I want to thank you for your membership and ongoing support of SVP, and encourage you to renew your SVP membership for 2008-09. Renewing your membership ensures that you'll continue to have access to the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology (JVP) and to enjoy lower member registration rates to SVP events. Also, your prompt renewal helps us spend less on administration and more on programs and services for our members.

Here are some of SVP's achievements for the current membership year. SVP now has over 2,300 members from 52 countries. We have initiated the first SVP-sponsored Field Conference to occur August 5-7 in the Hanna Basin, Wyoming. The SVP Web site includes a timely SVP news area, with archived copies of all e-mail blasts. All of the back issues of the JVP will soon become available to SVP members free, through a Web link on the Members-only web page to JSTOR and BioOne.

Coming attractions include a climate forum for SVP members and the public at the Cleveland SVP meeting, the first overseas annual meeting in Bristol, England in September 2009, increased support for student travel to the Bristol meeting, a new program to provide opportunities for scientists from developing countries to attend the annual SVP meeting (starting with the 2009 meeting), and creation of a DVD about SVP that highlights our society, our members, and our annual meeting. (The rough cut, viewed in early June, is terrific!)

This year, we have an IMPORTANT MEMBERSHIP YEAR CHANGE! SVP's normal membership year has been October 1 through September 30. The Business Office and Executive Committee have decided that SVP will benefit from a membership year that coincides with the calendar year, and that transition begins this fall. In order to move to a calendar year, (January 1 through December 31), SVP must have a 15-month year from October 1, 2008 through December 31, 2009. Dues have been pro-rated for this 15-month year. With regard to the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology (JVP), subscribing members will receive five (5) issues of the JVP during this 15-month membership year.

I also request that you consider making an additional contribution to one or more of our program and scholarship funds that are listed on the online member renewal form. By making a contribution to one of SVP's funds, you're helping to ensure a strong future for vertebrate paleontology. If you make a donation of $145 or more (in addition to regular member dues of $140), you will be recognized in a special member category. Your gift will be acknowledged in the SVP News Bulletin, in the third 2008 issue of the JVP, and in signage at the 2008 annual meeting.

NEW! SVP has instituted a new Vertebrate Paleontology Education and Research Fund that will be used to support new and continuing educational and research programs with broad benefits for the society. This fund conforms will provide resources to support the best new ideas that come along.

Your continued membership with SVP benefits each of us with an array of scientific, professional and career resources. Thank you.


Sincerely,

Catherine Badgley
President, SVP

To renew your SVP membership for 2008-2009, follow these instructions:

1) Go to the SVP Web site and log in to the Members' Only Area.

2) Once logged in, look for the link at the left side that says "Dues Reminder." This should appear just below the "Edit Password" link. If you do not see the "Dues Reminder" link, it means you are not logged in, or your dues have already been paid.

3) Click on the "Dues Reminder" link. After you have read through the introduction page, you must agree to the Ethics Statement clause to proceed to the renewal form.

4) On the dues renewal form, we have set up the mandatory dues, which must be checked, along with the optional donation categories. Each donation category can be checked/selected if you wish to make a contribution. If you choose to make a donation to a fund, there is a suggested minimum contribution amount of $10.00 USD. With each donation, the total price displayed at the bottom of the list of items will increase.

5) If you have any questions, you can call the SVP business office at 847/480-9095, or e-mail us at svp@vertpaleo.org.

• SVP is changing to a CALENDAR membership year (January 1 through December 31). SVP's normal membership year is October 1 through September 30.
• In order to move to a calendar year, SVP must have a, one-time, 15 month year: October 1, 2008   through December 31, 2009.
• Your dues have been prorated for this 15 month year. There have been NO INCREASES for dues  assessed for this 15 month year (in most instances, SVP has discounted the dues).
• Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology (JVP) — subscribing members will receive five (5) issues of the JVP  during this 15 month year: JVP28(4) through JVP29(4).   Then, starting in 2010, all Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology (JVP) — subscribing members will be receiving a complete volume of the JVP each membership year (issues 1 - 4 inclusive).

We encourage all SVP members to discuss ethical concerns amongst themselves. In this particular case, however, private correspondence was made public without the permission of either sender or recipient, which put the ethics education committee in a difficult position. As public discussion increased and involved more people, so did the chance that members of the Ethics Education or Executive Committees would be placed in an inadvertent (and avoidable) conflict of interest and be forced to limit their involvement in the case. Care must be taken to ensure that "open communication" does not derail efforts to remain comprehensive and impartial.

If students or others continue to have concerns over our statements and their intent, we recommend that that they organize a faculty-student discussion seminar that focuses on our posted statements and the National Academy document (On Being a Scientist). Face-to-face discussion is often the best way to resolve misunderstandings and ambiguities.

To read a free copy of, On Being a Scientist, through the National Academies Press, click here.

In the latest issue of the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, Chris Sidor of the University of Washington and his colleagues Molly Miller of Vanderbilt University and John Isbell of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee report the discovery of a number of fossilized burrows of land-living animals in Antarctica and paint a picture of an ice-free world. The first type of burrow was found in the Beardmore Glacier region, approximately 400 miles from the South Pole. It is almost 250 million years old and resembles burrows known in South Africa of a similar age. The South African burrows have been found containing the fossilized skeleton of cat-sized mammal-like reptile called Thrinaxodon. The burrow from Antarctica “was probably made by the same type of animal,” commented Sidor. The second type of burrow is of a smaller variety and was discovered in an area known as Victoria Land. Again, comparison with similar burrows in South Africa provides clues to the original inhabitants of the burrow. Miller noted that they were probably made by “mole-sized reptiles known as procolophonids. But until we find the animal in the burrow we can’t be sure. It’s also possible that they were made by juveniles of larger animals.”

Isbell noted that 250-200 million years ago the world was a very different place and “as far as we can tell the poles remained ice free.” That is not to say that the winter months were balmy. The latest fossil finds from the polar regions certainly provide strong support for this view. “The burrows were probably important shelters for these animals,” added Sidor. The burrows and dens add to the important record of life that existed on Antarctica before the ice.

About the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology
Founded in 1940 by thirty-four paleontologists, the Society now has more than 2,000 members representing professionals, students, artists, preparators, and others interested in VP. It is organized exclusively for educational and scientific purposes, with the object of advancing the science of vertebrate paleontology.

Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology
The Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology (JVP) is the leading journal of professional vertebrate paleontology and the flagship publication of the Society. It was founded in 1980 by Dr. Jiri Zidek and publishes contributions on all aspects of vertebrate paleontology.

Illustration: Restoration of the Early Triassic mammal-like reptile Thrinaxodon emerging from its Antarctic den.   COPYRIGHT Jude Swales

CONTACTS:
Vince Stricherz
University of Washington
Tel: (206) 543-2580
Fax: (206) 685-0658
E-mail: vinces@u.washington.edu

Princine L. Lewis
Vanderbilt University
Senior Public Affairs Officer, News Service
Tel: (615) 343-7288
E-mail: princine.lewis@vanderbilt.edu

All SVP members in good standing, with voting rights, were emailed UNIQUE election passcodes, and the link to the SVP election site, on Thursday, June 5. Please contact the SVP business office at: svp@vertpaleo.org, or 847/480-9095, if you did not receive this email.

The 2008 Joint Meeting of The Geological Society of America, American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, Soil Science Society of America, Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies with the Gulf Coast Section of SEPM. Hosted by the Houston Geological Society

Registration deadline: Early Bird, 14 July 2008, Standard, 15 July thru 2 September 2008

Abstract deadline: 3 June 2008

For more information, visit http://www.geosociety.org/meetings/

On Wednesday, May 14, 2008 the House Committee on Natural Resources met in open markup session. One of the bills considered was the "Paleontological Resources Preservation Act" (HR 554 - McGovern MA). An amendment in the nature of a substitute to bring criminal penalties in line with the "Archaeological Resources Protection Act" (ARPA) was offered by Representative Grijalva (AZ) and was agreed to by voice vote. The bill was favorably reported to the House of Representatives, as amended, by voice vote. We are pleased of the current progress and the amended version of the bill as it extends the necessary protection of this valuable scientific resource.

SVP has worked for several years to pass this important legislation. I urge you to write your Representative today in support of HR 554. Letters carry more weight than e-mails, so it would be beneficial if you would go to the extra effort of sending a letter. Model letters can be found on the SVP Web site at: http://www.vertpaleo.org/education/government.cfm .

Your support letter will arrive faster if you fax it in addition to mailing the hard copy. If possible, please follow-up your letter with a phone call to speak with the legislative assistants in the offices of your congressional representatives who handle public lands and environmental issues.

You can find your Representatives addresses and phone/fax numbers at the following websites:

http://www3.capwiz.com/c-span/dbq/officials/directory/directory.dbq?command=congdir 

http://www.house.gov/

http://thomas.loc.gov/

I want to thank all of you in advance for contacting your Representatives in support of the "Paleontological Resources Preservation Act" (HR 554). The Government Affairs Committee will continue to monitor the bill's movement and will inform you of any progress.

Patrick Leiggi
Chair, Government Affairs Committee
The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology

How to know that your abstract has been successfully submitted:

-- The submitting author must agree to the terms on the "Sign-Off and Agreement" page (part of the online submission process).
-- Once the submitting author has agreed to the terms, the primary presenter/author will receive a confirmation e-mail that they are the primary presenter/author of a SUCCESSFULLY SUBMITTED abstract; and be given a final Abstract No.
NOTE: This is the second e-mail that the primary presenter/author should have received. The first e-mail was sent to the primary presenter/author when the abstract submission was first started. This first e-mail included the initial, unique Abstract ID, which is NOT the same as the final Abstract No. assigned, in the second e-mail, when the abstract has been completed and the terms on the "Sign-Off and Agreement" page have been agreed to.

NOTE: The submitting author may go back and edit their successfully submitted abstract as often as they wish while the submission site is open.

The deadline for submitting abstracts is in five days - Wednesday, May 21 at NOON Central Time Zone (USA).

View the complete Presentation/Abstract Guidelines.
Visit the Abstract Submission Site.

QUESTIONS? Contact the SVP Business Office at:
E-mail: svp@vertpaleo.org
Phone: (847) 480-9095 


APPLY FOR A JACKSON SCHOOL TRAVEL GRANT
Students: don't forget to submit and complete your application for a Jackson School of Geosciences Student Travel Grant.

The deadline is in five days - Wednesday, May 21 at NOON Central Time Zone (USA).

Read more about the grant.
Submit an application.

View the complete Presentation/Abstract Guidelines and visit the Abstract Submission Site.

ONLY ONE WEEK LEFT
Student Travel Grant Submission Deadline is May 21
The Jackson School of Geosciences Student Member Travel Grant submission deadline is Wednesday, May 21 at NOON, Central Time Zone (USA). The grants provide assistance for student member presenters to attend the SVP Annual Meeting.

To read more about the grant, click here.
To submit your application, click here.

Play Your Part in SVPs Evolution 
Contribute to the future of SVP by volunteering your time today. For a list and description of SVP committees, go to the SVP Committees Web page.

To let us know what committee(s) you are interested in log in to the Members' Only Section Home Page and look for the "Volunteer Your Time" heading.

Broadcast Emails Now Available on the SVP Web Site
Copies of SVP's broadcast e-mails are now housed in the SVP & Paleo News section of the SVP Web site. Choose "SVP Broadcast E-mails" from the "Categories" listing on the right side of the page.

For the 2008 – PaleoArt Poster Exhibit – SVP Cleveland
Wednesday, October 15, 2008, 7:00 to 10:00 p.m.


A call for paleoart submissions for the 2008 PaleoArt Poster Exhibit, to be held during the Welcome Reception for the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology 68th Annual Meeting, on Wednesday, October 15, 2008 from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. The PaleoArt Poster Exhibit is not affiliated with SVP. It is being presented through an arrangement by the 2008 PaleoArt Poster Committee with the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. This exhibit is meant to compliment the SVP meeting and offer an opportunity for paleoartists to expose the SVP community to the art of clarification, reconstruction and visualization required by the science of paleontology to re-create and enliven extinct flora and fauna. No prizes will be awarded.

- Patricia Kane-Vanni, Exhibit Organizer

2008 Theme: Any reproduced, non-photographic 2-D (or photos of 3-D) "reasonably scientifically accurate" renderings in black and white or color, of body, trace fossils, reconstructions or life restorations with a description of each reproduction. The reproductions may be any size, to fit into one 3 ½'w X 3'h poster-size space, two artists' posters to each full-size 3 ½'w X 6 ½'h vertical panel (12 panels in all). You may reproduce as many pieces/images as you wish onto your poster, but remember that fewer, larger images will have greater impact.

The submission deadline is midnight Eastern Time (USA), Sunday, September 14, 2008. All submitted work will be reviewed by the 2008 PaleoArt Poster Committee and will be a accepted into the show based on a variety of requirements, including technical skill and medium. The decision of the Committee is final.

Please go to: http://www.vertpaleo.org/meetings/paleo_art.cfm, or email Patti Kane-Vanni at: paleopatti@hotmail.com

The deadline for Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Awards that are submitted through the SVP Online Award Submission System is NOON Central Time Zone (USA), Monday, May 5.

*Other SVP Award Submission Deadlines: 
Romer Prize: Wednesday, May 21, through the SVP Online ABSTRACT Submission System.

Colbert Award: Wednesday, May 21, through the SVP Online ABSTRACT Submission System.
(formerly the Student Poster Prize)

NOTE: The Patterson Award closed in January and the Lanzendorf Award closed on April 18.

Click on the award title below for more information about each award and how to apply.

Edwin H. and Margaret M. Colbert Award
(Previously known as the Student Poster Prize)
The Edwin H. and Margaret M. Colbert Award recognizes an outstanding poster presentation by a student.
Current SVP membership required? Yes.
Application Deadline: May 21.

Richard Estes Memorial Grant
The Estes Grant is directed toward research in nonmammalian vertebrate paleontology, with emphasis on systematics, morphology, biogeography and paleoecology.
Current SVP membership required? Yes.
Application Deadline: May 5.

Joseph T. Gregory Award
The Gregory Award honors individuals who have given freely of their time and expertise in support of SVP. These individuals often work diligently behind the scenes. The Gregory Award gives us the opportunity to recognize these individuals and to thank them for their service in furthering the causes and goals of the Society. Please consider nominating a deserving individual for this important award.
Current membership in SVP is not required for nominees.
Nomination Deadline: May 5.

Honorary Membership Awards
In recognition of distinguished contributions to the discipline of vertebrate paleontology, SVP awards individuals with Honorary Membership. Honorary Members receive a lifetime, complimentary SVP membership.
Current membership in SVP is not required for nominees.
Nomination Deadline: May 5.

Jackson School of Geosciences Student Member Travel Grant
To encourage student members of SVP to participate in the SVP Annual Meeting, Jackson School of Geosciences Student Member Travel Grants provides assistance to cover the cost of attending the annual meeting. The grant is available to student members who are presenting oral or poster presentations.
Current SVP membership required? Yes
Application Deadline: May 5.

ALERT! Please submit your application for the travel grant even if you have not yet submitted your abstract (this will not disqualify your application). (The travel grant application - May 5 - occurs before abstract status notifications are sent.)

Predoctoral Fellowship Grant
The Predoctoral Fellowship Grant is intended to promote a professional career in vertebrate paleontology by allowing the recipient greater freedom to pursue research during the final stages of the doctoral program. The grant helps to fund this research.
Current SVP membership required? Yes.
Application Deadline: May 5.

Preparators' Grant
Now in its tenth year, the Preparator's Grant furthers the field of vertebrate paleontology through the advancement of preparation. YOU NEED NOT BE A PREPARATOR TO APPLY. Researchers, conservators, and technicians are encouraged to solicit funding for traineeships, improvement of mechanical, chemical, or digital materials or methods, and advancement of archivally sound preparation practices.
Current SVP membership required? Yes.
Application Deadline: May 5.

Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to contact committee co-chair Joseph Groenke (E-mail: jgroenke@notes.cc.sunsyb.edu; Phone: (631) 444-3171) prior to electronic submission.

Alfred Sherwood Romer Prize
The Alfred Sherwood Romer Prize recognizes an outstanding scientific contribution in vertebrate paleontology by a predoctoral student and is awarded on the basis of the scientific value of the study and the quality of the oral presentation.
Current SVP membership required? Yes.
Application Deadline: May 21.

A.S. Romer – G.G. Simpson Medal
The A.S. Romer - G.G. Simpson medal, the society's highest award, is awarded for sustained and outstanding scholarly excellence and service to the discipline of vertebrate paleontology.
Current Membership in SVP is not required for nominees.
Nomination Deadline: May 5.

Morris F. Skinner Award
The Morris F. Skinner Award honors outstanding and sustained contributions to scientific knowledge through the making of important collections of fossil vertebrates — it shall also be made to those persons who encourage, train or teach others toward the same pursuits.
Current Membership in SVP is not required for nominees.
Nomination Deadline: May 5.

New for 2008 awards:

• Applications and nominations for most* SVP awards will now be submitted using the new SVP Online Award Submission System.
• The prize amount for all SVP awards have been increased for 2008.
• The Student Poster Prize has been renamed the Edwin H. and Margaret M. Colbert Award.

* Awards not using the new SVP Online Award Submission System are the Colbert Award, the Lanzendorf PaleoArt Prize, the Patterson Memorial Grant, and the Romer Prize.  Link to the Web pages of these awards below for submission guidelines.

Click on any of the links below for more information about each award and to link to the SVP Online Award Submission System.
 
 
Edwin H. and Margaret M. Colbert Award
for best student poster
Note:  This award opens in mid-March.  Submissions will be accepted through the SVP Online Abstract Submission System.

Richard Estes Memorial Grant 
for graduate research in non-mammalian paleontology

Joseph T. Gregory Award 
for outstanding service to the welfare of the Society

Honorary Membership Award
for distinguished contribution to the field of vertebrate paleontology

Jackson School of Geosciences Student Member Travel Grants 
for traveling cost assistance to the SVP Annual Meeting for SVP Student Member Presenters

John J. Lanzendorf PaleoArt Prize 
for outstanding achievement in paleontological illustration and art
NOTE:  This award opened for submissions February 18, 2008.  Check the Web page for submission guidelines and instructions.

Bryan Patterson Memorial Grant 
 for student fieldwork in vertebrate paleontology
NOTE:  This award is closed for submissions.

Predoctoral Fellowship Grant  
to promote a professional career in vertebrate paleontology

Preparators' Grant 
to advance preparation and preparators

Alfred Sherwood Romer Prize 
for best student presentation
Note:  This award opens in mid-March.  Submissions will be accepted through the SVP Online Abstract Submission System.

A.S. Romer – G.G. Simpson Medal 
for lifetime achievement in the field of vertebrate paleontology

Morris F. Skinner Award 
for contributions to science through the collection of fossil vertebrates

SVP Abstract Submission Site Now OPEN!

The abstract submission site for the 68th Annual Meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology is open Tuesday, March 18, 2008 at NOON Central Time Zone (USA), through Wednesday, May 21, 2008 at NOON, Central Time Zone (USA).  All presentations/abstracts, including regular sessions, Romer Prize, the Edwin H. and Margaret M. Colbert Award (formerly the Student Poster Prize), Preparators' Session and all symposia presentations, must be submitted within this interval.  Late submissions will not be considered under any circumstances.

Complete Presentation/Abstract Guidelines are available on the SVP Web site.

A link to the Abstract Submission Site is reached through the SVP Web site. 

SVP Award Submission Site Open

As of Wednesday, March 5, 2008 at 2:00 p.m. Central Time Zone (USA), through Monday, May 5, 2008 at noon Central Time Zone (USA), applications and nominations for most* 2008 Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (SVP) awards can be submitted.

-Applications and nominations for most* SVP awards will now be submitted using the new SVP Online Award Submission System. 
-The prize amount for all SVP awards have been increased for 2008. 
-The Student Poster Prize has been renamed the Edwin H. and Margaret M. Colbert Award.

* Awards not using the new SVP Online Award Submission System are the Colbert Award, the Lanzendorf PaleoArt Prize, the Patterson Memorial Grant and the Romer Prize. 

Go to the SVP Award Page to find out more about the individual award guidelines and to link to the new SVP Online Awards Submission Site.

Society of Vertebrate Paleontology
111 Deer Lake Road, Suite 100
Deerfield, IL   60015
Phone:  847/480-9095
Fax: 847/480-9282
E-mail: svp@vertpaleo.org
Web site:  www.vertpaleo.org

It is with deepest regret that we announce the death of professor Halszka Osmólska on March 31, 2008, at the age of 78 years, after a protracted and serious illness. She was born on September 15, 1930 in Poznań, Poland. In 1952 she graduated from the Faculty of Biology and Earth Sciences of Poznań University, after a three-year course in biology. Halszka then moved to Warsaw, where in 1955 she was granted the degree of Master of Biological Sciences at the University of Warsaw. In 1962, she earned a PhD in Biological Sciences at the Faculty of Geology, also at the University of Warsaw.

Beginning in 1955, Halszka worked for more than 50 years at the Institute of Paleobiology of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw, progressing from assistant professor to full professor. In 1974 – 1983 she was the deputy director of the Institute, and in 1984-1989 the director. In 1975 – 1992 she was the editor of Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. Osmólska was a member of various scientific societies and committees.

During the first half of her scientific life, Halszka was engaged in studies on the Late Devonian and Carboniferous trilobites of Poland and Eurasia, becoming a well-known specialist on them. Beginning in 1969, she changed her scientific interests and started to study the Late Cretaceous dinosaurs and other reptiles from the Gobi Desert, soon becoming an authority in this field as well. She is a co-author and co-editor (with David B. Weishampel and Peter Dodson) of the widely acclaimed book “The Dinosauria,” published by the University of California Press. The first edition of the book was published in 1990, the second in 2004.

Halszka worked with great purpose, entirely devoted to science. She had a very kind and serene character, and was well known for her sense of humor and modesty. She had a long and happy family life with her late husband Tadeusz, and left behind a son, daughter-in-law, and three grandchildren. Halszka made substantial contributions to paleontology, contributions that will stand as an enduring legacy. She will be missed and long remembered by those of us who knew and loved her.

By Zofia Kielan-Jaworowska
Photo courtesy of the Archive of the Institute of Paleobiology, Warsaw.

To read more about the grant, click here.
To enter a submission for a student travel grant, click here.

QUESTIONS? Contact the SVP Business Office at E-mail: svp@vertpaleo.org; or Phone: 847/480-9095, ext. 240 or 249.