Welcome to NHMU’s fifth-annual DinoFest, a celebration of all things dinosaur! This year in conjunction with the special exhibition, Antarctic Dinosaurs, our fan-favorite festival will be hosted online over 10 weeks as we explore the world of Polar Dinosaurs!
Between now and April 4, tune in Friday mornings at 10 a.m. to watch brand-new, exclusive videos about these magnificent creatures. Our snack-sized DinoBite videos will give you just the right amount of dinosaur drama to start your day in 20-minute presentations from our featured paleontologists. Don’t worry, we’ll also feature two in-depth keynote presentations for the hardcore dinosaur fans. (We see you.)
All of our Polar DinoFest videos will be posted here and on our YouTube channel and Facebook page. (Times listed are Mountain Standard Time.)
Keynote Speakers
Our DinoFest keynote talks are always the highlights of the festival. This year, we are thrilled to welcome Peter Makovicky and Holly Woodward Ballard, experts in Polar Dinosaurs and their modern-day relatives. (Can you guess who some of those relatives are? Tune in and see for yourself.)
Polar DinoFest Keynote Speaker Peter Makovicky
Frozen Fossils: Mesozoic Paleontology of Antarctica
Peter is a professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Minnesota, where he studies evolutionary patterns and processes in the fossil record. In addition to field work in Antarctica, Peter's research has taken him to China, Argentina, and around the U.S.
Peter's keynote video is available here.
Polar DinoFest Keynote Speaker Holly Woodward Ballard
A Dinosaur for All Seasons: Fossil Bone Microstructures Reveal the Life Histories of Permanent Polar Residents
Holly is an associate professor of anatomy and paleontology at Oklahoma State University's Center for Health Sciences, where she studies the microscopic structures inside fossil bones to better understand the age, annual growth rate, maturity status, and health of extinct dinosaurs such as Maiasaura and Tyrannosaurus.
Holly's keynote video will be available here at noon on March 5.
DinoBites!
Don't miss these ten snack-sized paleontology presentations that will each pack a lot of information into just 20-minute videos!
Kerin Claeson
Sea Monsters from Seymour Island Antarctica — What Swam in the Oceans While Dinosaurs Roamed the Land?
Kerin, a paleoichthyologist and an anatomist, is an associate professor of anatomy in the Department of Bio-Medical Sciences at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Her research focuses on the skeleton of fishes over time.
Nate Smith
From Dicynodonts to Dinosaurs: Evolution and Biogeography of Early Mesozoic Faunas of Antarctica
Nathan is the associate curator at the Dinosaur Institute of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. His research focuses on the origins and early evolution of dinosaurs. His work is featured in the traveling exhibition, Antarctic Dinosaurs, at NHMU.
Anne-Laure Decombeix
Reconstructing the Triassic Forests of Antarctica
Anne-Laure is a paleobotanist for the French National Centre for Scientific Research in Montpellier, France. She studies fossils from various parts of Europe, Australia, North Africa, and Antarctica to understand the plants that were growing in these regions during the Paleozoic and early Mesozoic.
Dan Ksepka
March of the Fossil Penguins
Dan is the curator of the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, Connecticut. His research focuses on the evolution of birds, with a special interest in penguins. This work has taken him on expeditions in the United States, New Zealand, and South America.
Marina Suarez
Polar Climate in the Times of Dinosaurs
Marina is an associate professor of geology at the University of Kansas. She studies ancient continental environments to understand Earth's climate past, especially deep Earth history such as the Cretaceous Period.
Ron Tykoski
Dinosaurs in the Land of the Midnight Sun
Ron is the director of paleontology and curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas, Texas. There, he is working on the dinosaur species currently known from the Cretaceous of Arctic Alaska.
Aubrey Roberts
Sea Monsters from the Jurassic Arctic
Aubrey is a post doctoral researcher in paleontology at the University of Oslo Natural History Museum, Norway. Her current research project investigates the recovery of life in Norway's Arctic region after the greatest mass extinction of all time.
Karen Chin
Marine Life in a Cretaceous Arctic Ecosystem
Karen is the curator of paleontology at the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History, and a professor in the Department of Geological Sciences at University of Colorado, Boulder. Karen's research focuses on reconstructing ancient ecosystems.
Pat Druckenmiller
Nurseries of the North: Baby Dinosaurs from Arctic Alaska
Patrick is the director of the University of Alaska Museum of the North, and professor of geology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. His research focuses on Mesozoic marine reptiles and dinosaurs, particularly those from high latitudes.
Jaelyn Eberle
Finding Fossil Mammals in Canada’s High Arctic
Jaelyn is the director of the Museum and Field Studies Program and curator of fossil vertebrates at the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History, and a professor in the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Her research concentrates on the study of ancient mammals during past intervals of climate change.
Launch Weekend Live Conversations
In case you missed it, on our kick-off weekend we hosted six live panels with our DinoFest paleontologists, who introduced their work and answered questions from the audience. See the recorded sessions on Youtube by following the links below.
 | Live with DinoFest Keynote Paleontologist Peter Makovicky. |
 | Live with Keynote Paleontologist Holly Woodward Ballard. |
 | Live with Paleontologists Anne-Laure Decombeix, Nate Smith, and Marina Suarez. |
 | Live with Paleontologists Pat Druckenmiller and Kerin Claeson. |
 | Live with Paleontologists Aubrey Roberts, Dan Ksepka, and Karen Chin. |
 | Live with Paleontologists Jaelyn Eberle and Ron Tykoski. |
Keep Exploring Paleontology at NHMU
The Natural History Museum of Utah is your go-to resource for all things dinosaurs! From behind-the-scenes tours of the Museum's collections to educational activities for aspiring paleontologists, scroll through and follow the links below to explore more paleontology at NHMU.
Behind the Scenes Paleontology Tour
Meet the scientists and see the collections!
Paleontology Collections Tour
See some of our favorite fossils from the collections.
Paleo Prep Lab Tour
Meet the volunteers from the Paleo Prep Lab and see their discoveries.
Paleontologist's Field Kit
See the tools every paleontologist utilizes on an expedition.
Famous Fossils of NHMU
A Virtual Field Trip of NHMU's Past Worlds.
Antarctic Dinosaurs
Take an expert-led virtual field trip of the exhibit.
Nate Smith at DinoFest 2019
Watch Nate Smith's teaser of Antarctic Dinosaurs.
Fossils in Bears Ears
Read about fossil discoveries in S.E. Utah.
NHMU's Latest Dinosaur Discovery
A new species of Allosaurus named at the Museum.
A Pterosaur Discovery
An answer to a long-held paleontology mystery.
Polar DinoFest Kids Activities
These activities and videos were produced by NHMU's Teen Explainers for the youngest dinosaur enthusiasts joining us for Polar DinoFest!
Playdough Dinosaur!
Step-by-step instructions from our Teen Explainers!
Dinosaur Puppets!
Step-by-step instructions from our Teen Explainers!
Teen Activity Book
Fun facts, activities, and more!
Kids Activity Book
Fun facts, activities, and more!
Dino Search!
Dinosaurs have invaded Salt Lake City!
Polar DinoFest is supported by:
