Palaeo Jam

Modelling the Dead!

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

Soar like a prehistoric eagle!

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

Theropods Down Under

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

Connecting with the community

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/

The Dinosaur Kids-Part 2

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

Planet of the Plants!

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

The Mega-fauna muncher from Down Under!

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

A journey into accessibility- Digging for fossils from a wheelchair

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