Over 1,100 paleontologists converged on Bozeman, Montana, and the Museum of the Rockies October third through sixth for the 62nd annual meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology.
The Society, known as SVP, was founded in 1940 by only 34 paleontologists as an informal gathering where vertebrate paleontologists could gather and discuss their findings and hypotheses about paleontology. SVP now has over 2,000 members all over the globe and publishes the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.
SVP is organized for scientific and educational purposes. The object of SVP is to "advance the science of vertebrate paleontology and to serve the common interests and facilitate the cooperation of all persons concerned with the history, evolution, comparative anataomy, and taxonomy of vertebrate animals, as well as field occurence, collection, and study of fossil vertebrates and the stratigraphy of the beds in which they are found." Conservation and preservation of fossils and fossil sites are also a concern of SVP.
This year's SVP meeting included symposia on sauropod evolution and paleobiology, incremental growth in vertebrate skeletal tissues, archaic ungulate mammals, paleohistology (the study of cellular structures), CT scanning and technical sessions. The annual preparator's symposium gives preparators a chance to discuss the latest techniques for preparing fossils. (Be sure to read my series of articles about Fossil Preparation.)
A special ceremony at the Museum of the Rockies featured the dedication of a life-size bronze sculpture of a Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton. The sculpture was cast from the bones of one the museum's famous T. rex specimens, MOR 555. Named "Big Mike" in honor of the late Montana State University President Mike Malone, who died suddenly of a heart attack December 21, 1999.
Attendees were also treated to a special screening of Jurassic Park III, sponsored by the Jurassic Park Institute. JPI is a science-based and educationally focused program which hopes to become the "world's ultimate resource for dinosaur learning and fun" for kids, families and educators.
Among the regular events of the meeting were the annual SVP Auction, which raises money for SVP's educational programs, a reception at the Museum of the Rockies and the annual banquet and awards ceremony. The awards ceremony honors not only young students for their recent contributions to the science of paleontology, but also long-time members for their lifetime achievements and contributions.
The 2002 meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology will be held at the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History in Norman, Oklahoma.
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