Utah Unearthed — A Podcast by NHMU
About the Podcast
Welcome to Utah Unearthed, a podcast by the Natural History Museum of Utah that explores Utah’s beautiful landscapes, one region per season, through the insights of scientists working in these areas.
In each episode, the team interviews a different scientist from a different discipline who will help us unearth Utah’s incredible natural history and give us a deeper appreciation of the landscapes we love to explore. Whether you're a longtime local in Utah or a tourist planning your first visit to the "Mighty Five" national parks, Utah Unearthed offers an invaluable compendium that will enhance your exploration of this beautiful state.
This podcast supports NHMU's mission to illuminate the natural world and the place of humans within it.
Meet the Hosts
The hosts of Utah Unearthed, from left to right, Dr. Randy Irmis, NHMU's curator of Paleontology, Aidan Bailey, an NHMU school outreach coordinator, and Andy Connolly, a former NHMU science communications specialist who now works with the Kansas Geological Survey.
Photos by Mark Johnston
Utah Unearthed is hosted by Aidan Bailey, an NHMU school outreach coordinator, Dr. Randy Irmis, NHMU’s curator of paleontology, and Andy Connolly, a former NHMU science communications specialist who now works with the Kansas Geological Survey. The podcast is produced and edited by Mark Johnston and series artwork is by Will Shepherd. Music by An Jone.
Utah Unearthed Season 1: Moab
In its pilot season, Utah Unearthed explores the breathtaking life and landscapes surrounding Moab, a thriving desert town made famous for its stunning red-rock landscapes and endless outdoor recreation opportunities.
Episode 1: Don't Bust the Crust! — A conversation with Kristina Young, an ecosystem ecologist and former biological science technician with the USGS Southwest Biological Science Center. Young has been in Moab for 15 years studying cryptobiotic soil, or as she calls it “biocrust,” and how these unique communities of organisms help hold everything together in the deserts of Utah and beyond.
Episode 2: A Human History of Storied Landscapes — Moab’s red rock landscapes aren’t just scenic—they’re storied. In this episode of Utah Unearthed, archaeologist Dr. Jerry Spangler takes us deep into the human history etched across the region’s cliffs and canyons. From the Fremont to the Ancestral Puebloans, Moab has been a cultural crossroads for thousands of years, and its rock art panels only scratch the surface of the archaeological discoveries made here.
Episode 3: Microscopic Marvels of Desert Potholes — It’s easy to be enthralled by Moab's massive geology but on close inspection any visitor can discover a world of microscopic marvels right beneath their feet in desert potholes. In this episode of Utah Unearthed, the team speaks to Dr. Tim Graham, a pothole ecologist who has spent the last 40 years on the Colorado Plateau studying desert potholes and the invertebrates they contain.
Episode 4: The Bighorn Dilemma in a Changing Desert — Moab is booming—with off-roaders, mountain bikers, and tourists flooding its iconic red-rock landscapes. But what does this mean for animals, like the elusive desert bighorn sheep, that also call it home? In this episode of Utah Unearthed, our team talks to Joel Berger, a wildlife biologist and professor at Colorado State University, who has spent the latest years of his storied career in Moab studying how desert bighorn sheep habituate to change.
Episode 5: Singing Arches & Geology Secrets — In this episode we learn geologists’ dirty secret: they lick rocks. More importantly, we learn about Moab’s iconic arches, of which there are thousands in the surrounding desert. In our conversation with Jeff Moore, a professor of geology and geophysics at the University of Utah, and Riley Finnigan, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Geology and Geophysics, we learn how Utah’s rock arches are formed, why they’re examples of perfect engineering through geology, why Delicate Arch is such an improbable thing, and how rock arches sing! It’s geology like you’ve never heard it before! :)
Episode 6: Smorgasbords of Dinosaurs — In this episode of Utah Unearthed, as we talk about Moab’s fossil record, Randy—our usual cohost—gets put in the hot seat alongside fellow NHMU paleontologist Carrie Levitt-Bussian. Moab today is a rusty, red-rock desert, but for millions of years the region was home to drastically different environments and animals, including dinosaurs. Hundreds of millions of years later, the sedimentary rock of the Colorado Plateau, on which Moab sits, has been uplifted but not drastically contorted. Therefore, it's perfect for revealing well-preserved fossils from the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods when dinosaurs roamed. This is great news for paleontologists here in Utah, like Carrie and Randy, who can find a smorgasbord of dinosaur discoveries on each expedition to Moab.