Join Dr. Catherine Badgley (Ecology & Evo. Biology, U. of Michigan) and Dr. Michael Ryan (Cleveland Museum of Natural History) for a lively discussion on palaeo and related topics. If you're in town for the SVP conference come on down for a pre-meeting warm up.
Date: October 13, 2008
Time: Drinks start at 6:30 PM, discussion starts around 7:00 PM
Location: Tasting Room, Great Lakes Brewing Company (2701 Carroll Ave, Cleveland)
What is vertebrate paleontology? Paleontology is the study of ancient life - plants, birds, insects, bacteria, and everything in between. Within paleontology, vertebrate paleontology (a.k.a. VP) focuses on animals with backbones (i.e., vertebrae).
Although dinosaurs garner much of the media attention, VP researchers also study ancient fishes, lizards, mammals, snakes, frogs, and a variety of other groups, many of which have no direct living descendants. And although discovering and naming new species is an important aspect of VP research, many scientists focus on other questions such as how these extinct animals lived and died, what ancient climates and ecosystems were like, and how these animals are related to each other.
Come join some of the leading researchers in vertebrate paleontology - including Dr. Catherine Badgley (President of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology) and Dr. Michael Ryan - for a discussion of "hot topics" in VP and other issues folks will be discussing at the annual meeting.
