Particles of Thought Mind of a Fossil Hunter
Aug 26, 2025
Dr. Kirk Johnson, the Sant Director at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History and a paleo expert, dives deep into fossils and the ancient history of life on Earth. He shares fascinating insights about how fossils form, the origins of Earth's oceans, and his experience discovering fossil-rich sites worldwide. Kirk discusses the significance of the Burgess Shale, how asteroids may hold clues about early water, and reveals tips for aspiring fossil hunters. Join him for a journey through millions of years of Earth's history!
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Fossil Walnut That Started A Career
- Kirk Johnson found a fossil walnut and a porpoise vertebra as a kid near his home, which launched his passion for paleontology.
- He mailed the walnut to a specialist and confirmed it was a fossil, sparking his career in paleobotany.
Death Plus Burial, Then Uplift Reveals Fossils
- Fossils require death plus burial in depositional (D-)world to be preserved and later uplift into erosion (E-)world to be exposed.
- Western North America is rich in fossils because long depositional phases were later uplifted and eroded to reveal layered records.
Snowmass Ice Age Bone Bed
- At Snowmass Ski Area a 12-acre Ice Age lake yielded 50 mastodons and 12 mammoths in 70 days of digging.
- The site was a temporary high-elevation depositional pocket preserved long enough to trap many large mammals.
