Amy Atwater is an American

author In legal discourse, an author is the creator of an original work that has been published, whether that work exists in written, graphic, visual, or recorded form. The act of creating such a work is referred to as authorship. Therefore, a sculpt ...

paleontologist Paleontology, also spelled as palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of the life of the past, mainly but not exclusively through the study of fossils. Paleontologists use fossils as a means to classify organisms, measure geolo ...

., and

science communicator Science communication encompasses a wide range of activities that connect science and society. Common goals of science communication include informing non-experts about scientific findings, raising the public awareness of and interest in sci ...

. She runs a popular paleontology themed science communication social media page on Instagram under the handle "mary_annings_revenge", inspired by the 18th century paleontologist

Mary Anning Mary Anning (21 May 1799 – 9 March 1847) was an English fossil collector, fossil trade, dealer, and palaeontologist. She became known internationally for her discoveries in Jurassic marine fossil beds in the cliffs along the English Cha ...

. Atwater is the first-ever Director of Paleontology of the Morrison, CO based non-profit organization Friends of Dinosaur Ridge home of North America's most visited in-situ dinosaur track site at

Dinosaur Ridge Dinosaur Ridge is a segment of the Dakota Hogback in the Morrison Fossil Area National Natural Landmark located in Jefferson County, Colorado, near the town of Morrison, Colorado, Morrison and just west of Denver. In 1877 Arthur Lakes, a clerg ...

which is a part of the Morrison-Golden Fossil Areas

National Natural Landmark The National Natural Landmarks (NNL) Program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only national natural areas program that identifies and recognizes the best e ...

. Atwater is an expert in

mammalian evolution The evolution of mammals has passed through many stages since the first appearance of their synapsid ancestors in the Pennsylvanian (geology), Pennsylvanian sub-period of the late Carboniferous period. By the mid-Triassic, there were many synaps ...

and described three new omomyine ( primates, haplorhini) taxa from the

Eocene The Eocene ( ) is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (Ma). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes ...

Friars Formation of Southern California as well as research on

Proboscidea Proboscidea (; , ) is a taxonomic order of afrotherian mammals containing one living family (Elephantidae) and several extinct families. First described by J. Illiger in 1811, it encompasses the elephants and their close relatives. Three l ...

, Borophagine,

geochronology Geochronology is the science of Chronological dating, determining the age of rock (geology), rocks, fossils, and sediments using signatures inherent in the rocks themselves. Absolute geochronology can be accomplished through radioactive isotopes, ...

, and the effects of topography and climate change on mammal diversity. Atwater was named as president-elect of the Colorado Scientific Society in 2025.

Career

Atwater received her B.S. in

Geological Sciences Geology (). is a branch of natural science concerned with the Earth and other astronomical objects, the rocks of which they are composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Earth s ...

: Paleontology Track with a minor in

Anthropology Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, society, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including archaic humans. Social anthropology studies patterns of behav ...

in 2013 from the

University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a Public university, public research university in Eugene, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1876, the university is organized into nine colleges and schools and offers 420 undergraduate and gra ...

Clark Honors College. She earned a M.A. in anthropology in 2017 as a NSF Graduate Research Fellow from the

University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public university, public research university in Austin, Texas, United States. Founded in 1883, it is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. With 53,082 stud ...

by publishing her thesis titled ''"New Middle Eocene omomyines (primates, haplorhini) from the Friars Formation of San Diego County, California"'' Atwater has worked for the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, within the US Department of the Interior. The service manages all List ...

as scientist and park ranger in Arches NP, Denali NP, Big Bend NP, and

John Day Fossil Beds John Day Fossil Beds National Monument is a U.S. national monument in Wheeler and Grant counties in east-central Oregon. Located within the John Day River basin and managed by the National Park Service, the park is known for its well-preserve ...

. Atwater worked as the Paleontological Collections Manager for the

Museum of the Rockies Museum of the Rockies is a museum in Bozeman, Montana. Originally affiliated with Montana State University - Bozeman, Montana State University in Bozeman, and now also, the Smithsonian Institution. The museum is largely known for its Paleontology, ...

in Bozeman Montana from 2017 until 2021. Atwater has worked for the

United States Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), founded as the Geological Survey, is an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior whose work spans the disciplines of biology, geography, geology, and hydrology. The agency was founded on Mar ...

as a Curator and Museum Specialist for the Geologic Materials Repository. Atwater has worked for Sternberg Museum Science Camps as an instructor. Atwater is the author of the popular children's book ''The Fossil Keeper's Treasure'' in collaboration with illustrator Natalia Cardozo, published by Magic Cat Publishing.

Media and podcasts

Atwater has had many media appearances as an author, paleontologist and science communicator, which include being featured in video and television appearances for

C-SPAN Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network (C-SPAN ) is an American Cable television in the United States, cable and Satellite television in the United States, satellite television network, created in 1979 by the cable television industry as a Non ...

, PBS - EONS,

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is the Canadian Public broadcasting, public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a Crown corporation that serves as the national public broadcaster, with its E ...

and local programing. Atwater has a portrait featured in the Bearded Lady Project museum exhibit and book. Atwater has been interviewed as a paleontologist and science communicator for many podcasts and web series. Atwater has been feature in ''The Colorado Magazine'', ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', and ''Huffington Post''. Atwater has written articles for the

Geological Society of America The Geological Society of America (GSA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of the geosciences. History The society was founded in Ithaca, New York, in 1888 by Alexander Winchell, John J. Stevenson, Charles H. Hi ...

, Palaeo-Electronica, and the National Park Service.

Selected works

* ''The Fossil Keeper's Treasure'' (illustrator, Natalia Cardozo), Magic Cat Publishing

References

Year of birth missing (living people) Living people American women podcasters {{Improve categories, date=February 2025