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PALEONTOLOGY SYMPOSIUM
Saturday, July 9
9:30 AM - 4:00 PM
FREE ADMISSION | LUNCH INCLUDED

Find out what’s being discovered by leading paleontologists right here in the Big Horn Basin!

PALEONTOLOGY SYMPOSIUM SCHEDULE

TIME
EVENT
SPEAKER
9:30-10:00
Light Breakfast
Research posters on display in foyer
10:00-10:30
When Some Liked It Hot: UW Research on Wyoming's Ancient Ecosystems from Microbes to Mammals
Mark Clementz, Head, Department of Geology & Geophysics, University of Wyoming
READING THE ROCKS: How did the rocks in the Bighorn Basin form and how do we ‘read’ them to learn about past conditions and climates?
10:30-11:00
A River Runs Through It: Reconstructing the Ancient Bighorn Basin
Brady Foreman, Western Washington University
11:00-11:30
True Grit: The Story in Fossil Soils
Gabe Bowen, University of Utah
11:30-12:00
Tales from the Swamps
Scott Wing, Smithsonian Institution
12:00-1:15
Lunch Break
Research posters on display in foyer
ALL FOSSILS GREAT & SMALL: Not all fossils are large, or even rock! How do we use the many fossil types to learn about past ecosystems and climates?
1:15-1:45
Gators in Your Backyard: What Fossils Tell Us About Changes in Wyoming’s Past
Natasha Vitek, Stony Brook University
1:45-2:15
The Secret Life of Fossil Pollen
Vera Korasidis, University of Melbourne
2:15-2:45
Fossil Bug Bites Tell Who Ate What and How Much
Ellen Currano, University of Wyoming
2:45-3:00
Coffee Break
Research posters on display in foyer
3:00-3:30
Ancient Wyoming: Why the Bighorn Basin is the Best Place to Tell the Story of Earth History
Scott Wing, Smithsonian Institution
Download Schedule
The online pre-registration for the Paleontology Symposium is closed.
Please register on-site at the museum.

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MEET THE PALEONTOLOGY SYMPOSIUM SPEAKERS

Dr. Mark T. Clemenz, Head, Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Wyoming

Dr. Mark T. Clemenz
Dr. Clemenz studies the paleoecology of shallow marine and coastal ecosystems, specifically the role vertebrates have played within these ecosystems. He also studies paleobiology and how the development of new traits allowed organisms to adapt to new environments. His current research focuses on analyzing the microwear patterns on tooth enamel to understand the dietary preferences of extinct animals.

Dr. Brady Z. Foreman, Department of Geology, Western Washington University

Dr. Foreman is a sedimentary geologist who studies how fluvial systems of the Rocky Mountain region responded to tectonic uplift and paleoclimatic change during the Mesozoic an early Cenozoic eras. He obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Wyoming and has done fieldwork in the Bighorn Basin for the past 15 years.
Dr. Brady Z. Foreman

Dr. Gabe Bowen, Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Utah

Dr. Gabe Bowen
Dr. Bowen founded the University of Utah’s Spatio-Temporal Isotope Analytics Lab (SPATIAL) group, which focuses on mobile and high throughput laser spectroscopy for environmental isotope analysis. His research interests span the fields of biology and geology, but primarily focus on humankind’s impact on, and relationships with, Earth’s environment.  Together with the SPATIAL group he seeks to understand natural environmental change, through the study of the geologic record, as a baseline for human-induced changes, and to observe and model the current state of environmental change.

Dr. Scott Wing, Department of Paleobiology, Smithsonian Institution

Dr. Wing studies fossil plants and climate change between approximately 70 and 40 million years ago, during the Mesozoic and the Cenozoic. He is also interested in the evolution of flowering plants during the warm climate which existed at this time and the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) which provides an analog in the earth’s history to the human-induced climate change happening today.
Dr. Scott Wing

Dr. Natasha Vitek, Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University

Dr. Natasha Vitek
Dr. Vitek is a vertebrate paleontologist focused on understanding what the fossil record can tell us about  the long term importance of differences between individuals. Her  Ph.D. research used statistical methods to trace species through the climate change of the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) as preserved in the Bighorn Basin. She currently works to integrate modern studies of small-scale evolution with the  fossil record to study big-picture consequences of small processes on long time scales.

Dr. Vera  A. Korasidis, Department of Geography, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Melbourne

Dr. Korasidis is a paleontologist, who uses  palynology, stratigraphy, sedimentology, and a range of geochemical techniques to investigate changing Earth systems from the Early Cretaceous through the Middle Miocene. Her research on fossil pollen has provided new insights into plant responses to climate change and has demonstrated that  an increase in the concentration of atmospheric CO2 played a major role in shifting Earth’s climate and plant life during the Paleo-Eocene Thermal Maximum  (PETM).
Dr. Vera A. Korasidis

Dr. Ellen Currano, Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Wyoming

Dr. Ellen Currano
Dr. Currano is a paleoecologist who uses fossils and plants to investigate how environmental changes in the past affect taxonomic diversity, ecosystem structure, plant-insect interactions and biogeographic patterns.  Her current research focuses on biotic responses to climate change during the hothouse Paleogene in the Western US, particularly in Wyoming, and how fossil plants can be used to construct paleoclimates and paleoenvironments.

SUPPORT PROVIDED BY:
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University of Wyoming
Smithsonian Institution
T.J. & Carole Woosley

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  • Home
  • Exhibits
    • Permanent Galleries >
      • The Ancient Basin
      • The Last West
    • Temporary Gallery >
      • Howdy! From Big, Wonderful Wyoming!
      • Art Exhibit & Sale
    • Guided Tours
  • Events
    • Trivia Night
    • Speaker Series
    • STEAM Saturdays
    • Big Horn Basin Talent Show
    • Art Exhibit Opening
  • Education
    • Youth Programs >
      • STEAM Saturdays
      • Washakie Robotics Team
      • Guided Youth Tours
      • Youth Scholarship Application
    • Adult Programs >
      • Speaker Series
  • Calendar
    • Trivia Night
    • Speaker Series
    • STEAM Saturdays
    • Big Horn Basin Talent Show
    • Art Exhibit Opening
  • Visitor Information
    • Directions
    • Hours & Admission
    • Passport Program
    • Guided Public Tours
    • Guided Youth Tours
    • Visitor Survey
  • Join & Support
    • Membership >
      • Individual & Family
      • Business & Corporate
    • Support Us
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Facility Rental
    • Staff & Board of Directors
    • Job Openings
    • Volunteer Opportunities
    • Our History
    • Collections
    • Strategic Plan
  • Gift Shop
    • Books
    • Art >
      • Sam Angelo
      • Cal Fulfer
      • Tom Lucas
      • Sean McKinley
      • Jen Smith
    • Merchandise
  • Mammoth News