Get your name on a fossil discovery!
When fossils are uncovered, they must be protected in plaster field jackets so they can be safely transported to the lab. Sponsorships help provide the resources needed to excavate, jacket, and study these discoveries.
givebutter.com/2026-fossil-...
That's a good guess, but we can confirm it's a sauropod toe claw! 🦕
Hi, Virginia! Thanks for reaching out, this sounds like a great piece you're working on. We can put you in touch with our Director of Educational Programming, who has been coming out in the field since before our founding in 2016. We will DM you his email address!
"What Is It?" Wednesday!
Katie is holding a fossil excavated from one of our active dinosaur dig sites in 2024. Any guesses what it is?
We'll reveal the answer later today!
Global distribution of female scholars in vertebrate palaeontology research in 2023, displayed as the proportion of female authors by country. The pie charts illustrate regional variations, while the line graphs show the temporal trends in female scholar proportions among the top five countries by publication volume (2014−2023). Research articles| 14 May 2025 A decade of vertebrate palaeontology research: global taxa distribution, gender dynamics and evolving methodologies by Haohan Wang ; Juliana Sterli ; Vincent Dupret ; Henning Blom ; Annalisa Berta ; Susan Turner ; Daoming Han ; Luyan Xu ; Zhaohui Pan
Happy International Women's Day 💐
Did you know, for every 7 men in palaeontology, there are ~3 women. Women make up 25-35% of global vertebrate palaeontological publishing output. And are most likely to study mammals, while men, reptiles.
MNHC is offering two exciting camps for Middle School Students this summer! Our Naturalist in Training, July 6-10 and STEEM, August 3-7! Learn more and register at: www.montananaturalist.org/summer-camps/
#missoulacamps #middleschoolcamps #natureeducation
In paleontology, context is everything. Where a fossil is found, and what rock layer it comes from, can be just as important as the fossil itself.
One of the most important parts of paleontology isn't finding fossils; it's documenting them.
Field notes, measurements, and site maps record exactly where fossils were found and preserve the scientific context that helps tell their story.
This International Women's Day, we celebrate the past and present accomplishments of women. We're extremely proud to know, work, and collaborate with some of the most brilliant women in science that continue to research, discover, mentor, conserve, and educate to the advancement of tomorrow.
They have been able to infer colors like black and reddish brown. We have fossil feathers with preserved melanosomes that show black and white patterns, like Anchiornis. Iridescent black coloring was also detected in Microraptor, similar to modern crows!
Fossil Friday fact: not every fossil gets a plaster jacket!
Smaller fossils are often wrapped in foil packs; aluminum foil, tape, and a label to keep everything together and protected until it reaches the lab.
Simple, but effective!
Dinosaur reconstruction: J. Robins
SEM image: University of Bristol
Some fossils preserve microscopic structures called melanosomes. By studying their shape and arrangement, scientists can sometimes infer the colors of ancient animals.
So do we! The first thing we tell people when teaching them how to find fossils is "Look for anything out of the ordinary". And it helps so much!
Every fossil discovery starts with someone paying attention to the little details in the rock.
Your classroom this summer: a dinosaur dig in Montana!
Our field paleontology course is a hands-on, college credit field course. Only 4 spots remain!
Details are live on our site: elevationscience.org/college-stud...
Fossil preparation is where a lot of real discovery happens, removing rock bit by bit until the fossil reveals itself.
Elevation Science is turning 9!
Nine years of fieldwork, research, mentorship, and discovery.
Thank you to everyone who's dug, donated, learned, and supported along the way. If you'd like to celebrate with us, we'd love your support!
elevationscience.org/donate
This seems like a great moment to talk about the importance of science communication!
Science communication matters because it connects scientific research with people, giving folks information they need to make informed decisions about everything from health to hazards.
Figure 2: Three-dimensional model rendering from CT data for MOR 1627. (A) Left lateral view of entire skull with close-up (D) of the embedded tooth. (B) Dorsal view of entire skull with close-up (E) of the embedded tooth. (C) Anterior view of entire skull with close-up (F) of the embedded tooth. Dashed lines indicate the specimen midline. (Wyenberg-Henzler & Scannella, 2026)
New behavioral #paleontology paper out today about tyrannosaur predation! The authors (Wyenberg-Henzler & Scannella) contend that the find is "consistent with a bite inflicted during an attempt to control the struggling Edmontosaurus or deliver a killing blow followed by carcass consumption". Nice!
The desert is dusty,
the fossils are too.
Happy Valentine's Day,
from Elevation Science to you. 💕
Celebrating Intl Day of Women & Girls in Science with a nod to our STEEM (science, technology, engineering, environment & math) Summer Campers! www.montananaturalist.org/summer-camps/
Happy International Women and Girls in Science Day!
Proud to work alongside so many brilliant women, past and present, and excited for the future scientists who will shape what comes next.
This is why we do this.
Real science, shared with real people.
Maybe a bit late for web timing, but ehy, NEW PAPER ON #fossilfriday!!!
I am proud to present you Haolong dongi gen. nov. sp. nov., a new hadrosauroid from the Early Cretaceous of China!
The specimen, almost complete, is a juvenile iguanodontian from the Yixian Formation of the Barremian (125 Mya).
"Move over Pachycephalosaurus, there's a new headbutting dinosaur from late Cretaceous western North America!"
#Dinosaurs #Paleontology #Mexico
Illustration of Haolong dongi with Laura Dern for scale (the animal is about the size of a large dog or a minature pony)
Haolong dongi shown alongside the fossil with various close-ups of the preserved skin from Huang et al. 2026.
The new iguanodont with novel skin coverings. In addition to the large scute-like scales on the tail, the body is covered with what the author's describe as "spikes". The largest ones are about 4 cm long but almost a cm thick, resembling short quills. The smaller ones are hair or eyelash-like.
Hands-on science experiences are some of the most memorable, especially for families.
We’re excited for Dinosaur Discovery Days and the chance to help people connect with fossils, Earth history, and real paleontology.
There really is nothing like seeing something no one else has ever laid eyes on!
