Genealogy

Did you know that we live closer in time to T. rex than T. rex was to Stegosaurus? Comprehending the earth’s 4.5 billion years can be tricky, so here’s a description of the major time periods in Prehistoric Road Trip.

Prehistoric Road Trip director and producer Ally Gimbel writes about what it took to plan such a complicated trip. She talks about the crew, “set pets,” and Bongo, the crew’s accidental mascot.

Read Emily Graslie’s travel journal, where she talks about camping while filming, some of the animals she met, and some of her favorite towns – quirks and all.

Bribery, theft, and sabotage. It sounds dramatic, but it’s the true story of America’s first paleontologists. Cope and Marsh made amazing discoveries in Como Bluff, but their rivalry left each man penniless and with ruined reputations.

What is a fossil, anyway? And how do fossils form? What should you do if you find a fossil? Learn the answers to these questions and more.

Get to know the experts featured in Prehistoric Road Trip. They talk about why they got into the field and what they love about it. They also offer advice to aspiring paleontologists and geologists.

You might know her from the tongue twister “She sells seashells by the seashore.” Mary Anning was a nineteenth century paleontologist who didn’t get much credit at the time for her work. Amy Atwater from the Museum of the Rockies tells her story.

There’s a special kind of illustrator who blends art and science to create the images of dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures found in museums and academic journals. Danielle Dufault, a “paleoartist” from the Royal Ontario Museum, talks about her journey and her artistic process.

What’s in a bone? Scientists at the Museum of the Rockies talk about what they can learn from cutting into a fossilized bone. They also demonstrate the process of cutting into a Triceratops horn and what that means for understanding the animals that walked the planet millions of years ago.

Want to plan your own trip through deep time? We made a list of places to see that Emily Graslie and the crew visited while filming the show during the summer of 2019. Visit national parks, state parks, and museums – big and small.

Go behind the scenes as Emily Graslie and Prehistoric Road Trip Director and Producer Ally Gimbel reflect on their journey across deep time. What surprised them, and what did they learn? And how many geology puns can they come up with?

Want to get out your rock hammer and start digging, or take a stroll around a museum to see them up close and personal? Here are just a few of the places you can find fossils – in the ground or on display – in each of the 50 states.