Research Academy - Kansas (returners only)

Research Academy Kansas invites students to step into the world of scientific discovery through hands-on paleontological research at the Sternberg Museum of Natural History. Led by UC Berkeley mammal carnivore researcher Emily Bogner, this camp centers on real scientific datasets, analytical methods, and the investigative process that drives modern paleontology. Students will work with Emily’s extensive 3D dataset of skeletal elements from 44 living carnivoran species along with scans from extinct members of the group, including the bone-crushing dog Borophagus. Campers will learn to read scientific papers, master anatomical terminology, identify functional traits, and build research questions just as professional scientists do. Using the free software 3D Slicer, participants will landmark skulls and limb bones, perform geometric morphometric analyses, and take linear measurements to explore how bone form relates to locomotion, feeding, and ecology.