John Long: The life of a fossil hunter

Australian palaeontologist Professor John Long has spent a lifetime expanding knowledge of ancient animals, especially fishes from the Devonian age, about 400 million years ago. He’s worked around the world and made ground-breaking discoveries that have contributed to understanding of how reproduction evolved, and the reasons behind global mass extinctions.

He’s written more than 20 popular science books, and now finds himself not the author, but the subject, of a new book: the latest volume in the “Aussie STEM Stars” series.

We asked the book’s author – and Cosmos contributor – Dr Danielle Clode to talk to John about his life, work, and most interesting discoveries.

Please login to favourite this article.