All aboard for the Earth@Home Science Road Trip!

The Paleontological Research Institution (PRI) presents the Earth@Home Science Road Trip! The Science Road Trip is an Earth science-based virtual tour of the United States using resources from Earth@Home. On the Science Road Trip we are exploring each region of the US, to create a geological road map of the place where you live.

Meet Gilbert D. Snail

With a degree from Cornell University, and years of foot-on-the-ground experience, our trusted field scientist, Professor Gilbert D. Snail, will guide us state-by-state on the Science Road Trip. Professor Gilbert D. Snail will be your guide to the Earth science for the state where you live using free resources available on Earth@Home.

Cool destinations, trivia, & more!

Each week Gilbert will share his discoveries in each state he travels to on social media, including must-see destinations for science road trippers, earth science trivia for each state, and more! Stay tuned each week to see if Gilbert visits your home state!

Ready to hit the road? Follow along on social media!

Follow along on social media each week to see where Gilbert visits! Updates will also be posted below each week. Ready, set, road trip!

Trivia Answers

Southwest U.S.

Utah

Utah's state gem is the November birthstone.

What is the state gem of Utah?

Utah's state gem is topaz - a hard, semiprecious gem that is found in Beaver, Juab, and Tooele counties.

Learn More

All aboard for the Earth@Home Science Road Trip!

Meet Gilbert D. Snail

Cool destinations, trivia, & more!

Ready to hit the road? Follow along on social media!

Trivia Answers

Southwest U.S.

Utah

Utah's state gem is the November birthstone. What is the state gem of Utah?

Utah's state gem is topaz - a hard, semiprecious gem that is found in Beaver, Juab, and Tooele counties.

Arizona

The state's lowest point in Arizona is only 72 feet above sea level. Do you know where that is?

The state’s lowest point is along the Colorado River near San Luis, which lies at only 22 meters (72 feet) above sea level.

Colorado

Colorado's state rock is Yule Marble and is found in the Yule Creek Valley. This white marble is composed of 99.5% what mineral? DolomiteCalciteSerpentine

Yule Marble is found in the Yule Creek Valley in the West Elk Mountains of Colorado.This white, crystalline marble is composed of 99.5% calcite.

New Mexico

Did you know my best friend is a dinosaur whose species just so happens to be the state fossil of New Mexico? What is the state fossil of New Mexico?

The official state fossil of New Mexico is the small, carnivorous, Triassic-aged dinosaur Coelophysis bauri.

South Central U.S.

Texas

As of 2009, the state fossil of Texas is the Cretaceous sauropod, Paluxysaurus jonesi. What was it before 2009?

In 1997, Texas formally designated Pleurocoelus as the official state dinosaur. Learn about why it changed at the button below.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma's state fossil, Saurophaganax maximus, is a theropod dinosaur from which geological period?

The Jurassic period!

Kansas

Kansas has two official state fossils, Tylosaurus & Pteranodon. Both are reptiles, but not dinosaurs. What are they?

Tylosaurus was a mosasaur, a large marine reptile. Pteranodon was a pterosaur, a type of flying reptile.

Missouri

Missouri's state fossil is sometimes referred to as a "sea lily" What is Missouri's state fossil?

It's a crinoid!

Arkansas

Arkansas state dinosaur, Arkansaurus fridayi, was a theropod. How many toes do theropods have?

3! Arkansaurus fridayi, was a small theropod (predatory dinosaur with three-toed feet) that was found in Early Cretaceous-aged rocks and was named the state dinosaur of Arkansas in 2017.

Louisiana

The lowest elevation in Louisiana is... A. 2 meters above sea level B. 2 meters below sea level C. Right at sea level

B! The state’s lowest point lies within the city of New Orleans, at 2 meters (6.5 feet) below sea level—a series of levees protect the city from being submerged.

Southeast U.S.

Mississippi

Mississippi's state rock is not a rock at all! This petrified, organic object was once able to grow over 50ft tall! Can you guess what it is?

Mississippi's state rock is petrified wood!

Alabama

Alabama's state fossil is Basilosaurus cetoides. What kind of ancient creature was this?

Basilosaurus was an ancient whale!

Florida

Despite having an incredible Cenozoic fossil record, Florida does not have an official state fossil! What do you think it should be?

Click the button below & tell us what you think it should be in the comments at the bottom of the page!

Georgia

Georgia's state mineral is a crystal sometimes used as a good luck charm, and is also known as "fairy stone." Can you guess what it is?

It's Staurolite!

South Carolina

South Carolina doesn't have a state mineral. What do you think it should be?

Click the button below & tell us what you think it should be in the comments at the bottom of the page!

North Carolina

North Carolina's state fossil, the famous "Megalodon" shark, was estimated to be how many times larger in length than the modern great white shark?

The Megalodon was estimated to be about 3x longer!

Tennessee

Tennessee's state rock is also the name of the town where Davy Crockett was born. Can you guess what it is?

Limestone!

Kentucky

Kentucky's state gem is formed when a sand grain makes its way inside the body of a bivalve mollusk. Can you guess what it is?

A Freshwater Pearl!

West Virginia

The state fossil of West Virginia is Megalonyx jeffersonii. What kind of extinct animal was this?

Megalonyx jeffersonii was a giant ground sloth that lived during the Pleistocene epoch!

Virginia

What is the state fossil of Virginia? Hint: It was named for Thomas Jefferson

Chesapecten jeffersonius, an extinct species of fossil scallop!

Gilbert's Destinations

Postcards from Gilbert

Science Road Trip Photo Submissions

Do you have photos from one of Gilbert's destinations?

Gilbert D. Snail's TV debut!

Utah's state gem is the November birthstone.

What is the state gem of Utah?

The state's lowest point in Arizona is only 72 feet above sea level.

Do you know where that is?

Colorado's state rock is Yule Marble and is found in the Yule Creek Valley.

This white marble is composed of 99.5% what mineral?
Dolomite
Calcite
Serpentine

Yule Marble is found in the Yule Creek Valley in the West Elk Mountains of Colorado.
This white, crystalline marble is composed of 99.5% calcite.

Did you know my best friend is a dinosaur whose species just so happens to be the state fossil of New Mexico?

What is the state fossil of New Mexico?

As of 2009, the state fossil of Texas is the Cretaceous sauropod, Paluxysaurus jonesi.

What was it before 2009?

Kansas has two official state fossils,
Tylosaurus & Pteranodon.

Both are reptiles, but not dinosaurs. What are they?

Tylosaurus was a mosasaur, a large marine reptile.
Pteranodon was a pterosaur, a type of flying reptile.

Missouri's state fossil is sometimes referred to as a "sea lily"

What is Missouri's state fossil?

Arkansas state dinosaur, Arkansaurus fridayi,
was a theropod.

How many toes do theropods have?

The lowest elevation in Louisiana is...

A. 2 meters above sea level
B. 2 meters below sea level
C. Right at sea level

Mississippi's state rock is not a rock at all! This petrified, organic object was once able to grow over 50ft tall!

Can you guess what it is?

Alabama's state fossil is
Basilosaurus cetoides.

What kind of ancient creature was this?

Despite having an incredible Cenozoic fossil record, Florida does not have an official state fossil!
What do you think it should be?

Georgia's state mineral is a crystal sometimes used as a good luck charm, and is also known as "fairy stone."
Can you guess what it is?

South Carolina doesn't have a state mineral.
What do you think it should be?

Tennessee's state rock is also the name of the town where Davy Crockett was born.
Can you guess what it is?

Kentucky's state gem is formed when a sand grain makes its way inside the body of a bivalve mollusk.
Can you guess what it is?

The state fossil of West Virginia is Megalonyx jeffersonii.
What kind of extinct animal was this?

What is the state fossil of Virginia?
Hint: It was named for Thomas Jefferson