If a day in the field is better than a day in the office, then Andrew Rindsberg has had a lot of good days. He chose geology as his field of study, specializing first in paleontology and later in ichnology, the science of tracks, trails, burrows, and other signs of living activity. Trace fossils are not only lively, but also present challenges and puzzles that dead skeletons lack. After graduating from Stanford University, Andy sought out ichno-masters Robert W. Frey (University of Georgia) and John E. Warme (Colorado School of Mines) to study under, working on trace fossils from intertidal to abyssal environments. At the Geological Survey of Alabama from 1989 to 2006, Andy put this expertise to work on rocks of many different ages, as well as other projects in paleontology, geologic mapping, hydrogeology, and marine geology – creating a versatility that since 2006 has been put to use teaching courses in geology, earth science, and natural history at The University of West Alabama. Andy is now engaged in the business of sharing good days with students, and all his courses include field trips.

BY 457 / BY 598 / EN 498 / EN 598 / HY Natural History of the Black Belt
BY 392/ GE 392 History of Life on Earth
BY 393 Paleontology
BY 404 Research Design and Data Analysis
ES 100 Introduction to Geology
ES 100 Introduction to Geology Lab
GE 370 Environmental Geology
EN 100 Environmental Science
EN 100L Environmental Science Lab

I am a paleontologist specializing on trace fossils – the tracks, trails, burrows and so on that indicate living activity without actually including the organisms that made them – and modern analogs to these structures.Other research interests include butterflies and family history.

Sumter County Blooms http://sumterblooms.blogspot.com/

Rindsberg, A. K., in press 2012, Ichnotaxonomy: finding patterns in a welter of information, in Knaust, D., and Bromley, R. G., eds., Trace Fossils as Indicators of Sedimentary Environments: Elsevier, Developments in Sedimentology, v. 64, p. 43-76.

Rindsberg, A. K., in preparation, Winnie McGlamery, Alabama’s “secret weapon” in the petroleum industry: to be submitted to Alabama Museum of Natural History Bulletin.

Rindsberg, A. K., and Kopaska-Merkel, D. C., in preparation, A new ichnospecies of Parafavreina in the Jurassic (Oxfordian) Smackover Formation of Alabama: to be submitted to Alabama Museum of Natural History Bulletin.

Rindsberg, A. K., and Martin, A. J., in preparation, The neoichnologic work of Kenneth Caster on horseshoe crabs: to be submitted to McIlroy, D., ed., Ichnia 2012 theme issue: Geological Association of Canada.

Rindsberg, A. K., and Knaust, D., eds., in preparation, Trace Fossils, part W of Selden, P., chief ed., Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology: Boulder, Colorado, Geological Society of America.

Rindsberg, A. K., and Martin, A. J., 2012, Caster’s plasters: Kenneth Caster’s neoichnologic experiments on limulids in the 1930s: Abstract Book, Ichnia 2012, the 3rd International Congress on Ichnology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Canada, p. 69.

Rindsberg, A.K., 2012, Winnie McGlamery (1877-1972), State Paleontologist of Alabama [abs.]: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 44, no. 4, p. 68. URL http://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2012SE/finalprogram/abstract_202467.htm

Rindsberg, A.K., and Herr, L.A., 2012a, Butterflies at the University of West Alabama: Livingston, University of West Alabama, Center for the Study of the Black Belt Leaflet no. 1.

Rindsberg, A.K., and Herr, L.A., 2012b, Butterflies on the University of West Alabama Nature Walks: Livingston, University of West Alabama, Center for the Study of the Black Belt Leaflet no. 2.

Rindsberg, A.K., and Herr, L.A., 2012c, Butterflies at the Black Belt Garden and the University of West Alabama campus: Livingston, University of West Alabama, Center for the Study of the Black Belt Leaflet no. 3.

Martin, A. J., and Rindsberg, A. K., 2011, Ichnological diagnosis of ancient storm washover fans, Yellow Banks Bluff, St. Catherines Island, Georgia (USA), in Thomas, D. H., ed., Geoarchaeology of St. Catherines Island, Georgia: Proceedings of the Fourth Caldwell Conference, St. Catherines Island, Georgia, March 27-29, 2009: Anthropological Papers of the American Museum of Natural History, no. 94, p. 113-127. URL http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/dspace/bitstream/handle/2246/6105/A094%20chapter%205.pdf?sequence=8

Uchman, A., Mikuláš, R., and Rindsberg, A. K., 2011, Mollusc trace fossils Ptychoplasma Fenton and Fenton, 1937 and Oravaichnium Plička and Uhrová, 1990: their type material and ichnospecies: Geobios, v. 44, no. 4, p. 387-397.

Rindsberg, A.K., and Martin, A.J., 2011, Ringgold Gap, Georgia: a classic locality for Ordovician and Silurian trace fossils [abs.]: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 43, no. 2, p. 13. URL
http://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2011SE/finalprogram/abstract_185813.htm

Kaminski, M.A., Uchman, A., and Rindsberg, A.K., 2010, Arthrodendron maguricum n.sp., a new larger agglutinated foraminifer from the Eocene Magura flysch of the Polish Carpathians and its relationship to komokiaceans and trace fossils: Journal of Paleontology, v. 84, no. 6, p. 1015-1021.

Martin, A.J., and Rindsberg, A.K., 2010, Neoichnology of storm-washover fans on the Georgia coast and its uses in paleoecology [abs.]: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 42, no. 1, p. 104. URL
http://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2010NE/finalprogram/abstract_169337.htm

Rindsberg, A.K., and Martin, A.J., 2010, The bioprint of burrowing Paleozoic arthropods [abs.]: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 42, no. 1, p. 105. URL http://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2010NE/finalprogram/abstract_169733.htm

Uchman, A., and Rindsberg, A.K., eds., 2010, Advances in marine ichnology: Proceedings of the Second International Congress on Ichnology, Cracow, Poland, 1-5 September 2008: Acta Geologica Polonica, v. 60, no. 1, p. 1-138.
URL http://agp.org.pl/table/abstracts/60-1.htm

Uchman, A., Rindsberg, A.K., 2010, Advances in marine ichnology – Foreword. Acta Geologica Polonica, v. 60, no. 1, p. 1-2. URL http://agp.org.pl/table/pdf/60-1/01uchman.pdf

Rindsberg, A. K., and Martin, A. J., 2012, Caster’s plasters: Kenneth Caster’s neoichnologic experiments on limulids in the 1930s: Ichnia 2012, the 3rd International Congress on Ichnology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Canada.

Rindsberg, A. K., 2012, Winnie McGlamery (1877-1972), State Paleontologist of Alabama: invited talk, Birmingham Paleontological Society, Hoover Public Library, Hoover, Alabama.

Rindsberg, A. K., 2012, Butterflies: University of West Alabama, Science Saturdays.

Rindsberg, A. K., 2012, Trace fossils of the Black Warrior Basin: the Steven C. Minkin Paleozoic Footprint Site: invited talk, Alabama Board of Licensure for Professional Geologists, First Annual Board Sponsored Continuing Education, Birmingham, Alabama.

Rindsberg, A. K., 2012, Winnie McGlamery (1877-1972), State Paleontologist of Alabama: Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Section of the Geological Society of America, Asheville, North Carolina.

Rindsberg, A. K., Kopaska-Merkel, D. C., and Lamb, J. P., leaders, Oct. 2010 and 2011, Fossils of the Black Belt: a Hands-on Fossil Workshop for Teachers.

Rindsberg, A. K., 2011, Ringgold Gap, Georgia: a classic locality for Ordovician and Silurian trace fossils: invited talk, Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Section of the Geological Society of America, Wilmington, North Carolina.

Rindsberg, A.K., and Martin, A. J., 2010, The bioprint of burrowing Paleozoic arthropods: Southeastern Section of the Geological Society of America, Baltimore, Maryland.

Herr, L. A., and Rindsberg, A. K., Jan.-Mar. 2012, Painted Wings: Southern Butterflies: photographic exhibition, University of West Alabama.

Buta, R.J., Rindsberg, A.K. & Kopaska-Merkel, D.C., eds., 2005, Pennsylvanian Footprints in the Black Warrior Basin of Alabama: Alabama Paleontological Society, Monograph no. 1, 392 pp. Contents: http://kudzu.astr.ua.edu/apsmono1/monointro.pdf

Interested in Independent Research on butterflies? Sign up for the UWA Butterfly Survey!

Center for the Study of the Black Belt http://www.centerforblackbelt.org/
National Association of Geoscience Teachers, SE Section http://facstaff.gpc.edu/~pgore/nagt/se-home.html
Life Traces of the Georgia Coast http://www.georgialifetraces.com/
Palaeontologia Electronica http://palaeo-electronica.org/
Alabama Paleontological Society http://www.alabamapaleo.org/Alabama_Paleontological_Society.html
Birmingham Paleontological Society http://bps-al.org/
Butterflies and Moths of North America http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/ North American Butterfly Association http://www.naba.org/