PaleoJim
@paleojim.bsky.social
State Paleontologist for Utah; exploring and promoting the history of life in our southwestern deserts for the public good and the wonder of it all
Digital 3D data is the future; and how society will archive it in formats that will be accessible into the future is important to consider. @witmerlab.bsky.social @societyofvertpaleo.bsky.social @amnh.org @prehistoricmuseum.bsky.social @tetzoo.bsky.social @jeremybroberts.bsky.social
Oh hey, it's me!
Very excited to finally launch this project in partnership with @wikimediauk.bsky.social, funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
If you produce or work with cultural heritage 3D data in UK I'd love to speak with you! Links in thread 👇
Very excited to finally launch this project in partnership with @wikimediauk.bsky.social, funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
If you produce or work with cultural heritage 3D data in UK I'd love to speak with you! Links in thread 👇
Wikimedia UK has been awarded a grant of £56,198 from National Lottery Heritage Fund towards our ‘UK Heritage 3D Data at Risk: Developing a Strategy for Long Term Access & Storage’ project. The grant will help ensure future access to the UK’s 3D heritage data.
More info: tinyurl.com/3ma28psr
More info: tinyurl.com/3ma28psr
November 27, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Digital 3D data is the future; and how society will archive it in formats that will be accessible into the future is important to consider. @witmerlab.bsky.social @societyofvertpaleo.bsky.social @amnh.org @prehistoricmuseum.bsky.social @tetzoo.bsky.social @jeremybroberts.bsky.social
Reposted by PaleoJim
Don't let AI do your homework, Pope Leo tells US youth reut.rs/48tKTYY
Don't let AI do your homework, Pope Leo tells US youth
Artificial intelligence may be a useful tool for learning, but don't use it for your homework, Pope Leo told about 15,000 U.S. youth during a question-and-answer session on Friday.
reut.rs
November 21, 2025 at 9:31 PM
Don't let AI do your homework, Pope Leo tells US youth reut.rs/48tKTYY
Reposted by PaleoJim
Leicester's Palaeontology program has a long track record including discovery that conodonts were vertebrates, graduates who are Fellows of the Royal Society, innovative researchers, and a growing body of undergraduate students.
c.org/HJW7FVxPwv
c.org/HJW7FVxPwv
Sign the Petition
Save Geology at the University of Leicester
c.org
November 23, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Leicester's Palaeontology program has a long track record including discovery that conodonts were vertebrates, graduates who are Fellows of the Royal Society, innovative researchers, and a growing body of undergraduate students.
c.org/HJW7FVxPwv
c.org/HJW7FVxPwv
Foot in door! NPS paleontology seasonal positions! www.usajobs.gov/job/85081670... @societyofvertpaleo.bsky.social
USAJOBS connects job seekers with federal jobs across the United States and around the world as the official employment site for the federal government
These positions may be filled for a six month seasonal period, but can vary due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. Anticipated Entry on Duty: <strong>April-May 2026</strong>
<p>For more...
www.usajobs.gov
November 24, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Foot in door! NPS paleontology seasonal positions! www.usajobs.gov/job/85081670... @societyofvertpaleo.bsky.social
Tut Tran has put a huge amount of effort in shepherding this state of the art review of paleontology in Utah's National Parks and Monuments. giw.utahgeology.org/giw/index.ph... Paleontology in these NPS units will always be evolving and new things are already in the works.
A visual paleontological inventory of Utah’s National Park Service areas
| Geology of the Intermountain West
giw.utahgeology.org
November 24, 2025 at 5:35 PM
Tut Tran has put a huge amount of effort in shepherding this state of the art review of paleontology in Utah's National Parks and Monuments. giw.utahgeology.org/giw/index.ph... Paleontology in these NPS units will always be evolving and new things are already in the works.
🦖 Attn: Campanian researchers: Andrew A. Farke, Brent Adrian, & Heather Smith are inviting submissions for “The Campanian Crucible”, a session at the 76th Annual Meeting of the GSA Rocky Mt Sec, Albuquerque, NM (May 17–20, 2026).
Deadline: Jan 13, 2026
gsameetings.secure-platform.com/rm26/
Deadline: Jan 13, 2026
gsameetings.secure-platform.com/rm26/
November 24, 2025 at 4:21 PM
🦖 Attn: Campanian researchers: Andrew A. Farke, Brent Adrian, & Heather Smith are inviting submissions for “The Campanian Crucible”, a session at the 76th Annual Meeting of the GSA Rocky Mt Sec, Albuquerque, NM (May 17–20, 2026).
Deadline: Jan 13, 2026
gsameetings.secure-platform.com/rm26/
Deadline: Jan 13, 2026
gsameetings.secure-platform.com/rm26/
Reposted by PaleoJim
For #FossilFriday: one of the very first fossils of the American mastodon ever discovered. This specimen was found at Big Bone Lick, KY, US, in 1739 by a French military expedition, then sent back to Paris for study. On display at the Galerie de Paléontologie et d’Anatomie comparée in Paris. 🧪
November 21, 2025 at 6:58 PM
For #FossilFriday: one of the very first fossils of the American mastodon ever discovered. This specimen was found at Big Bone Lick, KY, US, in 1739 by a French military expedition, then sent back to Paris for study. On display at the Galerie de Paléontologie et d’Anatomie comparée in Paris. 🧪
My UFOP talk last month on our progressing research on the Jurassic- Cretaceous dinosaur mass extinction and some possible causes has been posted; the paleosols may hold the key! www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoQ9... @utahpaleo-ufop.bsky.social @societyofvertpaleo.bsky.social
November 22, 2025 at 10:27 PM
My UFOP talk last month on our progressing research on the Jurassic- Cretaceous dinosaur mass extinction and some possible causes has been posted; the paleosols may hold the key! www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoQ9... @utahpaleo-ufop.bsky.social @societyofvertpaleo.bsky.social
Reposted by PaleoJim
I want to give a special shoutout to those that donated to or advocated for childcare at the #JMIH25 meeting. Because childcare is available on site, I have been able to attend the meeting and present my research. It is a lifeline for early career researchers, particularly women!
July 12, 2025 at 7:49 PM
I want to give a special shoutout to those that donated to or advocated for childcare at the #JMIH25 meeting. Because childcare is available on site, I have been able to attend the meeting and present my research. It is a lifeline for early career researchers, particularly women!
Thinking abut the unique terminal swords on the ends of dacentrurine stegosaur tails on this #FossilFriday . They really do seem to fully fuse over the tip of tail. How to reconstruct (no evidence for parascapula spines) and how many taxa? Is Wyoming's Alcocasaurus a dacentrurine?
November 21, 2025 at 9:01 PM
Thinking abut the unique terminal swords on the ends of dacentrurine stegosaur tails on this #FossilFriday . They really do seem to fully fuse over the tip of tail. How to reconstruct (no evidence for parascapula spines) and how many taxa? Is Wyoming's Alcocasaurus a dacentrurine?
I do not understand why the Natural History Museum of Dubai does not develop their own field paleontology programs?
#FossilFriday
The new home of T. rex "Stan" will open this Saturday (November 22)!
🦖🦴
🏢🖼🌏🇦🇪
www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/arti...
The new home of T. rex "Stan" will open this Saturday (November 22)!
🦖🦴
🏢🖼🌏🇦🇪
www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/arti...
Exclusive: New Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi features two fighting T. rexes
The largest museum of its kind in the Middle East opens today with an awe-inspiring dinosaur wing, a massive blue whale skeleton within arm's reach, and a stunning exploration of the region’s natural ...
www.nationalgeographic.com
November 21, 2025 at 2:44 PM
I do not understand why the Natural History Museum of Dubai does not develop their own field paleontology programs?
Set up for and the story of the stars of the age of birds. @paleontologizing.bsky.social @jeremybroberts.bsky.social @utahpaleo-ufop.bsky.social
🚨🦜🐧Cover reveal! Thrilled to show off the cover of my upcoming book: The Story of Birds!
Coming April 28. The whole history of birds, from their dinosaur origins to colossal extinct penguins & terror birds, to the 10,000+ species today. From @marinerbooks.bsky.social
Preorder 👇
Coming April 28. The whole history of birds, from their dinosaur origins to colossal extinct penguins & terror birds, to the 10,000+ species today. From @marinerbooks.bsky.social
Preorder 👇
November 21, 2025 at 2:38 PM
Set up for and the story of the stars of the age of birds. @paleontologizing.bsky.social @jeremybroberts.bsky.social @utahpaleo-ufop.bsky.social
Reposted by PaleoJim
Superb, huge review of the Araripe Basin pterosaurs described to date! (Link: scielo.br/j/aabc/a/xNmRx7Lm5MCVmzSJC3Nc7CL/?format=html&lang=en)
(Art by Maurílio Oliveira)
(Art by Maurílio Oliveira)
November 18, 2025 at 4:26 AM
Superb, huge review of the Araripe Basin pterosaurs described to date! (Link: scielo.br/j/aabc/a/xNmRx7Lm5MCVmzSJC3Nc7CL/?format=html&lang=en)
(Art by Maurílio Oliveira)
(Art by Maurílio Oliveira)
A great decision!!!
Great to see Prof. Mike Benton awarded the Romer-Simpson medal from @societyofvertpaleo.bsky.social. Mike’s been an incredible teacher & mentor to me & so many others - I’m v. glad to see his enormous contribution to the knowledge & people of our field honoured here tonight 🏅
#2025SVP #paleontology
#2025SVP #paleontology
November 17, 2025 at 4:08 PM
A great decision!!!
Remember, the zero line is the average from 1951 -2000. It would look even worse if the average for baseline started in the 1040s. I'M really hoping this means less snow for this old man to shovel in Salt Lake City while providing plenty of snowpack in our mountains. @jeremybroberts.bsky.social
November 16, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Remember, the zero line is the average from 1951 -2000. It would look even worse if the average for baseline started in the 1040s. I'M really hoping this means less snow for this old man to shovel in Salt Lake City while providing plenty of snowpack in our mountains. @jeremybroberts.bsky.social
Sadler's Dinosaur Frontier was 2nd in the science category for American Book Fest Best Book Awards. Hilariously, the winner is entitled: Spiritual Intelligence: Activating the 4 Circuits of the Awakened Brain by some guy named Dawson Church, Energy Psychology Press, this-earth.com/dinosaur-fro...
Dinosaur Frontier: Utah at the Dawn of the Cretaceous – This Earth
this-earth.com
November 14, 2025 at 10:39 PM
Sadler's Dinosaur Frontier was 2nd in the science category for American Book Fest Best Book Awards. Hilariously, the winner is entitled: Spiritual Intelligence: Activating the 4 Circuits of the Awakened Brain by some guy named Dawson Church, Energy Psychology Press, this-earth.com/dinosaur-fro...
Since we just found many new dino bones at the basal Cretaceous ferruginous paleosol site ("iron stone bonebed") including a second cervical ring spine. I feel we can diagnose polacanthid sp. C. Some diagnostic fossils for #FossilFriday @utahpaleo-ufop.bsky.social @jlivelypaleo.bsky.social BIOSTRAT!
November 14, 2025 at 7:36 PM
Since we just found many new dino bones at the basal Cretaceous ferruginous paleosol site ("iron stone bonebed") including a second cervical ring spine. I feel we can diagnose polacanthid sp. C. Some diagnostic fossils for #FossilFriday @utahpaleo-ufop.bsky.social @jlivelypaleo.bsky.social BIOSTRAT!
Dave Madsen was a former State Archaeologist with the Utah Division of State History. We overlapped at the UGS for a couple of years retiring to conduct fulltime research. This is a major review "Characterizing the American Upper Paleolithic" in Science Advances. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Characterizing the American Upper Paleolithic
Tool similarities link Late Pleistocene American and Northeast Asian lithic traditions.
www.science.org
November 14, 2025 at 6:19 PM
Dave Madsen was a former State Archaeologist with the Utah Division of State History. We overlapped at the UGS for a couple of years retiring to conduct fulltime research. This is a major review "Characterizing the American Upper Paleolithic" in Science Advances. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by PaleoJim
👀 one of these “Landmarks Papers in Vertebrate Palaeontology” looks familiar! #SVP2025 @systbiol.bsky.social
November 12, 2025 at 3:11 PM
👀 one of these “Landmarks Papers in Vertebrate Palaeontology” looks familiar! #SVP2025 @systbiol.bsky.social
I will be speaking on the exciting data (science) from Utah pertaining to the J-K dinosaur mass extinction that whiped out the Morrison Dinosaur the end of the Real Jurassic Park at Clark Planetarium at the Gateway downtown Salt Lake City, Thurs 7PM. Nov. 13th. www.eventbrite.com/e/how-fossil...
November 12, 2025 at 6:26 AM
I will be speaking on the exciting data (science) from Utah pertaining to the J-K dinosaur mass extinction that whiped out the Morrison Dinosaur the end of the Real Jurassic Park at Clark Planetarium at the Gateway downtown Salt Lake City, Thurs 7PM. Nov. 13th. www.eventbrite.com/e/how-fossil...
Utah Friends of Paleontology will have Colin Boisvert as speaker on Thursday November 13th, 7:00 pm Mountain Time. He will be speaking on his research on Diplodocid sauropods, while at BYU. The link for that talk is here. meet.google.com/piy-hxai-qog @utahpaleo-ufop.bsky.social
November 10, 2025 at 12:06 AM
Utah Friends of Paleontology will have Colin Boisvert as speaker on Thursday November 13th, 7:00 pm Mountain Time. He will be speaking on his research on Diplodocid sauropods, while at BYU. The link for that talk is here. meet.google.com/piy-hxai-qog @utahpaleo-ufop.bsky.social
Out looking at correlation of Lower Cret strata and looking at the J-K boundary with Ed Simpson. This is always an educational experience.
November 9, 2025 at 12:14 AM
Out looking at correlation of Lower Cret strata and looking at the J-K boundary with Ed Simpson. This is always an educational experience.
#FossilFriday This morning we were shown a Ruby Ranch wood site preserving insect frass (poop). More importantly the site looks like extremely rare pollen site near Aptian-Albian boundary...fingers crossed. Very promising..screen wash for micros..too... @utahpaleo-ufop.bsky.social
November 8, 2025 at 12:27 AM
#FossilFriday This morning we were shown a Ruby Ranch wood site preserving insect frass (poop). More importantly the site looks like extremely rare pollen site near Aptian-Albian boundary...fingers crossed. Very promising..screen wash for micros..too... @utahpaleo-ufop.bsky.social
Checked out the old Smith homestead on east side of San Rafael Swell. There is either an unmapped fault to east (we had geological map) or there is a very thick Cedar Mt section capped by a large fossil lake. Another trip to investigate. @jlivelypaleo.bsky.social @utahpaleo-ufop.bsky.social
November 7, 2025 at 12:27 AM
Checked out the old Smith homestead on east side of San Rafael Swell. There is either an unmapped fault to east (we had geological map) or there is a very thick Cedar Mt section capped by a large fossil lake. Another trip to investigate. @jlivelypaleo.bsky.social @utahpaleo-ufop.bsky.social
Some great geology on the south side of the Abajo Mts. Is that a sauropod track in the Morrison Formation? @utahpaleo-ufop.bsky.social @paleontologizing.bsky.social @jeremybroberts.bsky.social @andrewtracks.bsky.social
November 6, 2025 at 4:56 AM
Some great geology on the south side of the Abajo Mts. Is that a sauropod track in the Morrison Formation? @utahpaleo-ufop.bsky.social @paleontologizing.bsky.social @jeremybroberts.bsky.social @andrewtracks.bsky.social