WEBVTT 00:01.166 --> 00:04.400 align:left position:12.5% line:83% size:77.5% - Swimming in a river with water so stained with tannins 00:04.400 --> 00:06.066 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% that it's impossible to see through, 00:06.066 --> 00:07.900 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% where there are alligators too, 00:07.900 --> 00:09.833 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% that is not my idea of a good time. 00:09.833 --> 00:11.633 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% None of this bothers this guy, though. 00:11.633 --> 00:14.333 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% He's a fossil hunter, and he's about to enter 00:14.333 --> 00:16.233 align:left position:25% line:89% size:65% a whole other world. 00:16.233 --> 00:19.233 align:left position:12.5% line:83% size:77.5% Down there are fragments of Florida's ancient history, 00:19.233 --> 00:21.566 align:left position:12.5% line:83% size:77.5% parts of fossilized animals that help tell a story 00:21.566 --> 00:23.300 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% about what this place used to look like 00:23.300 --> 00:25.000 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5% and what used to live here. 00:25.000 --> 00:27.266 align:left position:25% line:77% size:65% There are a lot of misconceptions about this hobby, though. 00:27.266 --> 00:29.100 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% Fossil hunters often make headlines 00:29.100 --> 00:32.233 align:left position:12.5% line:83% size:77.5% for being money hungry and at odds with paleontologists. 00:32.233 --> 00:34.666 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% Some sell their fossils to the highest bidder, 00:34.666 --> 00:36.600 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% or remove fossils without consideration 00:36.600 --> 00:38.266 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% for the environment where they were found. 00:38.266 --> 00:40.733 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% But these bad apples overshadow the folks 00:40.733 --> 00:43.100 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% who've got an entirely different motivation. 00:43.100 --> 00:45.266 align:left position:12.5% line:83% size:77.5% As a matter of fact, fossil hunters can actually help 00:45.266 --> 00:48.300 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% paleontologists uncover our prehistoric past. 00:52.500 --> 00:54.600 align:left position:32.5% line:89% size:57.5% (upbeat music) 00:54.600 --> 00:56.000 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% Meet Jonathan Valentine. 00:56.000 --> 00:58.266 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% He's a Florida fossil hunter and creator 00:58.266 --> 01:01.300 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5% of the website and YouTube channel, Digging Science. 01:02.966 --> 01:05.466 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% - You could be a eight-year-old kid 01:05.466 --> 01:07.566 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% who just got your first dinosaur book, 01:07.566 --> 01:09.800 align:left position:12.5% line:83% size:77.5% and you're putting dinosaur stickers on the wall. 01:09.800 --> 01:11.733 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% I'm in the same category as that. 01:11.733 --> 01:15.666 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% - I think you're selling yourself a little bit short, okay? 01:16.866 --> 01:18.966 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% Now, paleontologists use fossils to study 01:18.966 --> 01:20.700 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5% the history of life on Earth. 01:20.700 --> 01:22.500 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% Fossil hunters, they're not required 01:22.500 --> 01:24.000 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5% to carry out such research. 01:24.000 --> 01:27.166 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75% Some do, but the majority are purely hobbyists. 01:27.166 --> 01:29.700 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% - I've been looking for fossils since I could hold a shovel. 01:29.700 --> 01:32.166 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% My dad, to his credit, really developed that. 01:32.166 --> 01:34.466 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% But I don't think he understood where that 01:34.466 --> 01:37.800 align:left position:12.5% line:83% size:77.5% was gonna take me, a lifelong passion and addiction. 01:37.800 --> 01:39.000 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5% - So when I think of hunting, 01:39.000 --> 01:41.633 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% I think of like predator and prey. 01:41.633 --> 01:44.166 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75% And fossils by definition have been sitting there 01:44.166 --> 01:47.166 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% for thousands, millions of years. 01:47.166 --> 01:49.566 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% - The reason why most of us use hunting 01:49.566 --> 01:53.500 align:left position:12.5% line:83% size:77.5% is because there's such an active primal component of it. 01:53.500 --> 01:55.666 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75% You're not just going out to like the grocery store 01:55.666 --> 01:57.366 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5% and picking one off the shelf 01:57.366 --> 01:58.866 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% and taking it back to your house. 01:58.866 --> 02:01.400 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% Last time I went fossil hunting, I got bit by a catfish. 02:01.400 --> 02:04.933 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5% - Oh, okay, so the fossils have subcontracted 02:04.933 --> 02:08.900 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75% their security to the living creatures. (chuckles) 02:08.900 --> 02:10.566 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% - [Jonathan] A lot of people will ask me 02:10.566 --> 02:12.533 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% how does it feel when I find a fossil. 02:12.533 --> 02:14.633 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% And I think they're missing the journey. 02:14.633 --> 02:16.466 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% It starts the night beforehand. 02:16.466 --> 02:20.566 align:left position:12.5% line:83% size:77.5% And I always have dreams about alligators in the wildlife. 02:20.566 --> 02:22.233 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% But as soon as I get in the river, 02:22.233 --> 02:25.600 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75% there's this anticipation that starts to build. 02:25.600 --> 02:28.800 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% You've gotta go actively swimming, looking around edges. 02:28.800 --> 02:30.800 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5% You're entirely in the moment. 02:30.800 --> 02:33.233 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% You have no idea what's gonna be uncovered, 02:33.233 --> 02:35.733 align:left position:12.5% line:83% size:77.5% but you can tell that something's around the corner. 02:35.733 --> 02:38.233 align:left position:12.5% line:83% size:77.5% And that whole process of that anticipation building, 02:38.233 --> 02:39.433 align:left position:22.5% line:89% size:67.5% that's the best part. 02:39.433 --> 02:42.733 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% And then finding it is just the cherry on top. 02:42.733 --> 02:44.733 align:left position:22.5% line:89% size:67.5% Onto the next spot. 02:44.733 --> 02:46.066 align:left position:42.5% line:89% size:47.5% Whoo. 02:46.066 --> 02:48.533 align:left position:12.5% line:83% size:77.5% - I'm sold on the language, and then certainly 02:48.533 --> 02:50.433 align:left position:12.5% line:83% size:77.5% the activity of what you're doing with fossil hunting. 02:50.433 --> 02:52.900 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% So what sort of fossils do you hunt? 02:52.900 --> 02:54.400 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% - [Jonathan] The majority, at least 02:54.400 --> 02:57.266 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5% in the Southeastern United States and in Florida, 02:57.266 --> 02:59.966 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5% there's two really awesome deposits of fossils 02:59.966 --> 03:02.333 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% that are very common, the big shark teeth, 03:02.333 --> 03:04.033 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% and the extinct Ice Age animals. 03:04.033 --> 03:06.500 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% And so those are my two favorite things to hunt. 03:06.500 --> 03:08.966 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% - Florida is chock-full of fossils, 03:08.966 --> 03:11.366 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% which a lot of people can find beachcombing. 03:11.366 --> 03:12.766 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% But they're not just at the beach. 03:12.766 --> 03:14.800 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% If you head inland to one of Florida's rivers, 03:14.800 --> 03:16.033 align:left position:15% line:89% size:75% they can be found there too, 03:16.033 --> 03:17.600 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% along with other, bigger stuff. 03:17.600 --> 03:18.800 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% - Deep hole right here. 03:18.800 --> 03:21.800 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% - So why is Florida such a hotspot for fossils? 03:21.800 --> 03:24.800 align:left position:25% line:77% size:65% Here's what Michelle Barboza-Ramirez, a paleo professor 03:24.800 --> 03:26.533 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% and one of the hosts of the show "Eons," 03:26.533 --> 03:28.966 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75% had to say about Florida's fossil history. 03:28.966 --> 03:31.700 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% - Earth has changed a lot over the years. 03:31.700 --> 03:34.633 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5% Moving continents, massive climate fluctuations, 03:34.633 --> 03:36.300 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% and a whole lot of plants and animals 03:36.300 --> 03:39.033 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% that have come and gone. 03:39.033 --> 03:42.100 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% Here we are about 200 million years ago, 03:42.100 --> 03:45.966 align:left position:12.5% line:83% size:77.5% and Earth's one big continent is pulling apart. 03:45.966 --> 03:48.266 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% Florida becomes part of North America, 03:48.266 --> 03:52.833 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% and during the dinosaurs' heyday, is covered by the ocean. 03:52.833 --> 03:54.633 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% And that's why you won't be finding 03:54.633 --> 03:56.800 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5% any dinosaur bones in Florida. 03:56.800 --> 03:59.600 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% It wasn't until about 30 million years after 03:59.600 --> 04:02.166 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% the dinosaurs died out, the climate cooled, 04:02.166 --> 04:04.266 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% sea levels dropped, and the peninsula 04:04.266 --> 04:07.666 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% we now know as Florida began to surface. 04:07.666 --> 04:09.600 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% Since then, Florida has gone underwater 04:09.600 --> 04:11.900 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% and come up for air a few times. 04:11.900 --> 04:13.933 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% During the last glacial period of this planet, 04:13.933 --> 04:15.600 align:left position:15% line:89% size:75% the climate was much cooler, 04:15.600 --> 04:17.533 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% and sea levels were thus much lower. 04:17.533 --> 04:20.933 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% Warm water from the Gulf of Mexico moved up towards Florida, 04:20.933 --> 04:23.700 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% protecting it from the more extreme climates 04:23.700 --> 04:24.933 align:left position:25% line:89% size:65% found further north. 04:24.933 --> 04:26.600 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% During this time, the peninsula hosted 04:26.600 --> 04:28.566 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% a wide variety of plants and animals, 04:28.566 --> 04:31.533 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% some of which we might recognize, like humans. 04:31.533 --> 04:35.033 align:left position:12.5% line:83% size:77.5% But many were creatures that we wouldn't recognize. 04:35.033 --> 04:38.533 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% Massive mammoths and mastodons, giant sloths, 04:38.533 --> 04:43.033 align:left position:22.5% line:77% size:67.5% fearsome direwolves, huge short-faced bears, and even lions. 04:43.033 --> 04:46.266 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75% But by the end of the Ice Age, about 11,000 years ago, 04:46.266 --> 04:50.566 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% the climate was much warmer, and all those giants were gone. 04:51.700 --> 04:53.433 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% - Anybody that knows fossils knows 04:53.433 --> 04:55.533 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% that the planet is always changing. 04:55.533 --> 04:59.566 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75% When the environment changes rapidly or drastically, 04:59.566 --> 05:02.400 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% it really puts a stress on how animals 05:02.400 --> 05:04.100 align:left position:22.5% line:89% size:67.5% can adapt and survive. 05:04.100 --> 05:07.500 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75% - Fossils not only inform us of our past climate changes, 05:07.500 --> 05:10.166 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5% they also provide insights into our current climate. 05:10.166 --> 05:12.566 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% Paleontologists are currently using fossils 05:12.566 --> 05:14.966 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% to reconstruct what their environments would've been like 05:14.966 --> 05:16.500 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5% and how they would've changed. 05:16.500 --> 05:18.766 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75% This will help scientists understand how 05:18.766 --> 05:21.266 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% and how much our climate is changing today. 05:21.266 --> 05:23.333 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% - We're in what's been described 05:23.333 --> 05:25.233 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5% as the sixth mass extinction. 05:25.233 --> 05:29.000 align:left position:12.5% line:83% size:77.5% We have animals dying off at an incredibly quick rate 05:29.000 --> 05:30.566 align:left position:22.5% line:89% size:67.5% versus the background. 05:30.566 --> 05:33.933 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5% And a lot of that's due to quick changes in climate, 05:33.933 --> 05:38.400 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% as well as additional pressures by us. 05:38.400 --> 05:40.566 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% You have to see what I just found. 05:40.566 --> 05:42.900 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% Oh my God, that might be my first rhino tooth. 05:42.900 --> 05:45.266 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% - Since fossils in the environment where they're found 05:45.266 --> 05:48.000 align:left position:12.5% line:83% size:77.5% can be quite useful to scientists, Florida created 05:48.000 --> 05:50.833 align:left position:12.5% line:83% size:77.5% a permit system for hobbyists who hunt vertebrates. 05:50.833 --> 05:53.100 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% Any vertebrate fossils found are reported 05:53.100 --> 05:55.500 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% to the Florida Museum of Natural History. 05:55.500 --> 05:57.400 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% - One thing that they still have of mine 05:57.400 --> 06:00.566 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5% is a really cool rhino tooth. 06:00.566 --> 06:03.333 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% We had this running rhino called Menoceras. 06:03.333 --> 06:05.366 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% It comes from the early Miocene, 06:05.366 --> 06:07.466 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% which is like 19 million years ago. 06:07.466 --> 06:10.466 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75% That's only a short period that Florida was a land mass 06:10.466 --> 06:11.800 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% when it's normally under water. 06:11.800 --> 06:13.333 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% And you find a lot of them out West, 06:13.333 --> 06:14.966 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% but you don't find a lot in Florida. 06:14.966 --> 06:16.566 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% And then they've requested other things, 06:16.566 --> 06:18.833 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% but they mainly just wanted to scan them. 06:18.833 --> 06:20.500 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% And so after they scan them and added them 06:20.500 --> 06:21.900 align:left position:15% line:89% size:75% to their digital collection, 06:21.900 --> 06:23.333 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% they returned those fossils to me. 06:23.333 --> 06:26.333 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% - So my image of fossil hunters is shaped a lot 06:26.333 --> 06:28.200 align:left position:17.5% line:89% size:72.5% by pop culture and movies, 06:28.200 --> 06:32.866 align:left position:12.5% line:83% size:77.5% the idea of smuggling rare bones to the highest bidder 06:32.866 --> 06:35.533 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% on the black market or the dark web somewhere. 06:35.533 --> 06:37.033 align:left position:22.5% line:89% size:67.5% How true is that? 06:37.033 --> 06:39.300 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75% - I don't think there's anything wrong as a whole 06:39.300 --> 06:42.500 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75% with selling fossils to help fund more adventures 06:42.500 --> 06:44.400 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% and build a livelihood off of it. 06:44.400 --> 06:45.900 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% You have to do it ethically, though. 06:45.900 --> 06:48.300 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% The state needs to know what's out there. 06:48.300 --> 06:50.533 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% We have a responsibility as a community 06:50.533 --> 06:53.400 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5% to stay away from smuggling or taking things 06:53.400 --> 06:55.300 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% that are scientifically important. 06:55.300 --> 06:58.666 align:left position:12.5% line:83% size:77.5% - Fossil hunters have played a vital role in paleontology. 06:58.666 --> 07:01.133 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75% In fact, some have made significant contributions 07:01.133 --> 07:02.400 align:left position:27.5% line:89% size:62.5% to the discipline. 07:02.400 --> 07:04.566 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% Mary Anning has been called the unsung hero 07:04.566 --> 07:05.733 align:left position:25% line:89% size:65% of fossil discovery. 07:05.733 --> 07:08.100 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% She discovered the first known ichthyosaur, 07:08.100 --> 07:10.233 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% a complete plesiosaurus skeleton, 07:10.233 --> 07:12.766 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5% a pterosaur, and so much more. 07:12.766 --> 07:15.033 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% - Especially as like a citizen scientist, 07:15.033 --> 07:16.433 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% I think that's a really powerful thing 07:16.433 --> 07:19.233 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% about giving that agency back to the people, 07:19.233 --> 07:22.300 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% 'cause it can help push forward science. 07:22.300 --> 07:24.533 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% - You sound like you're describing democracy, 07:24.533 --> 07:26.900 align:left position:12.5% line:83% size:77.5% not just science, and I guess that's the citizen part, 07:26.900 --> 07:28.066 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% in terms of contributing 07:28.066 --> 07:30.400 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% to public knowledge and benefits. 07:30.400 --> 07:32.566 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% - You need the hobbyists as much as you need 07:32.566 --> 07:34.700 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60% the professional paleontologists. 07:34.700 --> 07:36.733 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5% You have to have them communicating 07:36.733 --> 07:38.200 align:left position:17.5% line:89% size:72.5% and respecting each other. 07:38.200 --> 07:39.966 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5% - So you've got me interested. 07:39.966 --> 07:42.433 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% I have not done fossil hunting. 07:42.433 --> 07:44.566 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% Do I just jump in a river with a bucket? 07:44.566 --> 07:47.066 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% - You might think that fossils are really rare 07:47.066 --> 07:49.066 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75% and you're not gonna be able to find any if you go out. 07:49.066 --> 07:51.966 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75% That's a huge misconception. Fossils are everywhere. 07:51.966 --> 07:53.866 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% And it just takes a little bit of knowledge, 07:53.866 --> 07:56.566 align:left position:12.5% line:83% size:77.5% a little bit of guidance, and hopefully a good community, 07:56.566 --> 07:59.233 align:left position:12.5% line:83% size:77.5% and you'll be able to start finding them on your own. 08:00.366 --> 08:03.466 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% - How has your passion for fossil hunting 08:03.466 --> 08:06.033 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75% affected your relationship with nature? 08:06.033 --> 08:09.500 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75% - It's given me a much healthier respect for it. 08:09.500 --> 08:11.933 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75% When you're diving with an alligator and you get thrown 08:11.933 --> 08:14.466 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% back into the food chain for the first time 08:14.466 --> 08:18.200 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75% in 10,000 years, it lets you appreciate what you're seeing. 08:18.200 --> 08:21.966 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% And that appreciation really lets you enjoy 08:21.966 --> 08:24.800 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65% and feel part of it instead of above it. 08:25.966 --> 08:29.533 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% - Humans, you know, we think we're all that. 08:29.533 --> 08:32.466 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% (laughs) I think fossil hunters know better. 08:32.466 --> 08:34.966 align:left position:12.5% line:83% size:77.5% To engage in fossil hunting to me feels like a way 08:34.966 --> 08:37.533 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% of humbling ourselves as a species 08:37.533 --> 08:40.033 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% before the larger project of life, 08:40.033 --> 08:43.200 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% to recognize just how briefly we have actually 08:43.200 --> 08:46.800 align:left position:12.5% line:83% size:77.5% been on this Earth by finding those who used to be here 08:46.800 --> 08:48.866 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% and were here a lot longer when they were. 08:48.866 --> 08:53.866 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% So humility, humility, humility. It's not always about us. 08:54.466 --> 08:56.433 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% Three, two, one. 08:56.433 --> 08:57.966 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5% (Baratunde claps) (dog panics) 08:57.966 --> 09:00.100 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% - [Jonathan] Oh, sorry, Dolly. I'm so sorry. 09:00.100 --> 09:03.100 align:left position:15% line:89% size:75% - That dog is hella cute. 09:03.100 --> 09:06.033 align:left position:12.5% line:83% size:77.5% Not a fossil, but I'm very excited to discover this dog. 09:06.033 --> 09:09.700 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5% Thank you so much. (laughs)