About Anthony J. Martin

Anthony (Tony) J. Martin is a paleontologist and geologist who specializes in ichnology, which is the study of modern and ancient traces, such as tracks, trails, burrows, and nests. He is a Professor of Practice in the Department of Environmental Sciences at Emory University (Atlanta, Georgia), where he has taught a variety of courses in geology, paleontology, and the environmental sciences for more than 30 years.

Dr. Martin’s books are mostly based on his field experiences in more than 30 states of the U.S. (including Alaska and Hawaii) and more than a dozen countries. His fossil discoveries have been reported by The New York Times, Newsweek, the BBC, National Geographic News, Smithsonian Magazine, and Wired, and he is frequently quoted in mainstream news articles about paleontology. In 2015, in recognition of his significant contributions to ichnology and paleontology, he was elected as a Fellow in The Explorers Club and a Fellow in the Geological Society of America.

Martin’s latest book is Life Sculpted (2023, University of Chicago Press), which tells the stories of how life evolved to break down rocks, shells, wood, and bones. Before Life Sculpted, Martin wrote Tracking the Golden Isles (2020, University of Georgia Press), a series of essays that show how the tracks, burrows, and other traces relate to the intertwined natural and human histories of the Georgia coast. Other popular books of Martin’s are The Evolution Underground (2017, Pegasus Books), which explores burrowing animals through time, and Dinosaurs Without Bones (2014, Pegasus Books), a lively and in-depth look at dinosaur tracks, nests, burrows, feces, and other trace fossils.

Before these books, Martin wrote Life Traces of the Georgia Coast (2013, Indiana University Press), a comprehensive guide to the plant and animal traces of the world-famous Georgia barrier islands suitable for both avocational and professional naturalists. Additional books include two editions of a popular college textbook, Introduction to the Study of Dinosaurs (2006, Wiley), a field guidebook, Trace Fossils of San Salvador(2006, Gerace Research Centre, Bahamas), and a bilingual (Spanish and English) book for teenagers, El Dinosaurio Que Excavó Su Madriguera [The Dinosaur that Dug Its Burrow] (2009, Fundación Conjunto Paleontológico de Teruel-Dinópolis).

Martin’s writing is not just literary. He also scripted and performed lectures in a DVD/online course on evolution and the fossil record, titled Major Transitions in Evolution (2010, The Great Courses), and a Coursera course, Extinctions: Part, Present, and Future. As an artistically inclined scientist, he draws his own illustrations, which are in Life Sculpted, The Evolution Underground, Dinosaurs Without Bones, and Life Traces of the Georgia Coast.

In Martin’s spare time, he is an avid reader of fiction and nonfiction, and enjoys drawing, cooking, biking, and hiking. He lives in Decatur, Georgia with his wife, Ruth, where they serve as amiable staff for two rambunctious felines, Tao and Sapelo. You can follow Martin on Bluesky (@ichnologist.bsky.social), Twitter (@Ichnologist), and Instagram (@ichnologist).