Fossil Fever

Click the image and find out Southern Methodist University Facebook Page October 16, 2019

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...

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 ...

CASTING & MOLDING A cast is essentially a copy of a bone.   Sometimes it is called a replica.   The advantages of a cast are that it is lighter and stronger than real bone.  It retains all of the external details of the original specimens.    A two part mold can be made from an original fossil.  The bone is supported with clay and building blocks. More clay is used to cover about half of the original fossil.          Once the molding rubber has completely dried, the sides made  of building blocks are removed. After they are removed, the top portion (molding rubber and the original fossil)  can be separated from the clay.    Now the other side needs to be molded.  The first part that was molded is now placed on the bottom and the walls are built with ...

Approaching Enchanted Rock   Burnet   Inks Lake State Park  Enchanted Rock State Park   Enchanted Rock State Park  

Chickasaw National Recreation Area Sulfur, Oklahoma As part of my Mineralogy class, we went on a field trip to Chickasaw National Recreational Area which is just south of Oklahoma City, OK up US I-35 about 140 miles from Dallas, Texas. You can find out more information about the Area here: https://www.nps.gov/chic/index.htm  

CAKES!!!!  No dig site would be complete without a person eating Dimetrodon (they were cannibals after all)  Note the tarp and fossil being jacketed. 3rd Birthday - Wilton Cake Pan   Plastic prehistoric animals can be added to any cake!   Note:  The Dimetrodon is eating the Xenacanth  8th birthday with neighbors and friends.  We also went outside on a "dig"   I am smiling so much because this was my 10th birthday and we celebrated it  AT the Houston Museum of Natural Science!! COSTUMES!!!!!        Jurassic Park Ranger    Even got my friends to dress up!    CLOTHES!!!!  My mom made these.  I HAD to have a parasaurolophus on the front of mine.  It was my favorite dino at the time.