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

  Following the world premiere of “A Curious Thing- The story of Mary Anning” at the 2023 Adelaide Fringe, Palaeo Jam host, and writer/director of the Mary Anning Fringe show Michael Mills sat down with three brilliant women in science to explore their thoughts on the show, its themes, Mary’s legacy, and their own experiences as women in science.   In a wide ranging discussion, Flinders University space archeologist, Dr Alice Gorman, University of Adelaide Palaeontologist Dr Liz Reed, and University of Adelaide PhD Candidate Tiah Bampton speak about key moments in their lives, role models that have inspired them, and give some important insights into some of the challenges still faced by women in science, 176 years after Mary Anning’s death.   The podcast ends with each guest being asked the one thing they might say to Mary Anning, had they the opportunity to do so.   You can find Dr Alice Gorman on Twitter at @drspacejunk  https://twitter.com/drspacejunk Amongst many things, Alice has written extensively for The Conversation, including a recent article, “Prejudice, poor pay and the ‘urinary leash’: naming and claiming Australia’s forgotten women scientists”.   Read the article here… https://theconversation.com/prejudice-poor-pay-and-the-urinary-leash-naming-and-claiming-australias-forgotten-women-scientists-198407   And if you don’t already have a copy, find yourself a copy of Alice’s book, “Dr Space Junk vs The Universe: Archaeology and the Future.”   You can find Dr Liz Reed on Twitter at… @LizReed_palaeo https://twitter.com/LizReed_palaeo   Liz’s extensive profile, with links to research papers and articles can be found at… https://researchers.adelaide.edu.au/profile/liz.reed   Liz appeared on a previous episode of Palaeo Jam in which she and host Michael Mills chatted about the importance of caves not just as repositories of fossils, but as living ecosystems, while sitting in Blanch Caves in the Naracoorte Caves of South Australia. Check out the episode here… https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-rnthh-1379952   To learn about Tiah Bampton’s journey, and the delightful connection to PhD supervisor Dr Liz Reed, tune in to the podcast! And also check out this story with the ABC… https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-03/tiah-bampton-living-dream-at-naracoorte-caves-palaeontology-dig/12209876   You can check out Tiah’s research profile here… https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Tiah-Bampton And read the paper referred to in the Research gate link, here… https://helictite.caves.org.au/pdf1/46.Bampton.pdf   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 have been involved with in exploring the story of Mary Anning, check out the link… https://linktr.ee/TheseCuriousThings

Imagine you’re that dinosaur kid! The one who knows all the names of all the things, and dreams of one day going to university to study palaeontology in order to become a palaeontologist. Of course, most dinosaur kids don’t get to do that. But imagine you are one who makes it. You do get accepted into a palaeontology degree, and even better, make it through the first year!   In this episode of Palaeo Jam, host Michael Mills chats with three students who’ve just completed their first year of a palaeontology degree at Flinders University. During the episode, we find out from Dylan Slinn, Natalie Jackson and Thomas Khajeh, what brought them to Flinders University, what they were expecting when they got here, and how it turned out across the year, both good and bad.   So, why the title of the episode, “The Dinosaur Kids… Part 1”? At the end of the episode, we get a very definite commitment from all three to get back together at the end of second year, and record a follow-up episode. That’ll be Part 2… and we’re pretty sure we’ll get a Part 3 and beyond as we follow the journey of these three dinosaur kids in pursuit of their dream! We can’t wait to see how the journey for each of them unfolds!   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's 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 The dinosaur book Natalie talks about is “The Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs & Prehistoric Creatures” by Dougal Dixon It can be found online at Book Depository, Dymocks and Booktopia.

Matrescence has been defined as “the physical, emotional, hormonal and social transition to becoming a mother.” In a recent blog titled “Palaeo-matrescence”, Dr Alice Clement noted the following… “I wanted to seek advice from colleagues who had navigated the same journey as me, but it was difficult to find people in the same boat. I could see plenty of “parents in palaeo”, but looking for mothers (in the traditional, biological sense) was a harder task. Where are they all?” In this episode of Palaeo Jam, host Michael Mills is joined by Alice, and Dr Vera Weisbecker, to discuss the impact and challenges having children has had on the careers of women in palaeontology, and whether or not things have changed over the years.  To Alice’s full blog, head to… https://draliceclement.com/2022/07/06/palaeo-matrescence/ For more of Alice’s blog posts, check out https://draliceclement.com, and follow Alice on Twitter at https://twitter.com/DrAliceClement. Dr Vera Weisbecker is an evolutionary developmental morphologist, which is a fancy way of saying she likes to study the diversity of Australian land vertebrates in all their glory. You can follow Vera on Twitter at https://twitter.com/WeisbeckerLab Vera has just finished developing a game to transmit her team’s love for Australian present and past biodiversity and the evolutionary process behind it. It’s called “Go Extinct! Megafauna edition”. It can be downloaded for free through the Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage… https://epicaustralia.org.au/resource/goextinctmegafauna/

Palaeontology is often seen as one of the cool sciences, if not the coolest, because, of course, it’s the one with dinosaurs! Is there more to it, though? Don’t get us wrong… dinosaurs are awesome! Does palaeontology have any practical use to the community? Is there any real value beyond thinking it’s cool, that palaeontology brings to the table? In this episode of Palaeo Jam, host Michael Mills is joined by Dr Aaron Camens, (lecturer in palaeontology at Flinders University), and Pheobe McInerney, (PhD Candidate at Flinders University) to discuss all the things, and what they think makes palaeontology such a valuable science. In pondering this very issue, Aaron recently said… “The fossil record records diversity but it is much more than that. It contains abundant data about how past ecosystems have functioned, the kinds of habitats extinct organisms used to live in and their environmental tolerances. Without the fossil record we wouldn’t understand nearly as much as we do about how today’s ecosystems will respond to change going into the future…” 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, 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 disease in giant prehistoric birds, and how we know about it. https://theconversation.com/fossil-find-reveals-giant-prehistoric-thunder-birds-were-riddled-with-bone-disease-173745

In this introductory, test episode, Steve Davis from The Adelaide Show Podcast asks producer, Michael Mills, from Heaps Good Productions, about the content and the rationale for the Palaeo Jam Podcast.

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

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

What do we know about the boundary between the Ediacarans and the Cambrians, an astonishing predator from the early Cambrian, and one of the things palaeontologists get asked about more than just about anything… How did some dinosaurs get so big?   We’re LIVE for a second time in Armidale for National Science Week at The Welder’s Dog Brewery, on Anaiwan country, also known as high country, in the state of New South Wales, Australia.   In this episode, we discuss some of the fascinating paleontological research going on at the University of New England through the Palaeoscience Research Centre. To do this, Palaeo Jam host Michael Mills is joined by Professor John Paterson, Dr Marissa Betts, and Dr Nic Campione.   You can find our more about John’s research from his University of New England profile at https://www.une.edu.au/staff-profiles/ers/jpater20   Marissa’s UNE profile at https://www.une.edu.au/staff-profiles/ers/marissa-betts   And Nic’s UNE profile at https://www.une.edu.au/staff-profiles/ers/dr-nicolas-campione   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

We’re LIVE in Armidale for National Science Week at The Welder’s Dog Brewery, and in this episode, recorded on Anaiwan country, we’re talking about the creatures that once dwelt in this place, and nearby. Of dinosaurs such as “Lightning Claw”, giant marsupials that left teeth marks on the bones of other giant marsupials, and tiny fossils too small for the naked eye to see. Along the way, we talk about the extraordinary changes that have taken place in the geology of the region that at one time during the Permian, was a volcanic wasteland, at an earlier time, was under the sea, and that is now, the highest city in Australia. In this episode we are reminded that wherever you are, there are fascinating prehistoric stories just waiting to be discovered!   To discuss all this and more, host Michael Mills is joined by Professor John Paterson, Dr Marissa Betts, and Dr Nic Campione, all from the University of New England, right here in Armidale.   You can find our more about John’s research from his University of New England profile at https://www.une.edu.au/staff-profiles/ers/jpater20   Marissa’s UNE profile at https://www.une.edu.au/staff-profiles/ers/marissa-betts   And Nic’s UNE profile at https://www.une.edu.au/staff-profiles/ers/dr-nicolas-campione   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

In a special edition of Palaeo Jam, recorded LIVE at the Western Australian Museum Boola Bardip, guest host Professor Flint chats with some of his Western Australian palaeo pals, about their favourite fossils, their best moments in the field, and a broad range of other palaeo-themed topics.   In a chat amongst friends, we hear about the group’s favourite fossils that include a giant skink, a tree kangaroo on the Nullarbor Plain, an Aussie sauropod, and a kangaroo with fangs! Favourite moments of discovery include finding an ancient Bilby, the skull and brain case of a sauropod, and a Western Australian plesiosaur. We also learn about stinky days in the lab, and what brought each of the panel to be involved with palaeontology.   This episode was recorded during the Museum’s “Biggest Science Lab Ever” event during National Science Week.   The panelists for this episode are Dr Kenny Travouillon, Mammalogy Curator at the Western Australian Museum Boola Bardip; Dr Kailah Thorn, Technical Officer for Terrestrial Vertebrates at the Western Australian Museum Boola Bardip; Associate Professor Natalie Warburton, of Murdoch University; and Dr Stephen F. Poropat, School of Planetary and Earth Sciences, Curtin University.   For more info on Prof Flint, including links to his albums of palaeo songs, head to https://linktr.ee/ProfessorFlint   You can find Kailah on Twitter at https://twitter.com/kailah_thorn Kailah’s research profile is at… https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kailah-Thorn   Kenny can be found here… https://twitter.com/TravouillonK Kenny’s research profile is here… https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kenny-Travouillon     You can find Natalie on Twitter at https://twitter.com/aNATomy_Lab You can also find Natalie’s profile at Murdoch University at http://profiles.murdoch.edu.au/myprofile/natalie-warburton/   Stephen’s research profile can be found here… https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Stephen-Poropat