LEWilson

Before the dinosaur extinction lived birds with teeth.

Birds are dinosaurs. Because the ancestors of all birds were dinosaurs, living birds still have many dinosaurian characters like feathers, three-fingered hands, modified wrist bones, and incubating eggs on nests. Birds (also referred to as avian dinosaurs by paleontologists) that lived alongside (non-avian) dinosaurs had even more dinosaurian features. Like teeth. Although all toothed birdsContinueContinue reading “Before the dinosaur extinction lived birds with teeth.”

A Place in Conservation for Paleobiology

Conservation is at the forefront of many people’s minds – especially those working in natural history fields. Earth is in the midst of a major biodiversity crisis with extinction rates estimated between 1000 and 10,000 times background (“normal”) extinction rates (source: World Wildlife Fund). Unlike other mass extinction events like the one that decimated dinosaurContinueContinue reading “A Place in Conservation for Paleobiology”

Sea Turtles in Kansas?!

Protostega was a large sea turtle the lived in the ocean that covered Kansas and central North America 80 million years ago. New research by FHSU paleontologist Dr. Laura Wilson shows that the bone tissue microstructure (osteohistology) of Protostega reveals growth patterns similar to modern leatherback sea turtles (the largest sea turtles alive today) withContinueContinue reading “Sea Turtles in Kansas?!”

Digging deeper into fossil seabirds from Kansas

Eighty-five million years ago, a seabird called Ichthyornis (which means “fish bird”) lived and died over the ocean that covered Kansas and much of central North America. With well-developed wings, hollow bones, and a body roughly the size and shape of a tern’s, Ichthyornis looked like modern birds and was clearly capable of flying. However,ContinueContinue reading “Digging deeper into fossil seabirds from Kansas”

FHSU Paleontologists visit Toronto!

Every fall, vertebrate paleontologists from around the world come together for the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology annual meeting. This year’s conference in Toronto, Canada provided an opportunity to share research, catch up with colleagues, and build new connections. Ten FHSU faculty, staff, students, and alumni were able to make the meeting, including three current studentsContinueContinue reading “FHSU Paleontologists visit Toronto!”