Palaeo Jam

What can a tiny fossil tooth tell us about a world that disappeared thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of years ago? Quite a lot, as it turns out! In this episode of Palaeo Jam, host Michael Mills is  joined by Dr Tiah Bampton of Adelaide University to explore the fascinating world of stable isotopes and how palaeontologists use them to investigate the past.

Tiah explains how the chemistry locked inside fossilised teeth can reveal what extinct animals ate, what they drank and the environments in which they lived. We discover how stable isotopes are helping researchers reconstruct changing climates and vegetation at places like the Naracoorte Caves, and how the humble fossilised tooth can become a remarkable record of an animal’s life, and the world around it.

But this isn't just about looking backwards. By understanding how animals responded to environmental change in the past, stable isotope research can also help us understand extinction, resilience and the challenges facing Australia's wildlife today.

To learn more about Tiah, follow the link… https://researchers.adelaide.edu.au/profile/tiah.bampton

To learn about Tiah Bampton’s journey, check out this story with the ABC… https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-03/tiah-bampton-living-dream-at-naracoorte-caves-palaeontology-dig/12209876

Host Michael Mills can be found on Bluesky as The Heaps Good Guy at… https://bsky.app/profile/heapsgood.bsky.social

He occasionally inhabits LinkdIn at… https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-mills-86906335/

And is also on Insta at… https://www.instagram.com/heapsgood/

Dr Brian Choo is both a palaeontologist and a palaeo-artist. In this fascinating episode of Palaeo Jam, host Michael Mills chats with Brian about the path to becoming both, and how his understanding in each area, informs the other. Along the way, the two explore Brian’s passion for natural history, his inspirations, the process of creating art from science, the role of palaeo-art in the public understanding of science, and, of course, touch on the horrors of AI.

Brian’s amazing artwork has been featured in a number of scientific journals. You can find an extensive catalogue of his work at…

https://www.deviantart.com/gogosardina

Brian has a profile for his scientific work on ResearchGate at…

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Brian-Choo

Brian is a also regular judge in the Mary Anning Art Prize, a natural history art prize for young South Australians…

https://www.sasta.asn.au/student_activities/mary-anning-art-prize

You can find Michael on Blue Sky at…

https://bsky.app/profile/heapsgood.bsky.social

You can find links to much of his creative work at…

https://linktr.ee/heapsgoodproductions

To connect with Dinosaur University on Facebook, follow us at…

https://www.facebook.com/DinosaurUniversity

At Palaeo Jam, we have an Instagram account at…

https://www.instagram.com/palaeo_jam

Carl Sagan once said "If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe".  As it happens, that very same universe is the one that made possible the making of mammals. So, what are some of the essential ingredients and conditions that made the making of a mammal possible? 

In this episode of Palaeo Jam, host Michael Mills chats with Dr Peter Bishop, an Aussie abroad, currently engaged in palaeo research at Harvard University. Through his background in physics and mathematics Peter has applied biomechanical principles to understand extinct animals, particularly synapsids, which has led to some fascinating insights in to how to do just that- to make a mammal!

Michael begins the discussion by asking Peter about his journey from an outback Queensland mega-fauna site where the two first met several years ago, while digging up giant, prehistoric kangaroos, extinct , to Harvard…

You can find Peter’s work at…

https://www.mcz.harvard.edu/people/peter-bishop

https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=M5u3GysAAAAJ&utm

Host Michael Mills can be found on Insta as The HeapsGood Guy at https://www.instagram.com/heapsgood/

On Bluesky at https://bsky.app/profile/heapsgood.bsky.social

Palaeo Jam has its own Insta account at

https://www.instagram.com/palaeo_jam/

Let’s talk about fish… Those creatures of the rivers and oceans that we often think of as somehow distant from us, but that from an evolutionary perspective, are central to the story of who we are.

In a wide ranging conversation, Palaeo Jam host Michael Mills chats with Dr Alice Clement of Flinders University about why understanding fish evolution matters in trying to understand ourselves, some key moments in fish evolution, and the key role that the Australian fossil record tells us about this remarkable story.

You can find Alice’s blog at https://draliceclement.com

And her Research Gate profile… https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Alice-Clement

Alice posts from time to time on Twitter at… https://x.com/DrAliceClement

Alice has been a guest  in several previous Palaeo Jam episodes, including the important “Life as a Palaeo Mum” recorded LIVE at the launch of the Palaeo Jam podcast. You can find it here… https://palaeojam.podbean.com/e/s01e03/

You can find Michael on Blue Sky at https://bsky.app/profile/heapsgood.bsky.social

To connect with Dinosaur University on Facebook, follow us at https://www.facebook.com/DinosaurUniversity

At Palaeo Jam, we have an Instagram account at https://www.instagram.com/palaeo_jam

What happens when you hurl the definitive biographer of palaeontology pioneer Mary Anning, and the writer of a musical about Mary Anning together?

In this episode of Palaeo Jam, host and writer of musicals, Michael Mills, is joined by Mary Anning biographer Tom Sharpe to explore the life, science, and enduring legacy of Mary Anning, one of the most important figures in the history of palaeontology. Drawing on years of meticulous research, Tom paints a vivid picture of Mary Anning as not just a fossil collector, but a formidable scientific mind operating at the birth of palaeontology. We explore her groundbreaking discoveries including the first complete plesiosaur, her close (and often complicated) relationships with leading scientists of the day, and the steep barriers she faced as a working-class woman.

Beyond the science, this episode digs into the human story of Mary, what she might have been like to meet, personal losses, precarious finances, unanswered questions about her private life, and how myth, film, and modern retellings have sometimes distorted her legacy.

The conversation closes by connecting Mary’s enduring legacy to contemporary creative work, including the development “A Curious Thing”, a new musical inspired by her life, making this episode a must-listen for anyone interested in deep time, women in science, and how we tell history responsibly and creatively.

This is the first ever episode of Palaeo Jam to ever exceed the strict time limit of 30 minutes per episode, because, well… Michael and Tom decided to just keep talking! We can confirm, that once the mics were turned off, the conversation about this remarkable woman continued!

Tom’s book “The Fossil Woman- A Life of Mary Anning” is the most deeply researched book on her life and legacy. It is available through most book stores. Tom regularly shares moments in Mary’s life on BlueSky at https://bsky.app/profile/tomsharperocks.bsky.social @tomsharperocks.bsky.social

You can follow Michael’s telling of Mary’s story through the various links at…

https://linktr.ee/TheseCuriousThings

This link includes a booking link to the 2026 Adelaide Fringe show "A Curious Thing- The Story of Mary Anning."

You can find Michael on Blue Sky at https://bsky.app/profile/heapsgood.bsky.social

To connect with Dinosaur University on Facebook, follow us at https://www.facebook.com/DinosaurUniversity

At Palaeo Jam, we have an Instagram account at https://www.instagram.com/palaeo_jam

How do you go from being a young kid growing up around Riversleigh terrified of a reconstructed Thylacoleo, and a Diprotodon exhibit at the Queensland Museum, to be one of Australia’s most talented, interesting, emerging palaeo-artists? And how did her emotional responses to these exhibitions help shape the delightful career that Nellie Pease is now creating to much acclaim?

In the latest episode of Palaeo Jam, host Michael Mills chats with palaeo-artist Nellie Pease about her palaeo-artist origin story, while discussing the origin of her fabulous website name, Gondwanarama, a website that describes her as a big fan of marsupials, bugs, & ancient supercontinents. Why those three?

Along the way, they also discuss Nellie’s unique creative process, providing insights for anyone interested in how the creative process works in conjunction with the scientific process. They also chat about a transformational conversation Nellie once had with one of Australia’s most palaeo-artists Dr Peter Trusler, and how it has helped shape where she’s at today.

You can find Nellie on Instagram at @Gondwanarama

https://www.instagram.com/gondwanarama

And definitely check out her Etsy shop at…

https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/Gondwanarama

Her website is at…

https://gondwanarama.com/

You can find Michael on Blue Sky at https://bsky.app/profile/heapsgood.bsky.social

To connect with Dinosaur University on Facebook, follow us at https://www.facebook.com/DinosaurUniversity

At Palaeo Jam, we have an Instagram account at https://www.instagram.com/palaeo_jam

In season 2 of Palaeo Jam, host Michael Mills chatted with Jake Kotevski about the identification of the oldest-known Megaraptorid skull fragment, found on an Eastern Victorian beach in Australia, and what that unique and important fragment might tell us. In this episode, Michael again chats with Jake to find out if any more fossils have been discovered, and if we’ve learnt anything new since then. 

Spoiler alert- A big YES! They chat about some fascinating new discoveries and with that, what those discoveries might tell us abut the story of Australian Theropods. At least, what we know of that story, so far!

Along the way, they also chat about Nanotyranous/T.rex, with Jake giving his view on where things now sit.

This is our 50th episode and we could not think of a better topic to celebrate that milestone than theropods from the Land Down Under!

This is Jake’s second appearance on Palaeo Jam. His first was in Season 2, “Theropods Down Under”…

https://palaeojam.podbean.com/e/theropods-down-under/

Be sure to check out the following paper that gives a new sense of theropod diversity from Early Cretaceous Australia thata now includes: megaraptorids, an unenlagiine, and for the first time, carcharodontosaurians…

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02724634.2024.2441903

To read the paper, “A megaraptorid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) frontal from the upper Strzelecki Group (Lower Cretaceous) of Victoria, Australia”, head to… https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195667123002975#sec7

You can find Jake on Twitter at @Dinoman_Jake

https://twitter.com/Dinoman_Jake

And on Instagram at @theropods_down_under

https://www.instagram.com/theropods_down_under/

The Evans EvoMorph Lab where Jake is based for his PhD is on Twitter at @EvansEvoMorph

https://twitter.com/evansevomorph

For information on visiting the Dinosaur Dreaming site mentioned in the podcast, head to…

https://www.visitgippsland.com.au/do-and-see/arts-culture-and-heritage/historical-towns-attractions/dinosaur-dreaming

And also Bunurong Coast Education at http://sgcs.org.au/programs.php

You can find Michael on Blue Sky at https://bsky.app/profile/heapsgood.bsky.social

To connect with Dinosaur University on Facebook, follow us at https://www.facebook.com/DinosaurUniversity

At Palaeo Jam, we have an Instagram account at https://www.instagram.com/palaeo_jam

When is a Dire Wolf not a Dire Wolf? When it’s a Grey Wolf made white and fluffy with a few tiny changes. When is a Woolly Mammoth not a Woolly Mammoth? When it's an elephant made hairy by a few tiny changes.

And yet one organisation has claimed, with much fanfare, to have brought back the Dire Wolf, and has plans to bring back other species, such as the Woolly Mammoth.

In this episode of Palaeo Jam, host Michael Mills chats with Dr Nic Rawlence, Associate Professor of Ancient DNA at the University of Otago – Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka about the issue of de-extinction, and how what is claimed to have happened, whatever it is, is definitely not that!

Nic is a palaeontologist and ancient DNA specialist working at the sharp end of what genetic science can genuinely tell us about the past. He is a prominent voice pushing back against the hype surrounding so-called “de-extinction,” arguing that what we are seeing is not the recreation of lost species. Such sensational claims can also distract from the more urgent work of conserving species that still exist, and give a false sense that extinction doesn't matter so much anymore, when it does.

You can check out Nic’s extensive research profile at…

Nic was recently awarded the prestigious New Zealand Association of Scientists’ Cranwell Medal for excellence in communicating science to the general public in any area of science or technology…

You can follow Nic on Twitter at…

You can find Michael on Blue Sky at…

To connect with Dinosaur University on Facebook, follow us at…

At Palaeo Jam, we have an Instagram account at…

Adele Pentland (Curtin University) and Sally Hurst (Macquarie University), are both Superstars of STEM with extensive experience in public engagement and media communication. They are both palaeontologists, which we think gives them a bit of an advantage over some of the other sciences, since we’re the ones with dinosaurs!

In a wide ranging conversation, host Michael Mills chats with Adele and Sally about why effective communication matters for the public understanding of ancient life Along the way, they discuss several successful outreach strategies, science heroes, and offer practical advice for scientists and educators looking to communicate their research more engagingly.

This is the first in a series of episodes recorded during the 2025 CAVEPS Conference in vertebrate palaeontology at Flinders University in South Australia in November, 2025.

You can find Adele’s podcast, “Pals in Palaeo” through the following link… https://linktr.ee/palsinpalaeo

Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/palsinpalaeo/

You can also head to the Pals in Palaeo website at https://palsinpalaeo.com/

Check out Sally’s website at https://www.sallyhurst.com.au

And her Found a Fossil website at https://www.foundafossil.com/

Found a Fossil also has an Insta account at https://www.instagram.com/foundafossil

And a Tik Tok account at https://www.instagram.com/foundafossil

You can find Michael on Blue Sky at https://bsky.app/profile/heapsgood.bsky.social

To connect with Dinosaur University on Facebook, follow us at https://www.facebook.com/DinosaurUniversity

At Palaeo Jam, we have an Instagram account at https://www.instagram.com/palaeo_jam

What actually is a kangaroo? And how long have they been the giant red or grey hopping things so synonymous with Australia? In this episode of Palaeo Jam, host Michael Mills chats with Dr Isaac Kerr about the origin of kangaroos as “weird possums that lived in the trees a bit”, the significant gaps in the kangaroo origin fossil record, and how we make sense of what we’ve got. In a wide ranging conversation about kangaroo origins, they also discuss why of all the locomotion strategies that could have been adopted, Australia is the only place where large animals have taken to hopping.

You can follow Isaac on Blue Sky at https://bsky.app/profile/isaacarkerr.bsky.social

Isaac’s latest paper, “Limb osteology and functional morphology of the extinct kangaroo Dorcopsoides fossilis”, can be found at…

https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.251591

It was in Episode 1 of Season 3 that Michael and Isaac first chatted about the prehistoric group of kangaroos, Protemnodons. Find the episode here…

https://palaeojam.podbean.com/e/the-tale-of-a-giant-prehistoric-kangaroo-or-three/

You can read the full 250 plus pages of Isaac’s remarkable paper on Protemnodon, here…

https://mapress.com/mt/article/view/megataxa.11.1.1

Here’s a link to the Flinders University palaeo team…

https://sites.flinders.edu.au/palaeontology/

You can find Michael on Blue Sky at https://bsky.app/profile/heapsgood.bsky.social

To connect with Dinosaur University on Facebook, follow us at https://www.facebook.com/DinosaurUniversity

At Palaeo Jam, we have an Instagram account at https://www.instagram.com/palaeo_jam