Dinosaurs, Ammonites, Trilobites: What is Paleontology

Long, long ago—millions of years before you or me, before the canoes of the Polynesian voyagers, before the first birds ever touched these shores—there was only ocean. A vast blue desert stretching farther than the eye could see. But beneath that endless water, far below the waves, the Earth was stirring.Deep inside our planet lies a restless heart, a molten engine. It churns and pulses, and sometimes, it leaks upward through the skin of the world. In one special place beneath the Pacific Plate, a hot spot—a plume of heat rising from the mantle—began to melt rock, making it buoyant and eager to break free.Imagine molten stone, glowing red-orange, pushing upward for thousands of years until—at last—it broke through the ocean floor. The sea hissed and boiled as lava met saltwater. Bit by bit, eruption after eruption, a new land began to rise from the deep. That was the beginning of the Hawai'ian Islands.But here’s the magic, Hawai'i is not a single island, but a story told in chapters, one after another, spread across millions of years. You see, the Pacific Plate is always moving—slowly, but steadily, like a great raft drifting northwest. The hot spot itself doesn’t move. It’s fixed, like a candle’s flame. So as the plate slides across it, new islands are born in sequence, while the old ones drift away, cooling, eroding, and eventually sinking back beneath the waves.It’s as though the Earth is sewing a necklace of emeralds and sapphires across the ocean, each island a bead in the chain. Kaua‘i, the eldest, is weathered and softened, its sharp volcanic ridges worn into velvet valleys. O‘ahu, Maui, Moloka‘i—all follow, each younger, each shaped by fire and rain. And finally, the youngest, Hawai‘i Island—often called the Big Island—still burns with creation. Its great volcanoes, Mauna Loa and Kīlauea, continue to pour molten rock into the sea, adding new land even as we speak.

Join in the exploration of the fascinating science of paleontology — that lens that examines ancient animals, plants & ecosystems from wee single-celled organisms to big & mighty dinosaurs.

Cretaceous Capilano Fossil Field Trip — From downtown Vancouver, drive north through Stanley Park and over the Lion’s Gate Bridge. Take the North Vancouver exit toward the ferries. Turn right onto Taylor Way and then right again at Clyde Avenue. Look for the Park Royal Hotel. Park anywhere along Clyde Avenue.From Clyde Avenue walk down the path to your left towards the Capilano River. Watch the water level and tread cautiously as it can be slippery if there has been any recent rain. Look for beds of sandstone about 200 meters north of the private bridge and just south of the Highway bridge. The fossil beds are just below the Whytecliff Apartment high rises. Be mindful of high water and slippery rocks.For more geeky goodness visit Fossil Huntress HQ at www.fossilhuntress.com

Woolly Mammoths – Picture a towering, shaggy titan lumbering across a frozen expanse, as winds howl through its dense, draping fur. This is the Woolly Mammoth—an Ice Age icon that could stand up to 11 feet tall, placing it nose-to-nose with a modern African elephant and utterly dwarfing most other terrestrial creatures of its time. Just imagining the primal force of such a beast stirs excitement, as they stomped across the tundra in herds, trumpeting through the bitter winds and surviving on a variety of tough, frosty vegetation.Though their colossal footprints echo through history, it wasn’t just size that made Woolly Mammoths unforgettable. Their massive, spiraling tusks—sometimes measuring over 10 feet—were invaluable tools for excavating snowdrifts in search of edible grasses or fending off fierce predators. And with all that dense, oily fur keeping them warm, these creatures likely carried an intense, pungent musk wherever they roamed, hinting at a mix of sweat, earthy scents, and the lingering aroma of moist vegetation lodged in their coats. You might catch a whiff of something akin to a barnyard on steroids—an odor that would have signaled their presence long before you actually saw one.Throughout the Pleistocene, these mighty mammals forged a path through some of the toughest environments on Earth, coexisting with a host of other megafauna. While many factors—such as changing climates and relentless human hunters—eventually spelled their downfall around 4,000 years ago, the Woolly Mammoth still kindles our imaginations today. The countless fossils and remarkably preserved specimens unearthed from permafrost remind us of an age dominated by larger-than-life beasts, and the enduring allure of these magnificent giants continues to shape our understanding of prehistoric worlds.

Welcome to the Fossil Huntress Podcast. Today on the show we’re talking about living dinosaurs—our avian friends, the birds. From the tiniest hummingbird to the towering ostrich, these feathered creatures carry the legacy of the mighty theropods, bridging millions of years of evolution in their lightweight skeletons and high-powered hearts. So join me as we explore both the link between the sweet little chirpers you see in your yard and impressive predators like T. Rex and Velociraptor.For more like this, visit Fossil Huntress HQ www.fossilhuntress.com to connect with the ARCHEA Blog, Facebook and Instagram for more geeky goodness!

Today on the show, we'll explore the first fossil finds from Miguasha Provincial Park, a protected area near Carleton-sur-Mer on the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec in Canada, from the mid-1800s. Miguasha is known for its exceptional preservation of Late Devonian (370 million years ago) fossil fish, including lobe-finned fish that played a crucial role in the transition of vertebrates from water to land. The park's cliffs contain fossils of various fish groups, including Agnathans (jawless fishes), Placoderms (heavily armored fish), Acanthodians (spiny fish), and Sarcopterygians (fleshy-finned fish with lungs), as well as invertebrates like crustaceans, worms, and Eurypterids (giant cousins of land scorpions). Two well-known sarcopterygians found at Miguasha are Eusthenopteron foordi and Elpistostege watsoni, which are important for understanding the transition of vertebrates from water to land. If you would like to read more about the find, head on over to www.fossilhuntress.com and click on the ARCHEA Blog for more details, photos and insights on the yummy fossil finds from the area.

Welcome to the Fossil Huntress Podcast. Today, we're taking a journey half a billion years back in time to one of the most extraordinary fossil sites on the planet — the Burgess Shale — nestled high in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada.So close your eyes and fly with me up to the top of North America, find Canada’s far western shores then head east. If you were driving from Vancouver to Burgess in Yoho National park the trip takes about 9 hours. But as we are flying, we arrive rather instantly. This site isn’t just famous — it’s legendary. Why? Because the Burgess Shale preserves an astonishingly detailed snapshot of early life on Earth, dating back to the Middle Cambrian, about 508 million years ago. The creatures found here represent some of the earliest complex life forms — a mind-blowing cast of characters from a time when life was exploding in diversity and complexity. Think of it as nature’s original experiment lab, full of alien-looking arthropods, spiny worms, bizarre filter feeders, and some of the earliest chordates — animals that share our evolutionary ancestry.Some of the headliners include:Anomalocaris – a meter-long predator with grasping appendages and a circular mouth lined with teeth. It looks like something straight out of a sci-fi film.Opabinia – with five eyes and a long proboscis, it's one of the weirdest creatures ever discovered.Wiwaxia, Hallucigenia, Marrella – each one stranger than the last.And then there’s Pikaia, a tiny, worm-like creature with a notochord — a feature shared by all vertebrates. That includes you and me. It’s one of the earliest known members of our own evolutionary lineage.What Do These Fossils Tell Us?The Burgess Shale helps us understand the Cambrian Explosion, that dramatic moment in Earth’s history when most major animal groups first appeared.It shows us that early life was more diverse — and stranger — than we ever imagined. Evolution involves a lot of experimentation — many of the creatures found here left no descendants. Even tiny creatures like Pikaia played a major role in our own evolutionary history.It’s a story of ancient oceans, evolutionary innovation, and a delicate moment frozen in shale. A time capsule from a world we barely recognize — yet one that gave rise to us all.You can visit the fossils. There are three main hikes:Walcott Quarry Hike – This is the classic. A full-day, 21 km round-trip hike with stunning views and up-close looks at where Charles Doolittle Walcott first discovered these fossils in 1909.Mount Stephen Trilobite Beds – A bit shorter but still steep, this hike rewards you with a literal ground covered in trilobites!Stanley Glacier Hike in Kootenay National Park – A more recent site with new discoveries and another great option to experience the Burgess Shale in the wild.The hikes are moderately to very strenuous, and must be booked in advance through Parks Canada’s website. The guides are knowledgeable interpreters — often geologists or paleontologists themselves — and they bring the whole story to life.I highly recommend visiting Yoho National Park and joining one of those hikes. Standing on that mountainside, with half-a-billion years of history beneath your boots, is a humbling, awe-inspiring experience.

Today we’re setting sail—back in time—to meet the king of the trilobites: Isotelus rex, the largest complete trilobite ever discovered.Now, I know trilobites are often tiny—beautiful, delicate little creatures. But this one? This one was a behemoth. Over 70 centimeters long, with a thick armored body and wide paddle-shaped tail, Isotelus rex was the apex of its kind, scuttling across the seafloor of a vast inland sea that once covered much of what we now call Canada.But the fossil didn’t just appear. It was discovered by two dedicated scientists—Dr. David Rudkin and Dr. Graham Young—whose lives and work have been shaped by a passion for ancient life. We’ll dive into their stories too. So grab a cup of something warm, sit back and enjoy this tale of discovery!

Welcome to The Fossil Huntress Podcast—your window into the deep time of ancient oceans, lost worlds, and beautiful traces left behind. I'm your host, Heidi Henderson, coming to you from the rain-kissed coastline of British Columbia on Canada's far western shores.Today on the show, we’re diving into one of the most iconic fossils of all time: trilobites—those segmented, alien-looking creatures that once ruled our ancient seas.So grab a cup of something warm, cozy up, and let’s take a journey—travelling in time way back more than half a billion years.Highlights from the Show...One of the most famous trilobite sites in the world is Burgess Shale in Yoho National Park, British Columbia. While the Burgess is better known for its soft-bodied creatures like Anomalocaris and Hallucigenia, it also preserved some incredibly detailed trilobites, like Olenoides serratus.You can actually see their legs preserved—a rare thing in the fossil record!Farther east, in Manitoba, you’ll find Isotelus rex, the largest complete trilobite ever discovered. This big boy stretched 70 centimeters long—over two feet! Isotelus roamed the ancient Ordovician seas that once covered much of central Canada. Imagine snorkeling and coming face-to-face with one of those…Fun Trilobite FactsTrilobites were among the first animals to develop complex eyes. Some had excellent vision, while others were blind—adapted to deep, dark ocean floors.They molted their exoskeletons like modern-day crabs. That’s why we find so many trilobite fossils—many are actually molted skins, not full bodies.Some species rolled up into tight balls, just like modern pill bugs—a defense mechanism against predators.Over 20,000 species of trilobites have been identified, making them one of the most diverse fossil groups ever.Wrap UpTrilobites are more than just pretty fossils; they’re storytellers, time travelers in stone. And they continue to surprise us.If you ever find yourself walking an ancient seafloor—maybe on the shores of Newfoundland, the cliffs of Anticosti Island, or the dry bed of a long-gone sea in Manitoba—keep your eyes open. You might just meet a trilobite, frozen mid-crawl in a 400-million-year-old journey.Thanks for joining me, my fossil friends. Until next time, keep seeking, keep wondering, and keep listening to the whispers of the stone.

Welcome back to the Fossil Huntress Podcast, the show where we dig into the dirt—literally—to uncover the most fascinating stories from Earth’s deep past. Here you'll find ammonites, trilobites, dinosaurs and more!I’m Heidi Henderson, the Fossil Huntress, your host, and today… we’re diving into one of the most epic rivalries in science history.It’s got fossils. It’s got sabotage. It’s got exploding railcars and a whole lot of dinosaur bones.It was one of the most famous of all paleo feuds we affectionately call the Bone Wars—the intense feud between two 19th-century paleontologists: Edward Drinker Cope and Othniel Charles Marsh.Alright, let’s set the scene. It’s the late 1800s. Paleontology is still a young science, and the American West is full of undiscovered fossil treasure. Into this world step two brilliant, ambitious, and very competitive scientists: Cope and Marsh.Edward Drinker Cope was a Philadelphian—charismatic, energetic, a bit hot-headed. He published tons of papers, traveled constantly, and had a deep love for reptiles and amphibians.Othniel Charles Marsh was from Connecticut—quiet, methodical, and extremely well-connected. In fact, his wealthy uncle was the founder of Yale’s Peabody Museum.At first, they were friends. Briefly. They even went fossil hunting together in New Jersey. But that didn’t last long.So what went wrong?Well, the drama really kicked off over a fossil of an extinct marine reptile called Elasmosaurus. Cope reconstructed the skeleton and proudly published it—except he put the skull on the wrong end. Marsh gleefully pointed out the mistake, and let’s just say Cope didn’t take it well.From that moment on, it was war.The two men started competing furiously—racing to out-discover, out-name, and out-publish each other. They hired entire fossil-hunting teams, often sending them to the same dig sites in the American West.And they didn’t play fair.They bribed each other’s workers.They spied on dig sites.They even dynamited fossils to keep the other from getting them. (Yes, really.)But here's the wild part: in their rush to beat each other, Cope and Marsh made some of the most important fossil discoveries in history.Between them, they described over 130 new dinosaur species—including some names you might recognize:StegosaurusApatosaurusDiplodocusAllosaurusAnd dozens more. Their discoveries laid the groundwork for modern paleontology—even though they were practically trying to ruin each other the whole time.By the time the Bone Wars fizzled out in the 1890s, both men were basically broke. They’d spent their fortunes on fossil digs, museum battles, and publishing wars.But despite the chaos, their work helped turn dinosaurs into a global fascination—and opened the door to one of the greatest eras of fossil discovery the world had ever seen.So what’s the legacy of the Bone Wars?Well, it’s a cautionary tale about how ego and rivalry can warp science—but also a story about passion, persistence, and the thrill of discovery.Today, paleontologists continue to refine, revise, and build on the work that Cope and Marsh started—even correcting some of the mistakes they made in their rush to be first.Because science isn’t about who gets the credit. It’s about uncovering the truth, one bone at a time.