Much of Alabama’s prehistory would be unknown, if it were not for the activities by avocational (or amateur/hobby) paleontologists. As defined here, these are people who do not have a degree in paleontology and do not have a paid job in this field. People interested in fossils often join one of the two paleontological societies in the state. The Alabama Paleontological Society (APS) is one of the two societies and has been in existence since 2003. Jointly, members of the [...]| Research & Collections
“Alabama Fossil Fest”, hosted by the Alabama Museum of Natural History (ALMNH) and UA Museums’ Department of Museum Research and Collections, is a free and perfect opportunity to explore paleontology! Visit Smith Hall on The University of Alabama campus on Saturday, September 20, 2025, from 1:00 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. for a tabling event, the Alabama Avocational Paleontologist Award presentation, exciting talks by Drs. Ron Buta and David Schwimmer, a new exhibit unveiling, and hands-on le...| Research & Collections
On July 26, 2025, Dr. John Friel (Director, Alabama Museum of Natural History) found a tooth of a hadrosaur, more commonly known as a duck-billed dinosaur, on a gravel bar in a creek in Greene County, Alabama. Hadrosaurs were among the most dominant herbivores during the Late Cretaceous Period in Asia and North America. The fossil site that the Alabama Museum of Natural History visits is a beautiful creek on private property that yields fossils from a part of the [...]| Research & Collections
While the Alabama Museum of Natural History houses UA’s public-facing collection of natural history specimens and exhibits, a much larger collection resides nearby in the Alabama Museum of Natural History Collections. It is to these shelves that many of the donated specimens collected during fossil hunts go. Dr. John Abbott is not only UA’s resident dragonfly expert, but he is also the chief curator and director of the Department of Museum Research and Collections. Alongside three othe...| Research & Collections