Fossils Under Your Feet: Paleontology and Ancient Life in Central New York

Come and learn about paleontology, the study of fossils and ancient life. We'll cover what it means to be a paleontologist, a bit about some of the fossils you might find here in central New York, and what their remains can tell you about ancient environments hundreds of millions of years ago. See some examples of our local fossils (and a few non-local but still neat examples) and learn a bit about how to start identifying anything you might find yourself in future fossil hunting!
About the Presenter
Dr. Kristopher Kusnerik is a paleontologist with research interests in invertebrate paleontology and conservation paleobiology. He combines modern, historic, and prehistoric (i.e. fossil) records to reconstruct the history of long-term faunal changes for threatened ecosystems or species. Recent research interests use fossil and modern mollusks from Florida’s freshwater springs and rivers to understand the historical and ecological context of human, climate, and environmental-related changes to faunal communities. He received his doctorate in geology with a minor in wildlife ecology and conservation from the University of Florida.