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Faculty Experts
Associate Professor, Department of Biodiversity, Earth & Environmental Science, Associate Curator of Vertebrate Zoology, Vice President for Systematic Biology and the Library, Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University
The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University and College of Arts and Sciences
Expertise:
biology
environmental science
paleontology
Contact:
edward.b.daeschler@drexel.edu
215.299.1133
For news media inquiries, contact Emily Storz at els332@drexel.edu, 215.895.2705 (office) or 609.351.3592 (cell).
Seen a Bear in the Neighborhood Lately? Quarantine Life May be Attracting Them
Ted Daeschler, PhD, curator of Vertebrate Zoology at the Academy of Natural Sciences and a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was interviewed in a KYW Newsradio (1060-AM) segment about the prevalence of bears as quarantine quiets down many neighborhoods.
Cape May Diamonds: The Legend (And the Facts) About the Jersey Shore Gems
Ted Daeschler, PhD, curator of Vertebrate Zoology at the Academy of Natural Sciences and a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences was quoted in an Aug. 15 Penn Live article about the rarity of Cape May “diamonds.”
How to not Get Frostbite, Hypothermia When the Weather is Freezing
Ted Daeschler, PhD, curator of Vertebrate Zoology at the Academy of Natural Sciences and a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences was quoted in a Jan 31 Philly.com article about how not to get frostbite.
DelVal Professor Publishes Paper on New Species of Ancient Aquatic Predator; Fanged, Torpedo-Shaped Fish Would Have Been up to Six Feel Long
Ted Daeschler, PhD, curator of Vertebrate Zoology at the Academy of Natural Sciences and a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in an Aug. 2 Bucks Local News story about a prehistoric fish he named with Jason Downs, PhD, an Academy researcher.
The Wiring for Walking Developed Long Before Fish Left the Sea
Ted Daeschler, PhD, vice president of Collections and the Library at the Academy of Natural Sciences and a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in a Feb. 8 Science News story on a study looking into how ancient fish evolved the brain circuitry that led to walking on land.
'Radio Times' — Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Fish
Ted Daeschler, PhD, vice president of Collections at the Library of the Academy of Natural Sciences and a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was interviewed on WHYY-Radio (91-FM)'s "Radio Times" to discuss his work in paleontology, including his trip to Antarctica over the winter. Academy scientist Kenneth Lacovara, PhD, was on the show with Daeschler.
Palaeocast: Late Devonian Vertebrates
Ted Daeschler, PhD, vice president of Collections at the Library of the Academy of Natural Sciences and a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was interviewed for a paleontology-focused podcast, Palaeocast, that was released on Aug. 1. Daeschler discussed his work finding Late Devonian period fossils.
Philly Museum's Fossil Surgeon Reveals Ancient Past
Fred Mullison, fossil preparator at the Academy of Natural Sciences, was featured in a May 19 Philadelphia Inquirer story on his work. Ted Daeschler, PhD, vice president of Collections and the Library of the Academy and professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was also quoted in the piece.
Philly Fossil Hunter Treks to End of Earth in Search of Fish
Ted Daeschler, PhD, vice president of Collections and the Library of the Academy of Natural Sciences and a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in a Jan. 11 Philadelphia Inquirer story about his fossil-hunting expedition to Antarctica.
Philly Scientists Find Prehistoric Armored Fish 'Like a Tank'
Jason Downs, PhD, a research associate at the Academy of Natural Sciences, and Ted Daeschler, PhD, vice president of Collections and the Library of the Academy and a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, were both quoted in a Nov. 3 Philadelphia Inquirer story about the discovery of a new, extinct species of armored fish called B. rex.
Similarities Found Between How Ancient and Modern Fish Survived Youth
Ted Daeschler, PhD, vice president of Collections at the Library of the Academy of Natural Sciences, was quoted in an Oct. 7 Heritage Daily story about the unique discovery of an ancient nursery shared by many different, extinct armored fish species in what is now Belgium.
Will Teenage Tetrapods Change the Story of Leap from Sea to Land?
Ted Daeschler, PhD, associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences and vice president of the Academy of Natural Sciences, was quoted in a Sept. 8 Christian Science Monitor story about fossils of juvenile animals found in Greenland that could help explain the evolutionary jump from the sea to land.
Did Early Land Animals Get a Leg Up By Using Their Tails?
Ted Daeschler, PhD, associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences and associate curator of vertebrate zoology at the Academy of Natural Sciences, was quoted in a July 8 Christian Science Monitor story about how vertebrates became terrestrial animals.
Why Don't Fish Have Necks?
Ted Daeschler, PhD, associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences and associate curator of Vertebrate Biology in the Academy of Natural Sciences, was quoted in a Live Science article April 18 exploring why fish evolved to not have necks.
New Discovery Means P.E.I. Fossil Name Could Change
Ted Daeschler, PhD, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences and vice president of collections at the Academy of Natural Sciences, was quoted in Nov. 26 Guardian and Truro Daily News stories about a dinosaur fossil from the Academy that raised new questions about fossils discovered on Prince Edward Island more than 150 years ago.
Success as a Sweet Antidote for Failure
Ted Daeschler, PhD, vice president for collections at the Academy of Natural Sciences and associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, read an audio essay on WHYY radio’s “The Pulse” on July 27 about the process of discovering the fish fossil Tiktaalik roseae.
Fossil Fragments Reveal Enormous Ancient Turtle
Ted Daeschler, PhD, vice president at the Academy of Natural Sciences and associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in a contributed article on LiveScience.com on May 19 about the discovery announced last year of the missing half of a large fossil sea turtle limb.
Dual Roles at the Academy
Ted Daeschler, PhD, an associate professor in the College of Arts & Sciences and vice president for collections at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, was profiled in a Philadelphia Business Journal article on Nov. 21 about playing multiple roles following Academy’s merger with Drexel three years ago.
Your Inner Fish
Ted Daeschler, PhD, vice president for collections and associate curator of vertebrate zoology in the Academy of Natural Sciences, and an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was featured on “Your Inner Fish” on PBS on April 9 for his research discovering Devonian fish fossils including Tiktaalik roseae.
Link to video (part 2)
What Fish Teach Us About Us
Ted Daeschler, PhD, associate vice president for collections and associate curator of vertebrate zoology at the Academy of Natural Sciences and associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was mentioned in a New York Times interview of Neil Shubin for his role in co-discovering Tiktaalik roseae with Shubin, who hosts the documentary “Your Inner Fish” on PBS airing April 9.
Missing Half of Fossil Shows that Prehistoric Sea Turtle Was 3 Meters Long
Continuing coverage of a turtle fossil bone assembled after discoveries centuries apart appeared on March 26 in Scientific American and the Huffington Post. Ted Daeschler, PhD, associate curator of vertebrate zoology and associate vice president for collections at the Academy of Natural Sciences, and associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was featured in the stories.
Turtle bone found in 1800s had been missing its other half -- till now
Additional stories on March 25 and 26 featured Ted Daeschler, PhD, associate curator of vertebrate zoology and vice president for collections at the Academy of Natural Sciences and an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, for his role in identifying that a partial turtle bone fossil found by an amateur paleontologist in 2012 was the missing half of a fossil bone held in the Academy’s collections since at least 1849. Stories ran in the Los Angeles Times, FoxNews.com, The Daily Mail, Christian Science Monitor, Yahoo! News, International Business Times, CBC radio (Canada) and WAMU-FM (Washington, D.C.).
Monster turtle fossils re-united
Ted Daeschler, PhD, associate curator of vertebrate zoology and vice president for collections at the Academy of Natural Sciences and associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in stories on March 25 about a discovery with the New Jersey State Museum that a fossil turtle bone found in 2012 was the missing half of a bone in the Academy’s collections since 1849 or earlier. Stories ran in the Philadelphia Inquirer, BBC News, WHYY/Newsworks, LiveScience and The Verge.
On the Boards
Ted Daeschler, PhD, vice president for collections and associate curator of vertebrate zoology at the Academy of Natural Sciences, and an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was mentioned in The Philadelphia Inquirer’s “On the Boards” section March 10 for his appointment to the board of the Nature Conservancy Pennsylvania nonprofit organization.
Discovery fills gap in fossil record between fins, limbs
Ted Daeschler, PhD, vice president for collections and associate curator of vertebrate zoology at the Academy of Natural Sciences, and an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was interviewed on “The Pulse” on WHYY-FM on Jan. 24 about his recent discovery about the transition from fins to limbs in vertebrate evolution.
How Fins Gave Way to Feet
Ted Daeschler, PhD, vice president for collections and associate curator of vertebrate zoology at the Academy of Natural Sciences and an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was interviewed on “Science Friday” on NPR on Jan. 17 about the fossil fish species Tiktaalik roseae and new discoveries about the transition from finned to limbed animals.
Fossil reveals transition from fins to feet
Additional coverage continued to appear on Jan. 14 of a study co-led by Ted Daeschler, PhD, vice president for collections and associate curator, showing that the rear fins of the transitional fish fossil Tiktaalik were more robust than previously assumed, suggesting that hind fins became involved in locomotion earlier than once believe. Outlets included Reuters, AFP and History.com.
An Ancient Fish’s Four-Wheel Drive
Ted Daeschler, PhD, a vice president and associate curator of vertebrate zoology at the Academy of Natural Sciences and associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in multiple stories on Jan. 13 and Jan. 14 about his contribution to a discovery of fossil fish pelves that challenge previous theories about the transition from swimming to walking in vertebrates. Coverage appeared in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, BBC News, Boston Globe, Discovery News and other outlets.
25 Years of Fossil Collecting Yields Clearest Picture Yet of Extinct 12-Foot Aquatic Predator
More than two decades of exploration at a Pennsylvania fossil site have given Academy of Natural Sciences paleontologists their best idea of how a giant, prehistoric predator would have looked and behaved.
Fossils Fuel This Student’s Attraction to the Academy
Kevin Sievers has been coming to the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University since he was a little kid to learn about the ancient animal history on display. Now, as a Drexel student, he gets to work there.
A New ‘King’ — New, Gigantic, Ancient Armored Fish Discovered
In the Arctic, a team that included scientists from the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University found fossils of a giant new species of extinct armored fish that they named Bothriolepis rex — the new king of Bothriolepis.
‘Nursery’ Discovered in Belgium Provides Insight into Prehistoric Fish Life
The discovery of a group of young, prehistoric fish fossils provides some insights into the extinct creatures’ lives — and how fish today might be similar to them.
Drexel Experts Available to Comment on Democratic National Convention
As Philadelphia prepares to host what is likely to be one of the largest and most historically significant Democratic National Conventions, Drexel experts are available to comment on issues ranging from the logistics of putting together the massive gathering and its historical significance, as well as addressing the biggest political issues that will face presumptive nominee Hillary Clinton.
A Dimetrodon By Any Other Name
A unique fossil in the Academy of Natural Science of Drexel University’s collection continues to fuel important paleontological discoveries more than a century after it came into to the museum.
Spanning the Globe: Drexel Research Reaches Around the World in 2014
Where in the world have Drexel professors conducted research in 2014? The answer: all seven continents.
Can Insects Be Art? In Exhibit Coming to the Academy, They Are
For some people, the idea of playing with insects may not sound too appealing. But for Christopher Marley, insects are a vibrant artistic medium.
Drexel Faculty, Students Among Nominees For 2014 Philadelphia Geek Awards
The annual Philadelphia Geek Awards have once again recognized the work of Drexel University’s faculty and students as some of the best examples of the city’s vibrant geek community over the past year.
Two Fossils From Same Bone, Discovered 162 Years Apart, Fit Together 'Like Puzzle Pieces'
To the surprise of paleontologists from the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University and the New Jersey State Museum, two halves of a turtle bone, discovered 162 years apart, fit together perfectly. The discovery provides new insight into one of the largest turtle species that ever lived.
Fossil Find Shows Fish Hips Grew Strong Before Life's First Steps
The discovery of new fossil materials from the ancient fish species Tiktaalik roseae has revealed a key link in the evolution of hind limbs. The newly described, well-preserved pelves and partial pelvic fin from this 375 million-year-old transitional species between fish and the first legged animals, reveals that the evolution of hind legs actually began as enhanced hind fins, contrary to the existing theory that large hind legs developed after vertebrates transitioned to land.
Fossil Fish Brings Broader Understanding of 'Fish-Eat-Fish' World
Scientists from the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University have described another new lobe-finned fossil fish species from the same time and place in the Canadian Arctic as the famous precursor to limbed animals, Tiktaalik roseae, which they discovered several years ago.