Paleontology

Research

Gather data
Organize data
Statistical analysis of large data sets with SPSS
Analyze hypothesis with data analysis output

I am a master's candidate at Cal State Long Beach, conducting paleontology research of traditional and geometric morphometrics focused on the morphology of fossilized Miocene mako shark teeth and changes in size with oceanic climatic shifts for my thesis. I have also researched extinct species such as pronghorns, bison, and vultures.

My access badge during research in the San Diego Natural History Museum paleontology collection.

Collection Internship

Identify, catalog, and digitize shark teeth in the genus Isurus
Sort fossilized shark teeth taxonomically
Re-house fossils to archival-quality receptacles
Record data for incorporation into the database
Photograph fossil teeth specimens
Scan fossil specimens 3D Object Scanner Artec Eva
Create models using Artec Studio and SketchFab

A sampling of shark teeth I processed at the Cooper Center during my internship.

Field Experience

My love for camping and paleontology primed me perfectly for a week in the field scouting fossils in the Upper Cretaceous Wahweap Formation, Utah.

During this field season with the Prehistoric Museum of Utah State University Eastern, I learned so much from experienced paleontologists, collections curators, and fossil preparators.

We scouted a large swath of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land to dig out Cretaceous dinosaurs, turtles, and petrified wood. The vertebrate specimens were dug up and some jacketed; all continue contributing to scientific knowledge, being researched and published.

This is my first fossil jacket. I learned from very experienced museum fossil preparators on proper techniques, and then a team of 6 of us hauled this jacket several miles out of the field. The final fossil was published: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 55, No. 6, 2023doi: 10.1130/abs/2023AM-393792

I found a Cretaceous therapod femur in situ and partially dug it out. Unfortunately, it was in too poor of a condition to jacket and successfully removed from the field for study, so the fossil was left in where found.