Dave Rodland
@daverodland.bsky.social
Geologist to the 3rd degree and (formerly) professional necromancer. Paleoecology, taphonomy, stratigraphy, marine biology ... all things Earth history. Living in the past and talking to dead things since the late Holocene.
No sampling without permission, but there's some neat outcrops outside the park getting worked on now.
Stumbling on the talus is how the fossils got discovered in the first place.
Stumbling on the talus is how the fossils got discovered in the first place.
November 14, 2025 at 4:18 AM
No sampling without permission, but there's some neat outcrops outside the park getting worked on now.
Stumbling on the talus is how the fossils got discovered in the first place.
Stumbling on the talus is how the fossils got discovered in the first place.
We were reading Gould's Wonderful Life as a class textbook at the time, and while the details were often gloriously wrong (I was so effing smug about Hallucigenia being upside down, even you wouldn't believe it), it was still epic.
Now? There are armored ctenophores from the Chinese material.!!!
Now? There are armored ctenophores from the Chinese material.!!!
November 14, 2025 at 4:07 AM
We were reading Gould's Wonderful Life as a class textbook at the time, and while the details were often gloriously wrong (I was so effing smug about Hallucigenia being upside down, even you wouldn't believe it), it was still epic.
Now? There are armored ctenophores from the Chinese material.!!!
Now? There are armored ctenophores from the Chinese material.!!!
I remember helping another student in my Invert Zoo class bust us into our advisor's fossil collection (he was on sabbatical doing Ediacaran stuff) to show off the Burgess Shale material he had on loan.
November 14, 2025 at 4:07 AM
I remember helping another student in my Invert Zoo class bust us into our advisor's fossil collection (he was on sabbatical doing Ediacaran stuff) to show off the Burgess Shale material he had on loan.
I spent so much of my career thinking of the as problematica, and when the paper dropped assigning them to lophophorates I didn't even finish the headline when I realized that was what they had to be.
November 14, 2025 at 3:58 AM
I spent so much of my career thinking of the as problematica, and when the paper dropped assigning them to lophophorates I didn't even finish the headline when I realized that was what they had to be.
I mean, priapulids would scarf them down like sushi chips, so ...
November 14, 2025 at 3:56 AM
I mean, priapulids would scarf them down like sushi chips, so ...
While Helena died tragically in a train derailment, Walcott brought his next wife and kids along with on a trip to British Columbia where a stumble on the black shale revealed fossils from what became one of the most famous Lagerstatten in history. The fauna only gets weirder the deeper you look.
November 14, 2025 at 3:53 AM
While Helena died tragically in a train derailment, Walcott brought his next wife and kids along with on a trip to British Columbia where a stumble on the black shale revealed fossils from what became one of the most famous Lagerstatten in history. The fauna only gets weirder the deeper you look.
They ended up describing Astraspis desiderata (this dude) and Eriptychius americanus, which vie with Sacabambaspis for oldest bony fish (as long as we recognize the bones are all external armor plates). Made his career, although arguments raged on for decades.
November 14, 2025 at 3:53 AM
They ended up describing Astraspis desiderata (this dude) and Eriptychius americanus, which vie with Sacabambaspis for oldest bony fish (as long as we recognize the bones are all external armor plates). Made his career, although arguments raged on for decades.
C.D. Walcott got started in upstate NY, with damn little formal education. But in 1890 her got an invitation to check out some fossils from central Colorado (Cañon City, home of Garden Park and many classic Jurassic dinosaurs). He came out to visit twice, in 1890 and 1892, along with his wife Helena
November 14, 2025 at 3:53 AM
C.D. Walcott got started in upstate NY, with damn little formal education. But in 1890 her got an invitation to check out some fossils from central Colorado (Cañon City, home of Garden Park and many classic Jurassic dinosaurs). He came out to visit twice, in 1890 and 1892, along with his wife Helena
Just gonna poke my head in here to support Ursula's paleo cred, which goes waaaay back. Ok, maybe not middle Cambrian, but late Triassic fer shure.
Also: sorry, you invoked Walcott. So I gotta hobby horse here:
The Burgess Shale fauna was basically discovered by accident on a family field trip.
Also: sorry, you invoked Walcott. So I gotta hobby horse here:
The Burgess Shale fauna was basically discovered by accident on a family field trip.
November 14, 2025 at 3:53 AM
Just gonna poke my head in here to support Ursula's paleo cred, which goes waaaay back. Ok, maybe not middle Cambrian, but late Triassic fer shure.
Also: sorry, you invoked Walcott. So I gotta hobby horse here:
The Burgess Shale fauna was basically discovered by accident on a family field trip.
Also: sorry, you invoked Walcott. So I gotta hobby horse here:
The Burgess Shale fauna was basically discovered by accident on a family field trip.
It's all good.
I mean that literally. Post everything. 😁
It'll take a while, though. Ask me how I know.
I mean that literally. Post everything. 😁
It'll take a while, though. Ask me how I know.
November 14, 2025 at 3:33 AM
It's all good.
I mean that literally. Post everything. 😁
It'll take a while, though. Ask me how I know.
I mean that literally. Post everything. 😁
It'll take a while, though. Ask me how I know.
I mean, ctenophores as outgroup was always developmentally insane.
November 14, 2025 at 1:03 AM
I mean, ctenophores as outgroup was always developmentally insane.
Oh, I wouldn't.
Just saying, Irn Bru will tide you over until the drinking starts.
I love the peaty Scotch, islands and highlands, but t'is an acquired taste. I highly recommend finding small distilleries (to enjoy what you can't back home) but explore options you can track down later too.
Just saying, Irn Bru will tide you over until the drinking starts.
I love the peaty Scotch, islands and highlands, but t'is an acquired taste. I highly recommend finding small distilleries (to enjoy what you can't back home) but explore options you can track down later too.
November 13, 2025 at 11:40 PM
Oh, I wouldn't.
Just saying, Irn Bru will tide you over until the drinking starts.
I love the peaty Scotch, islands and highlands, but t'is an acquired taste. I highly recommend finding small distilleries (to enjoy what you can't back home) but explore options you can track down later too.
Just saying, Irn Bru will tide you over until the drinking starts.
I love the peaty Scotch, islands and highlands, but t'is an acquired taste. I highly recommend finding small distilleries (to enjoy what you can't back home) but explore options you can track down later too.
It's the good stuff.
Well, that and a nice Islay.
Well, that and a nice Islay.
November 13, 2025 at 9:37 PM
It's the good stuff.
Well, that and a nice Islay.
Well, that and a nice Islay.
Could have been worse. Satan could be a banana slug. Or barnacle.
November 13, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Could have been worse. Satan could be a banana slug. Or barnacle.
As is often the case, one's home department may differ substantially from one's scholarship. In this case, a focus on the historical and religious perception of naturally occurring anatomical deviation from a supposedly Biblical norm.
You know, demons and monsters.
You know, demons and monsters.
November 13, 2025 at 4:10 PM
As is often the case, one's home department may differ substantially from one's scholarship. In this case, a focus on the historical and religious perception of naturally occurring anatomical deviation from a supposedly Biblical norm.
You know, demons and monsters.
You know, demons and monsters.
Yeah, I went with "professional necromancer" for years until they stopped paying me to talk to dead things.
November 13, 2025 at 1:53 AM
Yeah, I went with "professional necromancer" for years until they stopped paying me to talk to dead things.
No, but David Schwimmer might be.
No, not that one. The actual paleontologist.
No, not that one. The actual paleontologist.
November 13, 2025 at 1:52 AM
No, but David Schwimmer might be.
No, not that one. The actual paleontologist.
No, not that one. The actual paleontologist.
I remember one of my colleagues in the religion department (whose scholarship was significantly weirder and more generally humanities oriented) giving a talk that involved a historical description of Satan's junk, and I was the jerk who perked up and said "oh! He's an echidna!"
November 13, 2025 at 1:51 AM
I remember one of my colleagues in the religion department (whose scholarship was significantly weirder and more generally humanities oriented) giving a talk that involved a historical description of Satan's junk, and I was the jerk who perked up and said "oh! He's an echidna!"
Where else was the Hell Creek fauna supposed to go? Valhalla?
November 12, 2025 at 11:24 PM
Where else was the Hell Creek fauna supposed to go? Valhalla?