Aussie STEM Stars: John Long

Age range 9+

Aussie STEM Stars: John Long by Danielle Clode explores the life and work of John Albert Long, an esteemed Australian palaeontologist. Currently, he is a Strategic Professor in Palaeontology at Flinders University in Adelaide, South Australia. He has also served as the Vice President of Research and Collections at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and is the author of several popular science books.

John Long's main research focus is on the fossil fish of the Late Devonian Gogo Formation from northern Western Australia. His work in this area has led to significant discoveries regarding fish evolution, including the notable fossils Gogonasus and Materpiscis. The latter has been pivotal to our understanding of the origins of vertebrate reproduction.

John's passion for fossil collecting began at the age of 7. He pursued this interest academically, graduating with a PhD from Monash University in 1984, specialising in Palaeozoic fish evolution. His academic journey included postdoctoral positions at the Australian National University, The University of Western Australia, and The University of Tasmania. He later became the Curator in Vertebrate Palaeontology at the Western Australian Museum and served as Head of Sciences at Museum Victoria.