DinoFest 2022 Speaker: Dr. L.J. Krumenacker
Title of Lecture: The Paris biota of Idaho: far from France but close to death
Lecture Description: The Paris biota, located near Bear Lake, Idaho, is a special fossil deposit that has produced the oldest and most diverse record of marine ecological recovery from the end-Permian mass extinction. Dr. Krumenacker will discuss how this assemblage demonstrates a previously unexpected, geologically quick, recovery of life with the presence of a complex ecosystem ranging from primary producers (algae), mid-level consumers like ammonoids and arthropods, to predators like fish and reptiles. Recent work has resulted in the description of numerous new species of animals, soft tissue preservation, and evidence that similar ecosystems extended beyond Idaho.
Bio: Dr. Krumenacker is an Affiliate Curator and Researcher at the Idaho Museum of Natural History, Adjunct Professor at Idaho State University and College of Eastern Idaho, and Life Science teacher at Mountain View Middle School in Blackfoot, Idaho. L.J. has a broad portfolio of ongoing research, including investigating the burrowing ornithischian dinosaur Oryctodromeus, other Jurassic-Cretaceous dinosaurs, Cretaceous crocodyliforms, Triassic marine fossils, the Cambrian Explosion, and Eocene birds. He is the proud father of two kids, one of which still likes dinosaurs.