People at the AMNH

Natural History, Sept, 2005

Carl Mehling Fossil Amphibians, Reptiles, and Birds Collections Manager, Division of Paleontology

Carl Mehling remembers the date he found his first fossil: May 28, 1977. A family trip to Pennsylvania stopped at a Devonian coral reef site, and he's been hooked ever since.

Now, almost three decades later, Carl is in charge of the fossil amphibians, reps, and birds collections. He likens his role to that of a librarian--of fossils. He handles scientific loans, visitors, and public inquiries. "I think acting as a liaison to the public is an extremely important service. If we lose this connection, we simply become an ivory tower."

A native of Queens, Carl frequented the Museum as a child and into his teens. Even when he went away to college, he kept his goal of working at the Museum in mind: he majored in paleontology and art, and during breaks from school, volunteered at the Museum. "I combined paleontology and art with a mind to work in collections. There is an artistry to my job, to record-keeping, archiving, and appreciating the preservation of objects."

Carl has identified some spectacular finds, including a primitive bird fossil and a fossil walrus skull that was later donated to the Museum.