GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Gear up for fossil fun at the Florida Museum of Natural History’s “Cruisin’ Deep Time” Talk and Book Signing on Thursday, Feb. 20, from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Alaskan artist Ray Troll and Sant Director of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History Kirk Johnson will present photographs, artwork and stories from their fossil-hunting travels across North America. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A with the audience and book signing.

people sitting by pile of dinosaur bones
Ray Troll and Kirk Johnson with dinosaur bones on the Colville River in Alaska. Photo courtesy of Pat Druckenmiller

“It’s hard not to be amazed by the extraordinary record of life that once roamed over the landscapes we live on, including extinct relatives of elephants, rhinos and sabertoothed cats right here in this part of Florida,” said Florida Museum curator of vertebrate paleontology Jon Bloch. “Together, Ray Troll and Kirk Johnson have bridged a gap between science and art that transforms our world of old bones into stories that stimulate the imagination of communities around the world.”

Florida Museum members can also sign up by Feb. 13 for early entry at 6 p.m. to enjoy snacks and meet the speakers before the talk begins.

Johnson and Troll have collaborated on three books, “Cruisin’ the Fossil Freeway,” “Cruisin’ the Fossil Coastline” and their brand-new title published last month, “Alaska Dinosaurs, Mammoths and More,” using their unique combination of science and art to inform and entertain readers about fossils around the country. They also contributed to the creation of the traveling exhibit “Cruisin’ the Fossil Freeway with artist Ray Troll and paleontologist Kirk Johnson,” that was on display at the Florida Museum in 2012.

Copies of “Cruisin’ the Fossil Freeway,” and “Alaska Dinosaurs, Mammoths and More” will be available for sale at the event, through The Lynx Books. The museum’s Collectors Shop will be open from 6 to 8:30 p.m. as well.

This is a FREE event, but pre-registration is requested.

For more information and to register, visit www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/event/cruisin-deep-time-talk-and-book-signing.

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Writer: Nikhil Srinivasan, nsrinivasan@flmnh.ufl.edu
Source: Jonathan Bloch, jbloch@flmnh.ufl.edu
Media contact: Kaitlin Gardiner, kgardiner@floridamuseum.ufl.edu