Stephen Godfrey grew up in the Province of Quebec, Canada, the middle of five children. He received his BSc in Biology from Bishop's University and completed his PhD at McGill University in paleontology. Stephen has worked at the Calvert Marine Museum, near the Chesapeake Bay, Maryland for nearly four years. He has four children.

I spoke with Stephen in Bozeman, Montana, at the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Meeting in October 2001, about how he came to combine his interests in sculpting and paleontology, and about what was involved in building the skeleton of Sarcosuchus.

Q: What is a typical day like for you at work in the museum?
A: Every day is different. I have the best job in the world because I get to work with fossils - find research, and interpret the nifty remains of extinct animals. Right now we're working a quarry that preserves fossil whale or dolphin remains. I also get involved in research for new paleo exhibits.

Q: How did you get interested in paleontology?
A: I was always fascinated with living creatures and their natural history. When I was a teenager I wanted to have my own natural history museum. So I made my own - we put up wooden shelves - and soon they were covered with minerals, fossils - I had pinecones from all over the world. I would even collect road kill, let the maggots finish them off and then I'd reconstruct the skeletons.

In addition to having an interest in natural history I liked art. In order to keep us from becoming a bother in church, my parents would allow us kids to bring plastercene and I'd sculpt tiny "cartoon" busts of the people around me - including the minister. While at college I took courses in pottery and I'd sell pottery in the summer to make money.

Stephen with Dimorphodon
Photo © Stephen Godfrey