SVP Awards, Grants and Prizes
Apply Today or Nominate a Worthy Colleague

The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (SVP) awards recognize distinguished achievement in vertebrate paleontology including the fields of:  research, service, paleontological art, fieldwork and preparation. Learn more about the various awards and submission guidelines, then use the easy online submission system to apply or nominate an esteemed colleague.

Two NEW awards have been added this year:

-- The Lanzendorf PaleoArt Prize:  National Geographic Digital Modeling and Animation Award Category
-- The Taylor & Francis Award for Best Student Article in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology

Applications and nominations for most* 2010 Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (SVP) awards can be submitted beginning Monday, February 1, 2010 at noon Central Time Zone (USA), through Monday, April 1, 2010 at noon Central Time Zone (USA).

Applications and nominations for most* SVP awards will be submitted using the SVP Online Award Submission System.

* Awards not using the SVP Online Award Submission System are the: Colbert Award (formerly known as the Student Poster Prize), Lanzendorf PaleoArt Prize, Patterson Memorial Grant, Romer Prize, the Program for Scientists from Economically Developing Nations and the Taylor & Francis Award for Best Student Article in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. For submission details, link to each award's Web page from the links provided below. 

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
The award, formerly known as the Student Poster Prize, is given to the best student poster.
NOTE:  Submissions will be accepted through the SVP Online ABSTRACT Submission System.

Richard Estes Memorial Grant
An award given for graduate research in non-mammalian paleontology.

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

Honorary Membership Award
An award presented for distinguished contribution to the field of vertebrate paleontology.

Institutional Membership: A Program for Institutions of Economically Developing Nations
An award issued to increase access of electronic-based publications and news of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology for institutions based in areas with developing economies.

Jackson School of Geosciences Student Member Travel Grants
Grants given to provide traveling cost assistance to the SVP Annual Meeting for SVP student member presenters.

John J. Lanzendorf PaleoArt Prize
An award given for outstanding achievement in paleontological illustration and art.
NOTE:  Applicants for this award must use the John J. Lanzendorf PaleoArt Prize Award Submission system.  Please see the above link for more information about submissions for the John J. Lanzendorf PaleoArt Prize.
New!  Beginning in 2010, each applicant for the John J. Lanzendorf Award can submit up to 3 entries/works of art per category.  See the John J. Lanzendorf Submission site for more details.

NEW National Geographic Digital Modeling and Animation Award Category 
The John J. Lanzendorf Paleoart Award is in its tenth year. To commemorate that anniversary and SVP's 70th anniversary, the Lanzendorf Awards will add a new category. This new category, sponsored by the National Geographic Society, will recognize talent and accuracy in 3-D computer modeling and animation. The Lanzendorf Awards have given prizes in the categories of scientific illustration, two-dimensional art and sculpture. WIth this new category, the Lanzendorf committee and the SVP recognize the importance of this rapidly growing frontier of scientific visualization for furthering science and public understanding.

Bryan Patterson Memorial Grant
An award given for student fieldwork in vertebrate paleontology.
NOTE: Applications for this award are sent directly to the chair of the Bryan Patterson Memorial Grant Committee. See the award Web page for details.
NOTE:  The first deadline for this award is February 15, and it closes for submissions on February 26.

Predoctoral Fellowship Grant 
An award given to promote a professional career in vertebrate paleontology.

Preparators' Grant
An award given to advance preparation and preparators.

Program for Scientists from Economically Developing Nations
An award which enables scientists from nations with developing economies to present research at the SVP Annual Meeting.
NOTE: Applications for this award are sent directly to the chair of the Program for Scientists from Economically Developing Nations Committee. See the award Web page for details.
NOTE: This award will continue to accept applications through February 26.

Alfred Sherwood Romer Prize
An award given for best student presentation.
Note:  This award will open on March 16 and will close April 16, 2010.  Submissions will be accepted through the SVP Online ABSTRACT Submission System.

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

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

NEW!  Taylor & Francis Award for Best Student Article in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology
An award given for the best student first-authored paper published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.
NOTE:  For the 2010 year, this award will be handled exclusively through the JVP editors.  See the Web page for more details.

Questions about an award?  Contact the chair for that award as listed on the award's Web page (links are provided above).

Questions about the submission site?  Contact the SVP Business Office at:  awards@vertpaleo.org

DEERFIELD, IL (January 29, 2010) -- New Mexico is known for amazing local cuisine, Aztec ruins and the Los Alamos National Laboratory.  In the January issue of the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, paleontologists Thomas Williamson of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Thomas Carr of Carthage College bring a new superstar to the state. Bistahieversor sealeyi (pronounced: bistah-he-ee-versor  see-lee-eye) is a brand new species of tyrannosaur discovered in the Bisti/De-na-zin Wilderness of New Mexico. Tyrannosaurs include the famous meat-eating dinosaur movie-stars like T. rex, and their characteristic body and skull shape (not to mention that mouthful of ferocious teeth!) make them easy for paleontologists and kids to recognize.  The skull and skeleton of Bistahieversor were collected in the first paleontological excavation from a federal wilderness area, and the specimen was airlifted from the badlands by a helicopter operated by the Air Wing of the New Mexico Army National Guard. “Bistahieversor sealeyi is the first valid new genus and species of tyrannosaur to be named from western North America in over 30 years,” says Williamson.  

Tyrannosaurs are best known from 65-75 million year old sediments from the Rocky Mountain region of North America. Bistahieversor provides important insights into the evolutionary history of the group.  “Bistahieversor is important because it demonstrates that the deep snout and powerful jaws of advanced tyrannosaurs like T. rex were special adaptations that evolved around 110 million years ago, after the eastern and western halves of North America were separated by a shallow sea,” says Carr.  Bistahieversor was different from other tyrannosauroids in having an extra opening above its eye, a complex joint at its “forehead,” and a keel along its lower jaw; it also had more teeth than its distant relative T. rex.

Bistahieversor skulls and skeletons collected from the Bisti/De-na-zin Wilderness and from the lands of the Navajo Nation are currently on display at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History. 

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ABOUT THE SOCIETY OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY
Founded in 1940 by thirty-four paleontologists, the Society now has more than 2,300 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.

The 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.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Dr. Thomas Carr
Assistant Professor, Biology, Carthage College and 
Director, Carthage Institute of Paleontology
tcarr@carthage.edu

Dr. Thomas Williamson
Curator of Paleontology
New Mexico Museum of Natural History
Thomas.williamson@state.nm.us

IMAGES

1. Bistahieversor skull.
The skull of the holotype specimen (NMMNH P-27469) of Bistahieversor sealeyi on display in the Cretaceous Seacoast exhibit at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. Photo by David Baccadutre, New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science.  

2. Helicopter lift 1.
Helicopter of the Air Wing of the New Mexico National Guard carrying a field jacket that contains portions of the holotype specimen of Bistahieversor sealeyi (September, 1998). Photo by Ray Nelson.  

3. Helicopter lift 2.
Field jacket containing portions of the holotype specimen of Bistahieversor sealeyi being prepared for an air lift by the Air Wing of the New Mexico National Guard (September, 1998). Photo by Ray Nelson.  

4. Group photo.
Group photo of Dr. Thomas Williamson (front row, standing in black t-shirt) with his crew with a field jacket containing portions of the holotype of Bistahieversor sealeyi in the Bisti/De-na-zin Wilderness Area of New Mexico (September, 1998). Photo by Ray Nelson.  

5. Plate of holotype and juvenile.
The skulls of the holotype (NMMNH P-27469) and juvenile (NMMNH P-25049) specimens of Bistahieversor sealeyi, a new genus and species of deep-snouted tyrannosauroid from the Late Cretaceous of New Mexico. Carbon dust by Dino Pulerà.  

6. Holotype cover art.
The meter-long skull of the holotype (NMMNH P-27469) of Bistahieversor sealeyi, a new genus and species of deep-snouted tyrannosauroid from the Late Cretaceous of New Mexico. Carbon dust by Dino Pulerà.

While no decisions have been made regarding the proposed coal mining project on Ellesmere Island in Canda, the SVP's efforts have drawn local attention to the concern over the possible loss of fossil resources.

Follow this link to an article from the CBC News:

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/2010/01/21/ellesmere-weststar-fossils.html

Expressing concern over the possible loss of fossil resources in regards to a proposed coal mining project by Westar Resources, Inc. on Ellesmere Island (Nunavut) in Canada's eastern High Arctic, the SVP has issued a press release, alerted its membership, posted a statement and would now like to share the letter sent to the Nunavut Impact Review Board.  

 SVP 70th Annual Meeting In 2010
– DATE AND VENUE CHANGE –
Now October 10 – October 13, 2010
Sunday Through Wednesday

We would like to notify you of a change of host hotel venue and sequence of dates for SVP's 70th Anniversary Meeting in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. 

The new dates and venue for the 2010 annual meeting:

Venue: David L. Lawrence Convention Center & Westin Convention Center Pittsburgh (linked to each other by a skywalk)
Dates:  starting Sunday, October 10, through Wednesday, October 13

This year the first day of sessions and the Welcome Reception will be held on Sunday, October 10. 
The last day of sessions and the closing Awards Ceremony will be held Wednesday, October 13.
Field trips will be held before and after the meeting as usual.

The completion of an ongoing construction project at the Hilton Pittsburgh (the original venue) could not be guaranteed by the time of SVP's conference dates. We were fortunate to secure the David L. Lawrence Convention Center and the Westin Convention Center Pittsburgh, though this necessitated the change in dates. The new location is well-suited to the needs of the SVP meeting; here are some highlights:

•  The Westin Convention Center Pittsburgh is honoring the originally contracted hotel rates of $149 single/double, $169 triple and $189 quad occupancy, and is connected to the David L. Lawrence Convention Center by a skywalk. Make your reservations now.
•  Many of the planned social activities will be held at the Westin.  See more about the Westin.
•  All sessions will be held at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center within close proximity to each other. This ensures that the poster sessions and exhibits will be easily accessible and will enjoy optimum viewing space.
•  The David L. Lawrence Convention Center is minutes away from the Cultural Trust (14 cultural facilities and public parks), a wide variety of restaurants and the Strip District (home to open air markets, coffee houses and night spots).
• The David L. Lawrence Convention Center is the world's largest LEED-certified 'green' building (learn more at: http://www.usgbc.org/).

The meeting circular will be available online this Spring. An E-mail will notify you when it has been posted.

This milestone 70th anniversary meeting promises exceptional educational sessions presented by the leading authorities in the field; we look forward to seeing you there. Mark your calendars!

Concern Over Possible Loss of Fossil Resource

DEERFIELD, IL (January 14, 2010) – A proposed coal mining project by Westar Resources, Inc. on Ellesmere Island (Nunavut) in Canada's eastern High Arctic is currently under review by the Nunavut Impact Review Board (NIRB), an environmental assessment agency established under the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement whose objectives are to protect and promote the well-being of the residents, communities and ecosystems of Nunavut. The proposed development area includes fossil sites of a broad range of ages that include some of the most significant sites in the world, and the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (SVP) is deeply concerned over the possible loss of these valuable resources.

These unique, world-renowned sites near Strathcona Fiord include fossil plants and animals that lived during one of the warmest times in all of Earth history, when Ellesmere Island was blanketed in forests inhabited by alligators, turtles, primates and hippo-like animals. Despite over three decades of searching the High Arctic, no sites of comparable age and fossil richness have been discovered elsewhere in the Canadian Arctic.

Younger fossil sites near the head of Strathcona Fiord indicate that this area was home to larch forests, horses and beaver just a few million years ago, and underscore how quickly and dramatically the Arctic can change. In this time of global climate change and ecological precariousness, such knowledge can be invaluable to understanding and predicting the effects of future climate change in high-latitude regions, including its impact on traditional lifestyles of first peoples living in such regions. "Destruction of these fossil sites will strongly affect our ability to understand how global climate change will impact these regions over the coming century," says SVP President Blaire Van Valkenburgh.

Whilst not disputing either the need for finding new sources of energy, or the economic benefits that may accrue from the development of the coal mining, it is the hope and belief of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, as representative of vertebrate paleontologists worldwide, that it will be possible to preserve the invaluable fossil resources in the area alongside other objectives.

ABOUT THE SOCIETY OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY
Founded in 1940 by thirty-four paleontologists, the Society now has over 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.

CONTACT INFORMATION
Meagan Comerford, Communication Liaison
Society of Vertebrate Paleontology
11 Deer 1Lake Road, Suite 100  Deerfield, IL 60015 USA
mcomerford@vertpaleo.org, +1-847-480-9095

IMAGES
Fig. 1: Overview of Eocene (50-40 million year old) fossil-bearing sediments near Strathcona Fiord, Ellesmere Island. Image courtesy of Jaelyn Eberle, University of Colorado.

Fig. 2: Partial skull of ancient tapir (Thuliadanta), found in the Eocene sediments. Image courtesy of Jaelyn Eberle, University of Colorado.

TIME SENSITIVE COMMUNICATION 

Dear members and colleagues,

As some of you may have heard, a proposed coal mining exploration project for Ellesmere Island (Nunavut) is currently under review. The proposed drilling areas include some of the most important fossil sites in the Arctic including known Pliocene and Eocene fossil sites in the Strathcona Fiord area.

If you are interested in writing a letter of concern, it should go to the Nunavut Impact Review Board (NIRB). The Nunavut Impact Review Board (NIRB) is an environmental assessment agency established under the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement whose objectives are to protect and promote the well-being of the residents, communities and ecosystems of Nunavut.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This is our ONLY opportunity in the process to put terms and restrictions on coal  mining activates in these areas.

Letters to NIRB...

1) can be sent to info@nirb.ca, or via fax to +1-867-983-2594. 
2) must be received by 5 p.m. MST, January 15 
3) Letters should include a statement that follows the Nunavut Land  Claim Agreement (NLCA), such as " I urge protection of these sites and recommend that the Nunavut Impact Review Board advise the Minister, pursuant to article 12.4.4(b) of the Nunavut Land Claim Agreement, that the project proposal requires review under Part 5 or 6." or if you feel more strongly, "I urge protection of these sites and recommend that the Nunavut Impact Review Board advise the Minister, pursuant to article 12.4.4(d) of the Nunavut Land Claim Agreement, that the project proposal be modified or abandoned due to its potential adverse impacts."

Note that the requested review in the first statement indicates that more screening/baseline study is required. In practice this could mean many more years of paleontological work would be allowed to proceed before a decision is made. The second statement is a more aggressive option.

Below are some links and other information:

Link to coal project proposal:  http://ftp.nirb.ca/SCREENINGS/ACTIVE%20SCREENINGS/09EN067-Weststar%20Resources%20Corporation/1-SCREENING/
(At this site you will find links to different documents of the proposal)

Link to Westar Web site:  
http://www.weststarresources.com/s/NunavutCoal.asp

Link to article describing feasibility of Arctic mining: http://byers.typepad.com/arctic/2009/01/weststar-acquires-six-nunavut-coal-licences.html

Patterson Memorial Grant Award Submissions Are Now Being Accepted

The Patterson Memorial Grant, named in honor of Dr. Bryan Patterson, supports graduate and undergraduate student field work in vertebrate paleontology. The application date for this award is earlier than most SVP awards so the winners can utilize the grant funds for summer projects.

The Patterson Memorial Grant award amount this year is $2,700 if one award is made, or $1,350 per award if two awards are given.

To apply for this award, follow the instructions on the Patterson Memorial Grant award Web page.

The E-mailed (unsigned) application is due:  Monday, February 15, 2010.
The mailed, sponsor-signed application is due:  Friday, February 26, 2010.

• Faxed copies of the signed application will NOT be accepted.
• Applicants and their sponsors must be SVP members or pending members.
• The Patterson Memorial Grant award winner(s) will be notified by the end of March.

Questions can be directed to SVP Patterson Memorial Grant Chair Patrick O'Connor at: oconnorp@ohiou.edu.

Program for Scientists from Economically Developing Nations
Now Open to Receive Applications

The Program for Scientists from Economically Developing Nations was established to promote opportunities for international scientists to attend the Annual Meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (SVP). This annual award provides travel expenses to enable recipients from economically developing nations to present research in any area of vertebrate paleontology at the SVP annual meeting.

Application materials will be accepted (by E-mail, fax or standard postal mail) between Thursday, December 30, 2009 and Monday, February 15, 2010 at noon Central Time Zone, USA.  Applicants must meet the requirements below:

• Have citizenship in, and currently reside in, and economically- disadvantaged nation, as defined by a ranking of <0.75 on the UN Human Development Index (http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/indicators/87.html).
• Be the first author on a submitted abstract for an oral or poster prestentation.
• Submit an application by February 15, 2010 noon Central Time USA. 

For more information on how to apply, go to the Program for Scientists From Economically Developing Nations Web page. 

If you have any questions, please contact Nancy Stevens, chair of the Program for Scientists from Economically Developing Nations Committee at:  stevensn@ohio.edu. 

For more information on how to support this program, contact Kate VanZanten at:  kvanzanten@vertpaleo.org.

DEERFIELD, IL (December, 2009) – The world at large knows koalas as cute, cuddly, lovable iconic animals. The evolutionary biologist, on the other hand, will know them as extremely specialized, endangered animals, the evolutionary history of which is extremely poorly understood.

Recently discovered skull material belonging to the extinct koalas Litokoala and Nimiokoala offers a major step forward in understanding koala evolution, according to a new study published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. The study, which was carried out by a team led by Dr. Julien Louys of the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, focused on the evolution of the masticatory (chewing) apparatus and hearing.

At the time these extinct koalas lived, the Australian continent was wetter and much more forested than it is today. As the continent dried out and the flora became dominated by plants with hard, tough leaves, animals such as koalas had to adapt to this new food resource. The team led by Dr. Louys found that the chewing apparatus of the living koala is much more specialized than its fossil forebears, including adaptations for more powerful bite forces and the ability to shred the tough leaves of the eucalypts that are the mainstay of its diet.

In contrast, analysis of the middle ear suggests that differences between the fossil and living koalas are relatively small. This indicates that the specialized loud and complex vocalizations of living koalas – a trait unusual among marsupials – likely have an ancient origin. The study therefore shows that the chewing apparatus and hearing adaptations in living koalas evolved at different times and under different environmental circumstances, an indication that adaptations, even in the most specialized animals, may have disparate origins and evolve in mosaic fashion.

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ABOUT THE SOCIETY OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY
Founded in 1940 by thirty-four paleontologists, the Society now has more than 2,300 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.

Reference: Louys et al.: Cranial anatomy of Oligo-Miocene koalas (Diprotodontia: Phascolarctidae): stages in the evolution of an extreme leaf-eating specialization.

Journal Web site: Society of Vertebrate Paleontology: http://www.vertpaleo.org

CONTACT INFORMATION
Julien Louys
School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences
The University of New South Wales, Sydney
New South Wales 2052 Australia
j.louys@ljmu.ac.uk

Michael Archer
Faculty of Science
University of New South Wales, Sydney
New South Wales 2052 Australia
m.archer@unsw.edu.au
 
IMAGE
Lowland mid Tertiary rainforest of Queensland, Australia, including archaic koalas that reveal evidence about the origin of their distinctive vocalizations. Artwork by Dorothy Dunphy courtesy of Louise Egerton.

To all:

The Department of Geological Sciences at Michigan State University is home to a nationally and internationally prominent, vibrant group of students, faculty and staff. As a response to current budget distress, the Board of Trustees and Provost Kim A. Wilcox are considering a proposal to close the Department, along with all of the graduate and undergraduate programs offered by the Department. The immediate effect will be the loss of three tenure-track untenured faculty positions and one technical and three office staff support positions. Longer term effects of such a closure would include the loss of formal geosciences as a fundamental part of undergraduate and graduate training, and would impair Michigan State University's service to students, the local community and the global scientific community.

To offer your support to geosciences at MSU and oppose closing the department, please add your signature to the petition located at:
http://new.ipetitions.com/petition/savegeosciencesatmsu/

Please also consider passing the petition along to others who would offer their support.

Read the letter sent by SVP to the MSU representatives listed below.

Dr. Kim A. Wilcox, Provost, Michigan State University
Dr. R. James Kirkpatrick, Dean, College of Natural Sciences, Michigan State University