In this episode of Spotlight on Science, arts and culture writer Frankie Lewis speaks with Win McLaughlin, a Ph.D. Candidate studying vertebrate paleontology at the University of Oregon. The two discuss McLaughlin's latest work in Kyrgyzstan, the mysteries surrounding earth's polarity, her motivations for being a geologist and how one gets to name a new species.

Spotlight on Science is a series from the Emerald Podcast Network designed to spark conversations across disciplines with researchers at the University of Oregon, bringing in researchers to discuss their work in a way that is understandable to everyone.

This episode was produced by Alec Cowan. Our theme song is “Zombie Disco” by Six Umbrellas.