Paleontology graduate student Cariad Williams was part of a research team that used X-ray computed tomography and 3D modeling to examine the internal structure of an azhdarchid pterosaur vertebra, finding that it was filled with dozens of spiky structures that crossed one another like the spokes of a bicycle wheel. Read more about the findings […]
Category: behind the scenes
Cariad Williams, paleontology PhD student
Cariad Williams is pursuing a PhD in entomology at the University of Illinois and is advised by paleontology curator Sam Heads. Read more about her research interests and her path to studying paleontology in this short profile.
Visit from retired ISGS palynologist
We had a special visitor at the Illinois Paleo Collection last week—Dr. Russ Peppers, a retired researcher from the Illinois State Geological Survey that specialized in the study of fossil pollen and spores.
Preserving a fragile history
ALDER, MONTANA – I drive slowly over the hilly terrain in Fossil Basin and park near the remnants of an old campsite. In the 1950s and early 1960s, botanist Herman Becker camped here and collected fossil insects and plants from the Renova Formation’s paper shales. Go behind the scenes with M. Jared Thomas in this article from the U […]
Drawing insights from ancient plants
ALDER, MONTANA – I’m sitting near the top of our fossil excavation site in southwest Montana, my hammer and shovel ready. I have a perfect view of the mountains. A wall of fossil-laden shale lies before me, and I’m ready to dig in. Go behind the scenes with Danielle Ruffatto in this article from the […]
The fossils of Madison County (Montana)
ALDER, MONTANA – Standing at the foot of the mountains, I look to the east. It’s still early and I have hiked up here alone to gather my thoughts. I can see why they call this “Big Sky Country.” The tree-covered foothills of the mountains behind me give way to rolling scrubland. Stunted trees mark the edges […]