NARG - North America Research Group

Welcome to NARGPaleo.org
online home of the North America Research Group (NARG)

Dedicated to scientific research and public education;
NARG is structured as an IRS non-profit public
charitable 501(c) (3) organization.

Our Origin: Around locality campfires in the summer of 2004 five men discussed how we might contribute to science as we pursued our passion collecting fossils. This core crew of men collaborated to develop the North America Research Group.

Since our inception, and in a very short period of time, NARG has grown into a diverse and dynamic group of men and women sharing a mutual respect and passion for geoscientific study and fossil collecting. Our International membership ranges from 10 to 70+ years in age. This adventurous consortium of individuals have an amazing variety of backgrounds, interests, hobbies, educations, and professions; including biology, oceanography, paleontology, paleobotany, and geology.

NARG sponsors the NW Fossil Fest and participates in many programs and shows devoted to public education. We collaborate with university scientists and museums to enhance and promote research. Significant specimens are donated to recognized museums to insure they remain in the scientific and public domain.

We believe that research and boots-on-the-ground exploration will locate the next great specimen in our region. Join us in search of the next new species. They are out there!

Significant NARG Discoveries and Projects

NARG Rescues Miocene Whale Skull
	In 2008, NARG excavated the skull of a late Miocene whale from the Empire Formation near Coos Bay, Oregon. Members have been working for over a year removing the encasing rock and preserving the large specimen. The folowing links are from "The World Link" newspaper in Coos Bay that covered the story. Whale of a find - A day of discovery By Elise Hamner, City Editor and Susan Chambers, Staff Writer Video Video and Production by Lou Sennick About North America Research Group By Susan Chambers, Staff Writer Other fossil finds By Susan Chambers, Staff Writer NARG wants to extend it's appreciation to all those that participated, contributed, supported NARG in the whale recovery.
NARG Discovery Makes List of "Top 10 Dinosaur and Fossil Finds of 2007"
	The National Geographic just released its list of “Top 10 Dinosaur and Fossil Finds of 2007” and I'm pleased to see that NARG's Jurassic crocodile discovery made the list. The crocodile was beat out for the #1 position by the “Dinosaur Mummy”, which is a tough one to beat. National Geographic - Top 10 Dinosaur and Fossil Finds of 2007
NARG Participates in Significant Fossil Find in Oregon
	A fossil discovered by amateur paleontologists in Central Oregon is the lower jaw of a plesiosaur, a marine reptile that swam in the ocean that covered most of Oregon 90 to 100 million years ago during the Cretaceous. Plesiosaurs were primarily fish eaters and grew to a length of about 25 feet. The recovered specimen will be housed at the Museum of Geology in South Dakota. The museum staff is currently removing the rock from the fossil to determine the specimen's condition. The BLM is working with local entities to find a more permanent home for a replica for public education purposes. Read the News Release Now (551KB Adobe PDF)

Tigard's 'fossil boy' MacKenzie Smith participates in real dig

The Tigard youth who helped designate a state fossil last year works with real anthropologists