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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The 9th North American Paleontological Convention (NAPC-2009), will be held on the campus of the University of Cincinnati (Cincinnati, OH), June 21-26, 2009. The centrally-located Cincinnati region is world renowned for its Upper Ordovician fossils and strata, and has a long-established heritage of paleontological research and teaching.

NAPC provides an opportunity to bring together an unusually wide range of scientists with a common interest in the history of life, and the organizing committee is planning a slate of activities to provide a memorable experience for all participants.  There will be a variety of regional field trips; a plenary session commemorating the bicentennial of the birth of Charles Darwin and the sesquicentennial of the publication of "The Origin of Species;" workshops on the creationism/evolution controversy and other topics; an evening banquet at the Cincinnati Museum Center; a special social event for students and postdocs; and numerous other social and educational activities.  Pending procurement of funding, the organizing committee expects to be able to offer deep discounts for students.  A conference Web site has been established at http://www.napc2009.org/ , where preliminary details can be found, including information about on-campus facilities and housing.  The Web site will continue to evolve as additional plans for the meeting are developed.

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 now be submitted electronically to Annalisa Berta by April 30, 2008.

More information is available on the SVP Web site.

Click here to apply for the field conference

April 18: The Lanzendorf PaleoArt Award applications are due.

May 5: Applications due for: Estes Memorial Grant, Gregory Award, Honorary Membership Awards, Jackson Student Member Travel Grants, Predoctoral Fellowship Grant, Preparators' Grant, Romer-Simpson Medal and Skinner Award.

May 21: The Colbert Award and the Romer Prize applications are due.

Take a moment to read about each Society of Vertebrate Paleontology award below. Is there an award for you? Is there someone you think should be recognized for their contribution to SVP or vertebrate paleontology?

Did you know that:

-- 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? 

*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.

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.
2008 award amount: $550 USD.
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.
2008 grant amount: $1,100 USD.
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.
Current membership in SVP is not required for nominees.
Honorary Members receive a lifetime, complimentary SVP membership.
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
2008 grant amount: $300 USD for students from the United States and Canada and $500 USD for those coming from outside the United States and Canada.
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.
2008 grant amount: $2,750 USD. The grant can either be awarded to one individual in its entirety, or divided equally between two individuals.
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.
The amount of the Preparators' Grant will be determined based on the project proposal, but will not exceed $5,800 USD.
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.
2008 award amount: $750 USD.
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 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 easier 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.
 

Hanna Basin Field Conference Application Deadline is April 15
The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Development Committee announces the SVP North American Summer Field Conference, 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.

Do not miss this unique field study opportunity.  Applications for participation must be submitted electronically to Annalisa Berta by April 15, 2008.  More information is available on the SVP Web site.

Watch Your Mail for the SVP 68th Annual Meeting Circular
The first circular for the SVP 68th Annual Meeting - to be held October 15-18, 2008 at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel, Cleveland, Ohio - has been mailed out to all SVP members. The circular is also available on the SVP Web site.

Some not-to-miss special events scheduled during the meeting are:  a forum on global warming, Frans Lanting presenting on his book, Life:  A Journey Through Time and a lecture by Neil Shubin (sponsored by the Cleveland Museum of Natural History).  These events are in addition to the strong array of annual meeting events offered that include: symposia, workshops, field trips, the Town Hall Meeting, Student Roundtable Forum and Reprint Exchange, the Annual Auction and the Awards Banquet.
 

The New SVP Merchandise Site Open 
Great gift ideas for VP enthusiasts - check out the large assortment of SVP items to choose from including: shirts, t-shirts, tracksuits, caps, sweatshirts, children's clothing, dog clothes, backpacks, coffee mugs, magnets, buttons, bumper stickers and more.

The new site is managed by CafePress and can be reached through the SVP Web site.
 

SVP Membership Renewal Reminder
Did you renew your SVP membership for the membership year starting on October 1, 2007?  If not, and you are a JVP subscriber, you are no longer receiving print copies of the JVP or have access to the online, electronic version.  All missed issues of this year's JVP will be shipped to hard copy subscribing members once your membership is renewed.

To renew your membership for 2007-2008 contact the SVP business office at:
Phone:  (847) 480-9095 ext. 240
E-mail:  svp@vertpaleo.org

The John J. Lanzendorf PaleoArt Prize recognizes outstanding achievement in paleontological scientific illustration and naturalistic art. Annual awards are supported through the generosity of PaleoArt collector John J. Lanzendorf.

Categories:

-- Scientific Illustration: works that typically would be regarded as text - figures within the body of a scientific paper or as online supplementary material.

--- 2-Dimensional Art: works that typically would NOT be regarded as text - figures within the body of a scientific paper or as online supplementary material.

-- 3-Dimensional Art: works that exist in the 3D physical (not digital) realm (e.g., sculpture).

Submissions should be sent by mail or courier service to Lanzendorf Paleoart Prize Committee Chair Farish A. Jenkins, as per below:

Farish A. Jenkins
Museum of Comparative Zoology
Harvard University
26 Oxford St.
Cambridge, MA 02138-1232 USA

Check the Lanzendorf PaleoArt Prize Web page for more information about the award, including detailed submission guidelines.

Any questions regarding the award may be directed to Lanzendorf Paleoart Prize Committee Chair Farish A. Jenkins at:
Phone: 617/ 495-2499
E-mail: mjohnsen@oeb.harvard.edu (Dr. Jenkin's assistant)

The first circular for the SVP 68th Annual Meeting - held October 15-18, 2008 at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel, Cleveland, Ohio, - has been mailed out to all SVP members. The circular is also available on the SVP Web site. 
 
We hope to see you there!
 
 
Highlights of the Meeting

Special Events:
•       Neil Shubin speaking at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History (CMNH)
A pre-meeting event sponsored by Case Western Reserve University and the CMNH in celebration of the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth.
•       Frans Lanting, a presentation on Life: A Journey Through Time
         Lanting is one of the greatest nature photographers of our time.
•       Global Climate Change: Past and Future (a forum)
•       Field trips: Classic Cleveland Shale Fossil-Fish Localities; The Laboratory of Physical Anthropology at the CMNH; Rocks and Fossils of Downtown Cleveland.
•       Workshops: Introduction to Basic Casting and Molding Techniques; Evolution Education; Communicating with the Media; Digital Media Basics for Publication.
•       "National Science Foundation Funding," as the topic for the Women in Paleontology Luncheon. Men are encouraged to attend.
 
 
Annual Events:
•       Welcome Reception (at the CMNH)
•       SVP Town Hall Meeting on Evolution VI
•       Symposia, regular sessions, Romer Session, Preparators' Session and poster sessions (including the Edwin H. and Margaret M. Colbert Award portion of one of the poster sessions, formerly known as the Student Poster Prize Session)
•       Annual Business Meeting
•       Press Conference
•       Student Roundtable Forum and Reprint Exchange
•       Annual Benefit Auction
•       Open Executive Business Meeting
•       Awards Banquet
•       After-Hours Party
 
And, NEW! Discounted flights to the SVP 68th Annual Meeting from Continental Airlines.

Explore the paleontology-themed sessions taking place at this year's regional Geological Society of America meetings.  For more information, including registration and housing, visit www.geosociety.org/meetings/

CORDILLERAN / ROCKY MOUNTAIN GSA MEETING (combined meeting)
19-21 March 2008, Las Vegas, Nevada
-Rancholabrean Paleoecology of Western North America
early registration deadline: 18 Feb.
abstracts deadline: 18 Dec.
To find out more:  www.geosociety.org/sectdiv/cord/08mtg/index.htm 

SALTILLO, COAHUILA, MEXICO
AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2009 

The Government of Coahuila State, Mexico, through the Secretaría de Educación y Cultura and the Museo del Desierto, with the support of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, through the Instituto de Geología, and the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, are pleased to host the FIFTH INTERNATIONAL MEETING ON MESOZOIC FISHES. The international meeting will be hosted at the “Museo del Desierto,” Saltillo City, Coahuila State, Northern Mexico.  

Scientific sessions will take place from August 31 to September 3, 2009, at the Museo del Desierto. We plan to have a short visit to some of the fossil localities in the Saltillo region on September 4. In addition, we will offer two excursions to the most important Mexican fossil fish localities: 1) the Tlayúa quarry in Tepexi de Rodríguez, Puebla (some days before the scientific sessions), and 2) Vallecillos, Nuevo León (after the scientific sessions). The first excursion will also include a visit to the paleoichthyological Mexican collections housed in the Colección Nacional de Paleontología at México City (see below).

We look forward to offering you a nice environment during the Fifth Mesozoic Fishes Meeting in northern Mexico, and to share all together our knowledge of diversity and evolutionary patterns of all kind of Mesozoic fishes, surrounded by the famous Mexican hospitality. We also hope you will enjoy some of our cultural background (the region is well known because of its archaeological as well as paleontological sites), and the characteristic nature of Coahuila’s desert. 

Contact 
Rosario Gómez
grosariomesozoicfishes@yahoo.com 

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 amounts 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.