Our Meetings
Guests are always welcome to the meetings if you would like see what
            we're all about. Meetings start at 7:00 pm and usually take place the
            first Saturday of the month, unless there is a holiday, then it's on
            the second Saturday of the month.
            Located at the USF Behavioral Science Room #103.
            
            After the speaker finishes we have a short break. Then we
            draw for door prizes and some raffle items as well. We finish with
            any final announcements.
            
            
            Upcoming Meetings and Guest Speakers (2025-2026 season):
            NOTE: All meetings are the first Saturday of the month at 7:00 pm
            unless otherwise clearly noted.
            Sept. 6 - Patty Moore, President of the Paleo Preserve 
            A Brief History of Leisey, the Legend and Legacy
            
            Patty Moore is the President of the Paleontological
            Education Preserve; aka
            Paleo Preserve Fossil Museum. She’s done many
            jobs through the years
            from chemist to zookeeper
            but her children’s interest
            in fossils brought her to
            paleontology. If you’ve
            been around TBFC for a
            minute or some years, you
            probably already know
            Patty. She can be found at most TBFC meetings, sometimes giving
            us updates on the Paleo Preserve, and volunteering at FossilFest
            each year.
            If you’ve heard some of the “old timers” talking about hunting
            fossils at the Leisey Shell Pit and wondered what they were talking
            about, come and learn! Patty will share the history of the Leisey
            Shell Pit, its significance in Florida’s fossil history, how it relates to
            the Tampa Bay Fossil Club, and its impact on the Florida Museum of
            Natural History fossil digs.
            
            Oct. 4 - Aaron Woodruff
Prehistoric World
            
            When dinosaurs disappeared, mammals began to thrive and take
            center stage. Prehistoric World invites readers
            into this fascinating
            chapter of natural history, featuring detailed
            species accounts by
            Aaron Woodruff, who
            manages vertebrate
            paleontology collections at the Florida Museum of Natural History. The book is further
            enriched with vivid artwork by renowned paleoartist Julius
            Csotonyi.
            Titled Prehistoric World: Over 1,200 Incredible Mammals and Discoveries from the
            Mesozoic and Cenozoic, the book highlights the
            rise of warm-blooded animals after the dinosaurs’ extinction. Aaron presents
            engaging details about each species, covering their
            diets, habitats, and behaviors, while blending scientific accuracy
            with storytelling.
            Well-known Ice Age icons such as mammoths and saber-toothed
            cats are included, but readers will also encounter many lesser-known species
            unearthed in more recent discoveries.
            “Bear-dogs are among my favorite ancient predators,” Woodruff
            explained. “Before the great cats evolved, they dominated landscapes across
            the Northern Hemisphere and Africa.”
            Prehistoric World also sheds light on ancient mustelids, the ancestors of
            today’s weasels, badgers, and wolverines. Unlike their modern relatives, these
            carnivores could grow as large
            as wolves or jaguars during the Oligocene and Miocene periods, making
            them capable hunters of
            deer- and horse-sized
            prey.
            The artwork in Prehistoric
            World will grab people’s
            attention and spark their
            imagination.
            Aaron devoted seven
            months to researching and
            writing the book, often
            working nights, weekends,
            and holidays while maintaining his full-time role at
            the museum. He even finished Prehistoric World on his birthday.
            “This is exactly the type of book that ten-year-old me would have
            cherished,” Aaron recalls. As a child, he was captivated by dinosaur
            books, often making his own versions by drawing creatures, writing
            descriptions, and stapling the pages together.
            Some species proved challenging to document, since many were
            described centuries ago with minimal context. In these cases, Aaron turned to
            Greek and Latin dictionaries to decode their scientific
            names. He also coined common names when none existed, for
            instance, Miopanthera lorteti became “Lortet’s cat,” and Tremarctos floridanus
            was given the name “Florida spectacled bear.”
            “Much of the fossil record comes down to isolated teeth,” Aaron
            says. “If we’re lucky, those teeth are still attached to jaws.” Even
            so, paleontologists can deduce a surprising amount of information,
            such as diet, age, and sometimes sex, from these limited remains.
            Aaron says his younger self “would have been ecstatic” to know he
            would one day publish a book on paleontology. Though marketed
            primarily toward children, Prehistoric World is designed to appeal
            to readers of all ages, offering both fresh knowledge about prehistoric mammals
            and a greater respect for the diversity of life, past
            and present.
            Come to the October meeting to see Aaron’s presentation and
            learn more about our Prehistoric World! We’ll have plenty of copies of the
            book on hand for purchase and for Aaron to sign.
            
            Nov. 8 - Annual Auction 
            TBFC Scholarship Auction
            Dec. No Meeting
            There is no club meeting in the month of December.
            
            Jan. 10 - TBD
            
            Feb. 7 - TBD
            
            Mar. 7 - TBD
               
            
            Apr. 4 - TBD
            
May 2 - TBD
            
            
            June 6 - End of Season Dinner 
            
View Our Past Virtual and In-Person Meetings
COVID-19 had forced us to adapt!
 Since in-person meetings were not possible during that time, the club
            hosted Virtual Live Meetings on our YouTube channel.
            Since COVID, we've tried to record in-person meetings and upload them to the site too. Unfortunately not all meetings are able to be recorded but please check the channel for any new content.
            
Subscribe to the channel to get notifications when we go live or a new video is uploaded!
            All our club live streamed or recorded meetings will be saved and can be re-watched anytime! Not all meetings can be recorded for various reasons.
            You can view past virtual or recorded meetings in the playlist below:
          
 
        
    


