Mastodons and pumpkins

Pumpkins are an interesting fruit. Curcurbita pepo is one of several domesticated species of the genus Curcurbita, vines that are native to the Americas. Curcurbita is a ecologically diverse genus, with some species needing a continuous water supply while others can live in arid conditions, so it is found natively in a variety of habitats. The fruits, which are technically berries, generally have a thick rind with a softer interior where the seeds are located. In most species the rinds are bitter, but the interior is often more palatable and rich in nutrients. As a result it became one of the first domesticated plants in North America more than 8,000 years ago.

Fossil Friday – Coelacanth fossil

In 1938, Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer, a naturalist at the East London Museum in South Africa, discovered a bizarre fish in a fisherman’s haul.

Potential traces everywhere

I haven’t had a lot of free time over this summer, what with moving across the country and starting a new job. Even so, I’ve been slowly working my way through an excellent book on traces and trace fossils, “Life Traces of the Georgia Coast” by Anthony Martin (@ichnologist on Twitter). Due to the insidious influence of this book, I now find myself looking for traces all the time.