, and biological properties, forest floor mesofauna, and nutrient cycling were investigated in conifer- and deciduous-dominated stands of Alberta's mixedwood boreal forest. Forest floor samples were collected 2.5 years after harvest from clearcuts, strip-cut corridors in a partial cut, green tree retention patches in a partial cut, and uncut control sites. Partial cuts showed intermediate decreases in annual litter input and NH[sub 4] -N between uncut and clear-cut sites of both the deciduous and conifer stands, as did microbial biomass, PO[sub 4] -P, mesofauna abundance (total, Acari, and Collembola), and fine root biomass in the conifer stands. In the deciduous stands, microbial biomass and fine root biomass in partial- and clear-cut treatments were not significantly different, but were significantly reduced compared with the uncut controls. Mesofauna abundance was reduced in the corridors of the partial-cut treatment compared with partial-cut patch, clear-cut, and uncut treatments. In both deciduous and conifer stands, NO[sub 3] -N was elevated in the partial-cut corridors and clearcuts compared with partial-cut patch and uncut treatments. Findings from this study show that negative impact to forest floor properties associated with clear-cut harvesting may be reduced in partial-cut harvesting systems.Les effets de la coupe à blanc et de la coupe partielle sur les propriétés physiques, chimiques et biologiques de la couverture morte, sur la mésofaune de la couverture morte et sur le recyclage des nutriments ont été étudiés dans des peuplements dominés soit par des conifères, soit par des feuillus, dans la forêt mixte boréale de l'Alberta. Des échantillons de la couverture morte ont été prélevés dans des sites coupés à blanc, dans les corridors de coupes partielles par bandes, dans les îlots de réserves de coupes partielles et dans des sites témoins non coupés deux ans et demi après la récolte. La coupe partielle a entraîné une diminution de l'apport annuel de litière et de N (NH[sub 4] ) intermédiaire entre les sites coupés à blanc et les sites non coupés dans les deux types de peuplements de même qu'une diminution de la biomasse microbienne, du P (PO[sub 4] ), de l'abondance de la mésofaune (totale, d'acariens et de collemboles) et de la biomasse des racines fines dans les peuplements résineux. Dans les peuplements feuillus, la biomasse microbienne et la biomasse de racines fines ne différaient pas significativement entre la coupe partielle et la coupe à blanc mais étaient significativement plus faibles que dans les sites témoins non coupés. L'abondance de la mésofaune dans les corridors de la coupe partielle était inférieure à celle observée dans la coupe partielle avec réserves, dans la coupe à blanc et dans les sites non coupés. Tant dans les peuplements résineux que feuillus, N (NO[sub 3] ) était plus élevé dans les corridors de la coupe partielle et dans la coupe à blanc que dans la coupe partielle avec réserves ou dans les sites non coupés. Les résultats de cette étude montrent que l'impact négatif de la coupe à blanc sur les propriétés de la couverture morte peut être minimisé avec des systèmes de coupe partielle.[Traduit par la Rédaction] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]