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Paleontology Passion

January 6, 2026 | By Peggy Hodgkins

This show is part of a series exploring Science Moab’s School to Science Program, connecting students with scientists in the field, the lab, and beyond. This program began in 2021 and to date has mentored over 57 local students.  In this episode, we talk with Chris Moriera, a recent graduate of the Grand County Student Career and Success Center and participant in the School to Science Program. Guest host Sasha Pereira explores Chris’s journey from high school to hands-on paleontology internships, his experiences with mentors and scientists, and the impact of these opportunities on his academic and career aspirations. Chris shares insights about the welcoming scientific community, the excitement of fieldwork, and the importance of mentorship. The episode also covers Chris’s achievements, including presenting research at a professional conference and earning a college scholarship. The conversation concludes with advice for students interested in science careers and Chris’s vision for making science accessible to future generations.

Science Moab · PALEONTOLOGY PASSION: A School to Science Story

Nanosaurs & Good Lore

November 4, 2025 | By Peggy Hodgkins

This show is part of a series exploring Science Moab’s School to Science Program, connecting students with scientists in the field, the lab, and beyond. In this episode, we talk with mentor Emily Lessner, paleontologist for the Bureau of Land Management, and Shadis McDaniel, a recent Grand County High School graduate. Shadis joined Emily on a couple of job shadows, both in the office and in the field.

Science Moab · Nanosaurs & Good Lore

Eureka at Cisco

October 7, 2025 | By Peggy Hodgkins

Brian Davis, an associate professor at the University of Louisville School of Medicine, loves looking for small fossils. His research focuses on early mammals, particularly teeth, jaws, and skull parts. Brian’s most recent discovery is a mammal fossil quarry in Cisco, Utah, part of the Morrison Formation dating back to the Jurassic period. The site has yielded small animal fossils, including some potentially significant early mammals that correlate with a nearby site in Fruita, CO. We discuss the complexities of fossil excavation, preservation, and the analysis process as well as the importance of student education.

Science Moab · Eureka at Cisco: Jurassic Mammals

Utah’s Chinle Formation: Understanding Life in the Triassic

September 2, 2025 | By Peggy Hodgkins

Randy Irmis, a paleontologist and curator at the Natural History Museum of Utah, discusses his research on the Chinle Formation, (Triassic, ~201 to 230 million years ago) located in southern Utah. The Chinle Formation is characterized by river and stream deposits in a semi-arid environment, and is rich in fossils including vertebrates, plants, and trace fossils. Despite the historical lack of paleontological work in Utah compared to neighboring states, recent discoveries in the Chinle have significantly increased knowledge of life in the Triassic. We talk about the process of collecting and preparing these fossils for study and exhibits at the museum and Randy emphasizes the importance of public lands and the legal and ethical procedures for fossil collection and preservation.

Science Moab · Utah's Chinle Formation: Understanding Life in the Triassic

Preserving the Past

January 2, 2024 | By Admin

Ever wonder how those amazing dinosaur bones make it from being embedded in rock to a museum where they are flawlessly displayed within a complete skeleton? Natalie Toth knows. Natalie is the Chief Preparator at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science and her job begins with a chainsaw in the field and ends with a fully prepared fossil display. We talk about the chain of events that must occur for this to be completed and about the backbone of this process which is building a world class Earth Sciences collection for researchers around the world to use.

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Science Moab · Preserving the Past

In Deep with Cretaceous Reptiles

January 21, 2022 | By Admin

While dinosaur remains can be fragmented and hard to find, several reptile remains from the Cretaceous period (65-75 million years ago) are extremely abundant. These include freshwater turtles and a marine lizard known as a Mosasaur. We talk with Josh Lively, curator of Paleontology at USU Eastern Prehistoric Museum in Price, UT, about his work with these ancient reptiles and what his goals are with his new position.

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Science Moab · In Deep with Cretaceous Reptiles

Utah Dinosaurs: Missing link to the paleogeography of the Northern Hemisphere

March 12, 2020 | By Admin

Outcrops of Cretaceous Cedar Mountain Formation in Grand County, Utah contain dinosaur fauna found nowhere else in the world.  We talk with Dr. James Kirkland, state paleontologist for the Utah Geological Survey about his discoveries of these unique dinosaur species and how the salt tectonics of the area is key to preserving these rare fauna from the Cretaceous time.

The World Dinosaurs Lived In

March 24, 2019 | By Admin

The world that existed when dinosaurs roamed the Moab area was vastly different than the world today . We talk with Dr. John Foster, a paleontologist and the former director of the Museum of Moab, whose work involves excavating the oldest known dinosaur Sauropod skeleton right here in the Moab area. Here we discuss a geologic layer known as the Morrison Formation and we explore the Jurassic Period…the landscape, plants and animals that existed 150 million years ago when the Morrison was being deposited.