Episode 17 – The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (SVP)

Listen to Episode 17 on PodBean, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever podcasts are provided!

In this episode, David reports back on his experience at one of the year’s most exciting events (for us, anyway): the annual meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology.

The Society

The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology is a scientific organization with many jobs. They foster connections between vertebrate paleontologists all over the world; provide educational materials for students and teachers; advise government agencies on policies regarding fossils and natural resources; publish the peer-reviewed Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology; and more.

And they host an annual meeting, known affectionately as SVP.

The Meeting

This year, the 77th annual SVP meeting was held in Calgary, Alberta. There were just over 1,000 attendees, including researchers from many countries, museums, and universities; graduate and undergraduate students; vendors; artists; journalists; and more!

This is what paleontologists look like. Mingling, discussing research, meeting each other. This is SVP! Photo: David Moscato

Most of the meeting is devoted to research. Over the course of the four days of this conference, around 300 scientists presented their research in the form of 15-minute talks to rooms of viewers, and about 400 more presented their work as part of the poster presentations.

These presentations are a great opportunity for attendees to see what work is currently ongoing around the world, and for researchers to get feedback on their projects.

More than 300 researchers presented their studies to rooms full of colleagues just like this. Photo: David Moscato

We mentioned a bunch of interesting research on the podcast episode, but barely scratched the surface. Here are a bunch of research from this year’s SVP that has been written about in news stories and press releases recently:

• Our professor Blaine Schubert is pulling giant bears out of beautiful sink holes in Mexico.
• The newly-named Borealopelta has inspired a bunch of new research answering the questions of how ankylosaurs used their spiky armor, and why they’re so commonly found upside-down.
• Incredible new fossils, rescued from poachers, provides unprecedented insight into the life history and behavior of oviraptorosaurs.
• Mammoth teeth in Texas hold clues to where these big mammals were living and what they were eating.
• How did dinosaur eggs survive the Arctic? Perhaps with specialized nesting strategies.
• There were multiple presentations about mysterious lizards trapped in amber.
• The Institute for the Study of Mongolian Dinosaurs presented their Moveable Dinosaur Museum!
• And so much more.
• We also said we would include a link to info on Sara ElShafie’s science communication workshops.

And now, pictures:

During the education poster session, Gabe Santos presented an augmented reality poster, showcasing features he’s been introducing to his museum! Photo: David Moscato

Every year, at the charity auction, attendees donate money in return for various items, ranging from wonderful fossil casts to the traditional Paleo Barbie. Photos: David Moscato

Various exhibitors host booths at SVP, selling equipment, books, educational materials, and more. Bottom Left: a Pangea globe from Real World Globes; Bottom Right: the two shirts that David bought from Permia! Photos: David Moscato

There are many great paleontology locations nearby Calgary, including the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller, where visitors can now meet Borealopelta! Photos: David Moscato

Next year: New Mexico!

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If you enjoyed this topic and want more like it, check out these related episodes:

• Episode 1 – The Field of Paleontology
• Episode 8 – Conservation Paleontology
• Episode 22 – Micropaleontology
• Spotlight, Invertebrate Paleontologists

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