Best Heaps Good Productions Podcasts (2025)

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Creatures of the Slime 30:00

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11d ago30:00

30:00

On Thursday October 9th, Dr Jim Gehling OA (Order of Australia) was awarded the Joseph Verco Medal by the Royal Society of South Australia for a remarkable life of research and public engagement in the field of palaeontology. Previous recipients have included Sir Douglas Mawson and Reg Sprigg. Palaeo Jam host Michael Mills is a long time friend of …

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The Lizards of Oz! 30:00

1M ago30:00

30:00

Australia is land of reptiles, and in particular, a land of lizards. How and when did it become this? And why are there so many venomous snakes? In this episode of Palaeo Jam, host Michael Mills chats with Dr Mark Hutchinson about the evolutionary history of the lizards of Australia, why they become a life long passion, if he has a favourite lizard…

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A shark walks into a library... 30:04

2M ago30:04

30:04

And then what? It tuned in to this very episode of Palaeo Jam! Dr Heather Robinson and Professor John Long are the authors of two important books, “Beyond the Books: Culture, value and why libraries matter.” and “The Secret History of Sharks: The Rise of the Ocean's Most Fearsome Predators”, respectively. Heather and John are also work partners and…

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What goes on in the regions? 30:00

2M ago30:00

30:00

Regional museums in Australia and elsewhere are the custodians of a remarkable collection of stories. What are some of those stories, and why do they matter? Why, indeed, do regional museums matter? And what kinds of science, including palaeontology, takes place in the regions? Palaeo Jam host Michael Mills recently travelled to Geraldton in Wester…

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A remarkable journey continues 30:00

1y ago30:00

30:00

Just over 12 months ago, as part of National Science Week, we spoke with Eleanor Beidatsch, in an episode titled, “A Journey into accessibility: Digging for fossils from a wheelchair.” Since that episode, Eleanor has graduated from the University of New England with First Class Honours, been awarded the $130,000 #ElevateSTEM scholarship for postgra…

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So, you want to become a fossil? 30:00

1y ago30:00

30:00

So, you want to become a fossil? Good luck with that! There’s a whole sequence of things that need to take place in order for that to happen, and in this episode of Palaeo Jam, we explore those steps, and how unlikely it is that you will be able to complete all of them. Recorded underground in Blanch Cave, in the Naracoorte Caves, South Australia, …

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From where pterosaurs dwell 30:00

1+ y ago30:00

30:00

In this episode of Palaeo Jam, host Michael Mills begins the conversation with Dr Natalia Jagielska, Engagement & Collections Curator at the Lyme Regis Museum by chatting about palaeontology pioneer Mary Anning, and what it means to be working in the very space Mary’s home in Lyme Regis once occupied. As the conversation continues, we learn about t…

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Lake of the Dead 30:00

1+ y ago30:00

30:00

Tens of thousands of years ago, in and around what is known as Lake Callabonna, in outback South Australia, all manner of now extinct Australian animals dwelt. But whether they walked, or slithered, or crawled, or hopped, or flew, or swam in that place, it was soon to become what has been described in an ABC Australia documentary series as the “Lak…

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Putting the Cool into Koolasuchus 29:33

1+ y ago29:33

29:33

In 1990, Mike Cleland was fossicking around a coastal region of the state of Victoria in Australia, when he came across a fossil discovery that was to change his life. The fossil he discovered was to become known as Koolasuchus cleelandi, and in 2022, Koolasuchus to became the state’s official fossil emblem, following a public vote. In this episode…

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Me and my Palaeo Pal! 30:00

1+ y ago30:00

30:00

What happens when two people who create palaeontology podcasts get together for a chat? Tune in to find out! In this episode of Palaeo Jam, host Michael Mills chats with vertebrate Palaeontologist and expert in Australian pterosaurs Adele Pentland of the “Pals in Palaeo” podcast about Australian pterosaurs, about each of their podcasts, and about s…

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A Day for the Dinosaurs Down Under! 30:00

1+ y ago30:00

30:00

May 7th has come to be known as Australia’s National Dinosaur Day! A day in which Australians are being asked to celebrate the remarkable dinosaurs that once walked where we now walk. Or as we like to call them, the Dinosaurs Down Under! What is the significance of May 7th? And how did this date, in particular, become the day now known as Australia…

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The tale of a giant, prehistoric kangaroo... Or three! 30:00

1+ y ago30:00

30:00

We’re back for Season 3, and we begin in the palaeo lab at Flinders University! We’re delighted that in this first episode of the new season, Palaeo Jam host Michael Mills chats with Dr Isaac Kerr about a remarkable research paper, just published, that seeks to more clearly define what is and what isn’t a Protemnodon… AKA a giant, prehistoric kanga…

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Modelling the Dead! 30:00

2y ago30:00

30:00

There’s something quite delightful about seeing the skeleton of a prehistoric animal move in a way that it might have moved when the bones were covered in flesh, and the animal was alive. Jack O Conner is a PhD candidate at Monash University, and that’s exactly what he's doing at the Evans EvoMorph Lab. In this episode of Palaeo Jam, host Michael M…

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Soar like a prehistoric eagle! 30:00

2y ago30:00

30:00

Australia is currently home to 17 species of hawks and eagles. Tens of thousands of years ago, however, there were more. What were they like? What happened to them? And what can we learn about past ecosystems and the extinction that wiped out the Australian mega-fauna, in studying such prehistoric birds? In this episode of Palaeo Jam, host Michael …

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Theropods Down Under 30:00

2y ago30:00

30:00

The fossil record of Theropod dinosaurs in Australia is sparse, and our understanding of them is poor. In a recent publication of the first chapter of his PhD, PhD Candidate Jake Kotevski is on his way to changing that. In this episode of Palaeo Jam, host Michael Mills chats with Jake about the recent identification of the oldest-known Megaraptorid…

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Connecting with the community 29:55

2y ago29:55

29:55

In August 2023, Michael Mills travelled to various communities in Australia, to record multiple episodes of the Palaeo Jam podcast for National Science Week. One of the enduring conversations born of the tour was how a community might engage with its local fossil heritage, and In this episode, recorded in Naracoorte, South Australia, in front of a …

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The Dinosaur Kids-Part 2 30:00

2y ago30:00

30:00

12 months ago, Palaeo Jam host Michael Mills chatted with three students from Flinders University in South Australia who had just completed the first year of a palaeontology degree, about their experiences in first year. In this episode of Palaeo Jam, Michael chats with the same three students… Dylan Slinn, Natalie Jackson and Thomas Khajeh… about …

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Planet of the Plants! 29:59

2y ago29:59

29:59

Plants matter. Without them, there’d be no us! There’d have been no dinosaurs! There’d have been no animals of any kind. When we go into our gardens, the thing we see most clearly, are the plants. In this episode, Palaeo Jam host Michael Mills chats with Director of the N.C.W. Beadle Herbarium, and Lecturer in Plant Systematics, at the University o…

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The Mega-fauna muncher from Down Under! 30:00

2y ago30:00

30:00

Eight million years ago, in what is now Alcoota, in central Australia, it is thought that a catastrophic event occurred leading to the death of hundreds of individual animals. While devastating for the individuals, it’s also an event that was followed by a process of fossilisation that has ensured we have a remarkable record of who lived in that pl…

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A journey into accessibility- Digging for fossils from a wheelchair 30:49

2y ago30:49

30:49

Being able to access field trips to dig up fossils has long been a central feature of studying palaeontology, and being a palaeontologist. But what if you have been born with a rare and severe genetic condition, such as Spinal Muscular Atrophy type 1 like Eleanor Beidatsch? As a nine year old, Eleanor dreamed of being a palaeontologist, but always …

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Palaeo research from the high country 30:00

2y ago30:00

30:00

What do we know about the boundary between the Ediacarans and the Cambrians, an astonishing predator from the early Cambrian, and one of the things palaeontologists get asked about more than just about anything… How did some dinosaurs get so big? We’re LIVE for a second time in Armidale for National Science Week at The Welder’s Dog Brewery, on Anai…

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Stories of the high country 30:01

2y ago30:01

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We’re LIVE in Armidale for National Science Week at The Welder’s Dog Brewery, and in this episode, recorded on Anaiwan country, we’re talking about the creatures that once dwelt in this place, and nearby. Of dinosaurs such as “Lightning Claw”, giant marsupials that left teeth marks on the bones of other giant marsupials, and tiny fossils too small …

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A Prof and his pals 30:00

2y ago30:00

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In a special edition of Palaeo Jam, recorded LIVE at the Western Australian Museum Boola Bardip, guest host Professor Flint chats with some of his Western Australian palaeo pals, about their favourite fossils, their best moments in the field, and a broad range of other palaeo-themed topics. In a chat amongst friends, we hear about the group’s favou…

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The Rocks Remember... 30:00

2y ago30:00

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World renowned geologist, Professor Walter Alvarez once noted that… “Rocks are the key to Earth history, because solids remember but liquids and gases forget.” In this episode of Palaeo Jam, host Michael Mills chats with Professor Tom Raimondo about how learning about our local geology can help us better connect to where we live. Of how rocks are p…

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Vamp it up! 30:00

2y ago30:00

30:00

The Virtual Museum of Australian Palaeontology, or VAMP, as it is known, was launched several months ago to much acclaim. So, what is it, why does it matter, and how has it been going? In another episode recorded live during the Palaeo Jam National Science Week tour, we discuss why in an age of of misinformation, it is important that researchers an…

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The Great Dying 30:01

2y ago30:01

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Before there were dinosaurs, Queensland, Australia was home to a fascinating array of reptiles, amphibians, and the ancestors of mammals. And then, 252 million years ago, just about everything on Earth died! So let’s talk who survived, and why! In an episode supported by National Science Week, host Michael Mills is joined by Dr Espen Knutsen, Senio…

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Raising the Dead 30:01

2y ago30:01

30:01

A palaeontologist and an archaeologist walk into a bar… The Afterlife Bar, that is, at the Western Australian Museum, Boola Bardip, thanks to National Science Week. So, then what happened? Listen in, to find out! We’re in Perth, Whadjuk Country, Western Australia, and we’re here to talk about dead things, how we find them, what we do with them when…

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South Australia- A Palaeontological Wonderland 30:01

2y ago30:01

30:01

Join us on a journey to explore the remarkable fossil heritage of South Australia, and why its prehistoric story matters not just to South Australians, but to the the whole world. In this episode of Palaeo Jam, recorded live at Flinders University, on Kaurna Country, host Michael Mills is joined by PhD Candidate Phoebe McInerney of Flinders Univers…

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A Career in a Cave 30:00

2y ago30:00

30:00

The Naracoorte Caves in South Australia are a World Heritage fossil site whose stories are many and varied. Part of the story of the Caves is the story of the people who work there, do their research there, or in the case of Palaeo Jam host Michael Mills, occasionally record podcasts and sing songs there. In another fascinating episode, recorded as…

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A most remarkable discovery! 29:59

2y ago29:59

29:59

In 2022, the first fossil body of an Australian long-necked plesiosaur with the head still attached was discovered in outback Queensland. In this episode, recorded live in Townsville, Wulgurukaba Country, for National Science Week, Palaeo Jam host Michael Mills, is joined by palaeontologist Dr Espen Knutsen, and public programmes officer Claire Spe…

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Tales from the Naracoorte Caves 30:00

2y ago30:00

30:00

Naracoorte Caves in South Australia are home to a remarkable fossil heritage of Pleistocene life. The story of Naracoorte, though, is not just the story of it’s fossil heritage. It’s the stories of the community and the connection of lots people to the caves and that heritage. In this first episode for Season 2 of Palaeo Jam, we speak to several co…

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The life of a singing palaeontologist 29:59

2+ y ago29:59

29:59

In our final episode for Season 1, Palaeo Jam host Michael Mills chats with Dinosaur University Dean of Science, and singing palaeontologist, Professor Flint. During the conversation, The Prof is asked what came first... His love of dinosaurs, or his love of music? He also gives some insights into why he thinks art and science are two sides of the …

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The challenge to be curious! 29:59

2+ y ago29:59

29:59

Following the world premiere of “A Curious Thing- The story of Mary Anning” at the 2023 Adelaide Fringe, Palaeo Jam host, and writer/director of the Mary Anning Fringe show Michael Mills sat down with three brilliant women in science to explore their thoughts on the show, its themes, Mary’s legacy, and their own experiences as women in science. In …

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The Dinosaur Kids... Part 1 29:59

2+ y ago29:59

29:59

Imagine you’re that dinosaur kid! The one who knows all the names of all the things, and dreams of one day going to university to study palaeontology in order to become a palaeontologist. Of course, most dinosaur kids don’t get to do that. But imagine you are one who makes it. You do get accepted into a palaeontology degree, and even better, make i…

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How it started... How it’s going! 29:59

2+ y ago29:59

29:59

Late last year, while on a trip to Naracoorte, South Australia, Palaeo Jam podcast host Michael Mills sat down with three students from the University of Adelaide, all at different stages as palaeontology students. One, Stephanie Massacci, was just at the beginning of Honours, where the focus will be on seeking to clarify the taxonomy of the Pleist…

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Caves- Ecosystems of the past, the present, and the future 29:59

2+ y ago29:59

29:59

Caves can be the holders of great fossil collections. It’s important to remember, though, that they still exist as living ecosystems, and will continue to do so. In this episode of Palaeo Jam, host Michael Mills chats with Dr Liz Reed of the University of Adelaide, and South Australian Museum. This episode was recorded inside Blanch Cave, in the Wo…

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A prehistoric land of birds and frogs 29:59

2+ y ago29:59

29:59

Isolated islands can evolve remarkably unique flora and fauna, given enough time. None is more unique than New Zealand, the home of the Kiwi, but also the past home of multiple species of birds and frogs. Indeed, such was the nature of the islands in the not too distant past, that birds and frogs filled many of the ecological niches commonly filled…

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Why Museums Matter! 29:59

3y ago29:59

29:59

Museums are custodians of story, and the collections that dwell within them belong to the community of which they are a part. In recent years, though, funding cuts have put significant pressure on many aspects of what museums do so well, in research, collection curation, and public programmes. In a wide ranging conversation, host Michael Mills chat…

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Moments in time 29:59

3y ago29:59

29:59

When we think of palaeontology, we often think of the giant bones of dinosaurs assembled in museums. And when not thinking of the bones, we’re often enamoured by the size of fossilised teeth such as those of T.rex, Megalodon, Mosasaurs and other leviathans. There are more things than fossilise, though, than the bones and teeth. Trace fossils are th…

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What dwells beneath... Beyond the rocks and bones! 29:56

3y ago29:56

29:56

One of the great challenges of palaeontology is to work out what a long dead animal actually looked like, and how it lived, when all you have is a fossilised bone or two. This is where Associate Professor Natalie Warburton, of Murdoch University, and her freezer full of dead things comes in! In a fascinating episode, we go on a journey to discover …

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Professor Wells and the Chamber of Secrets 29:57

3y ago29:57

29:57

On the 3rd August, 1969, some 53 years ago, a young biologist, Rod Wells, along with his friend, caver Grant Gartrell crawled through a narrow opening at Naracoorte's Victoria cave, and made a remarkable discovery. It was to be one of the most remarkable finds of megafauna fossils found anywhere in the world, and played a significant part in the Au…

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Vultures and flamingoes, Down Under? 29:59

3y ago29:59

29:59

When we think of Australia and its wildlife, the first thing that comes to mind is the iconic, often-hopping, marsupials! (Ok… and all the things might kill and maim you!) In exploring Australia’s recent prehistoric past, it’s also often the marsupials that we get to hear of. Giant wombats, rather large, short-faced kangaroos, and leopard-sized, sc…

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What happens in the field, stays in the field! 29:59

3y ago29:59

29:59

Or does it? In the latest episode of Palaeo Jam, host Michael Mills talks to Dr Diana Fusco and Nathan Phillips of Flinders University about what it’s actually like to head into the field, and dig up fossils. All three have had multiple opportunities to go out to dig sites and do so, and in this podcast, each of them give some great insights into l…

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A Marriage of Art and Science 29:59

3y ago29:59

29:59

Art and Science are often thought to be polar opposites. The truth, though, as Palaeo Jam podcast host Michael Mills can attest having successfully worked in the Art/Science space for more than 25 years, is that the two can make for a remarkable and inspiring marriage. Speaking of marriages, Michael’s guests in this episode, are Dr Heather Robinson…

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Life as a palaeo mum 30:00

3y ago30:00

30:00

Matrescence has been defined as “the physical, emotional, hormonal and social transition to becoming a mother.” In a recent blog titled “Palaeo-matrescence”, Dr Alice Clement noted the following… “I wanted to seek advice from colleagues who had navigated the same journey as me, but it was difficult to find people in the same boat. I could see plent…

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What’s the point of palaeontology? 29:59

3y ago29:59

29:59

Palaeontology is often seen as one of the cool sciences, if not the coolest, because, of course, it’s the one with dinosaurs! Is there more to it, though? Don’t get us wrong… dinosaurs are awesome! Does palaeontology have any practical use to the community? Is there any real value beyond thinking it’s cool, that palaeontology brings to the table? I…