Palaeo Jam

A prehistoric land of birds and frogs

Isolated islands can evolve remarkably unique flora and fauna, given enough time. None is more unique than New Zealand, the home of the Kiwi, but also the past home of multiple species of birds and frogs. Indeed, such was the nature of the islands in the not too distant past, that birds and frogs filled many of the ecological niches commonly filled by other forms of critter, including mammals.
 
Dr Nic Rawlence, Senior Lecturer in Ancient DNA, University of Otago, New Zealand, stopped in to Adelaide on a recent family holiday, which gave Adelaide-based Palaeo Jam host Michael Mills the opportunity for the two to catch up, and chat about what it might have been like to walk amongst the wildlife of New Zealand when it was very much a land of birds and frogs..
 
Nic has written multiple articles in The Conversation including this one, that argues the people of New Zealand should celebrate its remarkable prehistoric past with national fossil emblems. 
 
https://theconversation.com/new-zealand-should-celebrate-its-remarkable-prehistoric-past-with-national-fossil-emblems-have-your-say-184942
 
You can find Nic on Twitter at @nic_rawlence_nz https://twitter.com/nic_rawlence_nz
 
You can find Michael at @heapsgood https://twitter.com/Heapsgood
 
To connect with Dinosaur University ion Facebook, follow us at https://www.facebook.com/DinosaurUniversity

Why Museums Matter!

Museums are custodians of story, and the collections that dwell within them belong to the community of which they are a part. In recent years, though, funding cuts have put significant pressure on many aspects of what museums do so well, in research, collection curation, and public programmes. In a wide ranging conversation, host Michael Mills chats with Dr Kailah Thorn, Curator at Edward de Courcy Clarke Earth Science Museum on why museums matter, and why they need to be properly funded.
 
Both Michael and Kailah have had a great deal of experience in delivering public programmes, and have done so together on several projects at the South Australian Museum, and with Flinders University.
 
In describing her research interests, Kailah has noted…
 
My research speciality is in the taxonomy of Australian fossil scincids, primarily the blue-tongued lizards and their nearest kin in the subfamily Egerniinae. I'm working on descriptions of their extinct relatives and deciphering the evolutionary tree of this group in order to answer bigger questions about where they came from, when they got to Australia and how they have changed since they arrived.
 
Kailah has written a delightful article in The Conversation on how to hunt for fossils responsibly. It is essential reading for amateur and professional fossil collectors, alike… https://theconversation.com/how-to-hunt-fossils-responsibly-5-tips-from-a-professional-palaeontologist-156861
 
You can find Kailah on Twitter at @kailah_thorn https://twitter.com/kailah_thorn
 
You can find Michael at @heapsgood https://twitter.com/Heapsgood
 
To connect with Dinosaur University ion Facebook, follow us at https://www.facebook.com/DinosaurUniversity

Moments in time

When we think of palaeontology, we often think of the giant bones of dinosaurs assembled in museums. And when not thinking of the bones, we’re often enamoured by the size of fossilised teeth such as those of T.rex, Megalodon, Mosasaurs and other leviathans. There are more things than fossilise, though, than the bones and teeth. Trace fossils are the fossils of activity. They are evidence of something an animal did in the past. They include fossilised footprints, teeth marks, burrows, and poop, and they each have a fascinating story to tell.
 
In this episode of Palaeo Jam, host Michael Mills is joined by Dr Aaron Camens and Fraser Brown, to discuss several different types of trace fossils, and the stories and moments those fossils are able to reveal.
 
Dr Aaron Camens is a lecturer in palaeontology at Flinders University. 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 on fossilised footprints on the volcanic plains in Victoria, Australia: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0277379110004178
 
He was also co-author of a paper on fossilised bite marks on the volcanic plains in Victoria, Australia: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0052957
 
Fraser Brown is an Honours student studying palaeontology at Flinders University.
 
You can follow Fraser on Twitter at https://twitter.com/FgBrown01, and check his Flinders University profile at https://blogs.flinders.edu.au/stem/2021/10/19/student-profile-fraser-brown/
 
This link from the Paleontological Research Instituion provides a short illustrated summary of the differences between body fossils and trace fossils:  https://www.digitalatlasofancientlife.org/learn/nature-fossil-record/body-fossils-trace-fossils/

What dwells beneath... Beyond the rocks and bones!

One of the great challenges of palaeontology is to work out what a long dead animal actually looked like, and how it lived, when all you have is a fossilised bone or two. This is where Associate Professor Natalie Warburton, of Murdoch University, and her freezer full of dead things comes in!
In a fascinating episode, we go on a journey to discover what lies beneath an animal’s skin, and how we might come to know that for prehistoric animals… Of how we reconstruct animals from the past. In this episode, host Michael Mills chats with Natalie about how we know what muscles to put on long dead bones, learn about freezers full of dead things, and come to understand what she means when she says…“The best way to learn about how animal bodies are put together, is to take animal bodies apart!”
 
You can find Natalie on Twitter at @aNATomy_Lab https://twitter.com/aNATomy_Lab
 
You can also find Natalie’s profile at Murdoch University, including a list of publications at http://profiles.murdoch.edu.au/myprofile/natalie-warburton/
 
Natalie recently spoke on this subject for the 2022 Annual Wells Lecture, in a talk titled “Prehistoric Puzzles - reconstructing marsupials from the past”.The annual lectures help raise funds for the James Moore Memorial Prize. The Memorial prize supports secondary school students to join Flinders palaeontology field trips and learn from world-leading academics. Here's a link with more info... https://www.flinders.edu.au/giving/ways-to-give/pay-tribute/james-moore-memorial-fund

Professor Wells and the Chamber of Secrets

On the 3rd August, 1969, some 53 years ago, a young biologist, Rod Wells, along with his friend, caver Grant Gartrell crawled through a narrow opening at Naracoorte's Victoria cave, and made a remarkable discovery. It was to be one of the most remarkable finds of megafauna fossils found anywhere in the world, and played a significant part in the Australian megafauna site being elevated to the World Heritage list in 1994
 
In this special one on one edition of Palaeo Jam, host Michael Mills chats with Prof Rod Wells in an episode recorded with both Rod and Michael sitting in the very spot Rod had sat 53 years ago, on that amazing Spring day.
 
Rod’s discoveries played a significant role in the development of Vertebrate Palaeontology at Flinders University, and there are a generation of students now following in his footsteps as a result of his passion and his work. His research and insights into Australia's fossil heritage across many years has helped Australians better know the stories of their past, and in so doing, has helped Australians to better know who they are.
 
And while, of course, this podcast is an audio thing, so you don’t get to see Rod and Michael chatting, the very fact that it was recorded in that place where Rod sat all those years ago, made for a very special conversation.

Vultures and flamingoes, Down Under?

When we think of Australia and its wildlife, the first thing that comes to mind is the iconic, often-hopping, marsupials! (Ok… and all the things might kill and maim you!) In exploring Australia’s recent prehistoric past, it’s also often the marsupials that we get to hear of. Giant wombats, rather large, short-faced kangaroos, and leopard-sized, scissor-toothed, tree-climbing pouched predators!
 
What we don’t often think of, is Australia as a land of vultures and flamingoes! And yet, the evidence now tells us that these birds also made Australia home. We’ve known about flamingoes living in the Land Down Under for a while, but its only very recently that fossils have come to light to tell us that vultures in Australia were also a thing.
 
In this episode of Palaeo Jam, host Michael Mills chats with Dr Ellen Mather, Adjunct Associate lecturer at Flinders University, and Tim Niederer, PhD student, also at Flinders University, about these lesser known Australians, what we know of them, and why they may have gone extinct.
 
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 https://twitter.com/Ellenaetus
 
Here’s a link to a 1963 chapter on fossilised flamingo bones from Australia…
https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/condor/v065n04/p0289-p0299.pdf
 
And here’s a short mention in National Geographic… https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/topics/wildlife/2017/02/australia-was-once-full-of-flamingos/
 
We all very much look forward to the additional insights that Tim’s research will bring to our understanding of the place of these fascinating birds in Australia.
 
You can find Tim on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Gaylaeontology
 
Each episode of Palaeo Jam is recorded with a strict 30 minute time-limit and is unedited. What you hear is how it went! As part of each episode, the host and each guest bring along an object to open the discussion on the day’s theme. Michael’s item was part of a skull of Thylacoleo. Tune in to find out what Ellen and Tim brought along, and what it all means for what prehistoric Australia looked like.

What happens in the field, stays in the field!

Or does it? In the latest episode of Palaeo Jam, host Michael Mills talks to Dr Diana Fusco and Nathan Phillips of Flinders University about what it’s actually like to head into the field, and dig up fossils. All three have had multiple opportunities to go out to dig sites and do so, and in this podcast, each of them give some great insights into life in the field, and what it is really like!
 
In so doing, we delve into some into the challenges of working remotely! What happens, for example, when you leave behind a critical part of the thunderbox on a remote field trip? And what even is the thunderbox? Tune in to find out!
 
Each episode of Palaeo Jam is recorded with a strict 30 minute timer-limit and is unedited. What you hear is how it went! As part of each episode, the host and each guest bring along an object to open the discussion on the day’s theme. Michael’s item was a half a billion year old Trilobite fossil he dug up in Emu Bay, South Australia. Tune in to find out what Diana and Nathan brought along.
 
Dr Diana Fusco is a palaeoecologist, who combines palaeontology and ecology, to explore interactions between organisms and their environments across geological timescales. Her PhD at Flinders University focused on how Australia’s fauna countered its changing environment in the past, and how this information can be applied as a tool for current and future conservation. As part of her involvement with the Flinders University Palaeontology Society, Diana has been actively involved on the organisational side of field trips.
You can find her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/HvyMetalPalaeo
And if you want to see what an actual thunderbox looks like, check out her Twitter post here… https://twitter.com/HvyMetalPalaeo/status/1578242452770631680
 
Nathan Phillips has been actively involved with the Flinders Uni Palaeo lab since primary school and the Flinders University Palaeontology Society since high school. Along the way he did a bachelor of science with a major in vertebrate palaeontology, has run the moulding and casting for the Flinders palaeo Lab, and was more recently a tour guide for Australian Age of Dinosaurs in Winton Qld.

A Marriage of Art and Science

Art and Science are often thought to be polar opposites. The truth, though, as Palaeo Jam podcast host Michael Mills can attest having successfully worked in the Art/Science space for more than 25 years, is that the two can make for a remarkable and inspiring marriage.
 
Speaking of marriages, Michael’s guests in this episode, are Dr Heather Robinson and Professor John Long. In this episode we explore the importance of their art/science collaborations, and the things they each bring to their working partnership. We also delve into some of the delightful experiences that their working on things together as a married couple has brought them. Along the way, we gain an insight into the fascinating research they have each conducted. For John, fossil fish have been a big part of his research. For Heather, exploring the non-financial value of cultural institutions and their collections was the central focus of her PhD.
 
John’s paleontological CV is vast! A look through profile on The Conversation at https://theconversation.com/profiles/john-long-98402 will give you a small insight into John’s remarkable body of work.You can find John on Twitter at… https://twitter.com/LongJohnfossil
 
Heather also has an extensive profile on The Conversation, at https://theconversation.com/profiles/heather-l-robinson-155358
 
Heather and John have created Lifecyle Productions as an instrument to work on a multitude of projects. Their company website is… https://lifecycleproductions.com.au/, and contains information about what they’re working towards, and about the skills they each bring. The website notes…
 
“Based in Australia with an international perspective, Lifecycle Productions live for a good story. Our unique combination of creative insight, professional acumen and research expertise produces experiences accessible to broad or specialist audiences.”
 
Michael and John have collaborated creatively through the creation of the Professor Flint song about the WA fossil emblem, the Gogo Fish. With lyrics by John, and music by Michael, the song features on the Professor Flint album, “Dinosaurs Amongst Us!”… The Gogo Fish song on Spotify
 
While an unplugged version appears on the Prof Flint album, “Palaeo Jam”, from which this podcast got its name… Palaeo Jam album on Bandcamp