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 the perfect setting for revealing well-preserved fossils from the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods when dinosaurs roamed. This is great news for paleontologists in Utah, like Carrie and Randy, who can find a smorgasbord of dinosaur discoveries on each expedition to Moab.

The hosts of Utah Unearthed include 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 show is produced and edited by Mark Johnston. Series logo by Will Shepherd.

In each episode of Utah Unearthed, the team interviews a different scientist from a different discipline, who will help both hosts and listeners unearth Utah’s incredible natural history. This podcast supports NHMU's mission to illuminate the natural world and the place of humans within it. Learn more at ⁠nhmu.utah.edu/podcast⁠.

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! :)

The hosts of Utah Unearthed include 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 show is produced and edited by Mark Johnston. Series logo by Will Shepherd.

In each episode of Utah Unearthed, the team interviews a different scientist from a different discipline, who will help both hosts and listeners unearth Utah’s incredible natural history. This podcast supports NHMU's mission to illuminate the natural world and the place of humans within it. Learn more at ⁠nhmu.utah.edu/podcast⁠.

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.

The hosts of Utah Unearthed include 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 show is produced and edited by Mark Johnston. Series logo by Will Shepherd.

In each episode of Utah Unearthed, the team interviews a different scientist from a different discipline, who will help both hosts and listeners unearth Utah’s incredible natural history. This podcast supports NHMU's mission to illuminate the natural world and the place of humans within it. Learn more at ⁠nhmu.utah.edu/podcast⁠.

When visiting Moab, it’s easy to be enthralled with the massive geology of red-rock cliffs, canyons, and arches, but on close inspection any visitor can discover a world of microscopic wonders right beneath their feet. In this episode of Utah Unearthed, the team speaks to Dr. Tim Graham, a pothole ecologist and self-described “desert rat” who has spent the last 40 years on the Colorado Plateau studying desert potholes and the fascinating invertebrates they contain. Upon hearing Graham express his long-lasting wonder for tadpole shrimp, fairy shrimp, and other hearty invertebrates that inhabit Utah’s ephemeral pools—along with their strategies for survival, any listener will be inspired to get down on their belly (as long as the sandstone isn’t scorching hot) for a closer look at the next pothole they find. Be sure to bring a magnifying glass!

The hosts of Utah Unearthed include 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 show is produced and edited by Mark Johnston. Series logo by Will Shepherd.

In each episode of Utah Unearthed, the team interviews a different scientist from a different discipline, who will help both hosts and listeners unearth Utah’s incredible natural history. This podcast supports NHMU's mission to illuminate the natural world and the place of humans within it. Learn more at ⁠nhmu.utah.edu/podcast⁠.

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.

Spangler shares insights from over 30 years of fieldwork, revealing how every side canyon and cliff wall holds traces of ancient life. He urges listeners to see these remnants not just as artifacts, but as sacred connections to the past—and to treat them with the respect they deserve.

As he puts it: "Every environment, every side canyon, the valley floor, the cliff walls, every place has been utilized by human groups for thousands of years. And we should respect the fact that we’re just the latest ones to be there.”

The hosts of Utah Unearthed include 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 show is produced and edited by Mark Johnston. Series logo by Will Shepherd.

In each episode of Utah Unearthed, the team interviews a different scientist from a different discipline, who will help both hosts and listeners unearth Utah’s incredible natural history. This podcast supports NHMU's mission to illuminate the natural world and the place of humans within it. Learn more at nhmu.utah.edu/podcast.

Season 1 of Utah Unearthed takes you deep into the iconic red-rock terrain of Moab — a mecca for outdoor adventure and a hotspot for ecological curiosity. Amid the buzz of hikers, bikers, and off-roaders, signs urging “Don’t Bust the Crust!” are everywhere. But what is the crust, and why does it matter? We dig into this question with Kristina Young, an ecosystem ecologist who’s spent 15 years studying the desert’s unsung hero: biocrust. These tiny communities hold the desert together — literally — and their story might just change the way you see the ground beneath your feet.

The hosts of Utah Unearthed include 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 show is produced and edited by Mark Johnston. Series logo by Will Shepherd.

Each episode, the team interviews a different scientist from a different discipline who will help both hosts and listeners unearth Utah’s incredible natural history. This podcast supports the Museum’s mission to illuminate the natural world and the place of humans within it. Learn more at nhmu.utah.edu/podcast.