May 27, 2008
Celebrating the International Year of Planet Earth
5-9 October 2008 • Houston, Texas
George R. Brown Convention Center
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/
May 21, 2008
The SVP Abstract Submission and Travel Grant Application Sites closed May 21 at noon Central Time (USA).
May 19, 2008
The *PRPA Needs Your Action
*Paleontological Resources Preservation Act (HR 554 - McGovern MA)
To the Members of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology:
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
DEADLINE IS IN 5 DAYS
• SEVERAL ABSTRACT SUBMISSIONS ARE INCOMPLETE
• APPLY FOR A JACKSON SCHOOL TRAVEL GRANT
HAS YOUR ABSTRACT BEEN SUCCESSFULLY SUBMITTED?
Several abstracts submitted for the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology 68th Annual Meeting are still incomplete. Incomplete abstracts will NOT be reviewed.
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.
May 14, 2008
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
May 8, 2008
CHICAGO, IL (March 2008) – When most of us think of Ancient Egypt, visions of pyramids and mummies fill our imaginations. For a team of paleontologists interested in fossil mammals, the Fayum district of Egypt summons an even older and equally impressive history that extends much further back in time than the Sphinx. In the latest issue of the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, these scientists report on the discovery of six new bat species dating to around 35 million years ago, which sheds new light on the early evolution of bats.
.jpg) It took over 25 years of fieldwork to collect the 33 specimens that form the basis of the new study. “That translates to a little over one specimen per year – a lot of effort for a single fossil,” said Erik Seiffert, a paleontologist at Stony Brook University. “But it shows just how important patience and long term field programs are to science. Our long-term commitment to field work certainly paid off in this case.” Among the new species is “a giant among bats; though weighing in at less than a half-pound, it is one of the largest fossil bats ever discovered,” said Gregg Gunnell, a paleontologist at the University of Michigan.
Fossil bats of Eocene age are rare in Africa. Only a few fragmentary remains from Egypt, Morocco, Tanzania and Tunisia were previously known. The discovery of six new kinds of bats illustrates the remarkably rich, and previously unsuspected, diversity of bats in Africa 37-34 million years ago. These discoveries provide important new information for understanding the evolution of modern bat families. It was thought that most Old World families of bats evolved and diversified in the northern hemisphere, but the new study indicates that many modern bat families only diversified and radiated after their initial dispersal into Africa. Seiffert noted that the Fayum bats include members of the most common and widespread group of living bats, “Clearly the modern bat families have very ancient origins, and at least some of them probably originated in Africa.”
Elwyn Simons of Duke University said, “Interestingly, it seems that primitive modern bats may have entered Africa together with primitive anthropoid primates. Only then did they diversify and disperse into the rest of the Old and New Worlds.” Gunnell hopes that “if we can come to understand the history of how bats came to be so intertwined within our ecosystem, then we can begin to appreciate them instead of fear them as many people seem to do.”
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.
IMAGE:
Reconstruction of Witwatia schlosseri, a new species of very large bat from the Fayum district of Egypt. Drawing by Bonnie Miljour.
CONTACTS:
Nancy Ross-Flannagan
University of Michigan
Phone: 734-647-1853
Fax: 734-764-7084
E-mail: rossflan@umich.edu
Monte Basgall
Duke University Office of News and Communications
Phone: 919-681-8057 (office) 919-693-1822 (home)
Fax: 919-684-5760
E-mail: monte.basgall@duke.edu
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.
May 4, 2008
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.
May 1, 2008
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.
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.
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
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.
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