AMNH IP- Mackenzie (CC Intern) at the Museum (AMNH)

 Hi, my name is Mackenzie Boyd! I recently graduated from Colorado College (CC) with a Bachelor of Arts in Geology. I also grew up in Colorado and have always been curious about the natural features around me. I have had an interest in Geology since I was four years old, at which time I would tell people that "when I grow up, I want to be a geologist! And a mermaid" I grew out of the mermaid idea, but geology and the natural sciences have continued to hold a special place in my heart. To be able to read the stories of the rocks, to understand what the Earth was like at a different time, has been such a gift in my life.




I started at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in New York City four weeks ago, (thanks to the Noblett-Witter Family Internship offered by CC); and so far, I have been looking at a much different period in Earth's history than I had ever studied previously. I have been looking in the Paleozoic, specifically the Devonian and Mississippian, and the fossils are much older than any Mesozoic fossils I have ever worked on! I keep having to remind myself these are not just 70 million years old, but closer to 300 to 400 million years old!

I have been looking at Crinoids, a class of Echinoderms I honestly did not know much about before. But I have learned a lot and can now confidently say: they are cool little guys! A lot of the fossils I have cleaned and cataloged this week belong to the "Dizygocrinus" genus, here are a couple examples! 

Dizygocrinus unionensis               Dizygocrinus indianensis

                                              
                                                        Dizygocrinus indianensis

I came to the museum at quite an interesting time. My second week here, I got to see talks from individuals up for a curator position in Invertebrate Paleontology. These talks were really interesting, and I learned a lot. I had never considered the intersection between robotics and paleontology, but as it turns out some people are using robotics to find out how some extinct species might have moved through water! I appreciated that the talks were meant for a general audience, and I was able to understand most of their content.  

Living in New York has been amazing so far! On the weekends I have been checking out various museums and restaurants. The Gems and Minerals Hall at AMNH completely took my breath away, I felt I could have spent a whole day there. I also enjoyed my time at The Met, though I was only there for a few hours and forgot to take any photos. I cannot wait to go back! The food has also been incredible, I have gotten some great recommendations from various people at the museum. "Jacob's Pickles" really stood out, where I got such a large serving of fried chicken and French toast that it lasted me two meals! 

Display of Beryl gemstones (AMNH)

Mignone Hall of Gem and Minerals (AMNH)



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