Fossil Fever

              Dr. Bakker’s presentation on mass extinctions Ever wonder why large animals such as the dinosaurs and wooly mammoths became extinct while small animals like tiny prehistoric mammals and pond turtles survived? A size comparison of the modern day elephant, wooly mammoth and the columbian mammoth (the species found at the Waco site) The excursion group learns about the features of the Columbian Mammoth as well as the story behind the site yet to see Entering the building enclosed site, a life size Columbian mammoth mural awaits to greet you. The edifice built around the site is air conditioned and kept at a constant temperature all year long to help preserve the site and bones. The building around the site is also impermeable, thanks to the construction design, to floods that could cause potential damage to the bones. 

  Saturday, March 31st, 2011 Lysorophus: Permian (287 million years ago) burrowing carnivorous amphibian. They would estivate to escape the heat and the dry season. At this site they are found varying in shape and size, curled up in half donut looking burrows. Lung fish and a jaw (may be sillerpeton or Phlegethontia) in same area.  Lysorophus skeletons curled inside semi-donut shaped burrows The first bone found at site Area 51 was actually a neural spine bit from a larger amphibian called Eryops, a carnivore with primitive ear drums. The piece of neural spine was approximately two inches long, lying completely exposed on the east side of Area 51. I spotted the neural spine on my way back to join Dr. Bakker after visiting an "Adventure Bush". Many other bone bits from Eryops were found with the neural spine. A bit further from the Eryops remains appeared to be rocks scattered all over the hill. After taking a closer look, each of these rocks were ful...

  Mary Anning Club at the Houston Museum of Natural Science's GEMS (Girls Exploring Math and Science) Day.  Myself to the left and to the right, the associate curator of paleontology and my mentor, David Temple  My booth, modeled after Mary Anning (A famous Paleontologist from the 1800's), encouraged girls to become excited and interested in earth science.           Sharing to younger Girl Scouts the excitement of Earth Science

Here are some behind-the-scenes pictures of the installation of the HMNS's cast of Stan, the Tyrannosaurus rex, in Sugarland.