ONLY ONE WEEK LEFT 
Abstract Submission Deadline is May 21 
Submit your abstract today. The online submission system will accept abstracts for the 68th Annual Meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology is open through Wednesday, May 21, 2008 at NOON, Central Time Zone (USA). All 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 by May 21. Late submissions will not be considered under any circumstances.

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.

A CALL FOR PALEOART SUBMISSIONS

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 Jackson School of Geosciences Student Travel Grant submission deadline has been extended until Wednesday, May 21 at NOON, Central Time Zone, USA.  
 The travel grants provide traveling cost assistance to the SVP Annual Meeting for SVP Student Member Presenters.

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.

Final Reminder: 3 Days Left
to submit an application through the SVP Online Award Submission System
(does NOT include the Romer or Colbert Awards*)

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.

Beginning 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.

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!
SVP Award Submission Site Open

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

Memorial Ceremonies celebrating the life of Malcolm C. McKenna (July 21, 1930 - March 3, 2008) will be held :

1. On the University of Colorado Boulder Campus;  Sunday, April 27, 2008, 4 p.m. at Old Main Chapel; followed by a Reception in the British Reading Room, 5th Floor, Norlin Library.

2. At the American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West & 79th Street, New York City, NY; Tuesday, June 3 at 3 p.m. in the Kaufman Theater, followed by a Reception in the Astor Turret, 4th Floor Hall of Fossil Mammals.  This will be hosted by the AMNH Division of Paleontology and the McKenna Family.

 Halszka Osmólska (1930–2008)

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.

Clarification of 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)

All other SVP Awards*: Monday, May 5, through the SVP Online AWARD Submission System.

*except for the Patterson Award, which closed in January and the Lanzendorf Award which closed on April 18.

Is there an award for you? Is there someone you think should be recognized for their contribution to SVP or vertebrate paleontology? 

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.)

Lanzendorf PaleoArt Prize
The John J. Lanzendorf PaleoArt Prize recognizes outstanding achievement in paleontological scientific illustration and naturalistic art. The award has three separate categories: Scientific Illustration, 2-Dimensional Art and 3-Dimensional Art. There is one awardee per category.
Current Membership in SVP is not required to submit work for the award.
2008 award amount: $600 USD per category.
Application Deadline: April 18.

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.

APPLICATIONS ARE DUE WEDNESDAY!

SVP North American Field Conference Application Deadline 
is Wednesday, April 30

The application deadline for the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Hanna Basin Field Conference is Wednesday, April 30.  The SVP North American Summer Field Conference will be held August 5-7, 2008, in the Hanna and Carbon Basins of south-central Wyoming.  The conference will address field-based geological documentation to paleobiological research. 

The 2008 field conference will involve three day-trips (conducted from the town of Medicine Bow) to parts of the Hanna and Carbon Basins. These relatively tiny, Laramide basins in south-central parts of Wyoming have long been recognized for their astonishingly thick sections of marine and nonmarine, Upper Cretaceous and Paleocene strata.

This conference is co-sponsored by SVP and the Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Wyoming, and co-organized by Jay Lillegraven, Jaelyn Eberle, Pennilyn Higgins and Mark Clementz.

Applications for participation must be submitted electronically to Annalisa Berta by April 30, 2008.  

More information is available on the SVP Web site.

SVP Field Conference Deadline is April 30
SVP Award Submission Deadline is May 5
Abstract Submission Deadline is May 21
 
SVP North American Field Conference Application Deadline is April 30
The application deadline for the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Hanna Basin Field Conference has been extended to Wednesday, April 30.  The SVP North American Summer Field Conference will be held August 5-7, 2008, in the Hanna and Carbon Basins of south-central Wyoming.  The conference will address field-based geological documentation to paleobiological research. 

The 2008 field conference will involve three day-trips (conducted from the town of Medicine Bow) to parts of the Hanna and Carbon Basins. These relatively tiny, Laramide basins in south-central parts of Wyoming have long been recognized for their astonishingly thick sections of marine and nonmarine, Upper Cretaceous and Paleocene strata.

This conference is co-sponsored by SVP and the Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Wyoming, and co-organized by Jay Lillegraven, Jaelyn Eberle, Pennilyn Higgins and Mark Clementz.

Applications for participation must be submitted electronically to Annalisa Berta by April 30, 2008.  

More information is available on the SVP Web site.
 
SVP Award Submission Deadline is May 5
The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology's various annual awards cover a broad spectrum of categories including:  recognition of those who have contributed to the field of vertebrate paleontology, recognition of artistic works in vertebrate paleontology, supporting student research ranging from non-mammalian paleontology to fossil preparation, and student travel grants which provide financial support for students to attend the SVP annual meeting.

New developments for 2008:

--The prize amounts for ALL SVP awards have been increased for 2008. 

-- Most* SVP awards applications are now being accepted through the new and easy-to-use, SVP Online Award Submission System. 

The deadline for most* 2008 Society of Vertebrate Paleontology awards is Monday, May 5, 2008 at NOON Central Time Zone (USA). 

* 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 Awards Page to find out more about the individual award guidelines and to link to the new SVP Online Awards Submission Site.
 
Abstract Submission Deadline is May 21
Submit your abstract!  The abstract submission site for the 68th Annual Meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology will be open through Wednesday, May 21, 2008 at NOON, Central Time Zone (USA).  All 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 by May 21.  Late submissions will not be considered under any circumstances.

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