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