Palaeo Jam

Dr Brian Choo is both a palaeontologist and a palaeo-artist. In this fascinating episode of Palaeo Jam, host Michael Mills chats with Brian about the path to becoming both, and how his understanding in each area, informs the other. Along the way, the two explore Brian’s passion for natural history, his inspirations, the process of creating art from science, the role of palaeo-art in the public understanding of science, and, of course, touch on the horrors of AI. Brian’s amazing artwork has been featured in a number of scientific journals. You can find an extensive catalogue of his work at… https://www.deviantart.com/gogosardina Brian has a profile for his scientific work on ResearchGate at… https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Brian-Choo Brian is a also regular judge in the Mary Anning Art Prize, a natural history art prize for young South Australians… https://www.sasta.asn.au/student_activities/mary-anning-art-prize You can find Michael on Blue Sky at… https://bsky.app/profile/heapsgood.bsky.social You can find links to much of his creative work at… https://linktr.ee/heapsgoodproductions To connect with Dinosaur University on Facebook, follow us at… https://www.facebook.com/DinosaurUniversity At Palaeo Jam, we have an Instagram account at… https://www.instagram.com/palaeo_jam

Carl Sagan once said "If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe". As it happens, that very same universe is the one that made possible the making of mammals. So, what are some of the essential ingredients and conditions that made the making of a mammal possible? In this episode of Palaeo Jam, host Michael Mills chats with Dr Peter Bishop, an Aussie abroad, currently engaged in palaeo research at Harvard University. Through his background in physics and mathematics Peter has applied biomechanical principles to understand extinct animals, particularly synapsids, which has led to some fascinating insights in to how to do just that- to make a mammal! Michael begins the discussion by asking Peter about his journey from an outback Queensland mega-fauna site where the two first met several years ago, while digging up giant, prehistoric kangaroos, extinct , to Harvard… You can find Peter’s work at… https://www.mcz.harvard.edu/people/peter-bishop https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=M5u3GysAAAAJ&utm Host Michael Mills can be found on Insta as The HeapsGood Guy at https://www.instagram.com/heapsgood/ On Bluesky at https://bsky.app/profile/heapsgood.bsky.social Palaeo Jam has its own Insta account at https://www.instagram.com/palaeo_jam/

Let’s talk about fish… Those creatures of the rivers and oceans that we often think of as somehow distant from us, but that from an evolutionary perspective, are central to the story of who we are. In a wide ranging conversation, Palaeo Jam host Michael Mills chats with Dr Alice Clement of Flinders University about why understanding fish evolution matters in trying to understand ourselves, some key moments in fish evolution, and the key role that the Australian fossil record tells us about this remarkable story. You can find Alice’s blog at https://draliceclement.com And her Research Gate profile… https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Alice-Clement Alice posts from time to time on Twitter at… https://x.com/DrAliceClement Alice has been a guest in several previous Palaeo Jam episodes, including the important “Life as a Palaeo Mum” recorded LIVE at the launch of the Palaeo Jam podcast. You can find it here… https://palaeojam.podbean.com/e/s01e03/ You can find Michael on Blue Sky at https://bsky.app/profile/heapsgood.bsky.social To connect with Dinosaur University on Facebook, follow us at https://www.facebook.com/DinosaurUniversity At Palaeo Jam, we have an Instagram account at https://www.instagram.com/palaeo_jam

What happens when you hurl the definitive biographer of palaeontology pioneer Mary Anning, and the writer of a musical about Mary Anning together? In this episode of Palaeo Jam, host and writer of musicals, Michael Mills, is joined by Mary Anning biographer Tom Sharpe to explore the life, science, and enduring legacy of Mary Anning, one of the most important figures in the history of palaeontology. Drawing on years of meticulous research, Tom paints a vivid picture of Mary Anning as not just a fossil collector, but a formidable scientific mind operating at the birth of palaeontology. We explore her groundbreaking discoveries including the first complete plesiosaur, her close (and often complicated) relationships with leading scientists of the day, and the steep barriers she faced as a working-class woman. Beyond the science, this episode digs into the human story of Mary, what she might have been like to meet, personal losses, precarious finances, unanswered questions about her private life, and how myth, film, and modern retellings have sometimes distorted her legacy. The conversation closes by connecting Mary’s enduring legacy to contemporary creative work, including the development “A Curious Thing”, a new musical inspired by her life, making this episode a must-listen for anyone interested in deep time, women in science, and how we tell history responsibly and creatively. This is the first ever episode of Palaeo Jam to ever exceed the strict time limit of 30 minutes per episode, because, well… Michael and Tom decided to just keep talking! We can confirm, that once the mics were turned off, the conversation about this remarkable woman continued! Tom’s book “The Fossil Woman- A Life of Mary Anning” is the most deeply researched book on her life and legacy. It is available through most book stores. Tom regularly shares moments in Mary’s life on BlueSky at https://bsky.app/profile/tomsharperocks.bsky.social @tomsharperocks.bsky.social You can follow Michael’s telling of Mary’s story through the various links at… https://linktr.ee/TheseCuriousThings This link includes a booking link to the 2026 Adelaide Fringe show "A Curious Thing- The Story of Mary Anning." You can find Michael on Blue Sky at https://bsky.app/profile/heapsgood.bsky.social To connect with Dinosaur University on Facebook, follow us at https://www.facebook.com/DinosaurUniversity At Palaeo Jam, we have an Instagram account at https://www.instagram.com/palaeo_jam

How do you go from being a young kid growing up around Riversleigh terrified of a reconstructed Thylacoleo, and a Diprotodon exhibit at the Queensland Museum, to be one of Australia’s most talented, interesting, emerging palaeo-artists? And how did her emotional responses to these exhibitions help shape the delightful career that Nellie Pease is now creating to much acclaim? In the latest episode of Palaeo Jam, host Michael Mills chats with palaeo-artist Nellie Pease about her palaeo-artist origin story, while discussing the origin of her fabulous website name, Gondwanarama, a website that describes her as a big fan of marsupials, bugs, & ancient supercontinents. Why those three? Along the way, they also discuss Nellie’s unique creative process, providing insights for anyone interested in how the creative process works in conjunction with the scientific process. They also chat about a transformational conversation Nellie once had with one of Australia’s most palaeo-artists Dr Peter Trusler, and how it has helped shape where she’s at today. You can find Nellie on Instagram at @Gondwanarama https://www.instagram.com/gondwanarama And definitely check out her Etsy shop at… https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/Gondwanarama Her website is at… https://gondwanarama.com/ You can find Michael on Blue Sky at https://bsky.app/profile/heapsgood.bsky.social To connect with Dinosaur University on Facebook, follow us at https://www.facebook.com/DinosaurUniversity At Palaeo Jam, we have an Instagram account at https://www.instagram.com/palaeo_jam

In season 2 of Palaeo Jam, host Michael Mills chatted with Jake Kotevski about the identification of the oldest-known Megaraptorid skull fragment, found on an Eastern Victorian beach in Australia, and what that unique and important fragment might tell us. In this episode, Michael again chats with Jake to find out if any more fossils have been discovered, and if we’ve learnt anything new since then. Spoiler alert- A big YES! They chat about some fascinating new discoveries and with that, what those discoveries might tell us abut the story of Australian Theropods. At least, what we know of that story, so far! Along the way, they also chat about Nanotyranous/T.rex, with Jake giving his view on where things now sit. This is our 50th episode and we could not think of a better topic to celebrate that milestone than theropods from the Land Down Under! This is Jake’s second appearance on Palaeo Jam. His first was in Season 2, “Theropods Down Under”… https://palaeojam.podbean.com/e/theropods-down-under/ Be sure to check out the following paper that gives a new sense of theropod diversity from Early Cretaceous Australia thata now includes: megaraptorids, an unenlagiine, and for the first time, carcharodontosaurians… https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02724634.2024.2441903 To read the paper, “A megaraptorid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) frontal from the upper Strzelecki Group (Lower Cretaceous) of Victoria, Australia”, head to… https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195667123002975#sec7 You can find Jake on Twitter at @Dinoman_Jake https://twitter.com/Dinoman_Jake And on Instagram at @theropods_down_under https://www.instagram.com/theropods_down_under/ The Evans EvoMorph Lab where Jake is based for his PhD is on Twitter at @EvansEvoMorph https://twitter.com/evansevomorph For information on visiting the Dinosaur Dreaming site mentioned in the podcast, head to… https://www.visitgippsland.com.au/do-and-see/arts-culture-and-heritage/historical-towns-attractions/dinosaur-dreaming And also Bunurong Coast Education at http://sgcs.org.au/programs.php You can find Michael on Blue Sky at https://bsky.app/profile/heapsgood.bsky.social To connect with Dinosaur University on Facebook, follow us at https://www.facebook.com/DinosaurUniversity At Palaeo Jam, we have an Instagram account at https://www.instagram.com/palaeo_jam

When is a Dire Wolf not a Dire Wolf? When it’s a Grey Wolf made white and fluffy with a few tiny changes. When is a Woolly Mammoth not a Woolly Mammoth? When it's an elephant made hairy by a few tiny changes. And yet one organisation has claimed, with much fanfare, to have brought back the Dire Wolf, and has plans to bring back other species, such as the Woolly Mammoth. In this episode of Palaeo Jam, host Michael Mills chats with Dr Nic Rawlence, Associate Professor of Ancient DNA at the University of Otago – Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka about the issue of de-extinction, and how what is claimed to have happened, whatever it is, is definitely not that! Nic is a palaeontologist and ancient DNA specialist working at the sharp end of what genetic science can genuinely tell us about the past. He is a prominent voice pushing back against the hype surrounding so-called “de-extinction,” arguing that what we are seeing is not the recreation of lost species. Such sensational claims can also distract from the more urgent work of conserving species that still exist, and give a false sense that extinction doesn't matter so much anymore, when it does. You can check out Nic’s extensive research profile at… https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Nicolas-Rawlence Nic was recently awarded the prestigious New Zealand Association of Scientists’ Cranwell Medal for excellence in communicating science to the general public in any area of science or technology… https://www.otago.ac.nz/news/newsroom/prestigious-medal-for-science-communicator You can follow Nic on Twitter at… https://x.com/nic_rawlence_nz You can find Michael on Blue Sky at… https://bsky.app/profile/heapsgood.bsky.social To connect with Dinosaur University on Facebook, follow us at… https://www.facebook.com/DinosaurUniversity At Palaeo Jam, we have an Instagram account at… https://www.instagram.com/palaeo_jam

Adele Pentland (Curtin University) and Sally Hurst (Macquarie University), are both Superstars of STEM with extensive experience in public engagement and media communication. They are both palaeontologists, which we think gives them a bit of an advantage over some of the other sciences, since we’re the ones with dinosaurs! In a wide ranging conversation, host Michael Mills chats with Adele and Sally about why effective communication matters for the public understanding of ancient life Along the way, they discuss several successful outreach strategies, science heroes, and offer practical advice for scientists and educators looking to communicate their research more engagingly. This is the first in a series of episodes recorded during the 2025 CAVEPS Conference in vertebrate palaeontology at Flinders University in South Australia in November, 2025. You can find Adele’s podcast, “Pals in Palaeo” through the following link… https://linktr.ee/palsinpalaeo Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/palsinpalaeo/ You can also head to the Pals in Palaeo website at https://palsinpalaeo.com/ Check out Sally’s website at https://www.sallyhurst.com.au And her Found a Fossil website at https://www.foundafossil.com/ Found a Fossil also has an Insta account at https://www.instagram.com/foundafossil And a Tik Tok account at https://www.instagram.com/foundafossil You can find Michael on Blue Sky at https://bsky.app/profile/heapsgood.bsky.social To connect with Dinosaur University on Facebook, follow us at https://www.facebook.com/DinosaurUniversity At Palaeo Jam, we have an Instagram account at https://www.instagram.com/palaeo_jam

What actually is a kangaroo? And how long have they been the giant red or grey hopping things so synonymous with Australia? In this episode of Palaeo Jam, host Michael Mills chats with Dr Isaac Kerr about the origin of kangaroos as “weird possums that lived in the trees a bit”, the significant gaps in the kangaroo origin fossil record, and how we make sense of what we’ve got. In a wide ranging conversation about kangaroo origins, they also discuss why of all the locomotion strategies that could have been adopted, Australia is the only place where large animals have taken to hopping. You can follow Isaac on Blue Sky at https://bsky.app/profile/isaacarkerr.bsky.social Isaac’s latest paper, “Limb osteology and functional morphology of the extinct kangaroo Dorcopsoides fossilis”, can be found at… https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.251591 It was in Episode 1 of Season 3 that Michael and Isaac first chatted about the prehistoric group of kangaroos, Protemnodons. Find the episode here… https://palaeojam.podbean.com/e/the-tale-of-a-giant-prehistoric-kangaroo-or-three/ You can read the full 250 plus pages of Isaac’s remarkable paper on Protemnodon, here… https://mapress.com/mt/article/view/megataxa.11.1.1 Here’s a link to the Flinders University palaeo team… https://sites.flinders.edu.au/palaeontology/ You can find Michael on Blue Sky at https://bsky.app/profile/heapsgood.bsky.social To connect with Dinosaur University on Facebook, follow us at https://www.facebook.com/DinosaurUniversity At Palaeo Jam, we have an Instagram account at https://www.instagram.com/palaeo_jam

On Thursday October 9th, Dr Jim Gehling OA (Order of Australia) was awarded the Joseph Verco Medal by the Royal Society of South Australia for a remarkable life of research and public engagement in the field of palaeontology. Previous recipients have included Sir Douglas Mawson and Reg Sprigg. Palaeo Jam host Michael Mills is a long time friend of Jim, with Jim having been a central part of the South Australian Museum's work in the early days of the birth of Michael’s alter ego, singing palaeontologist Professor Flint. Michael notes in this podcast that the work he does as The Prof, is only possible because of the work of people like Jim. After attending the award ceremony, Michael and Jim decided to arrange a time to catch up and chat about Jim’s life and his research. This is just part of what was a delightful day of sharing memories with Michael, Jim, and wife Inara. Jim has led Ediacaran research in Australia, and the world, for the last 40 years, collaborating with all significant international experts and co-authoring publications on the Ediacara Biota in Australia, Canada, USA, UK, China, Russia, and Namibia. He has also been intimately involved on the excavation and research of the early Cambrian Emu Bay Shale of Kangaroo Island. The Emu Bay Shale is the only Konservat-Lagerstätte in the Southern Hemisphere and is often mentioned side by side with the likes of the Burgess Shale in British Columbia. Jim’s research record is extensive. You can find links to some of his research on google scholar at https://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=kMfMg40AAAAJ&hl=en Or on Research Gate at… https://www.researchgate.net/profile/James-Gehling Last year, inspired by Jim’s research on the Ediacarans and early Cambrians, Michael's Professor Flint released an album of songs, for children titled “Creatures of the Slime”. You can find the album on all main platforms via the following link… https://linktr.ee/ProfessorFlint You can follow Michael on Bluesky at https://bsky.app/profile/heapsgood.bsky.social And his HeapsGood Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/HeapsGoodProductions

Australia is land of reptiles, and in particular, a land of lizards. How and when did it become this? And why are there so many venomous snakes? In this episode of Palaeo Jam, host Michael Mills chats with Dr Mark Hutchinson about the evolutionary history of the lizards of Australia, why they become a life long passion, if he has a favourite lizard, (he does, and explains why), and the rewards of being a research supervisor. Dr Mark Hutchinson is an Australian herpetologist and palaeontologist, long associated with the South Australian Museum, where he served as Curator of Herpetology before becoming an Honorary Researcher. His work has focused on the taxonomy, evolution, and fossil history of reptiles—especially lizards and snakes—across Australia’s arid and southern regions. He has described numerous new species, reconstructed ancient ecosystems from fossil remains, and explored how climate shifts shaped reptile diversity. In addition to his museum role, Dr Hutchinson has held academic posts with the University of Adelaide and Flinders University, and is recognised internationally for his contributions to understanding the deep history and conservation of Australia’s reptiles. Dr Mark suggests that if you want to learn about Australian lizards, a great intro is “Australian Lizards- A Natural History” by Steve Wilson. And if it’s more on Aussie snakes you’re after, “Australian Snakes: A Natural History” by Dr Richard Shine. Check your local book and ebook retailer for availability. Host Michael Mills can be found on Insta as The HeapsGood Guy at https://www.instagram.com/heapsgood/ On Bluesky at https://bsky.app/profile/heapsgood.bsky.social For all things HeapsGood, including links to Michael alter ego, Professor Flint, head to… https://linktr.ee/heapsgoodproductions

And then what? It tuned in to this very episode of Palaeo Jam! Dr Heather Robinson and Professor John Long are the authors of two important books, “Beyond the Books: Culture, value and why libraries matter.” and “The Secret History of Sharks: The Rise of the Ocean's Most Fearsome Predators”, respectively. Heather and John are also work partners and life partners, and in this episode of Palaeo Jam we explore the essence of each of their very different books, while attempting to find common ground. Along the way we ask, why do libraries matter? Indeed, why do cultural institutions matter? And why do sharks matter? In researching each of the books, what was the most surprising thing you discovered about libraries and sharks? And why are both of these books an important read, right now? Because, yes. They are! You can find both books on-line, and at all good bookstores. John’s paleontological CV is vast! A look through profile on The Conversation at https://theconversation.com/profiles/john-long-98402 will give you a small insight into John’s remarkable body of work. Heather also has an extensive profile on The Conversation, at https://theconversation.com/profiles/heather-l-robinson-155358 Heather and John have created Lifecyle Productions as an instrument to work on a multitude of projects. Their company website is… https://lifecycleproductions.com.au/, and contains information about what they’re working towards, and about the skills they each bring. We first chatted with Heather and John in episode 3 of season 1 titled "A Marriage of Art and Science" in which amongst other things, we explored the importance of their art/science collaborations, and the things they each bring to their working partnership, and delved into some of the delightful experiences that their working on things together as a married couple has brought them. Michael and John have collaborated creatively through the creation of the Professor Flint song about the WA fossil emblem, the Gogo Fish. With lyrics by John, and music by Michael, the song features on the Professor Flint album, “Dinosaurs Amongst Us!”… The Gogo Fish song on Spotify

Regional museums in Australia and elsewhere are the custodians of a remarkable collection of stories. What are some of those stories, and why do they matter? Why, indeed, do regional museums matter? And what kinds of science, including palaeontology, takes place in the regions? Palaeo Jam host Michael Mills recently travelled to Geraldton in Western Australia for a series of National Science Week events. The events were held at Blue Heelers Square and included a family show by emerging, all female dinosaur loving supergroup The Ammonites, a quiz night, and the recording of the first episode of Season 4 of the Palaeo Jam podcast. This is that recording, and we can’t think of a better way to begin our fourth season, than to chat about the importance of science and science engagement in the regions. In this episode, Michael is joined by Dr Kailah Thorn, Project Coordinator (Biodiversity) Western Australian Museum, Lucy Stokes, Palaeontology PhD Candidate, Curtin University, and Sarah Walker, Learning and Engagement Officer, Western Australian Museum- Geraldton to discuss all things regional and science. For more information on the Western Australian Museum, head to their website at… https://visit.museum.wa.gov.au/ For more information on the awesome venue, Blue Heelers Square where we recorded this episode, head to… https://www.blueheelerssquare.com.au/ For more information on The Ammonites, who we’ll hear from in a future episode, head to… https://linktr.ee/theammonites

Just over 12 months ago, as part of National Science Week, we spoke with Eleanor Beidatsch, in an episode titled, “A Journey into accessibility: Digging for fossils from a wheelchair.” Since that episode, Eleanor has graduated from the University of New England with First Class Honours, been awarded the $130,000 #ElevateSTEM scholarship for postgraduate research from the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, and has started her Masters! As we noted in the notes to last year’s episode, “as a nine year old, Eleanor dreamed of being a palaeontologist, but always presumed her advanced physical disability, and use of a wheelchair would make “digging about in the dirt for fossils” impossible.” In this episode of Palaeo Jam host Michael Mills chats with Eleanor about another remarkable 12 months, and about what lies ahead as she continues her brilliant journey in the world of palaeontology, and follows her fascination with prehistoric velvet worms! Check out this story from the ABC about Eleanor’s graduation… https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-26/eleanor-beidatsch-graduates-first-class-honours-geoscience/103839886 Here’s a link to last year’s episode with Eleanor… https://palaeojam.podbean.com/e/a-journey-into-accessibility-digging-for-fossils-from-a-wheelchair/ Check out this video from Eleanor’s YouTube channel of her remarkable adventure in 2016, to a paleontological dig in the opal rich desert town of Lightning Ridge, New South Wales… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTGxIR_yaNo Here’s a story about Eleanor’s journey on the University of New England’s website… https://www.une.edu.au/connect/news/2022/09/unearthing-discrimination-in-science Along with studying palaeontology, Eleanor is a disability rights journalist, and writes for the ABC… https://www.abc.net.au/news/eleanor-beidatsch/101651018 Here’s a link to the Elevate STEM website… https://www.atse.org.au/what-we-do/pathways-into-through-stem/elevate/ You can find Eleanor on Instagram at… https://www.instagram.com/eleanor.beidatsch/ And on Twitter at… https://twitter.com/EBeidatsch Here’s a link to Eleanor’s blog Accessible 4 Me… https://accessible4me.wordpress.com/ For more information on the research being undertaken by the team at University of New England’s Palaeoscience Research Centre, head to https://www.une.edu.au/research/research-centres-institutes/palaeoscience-research-centre You can find Michael at @heapsgood https://twitter.com/Heapsgood To connect with Dinosaur University on Facebook, follow us at https://www.facebook.com/DinosaurUniversity At Palaeo Jam, we now have an Instagram account at https://www.instagram.com/palaeo_jam

So, you want to become a fossil? Good luck with that! There’s a whole sequence of things that need to take place in order for that to happen, and in this episode of Palaeo Jam, we explore those steps, and how unlikely it is that you will be able to complete all of them. Recorded underground in Blanch Cave, in the Naracoorte Caves, South Australia, this episode sees host Michael Mills in conversation with PhD candidate Nerita Turner. Nerita’s work focuses on the modes of accumulation of large animal remains in caves, and we explore the unlikelihood becoming a fossil through the lens of her work. In order to become a fossil in a cave, you need to get into a cave in the first place. How does this impact on the size and kinds of animals that might then become fossils within a cave? During the conversation Nerita describes the fossil record as “Infamously incomplete”. So, how incomplete is it? Consider the following… There are 1400 dinosaur species of dinosaurs that have been discovered and named across the entire Mesozoic, while right now there are around 11 000 species of living dinosaurs, in birds. How many dinosaur species lived across the entire 186 million year period of the Mesozoic? We will never know. Of course, what we do know, is truly remarkable, and a testament to the work of so many. Palaeontology is able to provide us with some remarkable insights into past lives. to uncover past lives. It is important, however, to understand, that we get to see will only ever be a tiny glimpse of the extraordinary natural history, of this most astonishing planet. Nerita Turner is a PhD Candidate at the University of Adelaide. Her research focuses on the modes of accumulation of large animal remains in caves, with a particular focus on fossil sites within the Naracoorte Caves region. You can find Nerita on Twitter at https://twitter.com/nerita_turner Check out the following article, by Nerita and Dr Elizabeth Reed… “Using historical research to constrain the provenance and age of the first recorded collection of extinct Pleistocene large mammal fossils from the Naracoorte Caves, South Australia.” https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/M7JARRBWBXBWDCFDGIIY/full?target=10.1080/03721426.2023.2188442 Michael occasionally pops in to the strange place that is Twitter at @heapsgood https://twitter.com/Heapsgood To connect with Dinosaur University on Facebook, follow us at https://www.facebook.com/DinosaurUniversity At Palaeo Jam, we now have an Instagram account at https://www.instagram.com/palaeo_jam

In this episode of Palaeo Jam, host Michael Mills begins the conversation with Dr Natalia Jagielska, Engagement & Collections Curator at the Lyme Regis Museum by chatting about palaeontology pioneer Mary Anning, and what it means to be working in the very space Mary’s home in Lyme Regis once occupied. As the conversation continues, we learn about the first pterosaur ever found in Scotland, Dearc sgiathanach, and what it tells us about pterosaur evolution. In so doing, we reflect on the unique connection between Natalia and Mary, given Mary’s discovery of the first known pterosaur in England, Dimorphodon macronyx. The two also discuss a subject central to both Natalia and Michael’s professional working life, the connection between art and science. This is the first episode of Palaeo Jam to feature a guest from beyond the shores of Australia. May there be many more! Head to Natalia’s website to see links to her research, public outreach, and awesome palaeo art… https://natalia-jagielska.weebly.com/ You can find Natalia on Twitter at… @wrycritic https://x.com/WryCritic To access the original paper, authored by Natalia et al on the Scottish pterosaur Dearc sgiathanach, head to… https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S096098222200135X For links to the Lyme Regis Museum, check out… https://linktr.ee/lymemuseum There’s a song about pterosaurs on the Professor Flint/Gemma Dandie album, “These Curious Things”, and you can watch a video of the song here… https://youtu.be/_ZJzRVO8ZK4?si=w2r39cTFVmiRijTo You can find links to the album, and more information about Mary Anning, here… https://linktr.ee/thesecuriousthings Michael occasionally pops in to the strange place that is Twitter at @heapsgood https://twitter.com/Heapsgood To connect with Dinosaur University on Facebook, follow us at https://www.facebook.com/DinosaurUniversity At Palaeo Jam, we now have an Instagram account at https://www.instagram.com/palaeo_jam This is the second episode in Season 3 in which pterosaurs feature. Check out Episode 3 in which Michael chats with vertebrate Palaeontologist and expert in Australian pterosaurs Adele Pentland of the “Pals in Palaeo” podcast about Australian pterosaurs, about each of their podcasts, and about science heroes… https://palaeojam.podbean.com/e/me-and-my-palaeo-pal/

Tens of thousands of years ago, in and around what is known as Lake Callabonna, in outback South Australia, all manner of now extinct Australian animals dwelt. But whether they walked, or slithered, or crawled, or hopped, or flew, or swam in that place, it was soon to become what has been described in an ABC Australia documentary series as the “Lake of the Dead”. In this episode of Palaeo Jam we travel back in time with host Michael Mills, and Dr Aaron Camens and Dr Phoebe McInerney of Flinders University to find who it was that once lived in and around this “Lake of the Dead”, and what it might have been like had we the ability to transport ourselves, and take a stroll along the banks of what was once a heathy, freshwater ecosystem. You can hear more from both Aaron and Phoebe, and several other past Palaeo Jam guests in the remarkable two-part series, from ABC Australia’s Catalyst, in “Megafauna: What Killed Australia’s Giants?”. Head to the ABC iView site at https://iview.abc.net.au/ and search for the series there. You can follow Aaron on Twitter at https://twitter.com/DiprotoRon, and check out his Flinders University profile at https://sites.flinders.edu.au/palaeontology/home/people/academics/aaron-camens/ Amongst his extensive research work, Aaron co-authored a paper that gave us a more complete picture of the largest marsupial predator known, and a former resident of the area, Thylacoleo carnifex… https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0208020 Phoebe is on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Phoebyornis Check out her recent article in The Conversation about the skull of Genyornis, discussed in this episode… https://theconversation.com/new-fossils-show-what-australias-giant-prehistoric-thunder-birds-looked-like-and-offer-clues-about-how-they-died-out-221599 You can find host Michael Mills on Twitter at @heapsgood https://twitter.com/Heapsgood To connect with Dinosaur University on Facebook, follow us at https://www.facebook.com/DinosaurUniversity At Palaeo Jam, you can also follow our Instagram account at https://www.instagram.com/palaeo_jam

In 1990, Mike Cleland was fossicking around a coastal region of the state of Victoria in Australia, when he came across a fossil discovery that was to change his life. The fossil he discovered was to become known as Koolasuchus cleelandi, and in 2022, Koolasuchus to became the state’s official fossil emblem, following a public vote. In this episode of Palaeo Jam, host Michael Mills chats with Mike, and Lesley Kool, after whom the first part of Koolasuchus, was named, about this extraordinary, prehistoric amphibian. Along the way, we discover Lesley’s role in the discovery and understanding of this remarkable fossil, and what it is about this car sized amphibian that makes it such a worthy fossil emblem. For more information on the region where Koolasuchus was found, head to… http://dinosaurdreaming.monash.edu/ You can also check out the Dinosaur Dreaming blog at… http://dinodreaming.blogspot.com/ And find out more about the Victorian coastal dinosaur trail, here… https://engage.basscoast.vic.gov.au/dino You can find host Michael Mills on Twitter at @heapsgood https://twitter.com/Heapsgood To connect with Dinosaur University on Facebook, follow us at https://www.facebook.com/DinosaurUniversity At Palaeo Jam, you can also follow our Instagram account at https://www.instagram.com/palaeo_jam

What happens when two people who create palaeontology podcasts get together for a chat? Tune in to find out! In this episode of Palaeo Jam, host Michael Mills chats with vertebrate Palaeontologist and expert in Australian pterosaurs Adele Pentland of the “Pals in Palaeo” podcast about Australian pterosaurs, about each of their podcasts, and about science heroes. Along the way we get an insight into where Australian pterosaurs fit within the global pterosaur community, come to understand why science communication matters, and how it is that their palaeontology podcasts are a thing! You can find Adele’s awesome podcast, “Pals in Palaeo” through the following link… https://linktr.ee/palsinpalaeo Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/palsinpalaeo/ You can also head to the Pals in Palaeo website at https://palsinpalaeo.com/ Here’s a link to an article by Adele about Ferrodraco lentoni… the pterosaur that Adele named, and that we discuss in the podcast… https://theconversation.com/4-metre-flying-reptile-unearthed-in-queensland-is-our-best-pterosaur-fossil-yet-124581 And here’s a link to another article by Adele of the fascinating pterosaurs that are being discovered in Australia… https://theconversation.com/these-magnificent-107-million-year-old-pterosaur-bones-are-the-oldest-ever-found-in-australia-206501 Speaking of pterosaurs, there’s a song about pterosaurs on the Professor Flint/Gemma Dandie album, “These Curious Things”, and you can watch a video of the song here… https://youtu.be/_ZJzRVO8ZK4?si=w2r39cTFVmiRijTo You can find links to the album, and more information about Michael’s science hero Mary Anning, here… https://linktr.ee/thesecuriousthings You can find Michael on Twitter at @heapsgood https://twitter.com/Heapsgood To connect with Dinosaur University on Facebook, follow us at https://www.facebook.com/DinosaurUniversity At Palaeo Jam, we now have an Instagram account at https://www.instagram.com/palaeo_jam

May 7th has come to be known as Australia’s National Dinosaur Day! A day in which Australians are being asked to celebrate the remarkable dinosaurs that once walked where we now walk. Or as we like to call them, the Dinosaurs Down Under! What is the significance of May 7th? And how did this date, in particular, become the day now known as Australia’s National Dinosaur Day? Phil Hore has worked in a lot of cool places, including the Smithsonian, the Field Museum and the Australian Dinosaur Museum! He’s also written lots, including as a regular writer for The Prehistoric Times. In this special edition of Palaeo Jam to celebrate Australia’s National Dinosaur Day, host Michael Mills chats with Phil about where the idea for the day came from, how it has grown in recent years, why Australian dinosaurs matter, and what his key role has been in making this a day to remember! You can find Australia’s National Dinosaur Day on Facebook at… https://www.facebook.com/Australiannationaldinosaurday If you’re ever in Rockhampton, be sure to check out Phil’s Time Safaris Walking Tours… https://www.timesafaris.com.au/ https://www.facebook.com/timesafaris Phil has been known to Tweet now and again at https://twitter.com/Phil_Hore Here’s a link to The Prehistoric Times magazine… https://pocketmags.com/au/prehistoric-times-magazine Michael Mills’ alter ego, singing palaeontologist Professor Flint, released a brand new version of the “Dinosaurs Down Under” album, earlier this year. You can find it, and other Prof Flint things, here… https://linktr.ee/ProfessorFlint You can find Michael at @heapsgood https://twitter.com/Heapsgood To connect with Dinosaur University on Facebook, follow us at https://www.facebook.com/DinosaurUniversity At Palaeo Jam, we have an Instagram account at https://www.instagram.com/palaeo_jam

We’re back for Season 3, and we begin in the palaeo lab at Flinders University! We’re delighted that in this first episode of the new season, Palaeo Jam host Michael Mills chats with Dr Isaac Kerr about a remarkable research paper, just published, that seeks to more clearly define what is and what isn’t a Protemnodon… AKA a giant, prehistoric kangaroo! During the course of the conversation, we hear from Isaac about the features that define this particular group of giant, prehistoric marsupials, but also, the fascinating differences amongst them. We talk about about who’s in, and who’s out of the genus, and along the way, we hear about the fascinating ways in which these extraordinary kangaroos lived their lives, depending upon where they lived. As a bonus, we also hear about how Isaac and his team were able to ditch a previously described species by none other than Sir Richard Owen! You can follow Dr Isaac Kerr on Twitter at @isaacarkerr https://twitter.com/IsaacARKerr You can read the full 250 plus pages of this remarkable paper, here… https://mapress.com/mt/article/view/megataxa.11.1.1 Check out the following article by Isaac in The Conversation… https://theconversation.com/we-found-three-new-species-of-extinct-giant-kangaroo-and-we-dont-know-why-they-died-out-when-their-cousins-survived-227857 Here’s a link to the Flinders University palaeo team… https://sites.flinders.edu.au/palaeontology/ And here’s an article on the ABC about this amazing paper… https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-04-15/three-unique-extinct-kangaroo-species-discovered-flinders-uni/103699606 You can find Michael Mills at @heapsgood https://twitter.com/Heapsgood To connect with Dinosaur University on Facebook, follow us at https://www.facebook.com/DinosaurUniversity At Palaeo Jam, we now have an Instagram account at https://www.instagram.com/palaeo_jam

There’s something quite delightful about seeing the skeleton of a prehistoric animal move in a way that it might have moved when the bones were covered in flesh, and the animal was alive. Jack O Conner is a PhD candidate at Monash University, and that’s exactly what he's doing at the Evans EvoMorph Lab. In this episode of Palaeo Jam, host Michael Mills chats with Jack about how he came to be doing what he does, explores the process of creating the models, and what it’s like to see such creatures brought to life in this way. Such work, of course, fits well into the science communication field for which Michael has built a career, and both Michael and Jack discuss some of the important elements of science communication, and why it matters. You can find Jack’s models of Thylacoleo carnifex, Zygomaturus trilobus, Siderops kehli, and Perucetus colossus on Sketchfab at… https://skfb.ly/oPsJs We think it’s well worth checking out the models before you listen to the podcast if you can, or even while you’re listening to it. Be sure, too, to check out our episode on the Virtual Australian Museum of Palaeontology (VAMP), at https://palaeojam.podbean.com/e/vamp-it-up/ to hear about where some of the source material come from for Jack’s work. It is an absolutely brilliant resource. You can follow Jack O’Conner on Instagram at @jackodesign https://www.instagram.com/jackocdesign/ And follow Monash Science at @monash_science https://www.instagram.com/monash_science/ The Evans EvoMorph Lab is on Twitter at @EvansEvoMorph https://twitter.com/evansevomorph You can find Palaeo Jam host Michael Mills on Twitter at @heapsgood https://twitter.com/Heapsgood To connect with Dinosaur University on Facebook, follow us at https://www.facebook.com/DinosaurUniversity On Instagram at @dinosauruniversity https://www.instagram.com/dinosauruniversity/ And on Twitter at @DinosaurUni https://twitter.com/DinosaurUni Palaeo Jam also now has its own Instagram account at @palaeo_jam https://www.instagram.com/palaeo_jam

Australia is currently home to 17 species of hawks and eagles. Tens of thousands of years ago, however, there were more. What were they like? What happened to them? And what can we learn about past ecosystems and the extinction that wiped out the Australian mega-fauna, in studying such prehistoric birds? In this episode of Palaeo Jam, host Michael Mills chats with Dr Ellen Mather, Adjunct Associate lecturer at Flinders University discuss all of these things and more, as they talk about several extinct species of eagle, including a much somewhat “chunky” eagle that could have plucked koalas from the tree! You can read more in The Conversation article authored by Ellen, Professor Mike Lee, and Associate Professor Trevor Worthy… “Giant eagles and scavenging vultures shared the skies of ancient Australia” https://theconversation.com/giant-eagles-and-scavenging-vultures-shared-the-skies-of-ancient-australia-216358 Here’s a direct link to the research… “Pleistocene raptors from cave deposits of South Australia, with a description of a new species of Dynatoaetus (Accipitridae: Aves): morphology, systematics and palaeoecological implications” https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03115518.2023.2268780 A great article examining Ellen’s recent work on the discovery of vultures in Australia can be found here… https://theconversation.com/it-was-long-thought-these-fossils-came-from-an-eagle-turns-out-they-belong-to-the-only-known-vulture-species-from-australia-187017 Ellen was also co-author for an article on a prehistoric species of eagle… https://theconversation.com/meet-the-prehistoric-eagle-that-ruled-australian-forests-25-million-years-ago-168249 You can find Ellen on Twitter at @Ellenaetus https://twitter.com/Ellenaetus Ellen previously spoke to us on Palaeo Jam in the following episode… Season 1, Episode 5 “Vultures and flamingoes Down Under? https://palaeojam.podbean.com/e/vultures-and-flamingoes-down-under/ You can find Palaeo Jam host Michael Mills on Twitter at @heapsgood https://twitter.com/Heapsgood To connect with Dinosaur University on Facebook, follow us at https://www.facebook.com/DinosaurUniversity On Instagram at @dinosauruniversity https://www.instagram.com/dinosauruniversity/ And on Twitter at @DinosaurUni https://twitter.com/DinosaurUni Palaeo Jam also now has its own Instagram account at @palaeo_jam https://www.instagram.com/palaeo_jam

The fossil record of Theropod dinosaurs in Australia is sparse, and our understanding of them is poor. In a recent publication of the first chapter of his PhD, PhD Candidate Jake Kotevski is on his way to changing that. In this episode of Palaeo Jam, host Michael Mills chats with Jake about the recent identification of the oldest-known Megaraptorid skull fragment, found on an Eastern Victorian beach in Australia, nearly 20 years ago. What does this unique and important fragment tell us about Australian Theropods and their place in the world? In just one of the concepts they discuss, it supports the theory that Megaraptorids originated in Australia. Tune in for more! To read the paper, “A megaraptorid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) frontal from the upper Strzelecki Group (Lower Cretaceous) of Victoria, Australia”, head to… https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195667123002975#sec7 You can find Jake on Twitter at @Dinoman_Jake https://twitter.com/Dinoman_Jake And on Instagram at @theropods_down_under https://www.instagram.com/theropods_down_under/ The Evans EvoMorph Lab where Jake is based for his PhD is on Twitter at @EvansEvoMorph https://twitter.com/evansevomorph For information on visiting the Dinosaur Dreaming site mentioned in the podcast, head to… https://www.visitgippsland.com.au/do-and-see/arts-culture-and-heritage/historical-towns-attractions/dinosaur-dreaming And also Bunurong Coast Education at http://sgcs.org.au/programs.php You can find Palaeo Jam host Michael Mills on Twitter at @heapsgood https://twitter.com/Heapsgood To connect with Dinosaur University on Facebook, follow us at https://www.facebook.com/DinosaurUniversity On Instagram at @dinosauruniversity https://www.instagram.com/dinosauruniversity/ And on Twitter at @DinosaurUni https://twitter.com/DinosaurUni Palaeo Jam also now has its own Instagram account at @palaeo_jam https://www.instagram.com/palaeo_jam

In August 2023, Michael Mills travelled to various communities in Australia, to record multiple episodes of the Palaeo Jam podcast for National Science Week. One of the enduring conversations born of the tour was how a community might engage with its local fossil heritage, and In this episode, recorded in Naracoorte, South Australia, in front of a live audience, we discuss a range of ideas of what local communities might do to better engage, and what the challenges and opportunities might be. Do you know the fossil heritage of where you live? Do you have any ideas for better engaging your local community with that heritage? And even if you do, do you know how to go about doing something about it? In the 15th episode of this season recorded for National Science week, host Michael Mills explores the possibilities with Site Manager, Naracoorte & Tantanoola Caves, Tom Short; University of Adelaide PhD candidate Nerita Turner; Site Interpreter at Naracoorte Caves National Park, Georgia Blows, and with an awesome appearance towards the end from Isla aged 9 and Quinny, aged 7. Thanks to the Naracoorte Lucindale Council whose commitment to engaging with their community has helped make this project possible. You can find them on Facebook at… https://www.facebook.com/naracoortelucindalecouncil And their website at https://www.naracoortelucindale.sa.gov.au/ You can find Palaeo Jam host Michael Mills on Twitter at @heapsgood https://twitter.com/Heapsgood To connect with Dinosaur University on Facebook, follow us at https://www.facebook.com/DinosaurUniversity We’ve recorded several episodes in Naracoorte across both seasons of Palaeo Jam. Subscribe now to listen to the rest, in which we chat about the fossils of the Caves while in the Caves. Here are direct links to 3 Naracoorte episodes. “Professor Wells and the Chamber of Secrets” with Professor Rod Wells… https://palaeojam.podbean.com/e/professor-wells-and-the-chamber-of-secrets/ “Caves- Ecosystems of the past, the present and the future” with Dr Elizabeth Reed… https://palaeojam.podbean.com/e/caves-ecosystems-of-the-past-the-present-and-the-future/ “A Career in a Cave”, with Nicola Bail, Nerita Turner and Georgia Blows. https://palaeojam.podbean.com/e/a-career-in-a-cave/

12 months ago, Palaeo Jam host Michael Mills chatted with three students from Flinders University in South Australia who had just completed the first year of a palaeontology degree, about their experiences in first year. In this episode of Palaeo Jam, Michael chats with the same three students… Dylan Slinn, Natalie Jackson and Thomas Khajeh… about their experiences in second year. Having finished for the year, and while waiting for their final results, we explore the challenges and the highlights of what was a very different year to first year. We find out how each of them are getting clarity in where they see themselves heading. We learn about what they have found matters for each of them in this important year in the journey. And just as we got a commitment from all three at the end of last year to come together 12 months later, no matter what… Dylan, Natalie and Thomas have all made the same commitment to do it all again, same time, same place, in 2024. Bring on third year! And bring on what lies beyond! You can find last year’s podcast episode, featuring Dylan, Natalie and Thomas on your preferred platform. You can also hear it here… https://palaeojam.podbean.com/e/the-dinosaur-kids-part-1/ You can find Natalie at: Tik Tok - @nataliemaree_art https://www.tiktok.com/search?q=nataliemaree_art Twitter - @PalaeoNat https://twitter.com/PalaeoNat Thomas’ sister, who he mentioned in season 1 is on Insta is at @thelostgirldraws https://www.instagram.com/thelostgirldraws/ Her etsy is at https://www.etsy.com/shop/LizzysStickerCo Dylan Slinn can be found as Dylan Slinn on Facebook Michael on Twitter at @HeapsGood https://twitter.com/Heapsgood And Dinosaur University on Twitter at @DinosaurUni https://twitter.com/DinosaurUni And Facebook at @DinosaurUniversity https://www.facebook.com/DinosaurUniversity

Plants matter. Without them, there’d be no us! There’d have been no dinosaurs! There’d have been no animals of any kind. When we go into our gardens, the thing we see most clearly, are the plants. In this episode, Palaeo Jam host Michael Mills chats with Director of the N.C.W. Beadle Herbarium, and Lecturer in Plant Systematics, at the University of New England, Dr Andrew Thornhill about the evolution of plants, and why they’re rather important to all of us! Recorded in the controlled environment that is the N.C.W. Beadle Herbarium, amongst thousands of plant specimens, Michael and Andrew talk about what a herbarium is and why it matters, and explore key moments in plant evolution. For more information on Dr Andrew Thornhill check out the following blog from the University of New England… https://blog.une.edu.au/pulsenews/2023/09/25/meet-andrew-thornhill-director-of-the-n-c-w-beadle-herbarium/ You can find links to Andrew’s research at https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=8QZdc_0AAAAJ&hl=en Palaeo Jam host Michael Mills can be found on Twitter as @heapsgood https://twitter.com/Heapsgood For more on the work Michael and HeapsGood Productions, check out the link… https://linktr.ee/HeapsGoodProductions

Eight million years ago, in what is now Alcoota, in central Australia, it is thought that a catastrophic event occurred leading to the death of hundreds of individual animals. While devastating for the individuals, it’s also an event that was followed by a process of fossilisation that has ensured we have a remarkable record of who lived in that place at the time, and who died in those moments. In this episode of Palaeo Jam, recorded in the very place of its discovery, in the very week that its discovery was published, aside from getting a sense of what it was like in Alcoota eight million years ago, we get to learn about Baru iylwenpen, the single most complete known mekosuchine crocodile in Australia, if not the world. The species name was taken from the Anmetyerre language, meaning excellent and skilled hunter. The fossils suggest Baru iylwenpen had the strength to prey on other megafauna such as the giant flightless bird Dromornis stirtini, also known as the Thunder Bird! Indeed, Baru iylwenpen was the largest and most dangerous predator that's found at the Alcoota fossil bed, and would have pretty much munched on whatever it wanted! Here’s a link to the original paper on Baru iylwenpen… https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/spp2.1523 Dr Adam Yates is the Senior Curator of Earth Sciences at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory. He is a palaeontologist with a broad interest in extinct fauna of Australia and South Africa where he spent 8 years prior to joining MAGNT in late 2011. You can read some of Adam’s research here… https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Adam-Yates-3 Megafauna Central can be found at… https://www.magnt.net.au/megafauna-central You can find Adam on Mastodon at https://sauropods.win/@alcootatooter You can find Palaeo Jam host Michael Mills on Twitter at @heapsgood https://twitter.com/Heapsgood To connect with Dinosaur University on Facebook, follow us at https://www.facebook.com/DinosaurUniversity

Being able to access field trips to dig up fossils has long been a central feature of studying palaeontology, and being a palaeontologist. But what if you have been born with a rare and severe genetic condition, such as Spinal Muscular Atrophy type 1 like Eleanor Beidatsch? As a nine year old, Eleanor dreamed of being a palaeontologist, but always presumed her advanced physical disability, and use of a wheelchair would make “digging about in the dirt for fossils” impossible. But Eleanor Beidatsch is many things, and being passionate and determined, is just a part of of it. In this episode of Palaeo Jam, recorded as part of our National Science Week tour, host Michael Mills chats with Eleanor about the challenges faced by students with disabilities in accessing opportunities to study, her own amazing journey to studying palaeontology at the University of New England, about her fascinating research into velvet worms, and about what comes next. Check out this video from Eleanor’s YouTube channel of her remarkable adventure in 2016, to a paleontological dig in the opal rich desert town of Lightning Ridge, New South Wales… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTGxIR_yaNo Stay up top date with a documentary project involving Eleanor, her family, and colleagues during their time at the 2023 Palaeo Down Under conference and the Kalbarri field-trip… https://www.australasianpalaeontologists.org/documentary Here’s a story about Eleanor’s journey on the University of New England’s website… https://www.une.edu.au/connect/news/2022/09/unearthing-discrimination-in-science Along with studying palaeontology, Eleanor is a disability rights journalist, and writes for the ABC… https://www.abc.net.au/news/eleanor-beidatsch/101651018 You can find Eleanor on Instagram at… https://www.instagram.com/eleanor.beidatsch/ And on Twitter at… https://twitter.com/EBeidatsch Here’s a link to Eleanor’s blog Accessible 4 Me… https://accessible4me.wordpress.com/ For more information on the research being undertaken by the team at University of New England’s Palaeoscience Research Centre, head to https://www.une.edu.au/research/research-centres-institutes/palaeoscience-research-centre Palaeo Jam host Michael Mills is on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Heapsgood For more info on his work as Creative Director, HeapsGood Productions, head to… https://linktr.ee/HeapsGoodProductions

What do we know about the boundary between the Ediacarans and the Cambrians, an astonishing predator from the early Cambrian, and one of the things palaeontologists get asked about more than just about anything… How did some dinosaurs get so big? We’re LIVE for a second time in Armidale for National Science Week at The Welder’s Dog Brewery, on Anaiwan country, also known as high country, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. In this episode, we discuss some of the fascinating paleontological research going on at the University of New England through the Palaeoscience Research Centre. To do this, Palaeo Jam host Michael Mills is joined by Professor John Paterson, Dr Marissa Betts, and Dr Nic Campione. You can find our more about John’s research from his University of New England profile at https://www.une.edu.au/staff-profiles/ers/jpater20 Marissa’s UNE profile at https://www.une.edu.au/staff-profiles/ers/marissa-betts And Nic’s UNE profile at https://www.une.edu.au/staff-profiles/ers/dr-nicolas-campione For more information on the research being undertaken by the team at University of New England’s Palaeoscience Research Centre, head to https://www.une.edu.au/research/research-centres-institutes/palaeoscience-research-centre Palaeo Jam host Michael Mills is on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Heapsgood For more info on his work as Creative Director, HeapsGood Productions, head to… https://linktr.ee/HeapsGoodProductions

We’re LIVE in Armidale for National Science Week at The Welder’s Dog Brewery, and in this episode, recorded on Anaiwan country, we’re talking about the creatures that once dwelt in this place, and nearby. Of dinosaurs such as “Lightning Claw”, giant marsupials that left teeth marks on the bones of other giant marsupials, and tiny fossils too small for the naked eye to see. Along the way, we talk about the extraordinary changes that have taken place in the geology of the region that at one time during the Permian, was a volcanic wasteland, at an earlier time, was under the sea, and that is now, the highest city in Australia. In this episode we are reminded that wherever you are, there are fascinating prehistoric stories just waiting to be discovered! To discuss all this and more, host Michael Mills is joined by Professor John Paterson, Dr Marissa Betts, and Dr Nic Campione, all from the University of New England, right here in Armidale. You can find our more about John’s research from his University of New England profile at https://www.une.edu.au/staff-profiles/ers/jpater20 Marissa’s UNE profile at https://www.une.edu.au/staff-profiles/ers/marissa-betts And Nic’s UNE profile at https://www.une.edu.au/staff-profiles/ers/dr-nicolas-campione For more information on the research being undertaken by the team at University of New England’s Palaeoscience Research Centre, head to https://www.une.edu.au/research/research-centres-institutes/palaeoscience-research-centre Palaeo Jam host Michael Mills is on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Heapsgood For more info on his work as Creative Director, HeapsGood Productions, head to… https://linktr.ee/HeapsGoodProductions

In a special edition of Palaeo Jam, recorded LIVE at the Western Australian Museum Boola Bardip, guest host Professor Flint chats with some of his Western Australian palaeo pals, about their favourite fossils, their best moments in the field, and a broad range of other palaeo-themed topics. In a chat amongst friends, we hear about the group’s favourite fossils that include a giant skink, a tree kangaroo on the Nullarbor Plain, an Aussie sauropod, and a kangaroo with fangs! Favourite moments of discovery include finding an ancient Bilby, the skull and brain case of a sauropod, and a Western Australian plesiosaur. We also learn about stinky days in the lab, and what brought each of the panel to be involved with palaeontology. This episode was recorded during the Museum’s “Biggest Science Lab Ever” event during National Science Week. The panelists for this episode are Dr Kenny Travouillon, Mammalogy Curator at the Western Australian Museum Boola Bardip; Dr Kailah Thorn, Technical Officer for Terrestrial Vertebrates at the Western Australian Museum Boola Bardip; Associate Professor Natalie Warburton, of Murdoch University; and Dr Stephen F. Poropat, School of Planetary and Earth Sciences, Curtin University. For more info on Prof Flint, including links to his albums of palaeo songs, head to https://linktr.ee/ProfessorFlint You can find Kailah on Twitter at https://twitter.com/kailah_thorn Kailah’s research profile is at… https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kailah-Thorn Kenny can be found here… https://twitter.com/TravouillonK Kenny’s research profile is here… https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kenny-Travouillon You can find Natalie on Twitter at https://twitter.com/aNATomy_Lab You can also find Natalie’s profile at Murdoch University at http://profiles.murdoch.edu.au/myprofile/natalie-warburton/ Stephen’s research profile can be found here… https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Stephen-Poropat

World renowned geologist, Professor Walter Alvarez once noted that… “Rocks are the key to Earth history, because solids remember but liquids and gases forget.” In this episode of Palaeo Jam, host Michael Mills chats with Professor Tom Raimondo about how learning about our local geology can help us better connect to where we live. Of how rocks are places where stories from the past are etched, and that by learning to read the rocks around us, we open ourselves to a whole new world of connection to the past, and understanding. Tom Raimondo is Professor of Geology and Geochemistry and Professorial Lead for STEM at the University of South Australia. He is a passionate science communicator who has been recognised as the 2019 SA Science Excellence Awards STEM Educator of the Year, and in 2017 was named in the ABC Top 5 Under 40. For more info on Tom and his work, head to… https://people.unisa.edu.au/tom.raimondo https://twitter.com/ROKmondo https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8nlPNwP0bcho0tTVomlwyg The iconic landscape of the Flinders Ranges in South Australia holds a remarkable history, cultural heritage and scientific value that has been unlocked through the power of the ground breaking 360VR Flinders Ranges experience mentioned in this episode. You can get free access to this brilliant experience at https://www.projectlive.org.au/ Palaeo Jam host Michael Mills is on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Heapsgood For more info his work as Creative Director, HeapsGood Productions, head to… https://linktr.ee/HeapsGoodProductions This episode was recorded LIVE during South Australia’s Science Alive event, the STEM Day Out, as part of National Science Week.

The Virtual Museum of Australian Palaeontology, or VAMP, as it is known, was launched several months ago to much acclaim. So, what is it, why does it matter, and how has it been going? In another episode recorded live during the Palaeo Jam National Science Week tour, we discuss why in an age of of misinformation, it is important that researchers and the public have access to information, and why projects such as VAMP are a great way of doing just that. In this episode we also talk in a more general sense about access to academic collections and research, touching on a model that sees a great deal of publicly funded research hidden behind paywalls, and not accessible to the public. Joining Palaeo Jam host Michael Mills are three of the original VAMPers, all from Flinders University, in Dr Alice Clement, Dr Aaron Camens, and PhD candidate Jacob van Zoelen. You can check out the VAMP website at… https://sites.flinders.edu.au/vamp/ You can follow Aaron on Twitter at https://twitter.com/DiprotoRon, and check out his Flinders University profile at https://sites.flinders.edu.au/palaeontology/home/people/academics/aaron-camens/ Check out Alice’s blog posts at https://draliceclement.com, and follow Alice on Twitter at https://twitter.com/DrAliceClement You can follow Jacob at https://twitter.com/Zoelenotherium Michael is on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Heapsgood For more info on the project team we are a part of, head to… https://linktr.ee/HeapsGoodProductions

Before there were dinosaurs, Queensland, Australia was home to a fascinating array of reptiles, amphibians, and the ancestors of mammals. And then, 252 million years ago, just about everything on Earth died! So let’s talk who survived, and why! In an episode supported by National Science Week, host Michael Mills is joined by Dr Espen Knutsen, Senior Curator of Palaeontology at the Museum of Tropical Queensland, and James Cook University, and Ash Turner, PhD Candidate at James Cook University. Along the way, the three talk about some of the many and varied creatures of the Permian and the subsequent Triassic Periods. While Michael discovers an awesome new term for a particular group of animals... the Pigs of the Permian, which he's decided may well be the name of his next album or band! Dr Espen Knutsen is the Senior Curator of Palaeontology at the Museum of Tropical Queensland and James Cook University. He has a special interest in the diversity, evolution and ecology of Mesozoic reptiles, such as ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs and dinosaurs. You can check out his research portfolio at James Cook University at https://research.jcu.edu.au/portfolio/espen.knutsen/ and can follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/e_m_knutsen Ash Turner is a palaeontologist from Adelaide, looking at vertebrates of Triassic South East Queensland, particularly the temnospondyl amphibians both large and small. You can find Ash on ResearchGate at https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ashten-Turner-2 You can find Palaeo Jam host Michael on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Heapsgood To connect with Dinosaur University on Facebook, follow us at https://www.facebook.com/DinosaurUniversity And on Twitter at… https://twitter.com/DinosaurUni

A palaeontologist and an archaeologist walk into a bar… The Afterlife Bar, that is, at the Western Australian Museum, Boola Bardip, thanks to National Science Week. So, then what happened? Listen in, to find out! We’re in Perth, Whadjuk Country, Western Australia, and we’re here to talk about dead things, how we find them, what we do with them when we’ve found them, and what those dead things might tell us about the past! We’re also here to demystify the differences between these two popular sciences, and explore the things the two sciences share. In this special edition of Palaeo Jam, Palaeo Jam host Michael Mills, palaeontologist Professor Kate Trinajstic and archaeologist Dr Sven Ouzman discuss all of these things, and more! To follow the unfoldingly odd thing that is Twitter in regard to each of this episode’s human panel, head to https://twitter.com/KateTRINAJSTIC, https://twitter.com/crar_m, https://twitter.com/UWAArchaeology, and https://twitter.com/Heapsgood You can find out more about Dr Sven Ouzman at https://www.uwa.edu.au/Profile/Sven-Ouzman Kate Trinajstic’s research profile can be found at… https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kate-Trinajstic To learn more about Michael, and all of his incarnations, you can begin by heading to https://www.heapsgood.com.au/', and see what happens frome there!

Join us on a journey to explore the remarkable fossil heritage of South Australia, and why its prehistoric story matters not just to South Australians, but to the the whole world. In this episode of Palaeo Jam, recorded live at Flinders University, on Kaurna Country, host Michael Mills is joined by PhD Candidate Phoebe McInerney of Flinders University, Associate Professor Diego Garcia-Bellido from the University of Adelaide. and PhD Candidate Tory Botha, also of the University of Adelaide. Along the way, the panel discuss a range of discoveries found in South Australia, including the first big life, opalised sea creatures, the story of the first predators, along with some fascinating palaeo pathologies. Yo can follow Phoebe on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Phoebyornis Check out Phoebe’s article in The Conversation about disease in giant prehistoric birds, discussed in this episode… https://theconversation.com/fossil-find-reveals-giant-prehistoric-thunder-birds-were-riddled-with-bone-disease-173745 Diego is on Twitter at https://twitter.com/DGarciaBellido Check out the recent research paper from Diego with a revised understanding of two species of Radiodonta foun d in Emu Bay, South Australia. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14772019.2023.2225066?journalCode=tjsp20 You can find some information about Tory’s research interests here… http://www.emmasherratt.com/quantitative-morphology-group.html You can find Michael, on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Heapsgood If you're ever in Adelaide and want to see some of the amazing fossil heritage discussed in this episode, head to the South Australian Museum... https://www.samuseum.sa.gov.au/

The Naracoorte Caves in South Australia are a World Heritage fossil site whose stories are many and varied. Part of the story of the Caves is the story of the people who work there, do their research there, or in the case of Palaeo Jam host Michael Mills, occasionally record podcasts and sing songs there. In another fascinating episode, recorded as part of National Science Week, we explore the connection of several different people to the Naracoorte Caves, and how what the Caves has to offer has been central to their developing careers. You can find host Michael Mills on Twitter at @heapsgood https://twitter.com/Heapsgood. You can find his alter ego, Professor Flint, along with songs inspired by the creatures of the Naracoorte Caves at… https://linktr.ee/ProfessorFlint For information on visiting the Naracoorte Caves in South Australia, head to… https://www.naracoortecaves.sa.gov.au/ Nicola Bail is a PhD candidate at the University of Adelaide studying the population dynamics of Southern Bent-wing Bats) in order to understand the subspecies’ decline, population structure and overall state of the South Australian population. You can find on on Twitter at https://twitter.com/NicolaBail Follow this link for a Cosmos article about her research https://cosmosmagazine.com/nature/pregnant-pause-researcher-ultrasounds-tiny-bats-in-amazing-breeding-study/ Nerita Turner is also a PhD Candidate at the University of Adelaide. Her research focuses on the modes of accumulation of large animal remains in caves, with a particular focus on fossil sites within the Naracoorte Caves region. You can find Nerita on Twitter at https://twitter.com/nerita_turner Check out the following article, by Nerita and Dr Elizabeth Reed… “Using historical research to constrain the provenance and age of the first recorded collection of extinct Pleistocene large mammal fossils from the Naracoorte Caves, South Australia.” https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/M7JARRBWBXBWDCFDGIIY/full?target=10.1080/03721426.2023.2188442 Georgia Blows is Site Interpreter at the Naracoorte Caves, and is passionate about all things wildlife and natural history. Georgia is one of the youngest staff at the Naracoorte Caves, and got the position fresh from Naracoorte High School, after a work a work experience placement convinced both her, and most likely Caves management, that Georgia and the Caves were a perfect fit.

In 2022, the first fossil body of an Australian long-necked plesiosaur with the head still attached was discovered in outback Queensland. In this episode, recorded live in Townsville, Wulgurukaba Country, for National Science Week, Palaeo Jam host Michael Mills, is joined by palaeontologist Dr Espen Knutsen, and public programmes officer Claire Speedie, in an exploration of the importance of this extraordinary discovery, and why it matters, not just to science, but to the community as well. Dr Espen Knutsen is the Senior Curator of Palaeontology at the Museum of Tropical Queensland and James Cook University. He has a special interest in the diversity, evolution and ecology of Mesozoic reptiles, such as ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs and dinosaurs. You can check out his research portfolio at James Cook University at https://research.jcu.edu.au/portfolio/espen.knutsen/ and can follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/e_m_knutsen Claire Speedie is Public Programmes Officer at the Museum of Tropical Queensland, and is also currently studying at Deakin University. Claire has worked across many years in the public programmes space, both developing and delivering a range of programmes across multiple different themes. You can find Palaeo Jam host Michael on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Heapsgood To connect with Dinosaur University on Facebook, follow us at https://www.facebook.com/DinosaurUniversity And on Twitter at… https://twitter.com/DinosaurUni

Naracoorte Caves in South Australia are home to a remarkable fossil heritage of Pleistocene life. The story of Naracoorte, though, is not just the story of it’s fossil heritage. It’s the stories of the community and the connection of lots people to the caves and that heritage. In this first episode for Season 2 of Palaeo Jam, we speak to several community members to hear their stories of the Naracoorte Caves. In so doing, we seek to explore what a site such a site with such a close proximity to a town, might mean to the local community. Note: Our first attempt at uploading this episode saw only part of it uploaded! This is the full episode. In this episode, host Michael Mills chats with former Mayor , Erika Vickory, former Caves Manager Steve Bourne, long time Caves site interpreter Barb Lobban, and a member of the audience, Pat Gericke, who was able to bring to our attention an amazing story about one of her ancestors, who was a key staff member of the Naracoorte Caves in its earliest days. Thanks to National Science Week, Heaps Good Productions, the Naracoorte Caves, the Naracoorte Lucindale Council, and most importantly, the people of Naracoorte, for making this episode possible. And in case you missed it, during Season 1 of Palaeo Jam, we recorded an episode with Prof Rod Wells while sitting in the very spot in Victoria Cave where he’d sat more than 50 years beforehand in discovering the fossil bed. We also chatted with Dr Liz Reed about her research in the Caves as a local, and in so doing, were reminded that while caves can be wonderful places for discovering fossils, they continue to be living ecosystems. Check out this and the rest of of the Palaeo Jam episodes through your preferred platform, and subscribe.

In our final episode for Season 1, Palaeo Jam host Michael Mills chats with Dinosaur University Dean of Science, and singing palaeontologist, Professor Flint. During the conversation, The Prof is asked what came first... His love of dinosaurs, or his love of music? He also gives some insights into why he thinks art and science are two sides of the same thing. And when asked about where he would go back in time to, if he had the chance, The Prof gives a most interesting answer. To find the Prof's music on Spotify, Bandcamp and all the places, check out the link... https://linktr.ee/ProfessorFlint You can find The Prof on Twitter at @dinosdownunder https://twitter.com/DinosDownUnder Palaeo Jam host Michael Mills can be found on Twitter as @heapsgood https://twitter.com/Heapsgood You can connect with him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-mills-86906335/

Following the world premiere of “A Curious Thing- The story of Mary Anning” at the 2023 Adelaide Fringe, Palaeo Jam host, and writer/director of the Mary Anning Fringe show Michael Mills sat down with three brilliant women in science to explore their thoughts on the show, its themes, Mary’s legacy, and their own experiences as women in science. In a wide ranging discussion, Flinders University space archeologist, Dr Alice Gorman, University of Adelaide Palaeontologist Dr Liz Reed, and University of Adelaide PhD Candidate Tiah Bampton speak about key moments in their lives, role models that have inspired them, and give some important insights into some of the challenges still faced by women in science, 176 years after Mary Anning’s death. The podcast ends with each guest being asked the one thing they might say to Mary Anning, had they the opportunity to do so. You can find Dr Alice Gorman on Twitter at @drspacejunk https://twitter.com/drspacejunk Amongst many things, Alice has written extensively for The Conversation, including a recent article, “Prejudice, poor pay and the ‘urinary leash’: naming and claiming Australia’s forgotten women scientists”. Read the article here… https://theconversation.com/prejudice-poor-pay-and-the-urinary-leash-naming-and-claiming-australias-forgotten-women-scientists-198407 And if you don’t already have a copy, find yourself a copy of Alice’s book, “Dr Space Junk vs The Universe: Archaeology and the Future.” You can find Dr Liz Reed on Twitter at… @LizReed_palaeo https://twitter.com/LizReed_palaeo Liz’s extensive profile, with links to research papers and articles can be found at… https://researchers.adelaide.edu.au/profile/liz.reed Liz appeared on a previous episode of Palaeo Jam in which she and host Michael Mills chatted about the importance of caves not just as repositories of fossils, but as living ecosystems, while sitting in Blanch Caves in the Naracoorte Caves of South Australia. Check out the episode here… https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-rnthh-1379952 To learn about Tiah Bampton’s journey, and the delightful connection to PhD supervisor Dr Liz Reed, tune in to the podcast! And also check out this story with the ABC… https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-03/tiah-bampton-living-dream-at-naracoorte-caves-palaeontology-dig/12209876 You can check out Tiah’s research profile here… https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Tiah-Bampton And read the paper referred to in the Research gate link, here… https://helictite.caves.org.au/pdf1/46.Bampton.pdf Palaeo Jam host Michael Mills can be found on Twitter as @heapsgood https://twitter.com/Heapsgood For more on the work Michael and HeapsGood Productions have been involved with in exploring the story of Mary Anning, check out the link… https://linktr.ee/TheseCuriousThings

Imagine you’re that dinosaur kid! The one who knows all the names of all the things, and dreams of one day going to university to study palaeontology in order to become a palaeontologist. Of course, most dinosaur kids don’t get to do that. But imagine you are one who makes it. You do get accepted into a palaeontology degree, and even better, make it through the first year! In this episode of Palaeo Jam, host Michael Mills chats with three students who’ve just completed their first year of a palaeontology degree at Flinders University. During the episode, we find out from Dylan Slinn, Natalie Jackson and Thomas Khajeh, what brought them to Flinders University, what they were expecting when they got here, and how it turned out across the year, both good and bad. So, why the title of the episode, “The Dinosaur Kids… Part 1”? At the end of the episode, we get a very definite commitment from all three to get back together at the end of second year, and record a follow-up episode. That’ll be Part 2… and we’re pretty sure we’ll get a Part 3 and beyond as we follow the journey of these three dinosaur kids in pursuit of their dream! We can’t wait to see how the journey for each of them unfolds! You can find Natalie at: Tik Tok - @nataliemaree_art https://www.tiktok.com/search?q=nataliemaree_art Twitter - @PalaeoNat https://twitter.com/PalaeoNat Thomas’ sister's Insta is at @thelostgirldraws https://www.instagram.com/thelostgirldraws/ Her etsy is at https://www.etsy.com/shop/LizzysStickerCo Dylan Slinn can be found as Dylan Slinn on Facebook Michael on Twitter at @HeapsGood https://twitter.com/Heapsgood And Dinosaur University on Twitter at @DinosaurUni https://twitter.com/DinosaurUni And Facebook at @DinosaurUniversity https://www.facebook.com/DinosaurUniversity The dinosaur book Natalie talks about is “The Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs & Prehistoric Creatures” by Dougal Dixon It can be found online at Book Depository, Dymocks and Booktopia.

Late last year, while on a trip to Naracoorte, South Australia, Palaeo Jam podcast host Michael Mills sat down with three students from the University of Adelaide, all at different stages as palaeontology students. One, Stephanie Massacci, was just at the beginning of Honours, where the focus will be on seeking to clarify the taxonomy of the Pleistocene Tasmanian Devil, compared with the extinct giant Tasmanian Devil. The second, Isabella Donato, was at the end of Honours, in a project that explores the identification of skull bones in monitor lizards so that we know what species have lived here in the past. The third, Caitlin Mudge, was getting ready for PhD submission, through the Australian Centre for Ancient DNA on how species genetics relates to geographic location. The results of this research will help us understand the faunal landscape and historic diversity of several Australian mammal groups during the Holocene. The wide ranging conversation touches on a number of topics relevant to palaeo students, along with each of their areas of study. They also discuss the idea of whether to reintroduce Tasmanian Devils back into mainland Australia, the merits of trying to bring back Thylacines and other extinct animals, and offer some sound advice to other students at different stages of their student life. You can follow Caitlin on Twitter at @CaitlinMudge522 https://twitter.com/caitlinmudge522 Isabella on Twitter at @IzTheeScientist https://twitter.com/IzTheeScientist Michael on Twitter at @HeapsGood https://twitter.com/Heapsgood And Dinosaur University at @DinosaurUni https://twitter.com/DinosaurUni

Caves can be the holders of great fossil collections. It’s important to remember, though, that they still exist as living ecosystems, and will continue to do so. In this episode of Palaeo Jam, host Michael Mills chats with Dr Liz Reed of the University of Adelaide, and South Australian Museum. This episode was recorded inside Blanch Cave, in the World Naracoorte listed Naracoorte Caves, where Liz is one of many to have conducted research into its remarkable trove of fossils. On the ongoing nature of caves as living ecosystems, Liz notes during the conversation that caves are… “…some of the most fragile ecosystems on the planet, and very susceptible to anything coming in to the caves”. There are important conservation issues that need to be addressed if such caves as the Naracoorte Caves are to continue to be the delightful repositories of life that they are. They are not just places where fossils are to be found. Along the way, Michael and Liz also talk about the inaugural Australian Mammal of the Year, the Southern BentWing bat, and why Liz thinks bats are awesome. You can find Dr Liz Reed on Twitter at… @LizReed_palaeo https://twitter.com/LizReed_palaeo Liz’s extensive profile, with links to research papers and articles can be found at… https://researchers.adelaide.edu.au/profile/liz.reed You can find host Michael Mills on Twitter at @heapsgood https://twitter.com/Heapsgood For information on visiting the Naracoorte Caves in South Australia, head to… https://www.naracoortecaves.sa.gov.au/ And for more info on the Australian Mammal of the Year, head to… https://cosmosmagazine.com/nature/amoty/

Isolated islands can evolve remarkably unique flora and fauna, given enough time. None is more unique than New Zealand, the home of the Kiwi, but also the past home of multiple species of birds and frogs. Indeed, such was the nature of the islands in the not too distant past, that birds and frogs filled many of the ecological niches commonly filled by other forms of critter, including mammals. Dr Nic Rawlence, Senior Lecturer in Ancient DNA, University of Otago, New Zealand, stopped in to Adelaide on a recent family holiday, which gave Adelaide-based Palaeo Jam host Michael Mills the opportunity for the two to catch up, and chat about what it might have been like to walk amongst the wildlife of New Zealand when it was very much a land of birds and frogs.. Nic has written multiple articles in The Conversation including this one, that argues the people of New Zealand should celebrate its remarkable prehistoric past with national fossil emblems. https://theconversation.com/new-zealand-should-celebrate-its-remarkable-prehistoric-past-with-national-fossil-emblems-have-your-say-184942 You can find Nic on Twitter at @nic_rawlence_nz https://twitter.com/nic_rawlence_nz You can find Michael at @heapsgood https://twitter.com/Heapsgood To connect with Dinosaur University ion Facebook, follow us at https://www.facebook.com/DinosaurUniversity

Museums are custodians of story, and the collections that dwell within them belong to the community of which they are a part. In recent years, though, funding cuts have put significant pressure on many aspects of what museums do so well, in research, collection curation, and public programmes. In a wide ranging conversation, host Michael Mills chats with Dr Kailah Thorn, Curator at Edward de Courcy Clarke Earth Science Museum on why museums matter, and why they need to be properly funded. Both Michael and Kailah have had a great deal of experience in delivering public programmes, and have done so together on several projects at the South Australian Museum, and with Flinders University. In describing her research interests, Kailah has noted… My research speciality is in the taxonomy of Australian fossil scincids, primarily the blue-tongued lizards and their nearest kin in the subfamily Egerniinae. I'm working on descriptions of their extinct relatives and deciphering the evolutionary tree of this group in order to answer bigger questions about where they came from, when they got to Australia and how they have changed since they arrived. Kailah has written a delightful article in The Conversation on how to hunt for fossils responsibly. It is essential reading for amateur and professional fossil collectors, alike… https://theconversation.com/how-to-hunt-fossils-responsibly-5-tips-from-a-professional-palaeontologist-156861 You can find Kailah on Twitter at @kailah_thorn https://twitter.com/kailah_thorn You can find Michael at @heapsgood https://twitter.com/Heapsgood To connect with Dinosaur University ion Facebook, follow us at https://www.facebook.com/DinosaurUniversity

When we think of palaeontology, we often think of the giant bones of dinosaurs assembled in museums. And when not thinking of the bones, we’re often enamoured by the size of fossilised teeth such as those of T.rex, Megalodon, Mosasaurs and other leviathans. There are more things than fossilise, though, than the bones and teeth. Trace fossils are the fossils of activity. They are evidence of something an animal did in the past. They include fossilised footprints, teeth marks, burrows, and poop, and they each have a fascinating story to tell. In this episode of Palaeo Jam, host Michael Mills is joined by Dr Aaron Camens and Fraser Brown, to discuss several different types of trace fossils, and the stories and moments those fossils are able to reveal. Dr Aaron Camens is a lecturer in palaeontology at Flinders University. You can follow Aaron on Twitter at https://twitter.com/DiprotoRon, and check out his Flinders University profile at https://sites.flinders.edu.au/palaeontology/home/people/academics/aaron-camens/ Amongst his extensive research work, Aaron co-authored a paper on fossilised footprints on the volcanic plains in Victoria, Australia: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0277379110004178 He was also co-author of a paper on fossilised bite marks on the volcanic plains in Victoria, Australia: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0052957 Fraser Brown is an Honours student studying palaeontology at Flinders University. You can follow Fraser on Twitter at https://twitter.com/FgBrown01, and check his Flinders University profile at https://blogs.flinders.edu.au/stem/2021/10/19/student-profile-fraser-brown/ This link from the Paleontological Research Instituion provides a short illustrated summary of the differences between body fossils and trace fossils: https://www.digitalatlasofancientlife.org/learn/nature-fossil-record/body-fossils-trace-fossils/

One of the great challenges of palaeontology is to work out what a long dead animal actually looked like, and how it lived, when all you have is a fossilised bone or two. This is where Associate Professor Natalie Warburton, of Murdoch University, and her freezer full of dead things comes in! In a fascinating episode, we go on a journey to discover what lies beneath an animal’s skin, and how we might come to know that for prehistoric animals… Of how we reconstruct animals from the past. In this episode, host Michael Mills chats with Natalie about how we know what muscles to put on long dead bones, learn about freezers full of dead things, and come to understand what she means when she says…“The best way to learn about how animal bodies are put together, is to take animal bodies apart!” You can find Natalie on Twitter at @aNATomy_Lab https://twitter.com/aNATomy_Lab You can also find Natalie’s profile at Murdoch University, including a list of publications at http://profiles.murdoch.edu.au/myprofile/natalie-warburton/ Natalie recently spoke on this subject for the 2022 Annual Wells Lecture, in a talk titled “Prehistoric Puzzles - reconstructing marsupials from the past”.The annual lectures help raise funds for the James Moore Memorial Prize. The Memorial prize supports secondary school students to join Flinders palaeontology field trips and learn from world-leading academics. Here's a link with more info... https://www.flinders.edu.au/giving/ways-to-give/pay-tribute/james-moore-memorial-fund

On the 3rd August, 1969, some 53 years ago, a young biologist, Rod Wells, along with his friend, caver Grant Gartrell crawled through a narrow opening at Naracoorte's Victoria cave, and made a remarkable discovery. It was to be one of the most remarkable finds of megafauna fossils found anywhere in the world, and played a significant part in the Australian megafauna site being elevated to the World Heritage list in 1994 In this special one on one edition of Palaeo Jam, host Michael Mills chats with Prof Rod Wells in an episode recorded with both Rod and Michael sitting in the very spot Rod had sat 53 years ago, on that amazing Spring day. Rod’s discoveries played a significant role in the development of Vertebrate Palaeontology at Flinders University, and there are a generation of students now following in his footsteps as a result of his passion and his work. His research and insights into Australia's fossil heritage across many years has helped Australians better know the stories of their past, and in so doing, has helped Australians to better know who they are. And while, of course, this podcast is an audio thing, so you don’t get to see Rod and Michael chatting, the very fact that it was recorded in that place where Rod sat all those years ago, made for a very special conversation.