Lost Bones Introduction
Travels and Tales of Discovery: Uncovering Pleistocene Faunal Specimens in Midwest County Historical Societies and Small-Town Museum Collections
Welcome to my new writing space on Substack! I’m an amateur paleontologist and historian with a passion for Ice Age history in the Midwest. I currently volunteer by visiting small-town museums and county historical society collections across the upper Midwest. As part of an independent research project, I’m compiling a database of Pleistocene-to-Holocene mammal specimens—including horses, mammoths, bison, bears, turtles, and more. I’m sharing this data with the Science Museum of Minnesota, while also bringing the surprising stories I uncover along the way to the public here.
By day I work a full‑time job; by night I trace the stories still buried in the Ice Age and post-glacial landscapes of the Midwest. This project fills my spare time with drives across Minnesota and my evenings with writing about unidentified bones and mislabeled specimens—hidden away in storage or donated generations ago. I’ve already shared some remarkable accounts here, filled with the passion for history shown by the donors and museum professionals I’ve had the pleasure of meeting. Through these stories, my goal is to blend solid science with compelling narrative to bring each specimen’s history to life.
What can you expect? I’ll begin by sharing a series of stories about notable specimens I’ve researched over the last four years, many of which led me to present an abstract and poster at the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology’s annual convention in Minneapolis in 2024. After that, I’ll post a new story each month as I continue my research travels to every corner of the state.
Or just want to pledge an help keep the rubber on the road? See my about page here.