Chancellor's STEM Speaker Series with Julie Meachen

Join Julie Meachen, Ph.D., vertebrate paleontologist, for our first in-person STEM Speaker Series event in two years!

Domestic dogs are man’s best friend and humans have a special place in their heart for these loyal, fuzzy beasts. But what about the wild dog species? The dogs that are closely and distantly related to our favorite companions? In this talk we will explore the world of canids (dogs) over the last 60,000 years in North America. We will explore the life and times of a 57,000-year-old wolf pup who was mummified in the permafrost of the Yukon, and what her life was like in the last Ice Age. We will also discuss the (real!) enigmatic dire wolves of Game of Thrones fame, who they were related to, and what they might have looked like. Finally, we will explore a group of Gray wolf relatives that were found in Natural Trap Cave, Wyoming from 50,000 years ago to the end of the last Ice Age, approximately 12,000 years ago, and what makes them unique.

Meachen earned her Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary biology from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2008.

The Chancellor’s STEM Speaker Series began in 2014 with a goal of communicating science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) research to all West Virginians. This event is supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation and is free to registered guests. 

We strongly encourage all attendees to wear a face mask throughout the event, regardless of vaccination status, to lessen the risk of unknowingly spreading COVID-19.

Host or Publisher STaR Division: Science, Technology & Research