Society of Vertebrate Paleontology

08/21/2026

Dunkleosteus or Chunkleosteus, there’s no doubt this fossil fish was one pugnacious placoderm!

Originally discovered on the shores of what is now Shellcove Park in Sheffield Lake, Ohio, Dunkleosteus makes the very potent point that small public lands can also provide important Paleontological discoveries (though this wasn’t technically yet a park in 1867). If you get a chance, go check it out while you’re at SVP in Cleveland this year! Registrations are open now!

And as always, happy

And feel free to check out the papers we cited in this video!

Newberry, J.S. 1873. Fossil Fishes, p. 245–355. Report of the Geological Survey of Ohio. Volume II. Geology and Paleontology. Nevins and Myers, State Printers, Columbus.

Anderson PS, Westneat MW. Feeding mechanics and bite force modelling of the skull of Dunkleosteus terrelli, an ancient apex predator. Biol Lett. 2007 Feb 22;3(1):76-9

Engelman R. Giant, swimming mouths: oral dimensions of extant sharks do not accurately predict body size in Dunkleosteus terrelli (Placodermi: Arthrodira). PeerJ. 2023 Apr 10;11:e15131.

08/14/2026

It was a (Tully) monster mash(ed by the weight of sediment)!

Who’d think one of the most mysterious fossils would come from the Windy City, home of the Blues Brothers, Ferris Bueller, and of course, da Bears!

Seriously, what are these things? Tully Monsters are crazy!

While most of the most major discoveries from the Mazon Creek fossil beds come from quarries in the area, the Mazonia-Braidwood State Fish and Wildlife Area has produced some very scientifically significant fossils.

Remember to only collect fossils off this or any public lands after obtaining the proper permits! Science needs YOU 🫵 to do the right thing!

And happy !



*Edit* : a quick note from Max, here. It’s been pointed out that while editing, I accidentally bracketed the Permian and Pennsylvanian as “Carboniferous.” This was an editing error. I had it lined up correctly originally, but must have nudged something by mistake. The Carboniferous is comprised of the Pennsylvanian and Mississippian.

08/14/2026

Hey everyone! When you think of vertebrate paleontology as a field of science, what kinds of things jump to mind? Not just individual prehistoric species, but the tools used and ideas discussed?

Let us know in the comments! (This is for a project that we'll be debuting later this fall so please help us out with your perspectives!)

08/12/2026

The SVP Grad Application Prep Group is back, led by the spectacular Krista Koeller! Participants meet weekly for mini workshops on various parts of the application process. You can access the sign up form via the QR code below, or the link in the comments.

08/07/2026

These rhinos kicked ash… to their death! 🦏 🌋

Their tragedy is our gain, as the prehistoric Pompeii at Ashfall Fossil Beds, courtesy of the Yellowstone National Park supervolcano, has provided paleontologists with one of the clearest views of an extinct ecosystem anywhere!

Much of the research referenced here and scientific figures used come from a single paper:

S. T. Tucker, R. E. Otto, R. M. Joeckel, M. R. Voorhies, 2014. “The geology and paleontology of Ashfall Fossil Beds, a late Miocene (Clarendonian) mass-death assemblage, Antelope County and adjacent Knox County, Nebraska, USA”, Geologic Field Trips along the Boundary between the Central Lowlands and Great Plains: 2014 Meeting of the GSA North – Central Section

And happy !!

08/06/2026

Scientists have discovered the first extinct ice age amphibian from Los Angeles, a spadefoot toad named after the tar pits: Spea labreae. The findings are reported in a study published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. https://cnn.it/4z4CfM4

08/05/2026

08/03/2026

A sad note about the Vertebrate Paleontology Listserve -
The service we were using to host the listserve has ended and the listserve is now unavailable. Interested members can join the Dinosaur Mailing Group, where information is still being shared from across the breadth of paleontology. The DMG is easily found on Google if members wish to join.

07/31/2026

You might have missed the Buffalo Gap National Grassland last time you drove I-90! After all, it’s easy to be distracted by Badlands National Park and all the Wall Drug signs - but this grassland has some great fossils, and super important history for our public lands!

Not mentioned in the video, but it’s also home to the only dinosaur fossil ever found in the area immediately surrounding Badlands National Park - a hadrosaur foot that was swept out to sea in the late Cretaceous! A dinosaur has still never been found within Badlands National Park!

Fossil poaching is a major issue on our national grasslands. It’s important to remember that if you find a vertebrate fossil on any federal land to either report it to rangers or go through the proper permitting process to collect for research purposes.

Credit to bill wurtz whose original audio makes an appearance in this video (“not anymore there’s a blanket”) and the band Buffalo Springfield for the instrumental of their song “For what it’s worth.”

Happy !

07/24/2026

If this isn’t the best fossil park in the world, it definitely gives the best a run for its money. 🦴

Badlands National Park Badlands National Park in western South Dakota is one of the most spectacular places to find yourself in if you love fossils. Trust us, we’d know! We’ve been all over this continent, and it’s still our favorite fossil spot!

Public lands like this are super important for citizen science, and one thing we didn’t mention in the video that makes Badlands additionally great for citizen science is that it’s an open hike park. You’re allowed to hike anywhere, trail or not! Just uh… be careful, and bring lots of water. 🚰

And happy !