The Alf Museum’s Collections Manager, Bailey Jorgensen, and Lab Manager, Jared Heuck, both received project grants from professional societies last fall to fund collaborative research projects. Jorgensen received Outreach and Education grants from both the Paleontological Society and the Society for Vertebrate Paleontology, and Heuck was selected for the Marvin and Beth Hix Preparator’s Grant from the Society of Vertebrate paleontology. Jorgensen’s grants will be used to fund her “Paleo-robotics” project, where she plans to use an underwater ROV to identify and digitally prospect underwater fo ..read more

A new study from Alf Museum Augustyn Family Curator, Dr. Mairin Balisi, suggests that ice age saber-toothed cats and dire wolves experienced a high incidence of bone disease in their joints. The open access paper – “Subchondral defects resembling osteochondrosis dissecans in joint surfaces of the extinct saber-toothed cat Smilodon fatalis and dire wolf Aenocyon dirus” – was published July 12 in PLOS ONE. Dr. Mairin Balisi, an expert in mammalian carnivores who joined the Alf Museum as the Augustyn Family Curator last year, is a co-author on the study with lead author, Dr. Hugo ..read more

Our 30th Annual Peccary Society Dinner will convene on Friday, October 21 as part of Webb’s Centennial Celebration. Items on the program will include: Announcement of the latest discoveries from the summer peccary trip to Wyoming – dinosaurs, turtles, birds, sharks and more! Highlights of the latest research by Webb students, including the introduction of this year’s Rogers ..read more

Natural history museums are places for everyone to discover more about this amazing world we all share, but cost of admission can be a barrier for many in our community. That’s why the Alf Museum is proud to announce our participation in the Museums for All initiative! The Museums for All initiative is available to ..read more

A new study from the Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology and collaborator institutions shows that cougars in the deserts of southern California and Arizona are hunting feral donkeys, filling a niche once held by dire wolves and sabertoothed cats. The paper – “A novel trophic cascade between cougars and feral donkeys shapes desert wetlands ..read more

The Alf Museum is excited to announce some big changes! Two members of our team, Gabriel Santos and Bailey Jorgensen, are stepping into new positions at the Alf. Gabriel Santos is the museum’s new Director of Visitor Engagement and Education. Gabriel has been with the Alf Museum since 2015. He received his Bachelors in biological ..read more

Paleontologist Mairin Balisi, an expert in fossil mammal carnivorans – such as dogs and cats – has joined the Alf Museum as the new Augustyn Family Curator of Paleontology. Balisi earned a Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary biology at UCLA. She earned her Master of Science in ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of ..read more

The Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology is excited to announce the launch of the ACCESS SoCal Paleo Internship developed in collaboration with the University of California Museum of Paleontology. The Advancing Community College Education and Student Success in paleontology project, or ACCESS, is a collaborative project created at the University of California Museum of ..read more

Webb’s Alf Museum has honored Dr. Julie Meachen, a vertebrate paleontologist who meshes K-12 outreach with groundbreaking research into Natural Trap Cave in northern Wyoming, with the Raymond M. Alf Award for Excellence in Paleontological Research and Education. “Dr. Meachen’s work has transformed our view of the ice age in North America,” Alf Museum Director Dr. Andrew ..read more

We are excited to announce that the Alf Museum is searching for a new curator! Review of applications will begin by October 22, 2021, and the successful candidate will begin on July 1, 2022. Details are below, or in the linked PDF (available here). Please contact the museum director, Dr. Andy Farke (afarke@webb.org), if you ..read more