Do fossils and “high tech” go together? Curator of Geology Chris Sagebiel will explain how in “Fossils, Maps, and Satellites” at the San Bernardino County Museum on Sunday, August 14 at 2:00 p.m. The presentation is free with museum admission.

Sagebiel will discuss the use of Geographic Information Systems in paleontology to approach old problems with new methods. Using GPS (Global Positioning System) in the field and GIS software in the lab has allowed paleontologists to recreate an Ice Age southern California from old bones in just a few hours.

“This presentation will be an insider’s view of paleontology,” said Sagebiel. “A running theme throughout the upcoming Hall of Geological Wonders is the question, ‘how do we know?’ With GIS technology, I can walk people through a paleontologist's thought process from fossil discovery to rebuilding the ancient world. This talk and the upcoming hall will demonstrate not just what we know, but how we come by that knowledge.”

Chris Sagebiel is a graduate of the University of Texas, where he earned a Masters Degree in Geology with an emphasis on fossil mammals. After working with the Texas Memorial Museum, Texas Parks and Wildlife, and the Texas Archaeological Research Laboratory, he joined the staff at the San Bernardino County Museum as a collections manager in the geological sciences division and currently serves as the museum’s curator of geology. Sagebiel is pursuing a Ph.D. at the University of California, Riverside in the Graduate Group in Genetics, Genomics, and Bioinformatics, studying an array of extinct mammals from South America.

The San Bernardino County Museum is at the California Street exit from Interstate 10 in Redlands. The museum is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. General admission is $6 (adult), $5 (student or senior), and $4 (child aged 5 to 12). Children under five and Museum Association members are admitted free. Parking is free. For more information, visit www.sbcountymuseum.org or call (909) 307-2669 / TDD/TTY: (909) 792-1462.

The San Bernardino County Museum is accessible to persons with disabilities. If assistive listening devices or other auxiliary aids are needed in order to participate in museum exhibits or programs, requests should be made through Museum Visitor Services at least three business days prior to your visit. Visitor Services’ telephone number is (909) 307-2669 ext. 229 / TDD/TTY: (909) 792-1462.