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What Does a Paleontologist Look Like?

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Click the image and find out Southern Methodist University Facebook Page October 16, 2019
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SMU paleontology grad named one of the AAAS IF/THEN ambassadors The ambassadors are encouraged to share their stories of being women innovators, in hopes it inspires the next generation of women to get into science, technology, engineering and math [STEM] Myria Perez ’18 and Louis Jacobs DALLAS (SMU) – SMU (Southern Methodist University) graduate Myria Perez ’18 was one of 125 women innovators across the country who was selected to be an AAAS IF/THEN ambassador. Their mission? To share their stories and serve as high-profile role models for girls, in hopes it leads to a new generation of women getting into science, technology, engineering and math [STEM]. “We firmly believe that if we support a woman in STEM, then she can change the world,” Lyda Hill, the founder of Lyda Hill Philanthropies, said in a statement. “The goal of IF/THEN is to shift the way our country — and the world — think about women in STEM and this requires changing the narratives about women

From Field to Museum: How Dinosaur Fossils are Prepared

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By Myria Perez, Assistant Fossil Preparator and Perot Museum of Nature and Science • Published August 20, 2019 • Updated on August 20, 2019 at 5:21 pm     When people think of a paleontologist, they usually picture a grizzled paleontologist gently sweeping dust away from a perfectly articulated dinosaur skeleton. In this scenario, the bones are perfectly preserved, easily distinguishable and seem to be miraculously excavated from the rock around it. The truth is, paleontology isn’t that easy. In most cases, it is rare to find fossils complete. Most fossils in the field are fragmentary and sometimes only impressions are left behind. In paleontology, context is everything! Field paleontologists know where to seek out specific fossil localities for their research by examining geological maps called topographic maps. From these maps, they can then use a trained eye to read the rocks and identify where fossil bone could possibly be found. Wh