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3-D printed sections of a pachycephalosaur fossil
3-D printed sections of a pachycephalosaur fossil

Mark Goodwin is continuing to work in Ethiopia thanks to a $53,400 National Science Foundation (NSF) Catalyzing New International Collaborations grant with UCMP alums Greg Wilson and Randall Irmis. For several weeks in January-February 2016, Mark conducted fieldwork with colleagues from the University of Oklahoma, Addis Ababa University, and Mekelle University in Ethiopia to investigate non-marine Mesozoic ecosystems from the Northwestern Plateau, Ethiopia. Mark's work in Montana with colleague Jack Horner at the Museum of the Rockies has led to the description of a new pachycephalosaur from the Hell Creek Formation of Montana. The 3D printing of the fossil reveals intricate details of an internal vessel network in the characteristic pachycephalosaur dome. Mark returned to the farm of Dan and Lila Redding, long time supporters of UCMP fieldwork in the Judith River Formation along the Montana- Alberta border, in August to confirm the stratigraphic position of earlier UCMP localities and prospect nearby exposures for future work.

Lisa White reports excellent progress is being made on the Understanding Global Change (UGC) project with UGC postdoctoral scholar Jessica Bean who is leading the development of the new conceptual framework for the website. During the workshops with Bay Area science teachers and with educators and docents at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Jessica and Lisa tested the framework and shared teaching resources associated with the site to very positive reviews. The site is slated to launch Fall 2016.

Pat Holroyd, Brian Rankin and Howard Hutchison joined colleagues from Texas and Arizona to explore the Uinta Basin of Utah for middle Eocene mammals and turtles. Expect to see some of these finds in research presented at the Salt Lake City SVP meeting in a special middle Eocene symposum.

Helina Chin joined UCMP as the new Graphics Communication Specialist in the Education and Outreach team in July 2015. After completing the Science Illustration Program at CSU Monterey Bay, she accepted an internship at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in the Botany Department under Museum Illustrator Alice Tangerini. She handled historical botanical illustrations and SEM negatives of dinoflagellate specimens, scanning and digitally retouching them for inclusion into the online database. She is excited to support the work and research done at UCMP.

 

Helina Chin with cast of baby triceratops skull
Helina Chin with a cast of UCMP baby triceratops skull soon to be displayed at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History