vertebrate paleontology

Same old bones, just a different day.

Sep 10, 2015

Guess who’s back for a second round with the PCP-PIRE project! Yes, this time I find myself here in scenic … Continue

UF 271625, the left mandible of Paratoceras orarius. Photo © VP FLMNH.

Fossil Friday 9/4/15: A small protoceratine

Sep 4, 2015

For this week’s Fossil Friday, we have a newly identified protoceratid called Paratoceras orarius. This protoceratid is the smallest member … Continue

UF/FGS 5680, the lower left first molar (m1) of Floridatragulus dolichanthereus. Left: occlusal surface; right: medial surface (side facing the tongue). Photo © VP FLMNH.

Fossil Friday: A camel tooth

Jul 24, 2015

This Fossil Friday, we have a tooth from the camelid Floridatragulus dolichanthereus. This specimen was found by Stanley J. Olsen … Continue

UF 236934, the upper left second molar of an indeterminate peccary. (Photo © VP FLMNH)

7/17/15: A peccary tooth

Jul 17, 2015

For this Fossil Friday I would like to present an upper tooth of a peccary (Family Tayassuidae). This specimen was … Continue

UF 264544, the left otolith of Paralonchurus trinidadensis. (Photo © VP FLMNH)

Fossil Friday 7/3/15: An otolith

Jul 3, 2015

For this week’s Fossil Friday we have an otolith from a fish called Paralonchurus trinidadensis. This specimen was found at … Continue

UF 244434, the left half of the skull of Culebrasuchus mesoamericanus. This is a left lateral view of the skull, which gives us a look at the animal’s teeth. (Photo © VP FLMNH)

Fossil Friday 6/19/15: A partial caiman skull

Jun 19, 2015

This Fossil Friday we have a caiman (Family Alligatoridae, Subfamily Caimaninae) named Culebrasuchus mesoamericanus. This specimen was found by PCP … Continue

Clue: solving the mysteries of the teeth

Jun 17, 2015

Identifying extinct species is like solving mysteries (but these mysteries can be more than 56 million years old) and the … Continue

Pocket Horse

Jun 15, 2015

Let’s imagine for a moment the great western plains of North America. The sky is blue, up above seems to … Continue

Fossil Friday 6/5/15: A lemon shark tooth

Jun 5, 2015

For this rendition of Fossil Friday we have the upper tooth of a lemon shark, Negaprion brevirostris. It was collected … Continue

The humerus of a merycoidodontid oreodont.

Fossil Friday 5/29/15: An oreodont humerus

May 29, 2015

This Fossil Friday I’m presenting an oreodont humerus that was prepared by PCP PIRE preparator Rachel Narducci. This specimen was … Continue

Fossil Friday 5/22/15: A cownose ray

May 22, 2015

This Fossil Friday we have the dental plate of a cownose ray (genus Rhinoptera). This fossil is from the Gatún … Continue

UF280000, a dorsal view of the skull of Nanokogia isthmia. (Photo excerpted from Velez-Juarbe et al. 2015)

Fossil Friday 5/15/15: A kogiid whale

May 15, 2015

For this Fossil Friday we have a whale of a discovery to share, specifically the skull of a kogiid whale. … Continue

Spring-Summer museum intern Ariel Guggino examines leaf fossils in the paleobotany collections at FLMNH.

PCP PIRE Fall 2015 Museum Internship Application Now Available!

May 13, 2015

PCP PIRE’s museum internship application for Fall 2015 is now available! Fall 2015 museum interns will be able to explore … Continue

A photo of me in the collections working on identifying the Nebraska material. (Photo courtesy of Steven Heritage).

Nebraska All Hands

May 7, 2015

Lately Ariel and myself have been working on identifying specimens that were recovered from the Nebraska All Hands trip last … Continue

Different views of a cast of UF 280165, a right m1 or m2 of a chalicotheriid. A: Schematic drawing showing morphology of occlusal view; B: Occlusal view; C: Posterior view; D: Buccal view; E: Lingual view. (Figure excerpted from Wood and Ridgwell 2015)

Fossil Friday 5/1/15: A chalicothere tooth

May 1, 2015

This week’s Fossil Friday is the subject of a paper recently published by former PCP PIRE Post Doc Aaron Wood … Continue

Tag: vertebrate paleontology