Dr. Ron Buta, professor emeritus of Astronomy, has been a major force in avocational or amateur paleontology since he rediscovered his interest in paleontology in mid-1990s. For his substantial contributions uncovering the prehistory of Alabama, he has been selected as the 2021 recipient of the prestigious Alabama Avocational Paleontologist Award.
News
Generous donation to the paleontology collection
On Friday, October 8th, a fossil turtle, a fish, and various crustaceans were donated to the Alabama Museum of Natural History collection by UA Museums’ Research Associate Mr. George Martin. George found all specimens himself in Alabama and prepared them by removing the surrounding rock and stabilizing the fossils using a specialized resin as needed.
Increase in Marine Parasitism Through Time Linked to Biodiversity
Evidence of parasitism in the fossil record has historically received little attention because parasites are small, these soft bodied animals do not fossilize well, and there is an enormous lack of study.
IMLS Grant Awarded to Paleontology Collection
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) awarded a $39,944 grant to the paleontology collections of the Alabama Museum of Natural History. The goal of this project is the rehousing, digitizing, and imaging of the cataloged part of the historic invertebrate paleontology and type collections over the next two years starting in September.
Mosasaur jaw from the paleontology collection tells remarkable story
This summer, an article using a well-preserved mosasaur jaw from the Alabama Museum of Natural History paleontology collection, was published in the July issue of Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology.
ALL-NEW Discovering Alabama Episode: Alabama Fossils
Watch an ALL-NEW episode of Discovering Alabama tonight at 9 PM on Alabama Public Television to learn about the fossil record in Alabama, which goes back millions of years and includes dinosaurs, giant whales, and the evolution of the shark.
Bama Bug Fest (April 22-24)
This year’s Bama Bug Fest will be crawling your way April 22-24! Bug Enthusiasts will be able to participate in video live chats with experts, make crafts, and visit in-person exhibits at Alabama Museum of Natural History, Mildred Westervelt Warner Transportation Museum, and Tuscaloosa Public Library! For more details, visit: https://bamabugfest.org/
Spring’s 17-year-cicada swarms may raise some noise, but they’re not a plague, UA entomologist says
Most of the trillions from May’s Brood X swarm will arise and fly and feed — and be fed on — in their monthlong above-ground life along the East Coast, from North Carolina to Indiana to New Jersey, possibly in parts of Georgia.
Inferring octopodoid and gastropod behavior from their Plio-Pleistocene cowrie prey (Gastropoda: Cypraeidae)
Predation is an evolutionary force shaping sea floor communities, with the record of drilling predation being particularly useful to study predatory behavior on short and long timescales. Most predatory drill holes are caused by gastropods, but octopods within Octopodoidea also produce characteristic drill holes, yet remain severely understudied in deep time.
Octopodoidea as predators near the end of the Mesozoic Marine Revolution
Octopodoidea are a highly versatile and diverse group of marine predators comprising > 200 species today, but their diversity and ecology in deep time are virtually unknown. Because these soft-bodied cephalopods have a low preservation potential, only a single body fossil species has been documented.