Examine Fossil Birds of Wyoming during the first lively ‘Tate Talk’ at Casper College
The first of four monthly presentations for the new speaker series “Tate Talks” at the Tate Geological Museum is titled “Fossil Birds of Wyoming.” The free presentation will take attendees “bird-watching” in ancient Wyoming.
Presented by JP Cavigelli, the talk will begin at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 4, at the museum, located at the southern end of the Casper College campus, near the T. rex sculpture.
Despite their rarity, because bird bones are fragile and tend to decompose before they can fossilize, many bird fossils have been found in Wyoming, including some of the best specimens in the world.
About the speaker: Cavigelli, field operations specialist, collections manager, and prep lab manager at the Tate, came to Casper in 2004. Before his time at the Tate, he worked on and off in paleontology for 14 years, doing fieldwork and spending two years as the collections manager for the University of Wyoming Department of Geology and Geophysics.
Cavigelli has also been on international paleontological expeditions to Mongolia, Niger, Tanzania, northern Alaska, and North Dakota. A fossil collector and bird-watcher, Cavigelli is well prepared to present this eye-opening and entertaining look at the ancient birds of Wyoming.
- Primary Event: The first “Tate Talk,” titled “Fossil Birds of Wyoming.”
- Speaker: JP Cavigelli, Field Operations Specialist and Collections Manager at the Tate Geological Museum.
- Date and Time: Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, at 6 p.m.
- Location: Tate Geological Museum, southern end of the Casper College campus.
- Admission: Free and open to the public.
Department: School of Science at Casper College Program Connection: Geology and Earth Science