Thatâs why James Farlow finds it remarkable that three noted paleontologists have called Auburn home. The first, the late James âDickâ Beerbower, grew up in Auburn and wrote an influential textbook on the field, published in 1960. Farlow moved from his native Huntington to Auburn when he took a position teaching geology at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne and became a nationally recognized expert on dinosaur footprints. Farlow met Beerbower once in person and corresponded with him several times. However, Farlow had a much more direct relationship with the cityâs third paleontologist. Auburn native Daniel Brinkman studied under Farlow at IPFW and became the only one of Farlowâs geology students to follow his mentorâs tracks to a career in vertebrate paleontology.