Fossils need expert care when they are discovered, extracted, prepared, stored, and displayed in order to ensure their longevity and scientific utility. When most people see fossils in museums they think of paleontologists in the field. They may often fail to realize that the specimen they’re looking at is in a state of decay right…

What is public policy anyways? The purpose of this podcast is to look at paleontology and prehistory from the lens of public policy by focusing on the actors, institutions, and events that shape this community. This could include grants for earth science research provided by the National Science Foundation, local ordinances requiring paleontological mitigation on…

The aim of paleo mitigation is to extract and preserve the prehistoric remains found on construction and development sites. The discovery of Archaeopteryx in limestone deposits near Solnhofen, Germany to the Cerutti Mammoth site in San Diego, California, have fascinated onlookers and challenged our conception of life’s progression on this planet.  In this episode, I…

Natural history museums are a fantastic public resource for entertainment and education. The local museum is probably where most people are exposed to the prehistoric past and where most paleo enthusiasts are born (Me included!). Some natural history museums, like Beneski, are affiliated with a university that enable them to provide services a city museum…

America’s national parks and national monuments have inspired awe and wonder for generations of American’s and international travelers for over a century. These public lands contain gorgeous landscapes, delicate ecosystems, wildlife, and FOSSILS! From the Antiquities Act of 1906 to the Paleontological Preservation Act of 2009, public policy has attempted to provide greater protections for…