Daniela Barrera Guevara
A new bonebed of juvenile horned dinosaurs from the Cerro del Pueblo Formation of the Late Cretaceous of Coahuila, Mexico
B.S. Geoscience
Daniela is a Spring 2025 Student Project Award Recipient.
The Cerro del Pueblo Formation is a geological formation known for being one of the most southern dinosaur-bearing units from North America, roughly dating to the Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous. The formation is perhaps best known for the numerous dinosaur fossils found in this unit. Recently, revealed that it did not actually derive from these rocks. This reduced our understanding of dinosaurs from the Cerro del Pueblo Formation, and horned dinosaurs in general.
My current project aims to provide a detailed osteological description and discussion of new horned dinosaur material described for the region in over two decades. The completed work of this project throughout the semester will consist of the geological and anatomical research, writing of the article, creation of figures, visualization and elaboration of rigorous scientific illustrations and reference compilation. To-date my project has culminated in a 36 page –unformatted– manuscript with roughly eight thousand words and seventy seven references.
How is your project going so far this semester?
Throughout the semester I have been working on the description and publication of new horned dinosaur remains from Mexico. I have dedicated many hours to writing the bulk of the manuscript, from writing detailed descriptions of the skull bones, changes within horned dinosaurs as they grew up, to discussing biogeographic implications of these new findings. I have also been using my skills as a scientific illustrator and digital artist to illustrate the material and make figures for it. In the manuscript I'm describing the first certifiable horned dinosaur remains for the geological unit of the Cerro del Pueblo Formation of Northeastern Mexico. The manuscript is currently under review by my coauthors and is soon to be submitted to a journal for publication!
How did you find out about URSA and what encouraged you to submit an application for funding?
One of the main drivers of wanting to attend the University of ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ Fairbanks was the support and opportunities provided for undergraduate research! I knew several research colleagues and friends who attended the University of ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ Fairbanks who praised undergraduate research support. I was able to meet Dr. Patrick Druckenmiller from University of ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ’s Museum of the North at a paleontology conference down in Montana, who encouraged me to come visit. When visiting, I spoke with another student involved in paleontological undergraduate research, Xochitl Muñoz. They highly praised URSA and encouraged me to submit an application for funding. And here we are now!
How does your URSA project relate to your career or personal goals?
I have always been interested in dinosaurs, their evolution and biogeography. I have been previously involved in some dinosaur research efforts, publishing on egg-thief dinosaurs (Oviraptorosaurs), horned dinosaurs (Ceratopsids) and even Tyrannosaurs. This current project is a continuation of a previous project reexamining horned dinosaur remains from Mexico found in the past few decades. I am really lucky to be able to continue my research efforts with ample support. Recently, thanks to an URSA Travel Award, I was able to attend the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology and present my most current work describing and discussing these new horned dinosaur remains from Mexico with many other paleontologists. My personal career goals are to continue my career in paleontology as a researcher and eventually as a professor or museum professional. This URSA project has helped me network with professionals and other starting career dinosaur paleontologists, getting my work out there in the field!
If you could share one piece of advice with students interested in pursuing URSA in the future, what would you say?
For other students interested in pursuing an URSA project in the future, I would advise sharing your knowledge and speaking with professors and mentors about your research interests and ideas! You really never know where it might lead. Show and demonstrate enthusiasm and passion for your project and related topics. It’s all about how much effort you put into them, the opportunities are all there, it's up to you to make the most out of it! Professors, graduate students and researchers value all the help and enthusiasm they can get, and are eager to help and support early career researchers and students that show interest.
