Leif Tapanila

Biography

Leif Tapanila, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Director, Idaho Museum of Natural History I am a paleontologist and sedimentary geologist. I love field work. I am motivated by discovery — describing a new fossil species, finding a novel relationship between environment and fauna, or a new way to teach geology to the public — these things excite me.

Research Interest

Our ancient past provides a rich data set to understand how ecosystems respond to change over time, and I have dedicated my research career to discovering, analyzing and educating the public about the unbelievable history recorded by fossils. I have little use for traditional boundaries in paleontology: all clades, ages and environments are fair game for study. Owing to the regional geology of the west, I have spent a good deal of time studying Paleozoic marine and Mesozoic continental rocks. Past projects have studied the trace fossil record in rock, wood, and coralline skeletons; continental mollusks and their geochemistry; eugeneodontid sharks; and post-impact recovery of a marine coastline. Through the Idaho Virtualization Lab, I am working to expand the capacity and capability of making the fossil record accessible to anyone, anywhere. Our 3-D scanning lab is the best in the country at making high-fidelity digital reproductions for the purposes of archiving, research, and education. Many of these same tools and techniques are breathing new life into ancient fossils, especially specimens collected decades ago and collecting dust in the basement of museums around the world. The Helicoprion project, which has garnered the most attention for our lab, is a good example of how a century's old mystery can finally be solved using virtual paleontology. It is exciting to imagine what discoveries lie ahead!