Report from the Field

For the second year in a row, a team of scientists from the Museum spent time in southeastern Utah’s Bears Ears National Monument, looking for clues into the history of life on Earth. 

Led by Xaiver Jenkins, Idaho State University doctoral candidate, the team was focused on rocks from 299 million years ago, the beginning of the Permian Period. The team found traces of ancient animals and scoured rocks previously unexplored by paleontologist. We identified several areas that warrant further investigation.

We also investigated rocks from the dawn of the Age of Dinosaurs and collected bones of ancient crocodile relatives called phytosaurs. These fossils will help museum scientists better understand the diversity of life during the rise of the dinosaurs. In addition, it will expand our ability to teach students about the geology and paleontology of the American West.

Further fieldwork with ISU students and IMNH staff is planned in Bears Ears National Monument in the Fall 2023, so stay tuned for more updates!