Dear Colleague,

The Antarctic Conference of Gondwanan Palaeontology will be held from 19-30 March 2009 onboard the Polar Pioneer as it sails around the Antarctic Peninsula. The conference will be hosted by Aurora Expeditions in association with The University of Queensland. Conference and participants will live onboard the ship for the two week duration of the conference. We will visit several important late Mesozoic, Paleocene and Eocene fossil localities, including Seymour Island, Snow Hill Island, James Ross Island, Vega Island and the Peninsula ‘mainland.’

Full details and registration procedures can be found the conference Web site:

www.uq.edu.au/dinosaurs/acgp

Purpose of the Conference
The conference is intended to be a scientific forum for researchers working on all aspects of Gondwanan palaeontology. The conference will also provide a unique opportunity to access and conduct collaborative research projects on several important fossil-bearing localities on the Antarctic Peninsula and surrounding islands in the James Ross Basin.

Call for Papers
Interested researchers are invited to participate in this international meeting and present relevant papers. All papers concerning any aspect of Gondwanan palaeontology will be welcome for submission.

Proposed Mini-Symposia and Discussion Sessions:
• Evolution and palaeobiogeography of Gondwanan vertebrates
• Early evolution and diversification of modern birds
• High-latitude vertebrate faunas
• Evolution of Gondwanan floras
• Antarctic biostratigraphy
• The K-T extinction across Gondwana

If you have an idea for a mini-symposium or discussion session, please contact the conference organizers.

Availability
Places are strictly limited to 50 people and preference will be given to active palaeontologists or other researchers from recognized institutions.

Registration
Positions on board will be reserved on a first come-first served basis. Offers to register for this conference and expedition will only be made to bona fide researchers and students until 30 June 2008. For commercial reasons, after 1 July 2008 any remaining berths onboard the Polar Pioneer will be offered to the general public and are expected to sell out very quickly. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT INTENDING PARTICIPANTS REGISTER THEIR INTEREST AND RESERVE THEIR POSITION NO LATER THAN 30 June 2008.

Reservations can be made with an AUD$1,500 deposit with final payment no later than 90 days in advance of the commencement of the conference (i.e., no later than 19 December 2008). Registrations are through the conference Web site.

Conference costs and fees vary dependant on the standard of accommodation selected on board. Costs include all food, accommodation and transport for the duration of the conference, which will start and finish in Ushuaia, Argentina. Transport to and from Ushuaia, along with accommodation there before and after the conference, can be organized through Aurora Expeditions.

Further details are available on the conference Web site.

Please forward this announcement to any of your colleagues who you think may be interested in participating.

We look forward to having you aboard!

Cheers,

Paul Willis & Steve Salisbury
(Conference organizers)