September 2020

Hello everyone! It’s been a long time coming but I’m finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. After months of research and writing I’m finally recording and editing season 1 of Fossil Bonanza! I can’t tell you how happy I am that this massive project will finally be released. Bar any kind of major surprises Season 1 will be as follows

Episode 1: Paleontology and Lagerstatte Introduction
Episode 2: Beecher’s Trilobite Bed
Episode 3: Posidonia Shale
Episode 4: Amber Introduction
Episode 5: Dominican Amber
Episode 6: Jehol Biota Part 1
Episode 7: Jehol Biota Part 2
Episode 8: Naracoorte Caves

I wanted to choose five amazing fossil sites that come from different time periods, geographic locations, organisms preserved, and method of preservation. I feel that these five really encompasses the diversity that Lagerstatten can achieve.

No hard plans on a release date yet but these episode will be released every two weeks with episode 1 and 2 released simultaneously.

Also, looking for guest experts to talk about Lagerstatten particularly if it relates to the five I’m focusing on. So if you have studied these fossils and are willing to spend some time with me, send me a message!

That’s all for now!

Fossil Spotlight: Narrow-Nosed Rhinoceros

Who: The Narrow-Nosed Rhinoceros, Stephanorhinus
Lagerstätte: Binagadi Asphalt Seep in Azerbaijan and other places
What: Tar pits containing thousands of fossils are found across the world with the most famous being La Brea Tar Pits in California. One of these is the Binagadi Asphalt Seep in Azerbaijan. This trap is thought to be older than La Brea dated up to 190,000 years old compared to La Brea’s 60,000 year age. Many species of animals are found here including the cave lion, cave hyena, and Irish elk. Among the most famous is the narrow-nosed rhinoceros Stephanorhinus. A full mounted skeleton is on display at the Hasanbey Zardabi Natural History Museum in Baku. The skeleton was made of bones from different specimens from the tar pit. Stephanorhinus itself was rather common during its heyday and could be found in Europe all the way to East Asia.

References:
Huseynov, Said, and John M. Harris. “AZERBAIJAN’S FOSSIL CEMETERY.” Natural History 119.3 (2010): 16-21.