Fossils and Fiction (Travis Holland and Alyssa Fjeld.)

Do you know what to do if you find a fossil or First Nations artifact? Sally Hurst made it her business to find out as part of her Masters study at Macquarie University. We talk about the Found a Fossil project, Sally's journey to palaeontology, and her outreach work with school children.

More info:

• Found a Fossil website https://www.foundafossil.com/

• Hurst, S. (2023). Found a Fossil: Assessing Australian perceptions of heritage discoveries and conservation [Thesis, Macquarie University]. https://doi.org/10.25949/22662535.v1
• Hurst, S., Kosnik, M., Evans, L., & Brock, G. A. (2023). Found a fossil: Improving awareness, engagement, and communication strategies for heritage discoveries. Journal of Science Communication, 22(5). https://jcom.sissa.it/article/pubid/JCOM_2205_2023_A03/

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Thanks to Charles Sturt Uni student intern Jack Thompson for his assistance with this episode.

In this conversation, Dr. Catherine Pugh and Dr. Ross Garner discuss their chapters in 'The Jurassic Park Book' and provide new perspectives on the classic 1990s blockbuster. Dr. Pugh analyses a play called 'The Jurassic Parks' that riffs on the film and explores themes of family and grief. Dr. Garner focuses on the role of merchandise and franchising in the Jurassic Park franchise and the lack of academic attention towards it.

They also discuss the impact of Jurassic Park on dinosaur fandom and the genre of eco-horror. The conversation explores the themes of environmental impact, the future of the Jurassic Park franchise, the portrayal of dinosaurs as animals or monsters, and the use of dinosaurs as agents of punishment. The discussion also touches on the tension between realism and spectacle in the films, the changing debates and viewpoints within the franchise, and the engagement with cultural and scientific debates. The conversation highlights the unique nature of the Jurassic Park series in actively engaging with these themes on screen.

This is Part 2 of coverage of 'The Jurassic Park Book', edited by Dr Matt Melia and published by Bloomsbury.

More info:

• The Jurassic Park Book https://www.bloomsbury.com/au/jurassic-park-book-9781501384844/
• Cinergie Journal: 'Franchising Jurassic Park' https://cinergie.unibo.it/issue/view/1234

• Dr Catherine Pugh's website https://catherine-pugh.co.uk/
• Dr Ross Garner's university profile https://profiles.cardiff.ac.uk/staff/garnerrp1

If there's one thing that will spark an interest in palaeontology, it might just be finding 450 million-year-old fossil as a child. That's exactly what happened to Dr Nic Campione. Nic is originally from Canada but is now a Senior Lecturer in Earth Sciences (Palaeontology) at the University of New England in Australia. Nic tells the story of his childhood fossil find and talks about his approach to teaching troublesome palaeontology students like your host, Dr Travis Holland.

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Dr Nic Campione's UNE profile: https://www.une.edu.au/staff-profiles/ers/dr-nicolas-campione

Dr Nic Campione's research publications https://scholar.google.ca/citations?user=DIilDo0AAAAJ&hl=en

UNE's Undergraduate Certificate in Palaeontology https://www.une.edu.au/study/courses/undergraduate-certificate-in-palaeontology

Ari Dharminalan Rudenko, the artistic director of Prehistoric Body Theater, discusses his background and how his childhood fascination with dinosaurs led him to combine dance and science communication. He explains the formation of Prehistoric Body Theater in Surakarta, Indonesia, and its focus on accuracy in science communication.

Ari also shares his collaboration with palaeontologists and the challenges of incorporating scientific knowledge into dance performances and the process of choosing specific prehistoric animals as characters in his performances.

Prehistoric Body Theater uses stagecraft and set design to create a portal for the audience's imagination, allowing them to journey into deep time. The performances incorporate prosthetic elements and clay-textured sets to create a sensory experience. The company aims to tour their work globally and continue to bridge the gap between art and science.

Check out more about Prehistoric Body Theater https://www.prehistoricbody.org/

Each summer in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, a prehistoric landscape comes alive with the sound and sights of dinosaurs. This is Scenic World's Dinosaur Valley.

For more information on Scenic World and Dinosaur Valley visit https://scenicworld.com.au/

Friend of the podcast Tom Jurassic previews season 2 of his audio fan production 'Tales from a Jurassic World'. Check out the full series on YouTube or via the Jurassic Park Podcast.

Jimmy Waldron once told Conan O’Brien he looked like a therizinosaurus. He also founded a non-profit called Dinosaurs Will Always Be Awesome that takes dinosaur experiences out to those who might not otherwise access them. After you’ve listened to the episode, check out more info on DWABA: https://dwaba.org/ Check out Jimmy's research on teaching evolution to school students:

Nadelson, L., Culp, R., Bunn, S., Burkhart, R., Shetlar, R., Nixon, K., & Waldron, J. (2009). Teaching Evolution Concepts to Early Elementary School Students. Evolution: Education and Outreach, 2(3), 458–473. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12052-009-0148-x

Mosasaurs, ichythyosaurs, and plesiosaurs galore! Em Blamey is the Creative Producer at the Australian National Maritime Museum. The Museum currently has an exhibition entitled 'Sea Monsters'. Em describes the specimens included and the stories told about these magnificent oceanic creatures.  

'Sea Monsters' is open on the following schedule:  

• Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney, 25 June 2022 to 14 August 2022; 
• Newcastle Regional Museum, September 2022 to February 2023; 
• Western Australian Maritime Museum, April to July 2023; 
• Museum of North Queensland, Townsville, September 2023 to February 2024. 

More information and tickets https://www.sea.museum/whats-on/exhibitions/sea-monsters 

This episode of Fossils and Fiction features two Australian PhD candidates talking about papers they've recently published. Isaac Kerr from Flinders University discusses his paper reporting the discovery of a new ancient kangaroo in Papua New Guinea while Adele Pentland from Swinburne discusses her recent work on the pterosaur Ferrodraco lentoni. 

Follow Isaac on Twitter @IsaacARKerr and Adele @AdelePentland. 

Papers mentioned: 

1. Kerr, I. A. R. and Prideaux, G. J. (2022) ‘A new genus of kangaroo (Marsupialia, Macropodidae) from the late Pleistocene of Papua New Guinea’, Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia. Taylor & Francis, 00, pp. 1–24. doi: 10.1080/03721426.2022.2086518.
2. Kerr, I. A. R. (2022) 'This giant kangaroo once roamed New Guinea - descended from an Australian ancestor that migrated millions of years ago'. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/this-giant-kangaroo-once-roamed-new-guinea-descended-from-an-australian-ancestor-that-migrated-millions-of-years-ago-185778 
3. Pentland, A. H. et al. (2019) ‘Ferrodraco lentoni gen. et sp. nov., a new ornithocheirid pterosaur from the Winton Formation (Cenomanian–lower Turonian) of Queensland, Australia’, Scientific Reports. Springer US, 9(1), pp. 1–13. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-49789-4.
4. Pentland, A. H. et al. (2022) ‘The osteology of Ferrodraco lentoni, an anhanguerid pterosaur from the mid-Cretaceous of Australia’, Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 41(5). doi: 10.1080/02724634.2021.2038182.

Trish Sloan is the Collection Manager at the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Natural History Museum in Winton, Queensland. Trish joins Fossils and Fiction to talk about engaging with her community, developing the Museum’s collection, and offering visitor-focused experiences.

To learn more about the Australian Age of Dinosaurs, visit their website, Facebook, or Instagram. The Australian Age of Dinosaurs is a non-profit, independent institution. To support their work, consider becoming a member. 

A transcript of this podcast is available here.

Dr Matthew Melia introduces and discusses The Jurassic Park Book, published by Bloomsbury. The Jurassic Park Book is the second in a three-part series by Matt on Steven Spielberg's biggest creature features: Jaws, Jurassic Park, and ET. Following Matt, global film specialist Peter Kramer discusses his contribution to the book. This is part one of a two-part discussion with contributors to this book. __ More info: The Jurassic Park Book https://www.bloomsbury.com/au/jurassic-park-book-9781501384844/ Cinergie Journal: 'Franchising Jurassic Park' https://cinergie.unibo.it/issue/view/1234 Matt Melia's profile: https://www.kingston.ac.uk/staff/profile/dr-matthew-melia-648/ Peter Kramer's profile https://www.dmu.ac.uk/about-dmu/academic-staff/technology/peter-kramer/peter-kramer.aspx

I've been writing, thinking, and talking about Jurassic Park *a lot* lately. It's time to wrap all that work up into something listenable for Fossils and Fiction.

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Articles/interviews mentioned:

• Shaye Ganam, 770 CHQR/630 CHED Edmonton and Toronto, Thirty years after Jurassic Park hit movie screens, its impact on science and culture remains as strong as ever, https://open.spotify.com/episode/1DXM7ooNyFpIQmBAIBktuK?si=v6dMHMZXQquZG7VZrQpTIQ
• Nahal el-Hadi, The Conversation Weekly, Thirty years after Jurassic Park hit movie screens, its impact on science and culture remains as strong as ever — podcast, https://theconversation.com/thirty-years-after-jurassic-park-hit-movie-screens-its-impact-on-science-and-culture-remains-as-strong-as-ever-podcast-210110
• Suzanne Hill, ABC Nightlife, https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/nightlife/jurassicpark-dinosaurs-movies/102492598

• Travis Holland and Lisa Watt, The Conversation, Toss Aside Those High Heels: How Jurassic World's Claire Dearing lights a path for women in action films, https://theconversation.com/toss-aside-those-high-heels-how-jurassic-worlds-claire-dearing-lights-a-path-for-women-in-action-films-182334

• Travis Holland, The Conversation, How Jurassic Park changed film-making and our view of dinosaurs, https://theconversation.com/how-jurassic-park-changed-film-making-and-our-view-of-dinosaurs-203147
• Travis Holland, Fossils and Fiction, Making Sarah Harding, https://www.fossilsfiction.co/2022/05/02/making-sarah-harding/
• Holland, T., & Watt, L. (2023). Sexism in survival situations: Reconsidering gender in Jurassic Park. In S. Gerrard, & R. Middlemost (Eds.), Gender and action films 1980-2000: Beauty in motion (1st ed., pp. 123-136). (Emerald Studies in Popular Culture and Gender). Emerald Group Publishing Limited. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80117-506-720221009

Some exciting news about the future of Fossils and Fiction followed by an episode of the Common Descent Podcast 'spotlighting' our show.

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Links:

• Holland, T. A. (2024). Palaeo podcasting: A practice-led extended-mixed methods case study. Media International Australia, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/1329878X241265824
• Fossils and Fiction Episode 26, Alyssa Fjeld's Ancient Bugs https://www.fossilsfiction.co/2023/12/18/episode-26/
• Common Descent Podcast https://commondescentpodcast.com/

Jake Kotevski is a PhD candidate at Monash University studying Australian theropods, specifically megaraptorids. Are they just big raptors? Find out in our wide-ranging discussion about the known knowns, the known unknowns, and some speculation on the unknown unknowns. Jake also describes his journey into palaeontology and how the pieces fit together between Australia, South America, Antarctica and Asia.

Follow Jake's work on Instagram @theropods_down_under

Visit the 'La Brea of the East' with us. Shay Maden from Gray Fossil Site and Museum tells us about the history and importance of this amazing Tennessean lagerstatten. And, we can't help but chat about the controversial claims by Colossal Biosciences that they have resurrected the dire wolf.

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Check out:

• Gray Fossil Site https://gfs.visithandson.org/
• Dinosauria Season 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRXB67fcXZA
• Paleo Pines https://paleopines.com/
• Pint of Science https://pintofscience.com.au/

In this edition of the Fossils and Fiction Research Journal, we hear from Dr Ellen Mather who was lead author on a paper reclassifying a long-known eagle fossil as instead belonging to Australia's first known vulture, and Dr Stephen Poropat who describes the discovery of sauropod teeth from Queensland.  Access the articles here:  Poropat SF, Frauenfelder TG, Mannion PD, Rigby SL, Pentland AH, Sloan T, Elliott DA. 2022. Sauropod dinosaur teeth fromthe lower Upper Cretaceous Winton Formation ofQueensland, Australia and the global record ofearly titanosauriforms. R. Soc. Open Sci.9:220381. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.220381 Mather EK, Lee MSY, Worthy TH. 2022. A new look at an old Australian raptor places “Taphaetus” lacertosus de Vis 1905 in the Old World vultures (Accipitridae: Aegypiinae). Zootaxa. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5168.1.1

Vicky Coules is a PhD candidate and researcher at the University of Bristol in the UK looking into the entanglements between visual culture and dinosaurs. Her research took her into the story of the 1871 attack on a nascent Palaeozoic Museum destined for New York’s Central Park. Vicky and Michael Benton recently published a paper on the topic.  __ Coules, V., & Benton, M. J. (2023). The curious case of Central Park’s dinosaurs: The destruction of Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins’ Paleozoic Museum revisited. Proceedings of the Geologists’ Association. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pgeola.2023.04.004 Bristol Palaeomedia Project https://palaeomedia.blogs.bristol.ac.uk/

Check out what you'll hear on Fossils and Fiction.

Hosts Alyssa and Travis discuss the mummified homotherium, play a game of 'fossil fact or fiction', and learn all about the Emu Bay Shale with special guest Steph Richter-Stretton.

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Follow Steph-Richter-Stretton on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/biostephigraphy/

Lopatin, A. V., Sotnikova, M. V., Klimovsky, A. I., Lavrov, A. V., Protopopov, A. V., Gimranov, D. O., & Parkhomchuk, E. V. (2024). Mummy of a juvenile sabre-toothed cat Homotherium latidens from the Upper Pleistocene of Siberia. Scientific Reports, 14(1), 28016. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-79546-1

Boria Sax is an author and Adjunct Professor at Mercy College whose work focuses on the relationship between humans and the natural world. He joins Fossils and Fiction for a discussion about his book Dinomania: Why we love, fear, and are utterly enchanted by dinosaurs.

Resources referenced in this episode:

1. Dinomania: Why we love, fear, and are utterly enchanted by dinosaurs (2018), by Boria Sax;
2. Avian Illuminations: A cultural history of birds (2021), by Boria Sax;
3. Jurassic Park (1993) by Michael Crichton;
4. Jurassic Park (1993) by Steven Spielberg;
5. Weird Studies, a podcast by Phil Ford and JR Martel;
6. Audio files of dinosaur and other Jurassic sounds by The Natural History Museum, London.

View episode transcript.

This brief introductory episode of Fossils and Fiction explains the idea behind the podcast. 

Tom Jurassic spills his thoughts on Dominion and being a fan creator in the Jurassic community. We dive deep into the biggest topics from the film, including [REDACTED] and [REDACTED]. This episode contains detailed spoilers from Dominion. 

Follow Tom on Twitter @Tom_Jurassic, and check out the Jurassic Park Podcast, Collect Jurassic, and Jurassic Collectables. 

Multi-talented entertainer and science communicator Michael Mills is the feature guest on the first episode of Fossils and Fiction for 2023. Michael is the creative director of Heaps Good Productions and 'Vice-Chancellor' of Dinosaur University. Michael has a podcast, PalaeoJam, and a show playing at the Adelaide Fringe Festival about foundational palaeontologist Mary Anning. We cover all of these in our conversation.

This episode also features a song called 'These Curious Things'. Words and music by Michael Mills, featuring Gemma Dandie on lead vocals with Professor Flint and Michael singing harmonies.

Buy tickets to A Curious Thing: The Story of Mary Anning: https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/a-curious-thing-the-story-of-mary-anning-af2023 

More on 'Curious Things': https://linktr.ee/TheseCuriousThings 

More on Professor Flint: https://linktr.ee/professorflint

Dinotherium, diprotodon, mastodon and more! Dr Chris Manias discusses his book The Age of Mammals: Nature, Development and Paleontology in the Long Nineteenth Century. Chris is Senior Lecturer in the History of Science & Technology at Kings College London.

Books mentioned:

• Manias, C. (2023). The Age of Mammals: Nature, Development and Paleontology in the Long Nineteenth Century. University of Pittsburgh Press. https://upittpress.org/books/9780822947806/
• Ashby, J. (2022). Platypus Matters: The Extraordinary Lives of Australian Mammals. HarperCollins. https://www.harpercollins.com.au/9780008431440/platypus-matters/
• Douglas, K. (2010). Pictures of Time Beneath: Science, Heritage and the Uses of the Deep Past. CSIRO Publishing. https://www.publish.csiro.au/book/6342/
• Panciroli, E. (2021). Beasts Before Us: The Untold Story of Mammal Origins and Evolution. Bloomsbury. https://www.bloomsbury.com/au/beasts-before-us-9781472983978/

Pterosaur expert and PhD student Adele Pentland discusses the discovery and description of the newest and most complete Australian pterosaur, Haliskia peterseni. The fossil was found in Australia and is 100 million years old. Adele explains the unique features of Haliskia, including its large wingspan, interlocking teeth, and long throat bones.

The conversation places Haliskia in context with other Aussie pterosaurs and pterosaur families from around the world.

She also discusses the importance of museums like Kronosaurus Korner and the Australian Age of Dinosaurs in promoting paleotourism and supporting local communities. Adele shares her optimism for future discoveries of pterosaurs in Australia and highlights the significance of these findings for scientific research and public interest.

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More info:

Adele's podcast Pals in Palaeo https://palsinpalaeo.com/

Kronosaurus Korner https://www.kronosauruskorner.com.au/

The Conversation article on Haliskia https://theconversation.com/100-million-year-old-fossil-find-reveals-huge-flying-reptile-that-patrolled-australias-inland-sea-231393

Scientific Reports paper describing Haliskia https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-60889-8

Scientific Reports paper describing Ferrodraco lentoni https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-49789-4

Dino-obsessed content creator Tom Jurassic joins me for a visit to Prehistoric Domain, an immersive dinosaur wildlife park that can be viewed in a web browser or in virtual reality. __ Prehistoric Domain https://www.prehistoricdomain.com/ Check out Tom Jurassic's 'Tales from a Jurassic World' https://www.youtube.com/@talesfromajurassicworld

Penny Packham is the Museum Coordinator for the Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum in Bathurst, NSW. Penny talks to Fossils and Fiction about the Museum's extraordinary collection and their new kids' exhibition, the Dino-Store. This episode features the voices of children interacting with animatronic dinosaurs, discussions about tourism during COVID, and a magnificent Tyrannosaurus specimen. 

A transcript of this episode is available now. 

You can submit comments for inclusion in future episodes via our Anchor profile. 

Children's author Sandra Bennett discusses the importance of literacy and her journey as an author, including the Adamson Adventure series, a number of which feature prehistoric animals. Sandra shares how she started writing stories for her students, which sparked their interest in reading. She also talks about her book series, which combines adventure, history, and extinct Australian wildlife. In Fossil Frenzy, the Adamson children discover prehistoric Queensland while Tracks in the Mist, releasing June 2024, features a family trip to Tasmania and the elusive Thylacine. Sandra hopes her books inspire a passion for reading, science, and environmental conservation.

Check out https://sandrabennettauthor.com/

Join hosts Alyssa and Travis as they welcome palaeontologist Colin Boisvert for a chat about Allosaur diversity, sauropod niche partitioning and more. Colin offers an insider's look at the challenges and excitement of studying dinosaurs, from complex taxonomies to ecological mysteries. The episode takes a fun turn with a special segment where listeners help name the show's mascots, and the hosts figure out how to (hypothetically) fight prehistoric animals.

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Colin Boisvert X/Twitter: https://x.com/colin_boisvert

Colin Boisvert Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colinboisvert1/

Barker, C. T., Handford, L., Naish, D., Wills, S., Hendrickx, C., Hadland, P., Brockhurst, D., & Gostling, N. J. (2024). Theropod dinosaur diversity of the lower English Wealden: Analysis of a tooth-based fauna from the Wadhurst Clay Formation (Lower Cretaceous: Valanginian) via phylogenetic, discriminant and machine learning methods. Papers in Palaeontology, 10(6), e1604. https://doi.org/10.1002/spp2.1604

Zev Landes https://www.zevlandes.com/

From a dino-themed wedding to running the world’s biggest dinosaur podcast, it’s Garret from I Know Dino! Garret joins Fossils and Fiction to chat about the lessons he and Sabrina have learned while covering new dinosaur discoveries every week for the past decade. 

Check out I Know Dino on their website or your favourite podcasting app: https://iknowdino.com/ 

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Stuff mentioned: 

Clements, T., Atterby, J., Cleary, T., Richard P. Dearden, & Rossi, V. (2022). The perception of palaeontology in commercial off-the-shelf video games and an assessment of their potential as educational tools. Geoscience Communication, 5, 289–306. https://doi.org/10.5194/gc-5-289-2022 

Common Descent Podcast: https://commondescentpodcast.com/

Noble, B. (2016). Articulating Dinosaurs: A Political Anthropology. University of Toronto Press. https://utorontopress.com/9781442621329/articulating-dinosaurs/ 

Plotnick, R. E., Anderson, B. M., Carlson, S. J., Jukar, A. M., Kimming, J., & Petsios, E. (n.d.). Paleontology Is Far More Than New Fossil Discoveries. Scientific American. Retrieved September 15, 2023, from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/paleontology-is-far-more-than-new-fossil-discoveries1/ 

Terrible Lizards Podcast with Dave Hone and Iszi Lawrence https://terriblelizards.libsyn.com/ 

Alyssa Fjeld discusses her research on early arthropods, especially tomotiids, a group that appeared over 520 million years ago.

Alyssa's research focuses on the growth patterns of early arthropods. She explores the concept of the inhibitory cascade model and its implications for understanding the life cycle and evolution of these animals.

Alyssa also shares her experiences in science education and outreach, emphasising the importance of making science accessible and engaging for diverse audiences.

Creative all-rounder Lucas Zellers recently worked on a D&D handbook that presents the real-life stories of extinct animals, and then twists them into D&D-suitable monsters. ____ Check out Lucas' work: Scintilla Studio https://scintilla.studio/ Book of Extinction https://magehandpress.com/extinction Making a Monster podcast https://scintilla.studio/monster/

Combine dinosaurs with LEGO in this episode of Fossils and Fiction. The interview guest is Tullett, modelbuilder for the Brickman. We chat about building LEGO dinos and the team’s exhibition Jurassic World by Brickman, open now at the Australian Museum, Sydney, until July 17. For more information and to book tickets to Jurassic World by Brickman, visit https://exhibition.thebrickman.com/

Alyssa interviews Dr. Phoebe McInerney about her research on Genyornis, a giant flightless bird from Australia. The conversation explores Phoebe's journey into palaeontology, her research, and the significance of outreach and education in the field. We also touch on the brilliant new research on Australian theropods published by Jake Kotevski and friends and play a little game of 'Who Am I? Extinct Edition'.

More: McInerney, P., Blokland, J., & Worthy, T. (2024, June 3). New fossils show what Australia’s giant prehistoric ‘thunder birds’ looked like – and offer clues about how they died out. The Conversation. http://theconversation.com/new-fossils-show-what-australias-giant-prehistoric-thunder-birds-looked-like-and-offer-clues-about-how-they-died-out-221599Kotevski, J., Duncan, R. J., Ziegler, T., Bevitt, J. J., Vickers-Rich, P., Rich, T. H., Evans, A. R., & Poropat, S. F. (n.d.). Evolutionary and paleobiogeographic implications of new carcharodontosaurian, megaraptorid, and unenlagiine theropod remains from the upper Lower Cretaceous of Victoria, southeast Australia. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 0(0), e2441903. https://doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2024.2441903

Astrid O’Connor is a PhD researcher in the Evans EvoLab at Monash University. Astrid undertakes a fascinating mix of research and creative work including immensely detailed 3D reconstructions of extinct animals. This conversation charts Astrid's journey into and through palaeo.

Check out @PalaeoAstrid on Instagram for more.

Amanda Perry, science communicator and palaeoartist, discusses her love for bugs and extinct animals. Amanda believes it is important to show vibrancy in representing animals, including extinct ones, through her artwork. She shares her journey into becoming a palaeoartist and science communicator, which involved working at science center cafeteria. Amanda's career now involves science communication through social media and creating art commissions. Amanda also expresses her passion for dinosaurs and how her grandfather's encouragement fueled her love for them. She discusses the influence of Jurassic Park and the artwork associated with the film.

Check out Amanda's Instagram @perryology101

Could you get two more different topics in palaeontology than gaming and the ethics of amber from conflict zones? Join Jake Atterby from the University of Birmingham to discuss the former and Dr Emma Dunne from Friedrich-Alexander University for the latter. 

Papers: 

1. Clements, T., Atterby, J., Cleary, T., Dearden, R. P., and Rossi, V.: The perception of palaeontology in commercial off-the-shelf video games and an assessment of their potential as educational tools, Geosci. Commun., 5, 289–306, https://doi.org/10.5194/gc-5-289-2022, 2022.
2. Dunne, E.M., Raja, N.B., Stewens, P.P. et al. Ethics, law, and politics in palaeontological research: The case of Myanmar amber. Commun Biol 5, 1023 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-022-03847-2

Dr Adam Yates is the Senior Curator of Earth Sciences at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory. He joins Fossils and Fiction for a discussion about the history of megafauna, dinosaurs, and other creatures of the Australian continent. We focus on the Alcoota Fossil Beds, crocodiles, geologic change, and Antarctica. 

A transcript and more detailed show notes will be available at FossilsFiction.co. 

It's time for a nostalgia kick. Travis and Alyssa discuss James Gurney's Dinotopia: an idealised vision of a world where humans and dinosaurs peacefully co-exist and everyone has their place. We explore the storytelling approaches, links to other media and what Dinotopia could look life if it were written today.

Packed with emotion and pulling the nostalgia heartstrings, how does The Land Before Time (1988) hold up today? Clemson University English Lecturer Peter Cullen Bryan takes us through the links between Don Bluth's classic film and other palaeomedia.

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Follow Dr Peter Cullen Bryan on Twitter @pfxbryan

Don Bluth. Somewhere Out There: My Animated Life.  SmartPop, 2022. 

1988 Pizza Hut puppets: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ce17QquyL8s 

Forgotten Disney: Essays on the Lesser-Known Productions.   https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/forgotten-disney/

Zach Vanasse, founder and director of Dinosaur Trips, discusses his journey in creating a unique travel company that offers dinosaur-themed trips. He shares his childhood fascination with dinosaurs and how it led him to combine his passion for palaeontology with his experience in the travel industry. Zach explains the offerings of Dinosaur Trips, which include visits to museums, dinosaur digs, and other attractions in various destinations. He emphasises that the trips cater to both dinosaur enthusiasts and curious travellers who want to explore destinations through the lens of palaeontology.

For more info, check out DinosaurTrips.com

Geo.Sassie joins Travis to talk about the Jurassic Coast UNESCO World Heritage Site. Meanwhile, Alyssa designs a prehistoric four course feast, prepares for a dig, and shows off some palaeoart. Also, we finally name our mascots.

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More:

Virtual paleoart exhibitionhttps://extinctfineart.com/virtual-paleoart-gallery/

Ammonite moviehttps://www.imdb.com/title/tt7983894/

Lovelace, D. M., Kufner, A. M., Fitch, A. J., Curry Rogers, K., Schmitz, M., Schwartz, D. M., LeClair-Diaz, A., St.Clair, L., Mann, J., & Teran, R. (2025). Rethinking dinosaur origins: Oldest known equatorial dinosaur-bearing assemblage (mid-late Carnian Popo Agie FM, Wyoming, USA).Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society,203(1), zlae153.https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlae153

Bronwyn Saunders, a children's author and citizen scientist, discusses her book 'Diprotodon: A Megafauna Journey' and the importance of Australian megafauna. She shares her journey as a writer and the research process she went through to write the book. Bronwyn also mentions her author inspirations and hints at future projects.

More:

• Follow Bronwyn's Facebook page
• Buy Diprotodon: A Megafauna Journey
• We have a copy of Diprotodon to give away - drawn April 10, 2024. See the Fossils and Fiction Instagram for details.

This brief episode of Fossils and Fiction is a review of the Apple TV+ series 'Prehistoric Planet', narrated by David Attenborough and produced by Jon Favreau. 

For more information about Prehistoric Planet, visit the Apple TV+ show page.

Palaeontologist Adele Pentland makes her second appearance on Fossils and Fiction to talk about... The Simpsons? Oh, and also her podcast Pals in Palaeo and her tips for science communication. ___ Find out more about Adele's work and Pals and Palaeo here:

• Adele's website https://www.adelepentland.com/
• Pals in Palaeo Instagram https://www.instagram.com/palsinpalaeo/
• Pals in Palaeo links https://linktr.ee/palsinpalaeo

This episode features a chat about Sue the T. rex, Jurassic Park, Dr Who, dinosaur fandom, media tourism and more with Dr Ross Garner, Lecturer in Media and Cultural Studies at Cardiff University.

Follow Dr Garner on Twitter @DrRPG_TV.

Referenced material:

1. Washington Post article on reviving the thylacine;
2. Article in The Conversation about Claire Dearing;
3. Article about Sarah Harding.
4. 'Doctor Who and the Dinosaurs' in Doctor Who and Science, 2021

This conversation explores the fascinating and often humorous world of paleontology hoaxes, from the infamous Piltdown Man to the Cardiff Giant. Alyssa and Travis discuss various historical and modern examples of scientific fraud, the implications of these hoaxes on the scientific community, and the lessons learned about integrity in research. They also touch on the cultural significance of these hoaxes and how they reflect societal beliefs and values.

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Palaeo Pulse:

McCurry, M. R., Gill, A. C., Baranov, V., Hart, L. J., Slatyer, C., & Frese, M. (2025). The paleobiology of a new osmeriform fish species from Australia. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. https://doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2024.2445684