Comox Valley fossil discovery reshaped paleontology in B.C.

An elasmosaur found on the Puntledge River in 1988 by amateur collector Mike Trask helped spark sustained community-led paleontology in British Columbia and contributed to new societies and provincial fossil management policies.

An elasmosaur fossil discovered on the Puntledge River in 1988 by amateur collector Mike Trask changed paleontology in British Columbia. Richard Hebda of the Royal BC Museum confirmed the bones were vertebrae and passed material to specialist Betsy Nicholls, who identified elasmosaur remains. A volunteer-led excavation in 1991 recovered most of the specimen and spurred local interest. That interest led to courses, the Vancouver Island Paleontological Society in 1992, and later the province-wide British Columbia Paleontological Alliance. Key facts: - The original find on the Puntledge River in 1988 was identified as elasmosaur vertebrae by Royal BC Museum staff and later recognized by paleontologist Betsy Nicholls. - A 1991 excavation organized with volunteers removed about 100 cubic metres of sediment and recovered a nearly complete specimen. - The Vancouver Island Paleontological Society formed in 1992 and helped inspire similar local groups on Vancouver Island. - The British Columbia Paleontological Alliance brought together amateur collectors and professional scientists and worked on collecting policies and a code of ethics. - In 2022 the province adopted fossil management policies that included prohibitions on removal and commercial sale of fossils from B.C. - Subsequent discoveries from the Comox Valley include new taxa such as the mosasaur Kourisodon puntledgensis, and in 2025 Robin O'Keefe named Traskasaura sandrae from new material found by Pat Trask; Mike Trask died on May 15, 2025. Summary: The Puntledge River elasmosaur discovery by Mike Trask helped catalyze long-term collaboration between citizen scientists and professional paleontologists in B.C., leading to new societies, numerous species descriptions and changes to provincial fossil policy. Undetermined at this time.