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Paleo Club Forum » Recent Topics http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/ Paleo Club Forum » Recent Topics en Fri, 10 Sep 2010 20:42:37 +0000 Jason Carr on "Snacks for Meetings" http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/topic.php?id=400#post-486 Tue, 24 Aug 2010 19:34:24 +0000 Jason Carr 486@http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/ What kind of snacks and drinks would you like brought to Meetings? admin on "Forum Upgrade and New Features Added" http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/topic.php?id=45#post-130 Mon, 10 May 2010 07:57:09 +0000 admin 130@http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/ <h2>It's never been easier to post in the forum </h2><div> </div><div><img src="http://mamrie.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/cat-saying-hooray.jpg" /> </div><div> </div><div>I've upgraded the forum and added a "what you see is what you get" style editor to make posting <a href="http://paleoclub.com">links</a> and pictures easier.</div><div> </div><div>enjoy, and have a terrific summer!</div> Jason K on "Mammoth Blood Cloned?!" http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/topic.php?id=41#post-125 Mon, 03 May 2010 23:59:54 +0000 Jason K 125@http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/ <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100503111826.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100503111826.htm</a> For the Mammoth fans out there, you're apparently one step closer to having a cloned Mammoth. Jason K on "Hainosaurus or Tylosaurus?" http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/topic.php?id=40#post-124 Sun, 02 May 2010 04:32:18 +0000 Jason K 124@http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/ This is for those who have read Bullard and Caldwell's "Redescription and Rediagnosis of the Tylosaurine Mosasaur Hainosaurus Pembinensis Nicholls, 1988, as Tylosaurus Pembinensis (Nicholls, 1988)" and Dr. Martin's " A North American Hainosaurus (Squamata: Mosasauridae) from the Late Cretaceous of southern South Dakota. I think Bullard and Caldwell made some valid points but not enough to prove it's a Tylosaur instead of a Hainosaurus. Anyways, what do you guys think? Benjamin Zalneraitis on "What do you guys think about dinosaur coloration?" http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/topic.php?id=39#post-121 Wed, 17 Feb 2010 18:25:44 +0000 Benjamin Zalneraitis 121@http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/ <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8481448.stm" rel="nofollow">http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8481448.stm</a> This is the BBC article about the Sinosauropteryx, and the determination of its color. What are you opinions on the topic? Jason Testin on "Cranial Anatomy = Age Classification?" http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/topic.php?id=35#post-115 Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:20:13 +0000 Jason Testin 115@http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/ Some of you may seen the special on the Nat Geo channel a few weeks ago where Jack Horner, among others, discussed cutting down the number of dinosaur species by considering them to be developmental stages of the same species. Here is a link to a paper Horner and Mark Goodwin wrote on triceratops. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1635501/pdf/rspb20063643.pdf" rel="nofollow">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1635501/pdf/rspb20063643.pdf</a> Now I consider myself a "lumper" and feel that is some cases new species are named erroneously, and based on little to no evidence. But some of the bone re-modeling that are suggesting sounds extreme, but I'm no biologist so if someone has evidence of this in modern animals please share. With the exception of the "baby" form, which is clearly a young animal, I would be more willing to except Sexual Dimorphism at this point; keeping in mind I am researching sexual dimorphism in theropods for another of my many projects, so I am bias. So what do you all think? Can bone remodeling cause the horn to rotate 90 degrees from pointing up and back to forward? Is there modern evidence for this kind of change? Are we looking at evidence of differences between the sexes? Or are we looking at different species? Jeff Martin on "UPS Copying/Printing Special" http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/topic.php?id=34#post-114 Sat, 24 Oct 2009 05:11:15 +0000 Jeff Martin 114@http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/ UPS is offering $.03/page that's, Three Cents A Page folks,if you need anything, at all, to be printed out and it is a rather large endeavor, go to the UPS store on Haines Ave. <a href="http://www.theupsstorelocal.com/3912/documents.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.theupsstorelocal.com/3912/documents.htm</a> Just be sure to verbally ask about the deal running now. It ends at the end of October, so when November rolls around... you are SOL my friends. The only stipulation is that it must be 1000 pages or more, or you must by 1000 pages and then you can save those and use them up accordingly. Michelle P on "E-mail listservers you should be a part of!" http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/topic.php?id=33#post-113 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:49:34 +0000 Michelle P 113@http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/ This post is mostly for the undergrads, but some of the grads may appreciate these links too. One of the best ways to hear about the latest paleo-news and get to recognize the names of other researchers in the field is to join up with a few e-mail listserv services. They're free, and you can choose whether you want to receive individual messages or an entire day's worth of correspondance as a single e-mail. Below are a handful of paleo-related listservers that you should consider! VRTPALEO Discussion List: This is the big vert. paleo list, as the name suggests. Lots of traffic, and a wide variety of topics from core geology and biology to morphometrics and cladistics, all types of vertebrates, education, evolution, and paleo in pop culture. You'll hear about new publications and get links to free PDFs, find roommates for professional meetings, and get a good dose of peer review and heated debate. Good technical discussion. It's a great way to see some true professionals (and not so true professionals) in action. Sign up at: <a href="http://www.vertpaleo.org/education/listserve.cfm" rel="nofollow">http://www.vertpaleo.org/education/listserve.cfm</a> The Dinosaur Mailing List: Run by the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, this list is more laidback and less technical than the VRTPALEO list and discussion is centered around dinosaurs. Sign up at: <a href="http://dml.cmnh.org/information.html" rel="nofollow">http://dml.cmnh.org/information.html</a> PREPLIST: This listserv isn't as busy or as populated as the previous two, but it's really an important resource for anybody wanting information on fossil prep, conservation, or similar collections management resources. You won't often get messages, but when you do it will usually be technical discussion about prep methods, adhesives and consolidants, molding and casting, mounting specimens, or working within the broader scope of paleo and geo collections. Sign up at: <a href="http://www.vertpaleo.org/education/preplist.cfm" rel="nofollow">http://www.vertpaleo.org/education/preplist.cfm</a> NHCOLL-L (The Natural History Collections Listserv): Run by SPNHC (the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections), this list isn't paleo focused, but covers broader topics in collections management and preservation of a wide variety of materials. For those interested in museum studies and collections management, it's right up your alley. Sign up at: <a href="http://140.247.98.87/?q=publications/nhcoll_l.html" rel="nofollow">http://140.247.98.87/?q=publications/nhcoll_l.html</a> There are more out there, especially on the museum and geology sides of things. Free information delivered right to your inbox is never a bad thing. Happy reading! Jason Carr on "Other T-Shirt Designs" http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/topic.php?id=7#post-22 Tue, 24 Mar 2009 05:12:38 +0000 Jason Carr 22@http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/ I left this one off the <a href="http://www.paleoclub.com/blog">post</a> for obvious reasons. <a href="http://www.maddogts.com/product_info.php/products_id/60?osCsid=413b5fe071d7813ef36e43dae67e9dbb"><img src="http://www.maddogts.com/images/Dinosaurs%20died%20.jpg" /></a> what are some of your favorite funny paleo images/t-shirts Jason K on "Singing Alligators" http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/topic.php?id=32#post-109 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 03:31:17 +0000 Jason K 109@http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/ <a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/10/091020-alligators-sing-singles-clubs.html" rel="nofollow">http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/10/091020-alligators-sing-singles-clubs.html</a> Jason Carr on "Advice for budding paleontologists" http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/topic.php?id=31#post-108 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 03:15:20 +0000 Jason Carr 108@http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/ Folks from the dinosaur mailing list have compiled some advice to those seeking a career in paleontology. <blockquote> So You Want to be a Paleontologist A Career in Paleontology Pre-preamble This information was compiled in the late 1990's. Some of the specifics are likely to be out of date. I've removed contact information from the contributors in the hope that this will stem the flood of requests they receive for more information or the frustration readers might feel when discovering the addresses are out of date. At some point in the future, enterprising individuals may help us to update this page, but at the moment we have no concrete plans to do so ourselves. -- MPR 30Aug2005. Preamble The Dinosaur Mailing List receives numerous requests for advice on how to become a paleontologist and which colleges offer programs in paleontology. Rather than have potential paleos write to the list and list members recreate answers with each new inquiry, we hope that what has been assembled here will simplify the process for both requestors and the list. The Dinosaur Mailing List is the source of most of the information given below, with exceptions as noted. All posts have been used with the permission of the respective authors, and some posts may have been abridged or modified from their original form. We welcome expansion of this site. If anyone would like to contribute information about undergraduate or graduate school paleontology programs, please e-mail list owners Mary Kirkaldy or Mickey Rowe. Contents: I. How to prepare for a career in paleontology II. What university should you attend III. Choosing a graduate school IV. Graduate school programs I. How to prepare for a career in paleontology Intrigued by paleontology? Wondering where can you get more information? What courses should you take? While there are a number of publications in the library which will help you, the Dinosaur Mailing List and other associations have guided questioners in the past. A good site for general information on the topic is the Paleontological Research Institution’s web site: “I Want To Be A Paleontologist!”. Want a more personal view from the experts? Read on. A. James O. Farlow, Professor of Geology - Indiana/Purdue University, So you want to become a paleontologist? Well. If you are planning now, as a high school student, you need to take as many science courses as you can cram into your schedule while you are in high school. I would also recommend taking as much math as you possibly can (I never saw the need for math when I was in high school-boy, do I now. I wish I'd known then what I know now. . . ). A foreign language (French, German, or Spanish, or maybe Chinese) will be very helpful. Developing good writing skills are a must, and it wouldn't hurt to get some art training. (I wish I had. I envy people like Greg Paul and Dan Varner. I do well to draw flies.) Select a college or university that has a good, solid, program in geology or biology-preferably both. If you major in geology, work as much biology as you can into your schedule, and if biology, do the opposite. Once again, go for as much science and math as you can get into your schedule, and be sure to take at least one foreign language. Introduce yourself to the paleontologist on the faculty, if there is one, and see if s/he has a research program in which you could work as an undergraduate researcher. A lot of places (including where I am) do. Eventually you will have to decide what area/approach to paleontology interests you most, and that will affect where you go for post-graduate work. You will have to get at least a master's degree, and if you really want to be a professional paleontologist a Ph.D. is a must. B. Donald R. Prothero, Professor of Geology - Occidental College, First of all, no high-school student should be looking at grad school rankings to decide where to get an undergrad major in paleo. As most of us in academia know, many departments that are highly ranked in graduate studies do so at the expense of their undergrads, so a high-schooler interested in paleo may get little or no guidance at places like these. (My personal bias is that they're better off in a smaller but rigorous college where they get lots of personal attention and small classes, with lots of paleo classes being a bonus--but then I'm at a small liberal arts college where there are no grad students and undergrads get royal treatment). So the next time you run into a high school student who is seeking advice on where to go to become a paleontologist, tell them what Reid Macdonald told me 30 years ago when I was an eager high-schooler trying to find out this same thing: 1) Get into the academically strongest school your grades will allow; 2) You may find a smaller college which focuses on undergrads to be much better if you want lots of attention from the instructor (although some students thrive in giant classes in the Big U); 3) Pick an undergrad program which will give you a solid background in geology and/or biology; paleo classes are a bonus, because most undergrads will take only one paleo course before they graduate. 4) Pay no attention to the "rankings" like US News, or other glamorous media events like spectacular finds in the NY Times or on Nova--the paleontologists who are focused on teaching undergrads and preparing them for graduate school in paleontology are rarely represented in the media. 5) Once you have finished your junior year in college in geology or biology or both, talk to your paleontologist/mentor about which grad programs are CURRENTLY hot, and what they do best, and what their individual reputations and personalities are like. Any paleontologist who keeps up with the meetings and literature is a much better index to the grad programs than some out-of-touch department chair who is probably not a paleontologist, and who does not keep up with the current status of the profession. (Paleonet - 4/99) C. Other Resources Additional helpful discussion and advice on paleontology as a career can be found in the Dinosaur Mailing List archives of February, April and May of 1999. Go to: <a href="http://dml.cmnh.org/" rel="nofollow">http://dml.cmnh.org/</a> and click on the month you want to look at. (See especially Dr. Christopher Brochu's post on prospects for employment at: <a href="http://dml.cmnh.org/1999May/msg00050.html)" rel="nofollow">http://dml.cmnh.org/1999May/msg00050.html)</a> II. What university should you attend While the Dinosaur Mailing List does not endorse any college or university as being the best for everyone, we are fortunate to have first-hand information about some excellent paleontology programs. A. James O. Farlow, Professor of Geology - Indiana/Purdue University at Fort Wayne, Conveniently located between two oceans, our campus offers a solid undergraduate program in geology with a resident paleontologist (that would be me) therein. I routinely include undergraduate majors in my research projects, which lately include studies of such things as dinosaur footprints and late Tertiary and Pleistocene mammals. My Department of Geosciences offers a very nice undergraduate degree in geology, with three paleo courses (introductory paleo, invertebrate paleo, and vertebrate paleo), plus the opportunity to do undergrad research under the supervision of yours truly. In the past, undergrads have worked with me on such topics as the functional significance of tooth shape in tyrannosaurs, description of Pleistocene mammals, and the analysis of footprint shape in dinosaurs and ground birds. Plus, we've recently started collecting and describing a very diverse late Tertiary fossil assemblage from central Indiana, the first of its kind to turn up in the interior of northeastern North America-really cool fossils. Many of our courses have field trips as part of the course, and we also take two-week trips to such places as the southern Appalachians, the Grand Canyon, and vertebrate localities in the northern Rockies. I am constantly on the lookout for good students to work with. Should any high school students out there want to know more about our program, please contact me privately. B. Josh Smith, Graduate Student - University of Pennsylvania , The University of Pennsylvania is an excellent choice for anything related to paleontology, especially if the critters you want to work with are dinosaurs. As I understand the data, Penn is one of the very few places in the country where you can actually take a degree in paleobiology (offered by the Committee on Paleobiology, joint between Biology and Earth and Environmental Science). You can also take an A.B. in geology or in biology, the two majors that I would recommend. We have the oldest tradition of paleo education in the New World. Both Leidy and Cope taught here, and though Osborn went to Princeton, he did all of his paleo here with Cope. We currently have active dinosaur research programs going on in Wyoming, Alberta, Mexico, Massachusetts, China, Argentina and Egypt, and we are currently looking for good undergrads to take to Wyoming this summer (1999) and Argentina next January (2000). Our faculty contains Peter Dodson (a man with broad dinosaurian interests but with a focus on ceratopsians), Neil Shubin (who mainly works on basal archosaurs -- see the cover story in the May 13, 1999 issue of Nature), Herman Pfefferkorn (Carboniferous paleoecology), Ben LePage (Tertiary paleoecology), and Charles Thayor (invertebrate paleoecology). We also have very strong ties with the people at the Academy of Natural Sciences and the Smithsonian Institution. Working at the latter are some of our adjunct faculty, Kay Behrensmeyer (taphonomy and paleoecology), Scott Wing (Tertiary plants), Ralph Chapman (morphometrics), and Bill DiMicheal (Paleozoic plants). In my experience, it is invaluable to have students in the department you study in actively working on Ph.D.s, while you are an undergrad, so I encourage science students to go to places with active graduate schools. III. Choosing a graduate school Undergraduates thinking about paleontology as a career will be considering options for graduate school. Again, the library is a good source for information, but we will list here a few on-line resources we think you might find useful. The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology is compiling a list of graduate programs that undergraduates might use as a launch point for finding out about programs at various universities. Visit their site at: <a href="http://www.vertpaleo.org/education/gradprograms.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.vertpaleo.org/education/gradprograms.html</a> Another resource which has been useful to potential graduate students is the Peterson's Guide to Graduate and Professional Schools. Their web site is <a href="http://www.petersons.com/graduate/gsector.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.petersons.com/graduate/gsector.html</a>. A keyword search on graduate program descriptions (enter "paleontology" or "biology" or "geology") will produce dozens of schools. Click on a particular school for sections on programs of study, research facilities, financial aid, cost of study, correspondence and information, and faculty and their research. The U.S. News and World Report ( 3/29/99) listed the top ten graduate schools which offer degrees in paleontology. Those rankings were: 1. University of California - Berkeley 2. University of Chicago 3. Harvard University 4. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor 5. University of Kansas 6. Yale University 7. University of Iowa 8. Ohio State University 9. (tie) University of Cincinnati 9. (tie) University of Texas - Austin The Dinosaur Mailing List discussed those rankings: A. Josh Smith, Graduate Student - University of Pennsylvania, I think the most effective thing to do is to look at faculty lists of the major schools across the nation and where their faculty got their degrees. It is a fact that, regardless of what US News says about anything, a few schools put most of the faculty out there. If you want to do vertebrate paleontology, by far most of the standing faculty at Tier I and Tier II universities got their Ph.D. s at a few select schools, namely (in no particular order): Columbia, Yale, Penn, Chicago, Berkeley, Harvard. You might notice that all of these schools are Tier I universities themselves and that four of the six are members of the Ivy League. This has a lot to do with the fact that the top, most arrogant schools have historical, serious hiring biases towards schools that they feel are at their level. It also has a lot to do with the fact that the Ivies are represented very strongly (a full 50% of the league) not because they are Ivy as much as because these four schools have been playing the VP game longer than anyone else, and have thus churned out more VP Ph.D. s than anyone else. Chicago and Berkeley, in part because they are not really old universities in the first place, have not had the long standing tradition of Ph.D. milling that the other four have had. Thus, they have done something that is very difficult to do and is quite noteworthy---they have, in the academic world, become players in their own right in a relatively short time. So, even though Michigan, Kansas, and Texas are good schools with good faculty, they just haven't had the time to work up to the rest. Even Chicago, when compared to say Harvard, has put far far fewer of its graduates into high-end teaching and research positions. If I were a newly minted B.S. and were thinking about a Ph.D. in paleontology, I would look really hard at the job market and look really hard at what faculty are putting people into top jobs (in fact this is what I did do). 'Cause lets face it, it is fine to pursue a Ph.D. for the love of the science, but at the end of six or seven years, it is really nice, in addition to all of that pretty Latin gleaming down at you from its frame, to have managed to land a couple of job short-lists while you are at it. At the graduate level, your advisor is what is important, but if you can manage to combine a top advisor with the unmatched resources and alumni connections of a Tier I school, you will get far more bang for the buck, and you MIGHT actually have a chance of being one of the ca. 100 applicants for a job that gets chosen for an interview. B. Christopher A. Brochu, Ph.D. - Field Museum of Natural History, Something to bear in mind on this list (U.S. News & World Report list of top 10 paleontology graduate schools) - it ranks all paleontology programs, not vertebrate paleo programs specifically. This is why the Univ. of Cincinnati is on the list; U of C has a dynamite invertebrate paleo program, but the only vertebrate paleontologist in Cincinnati (Glenn Storrs) is at the Museum of Natural History, not the University. (I can't help but brag at the fact that UT-Austin's paleo program is dominated by vertebrate specialists. Not that we don't have EXCELLENT micropaleontologists or invert. paleontologists, but most of us when I was there were working on amniotes. Some of those schools got on the list by virtue of their invertebrate programs, but not UT. Hook 'em!) And, because the list focused on *geological* subfields, any vert. paleo. programs in biology or zoology departments will not be represented at all, as Don Prothero has noted elsewhere. I would also argue that the pattern Josh Smith has noted - that jobs are predominantly held by "Tier 1" schools - is changing. One should compare sources of those *with* jobs with sources of those *getting* jobs; i.e., ask around at where people are getting interviews. Some programs not on that list, such as Florida, Brown, and Duke, are sending students forth who are getting on short-lists. I think the advice someone else gave--that one should look at the journals and see where the worthwhile research is being both funded and published--is very sound. I would also urge undergraduates to go to professional meetings, such as SVP, GSA, or SSB/SSE, and attend the sessions. C. Josh Smith, Graduate Student - University of Pennsylvania, Chris is correct, it is changing, but it is going at the normal academic pace--glacier speed. Also, on your list above, two of the schools ARE Tier I, and one is Ivy. It is true that I ignored Brown and Duke, which are young programs and largely untested, but also, neither they nor Florida are dinosaur powers RIGHT NOW (students getting short lists is different than students getting jobs). Also, concerning your points about Austin: it IS a Tier I geology department, even if the paleo weren't strong, and it has a long history of doing geology well to sit on. The pattern is changing, but it still holds. IV. Graduate school programs This section contains narratives on some top schools and their areas of research. A. Kevin Padian, Professor, Dept. of Integrative Biology, Curator, Museum of Paleontology - University of California at Berkeley, It does seem to be the time of year to solicit graduate applications. With Tony Barnosky (back after three years' leave at Montana State University), Bill Clemens, and Kevin Padian, our Department of Integrative Biology and Museum of Paleontology at UC Berkeley now have a research program spanning the Late Paleozoic through the Quaternary, with opportunities for advanced study in anatomy, systematics, evolutionary change, climatic change, and many other aspects of paleobiology. Our Museum is one of the largest in the country and has excellent collections of invertebrates and plants as well as vertebrates. Other VPers at UCMP include Principal Museum scientist Mark Goodwin, Museum Scientist Pat Holroyd, Preparator Jane Mason, and retired Principal Museum Scientist Howard Hutchison, along with our graduate students and postdocs, plus the Laboratory for Human Evolutionary Studies with Professors Tim White and Clark Howell and their students. There is also the opportunity for interactions with a variety of invertebrate paleontologists (Dave Lindberg, Jere Lipps, Carole Hickman) and paleobotanists (Nan Arens, Diane Erwin) and their students to achieve an integrated experience in all aspects of paleontology. Current field projects of the museum include paleoenvironmental and stratigraphic studies in the later Cenozoic basins of the Rocky Mountain region, research on the Eocene faunas of Wyoming and adjacent areas, studies of the Mesozoic faunas of Ethiopia, and the evolution of Cretaceous and Paleocene vertebrate faunas of the Western Interior, which now includes cooperative research on evolution of the floras and environmental change recorded by stable isotopes. Visit the website of the Department ( <a href="http://ib.berkeley.edu)" rel="nofollow">http://ib.berkeley.edu)</a> to learn about the facilities of the department and the newly renovated Valley Life Sciences Building, and to obtain application information. Visit the UCMP website ( <a href="http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu)" rel="nofollow">http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu)</a> for information about the museum resources and paleontology in general (our website now receives about 1 million hits per week). When you've learned about the programs of the department and museum, you can also find out more specific information about our individual labs and research programs, and our graduate students and postdocs. For Tony Barnosky: <a href="http://ib.berkeley.edu/faculty/barnoskya.html" rel="nofollow">http://ib.berkeley.edu/faculty/barnoskya.html</a> For Bill Clemens: <a href="http://ib.berkeley.edu/faculty/clemensw.html" rel="nofollow">http://ib.berkeley.edu/faculty/clemensw.html</a> For Kevin Padian: <a href="http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/people/padian/webintro.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/people/padian/webintro.html</a> For questions about the IB graduate program, contact ... [The name that was here is now out of date; I think the address you should consider using is: integbio[at]uclink4.berkeley.edu -- MPR 30Aug2005] Applications are due December 15. We accept either the Biology or Geology GRE as part of the application. (Vrtpaleo - 11/98) B. Jonathan R. Wagner, Graduate Student - Texas Tech University, There are two routes for aspiring graduate students in vertebrate paleontology at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas--museum sciences and geology. I do not know much about the museum science program. The program seems to be aimed mostly at "terminal" master's degree students who wish to get jobs in museums. You can work with Dr. Sankar Chatterjee on projects involving the preparation of fossils and other museum-related subjects and take some courses in geology. The geology path, through the Department of Geosciences, takes advantage of our three faculty paleontologists, Dr. Chatterjee, Dr. Thomas M. Lehman, and Dr. James E. Barrick. Dr. Chatterjee's work is known to many on the dino list, and his current projects mostly (but not wholly) center around the Triassic fauna of the Dockum Group (including the Chinle Formation, and other famous North American Triassic units). In the past, Dr. Chatterjee's students have examined cranial kinesis in Allosaurus, Chinese sauropod dinosaurs, and aspects of the vertebrate fauna of the Dockum Group. Dr. Lehman focuses on the sedimentology, stratigraphy, and vertebrate paleontology of the Late Cretaceous of Trans-Pecos Texas, mostly at exposures in Big Bend National Park. Dr. Lehman's students have studied the turtles and dinosaurs of Big Bend, as well as the sedimentology and stratigraphy of Big Bend and the Dockum Group. Dr. Barrick is a conodont biostratigrapher, and most of his students' projects relate to Paleozoic biostratigraphy. He has supervised student projects on invertebrates, including fusilinids and corals, as well as conodonts. He is also a valuable resource for students studying vertebrates. The Department offers several classes in vertebrate paleontology, including two seminar courses and a full-blown Mesozoic vertebrates class (with a focus on terrestrial vertebrates). Additionally, the full gamut of sedimentology and stratigraphy courses is offered over any given two years period. There are several short opportunities for field work throughout the year, although you have to pay your own way. The Department has conferred M.S. or Ph.D. degrees upon several vertebrate paleontology students over the past decade. All of these graduates (as far as I know) have gone on to jobs in museums, teaching, or the petroleum industry. Recently, two of our M.S. recipients have been accepted by prestigious doctoral programs. Anyone with questions may contact any of the individuals listed above, or the head of the admissions committee. All e-mail addresses are available at the departmental website (<a href="http://www.gesc.ttu.edu/)" rel="nofollow">http://www.gesc.ttu.edu/)</a>. -- This page is part of the official DML web space, and hence is covered by our Terms of Use statement. This page was last edited on April 30th, 2007, and it has received 23150 hits from unique IP addresses since then. Compilation © Mickey P. Rowe & Mary Kirkaldy, 1998-2007 </blockquote> original posting here: <a href="http://www.lifesci.ucsb.edu/~mrowe/dinosaur/FAQs.php">http://www.lifesci.ucsb.edu/~mrowe/dinosaur/FAQs.php</a> Jason Carr on "Lineaus, Cope and the type specimen For Homo sapiens" http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/topic.php?id=30#post-103 Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:06:48 +0000 Jason Carr 103@http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/ In the spirit of Ed's talk yesterday I found a story that anyone interested in type specimens, and the arcane rules that go along with them will enjoy. originally published in the <a href="http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/features/20031015-9999_1c15type.html">San Diego Union-Tribune</a> <blockquote>When it comes to singling out a specimen for classifying humans as a species, it doesn't pay to be particular By Scott LaFee UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER October 15, 2003 Let's say, for the sake of illustration, that you're a dinosaur. But what kind of dinosaur? Friends peg you as a Stegosaurus stenops – a plate-backed, plant-eating ornithischian of the late Jurassic period. Nothing wrong with that, but something in the back of your walnut-sized brain harbors notions of a greater beast within, a Tyrannosaurus rex perhaps, a creature that ate stegosauria for lunch. Since the last dinosaurs perished 65 million years ago, this particular existential crisis is no more likely to happen than, well, a T. rex tromping through downtown San Diego. But if dinosaurs did still walk the land, they needn't wander about discombobulated about who and what they are. They could simply compare themselves against the type specimen for their reputed species. A type specimen is one of science's gold standards. It is the base-line sample, the scientifically accepted embodiment of that particular species. For dinosaurs, type specimens tend to be actual physical fossils, often the first such remains discovered and described. For a curious but confused Stegosaurus stenops, the type specimen in question is located at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. For a T. rex-wannabe, a visit to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh would be required. Most known animals and plants in the world have a type specimen tucked away somewhere, usually in a museum, lab or research institution. So, too, do lots of lesser life forms, including microorganisms. But if you're a bit higher up on the evolutionary tree of life, a member of the species Homo sapiens for example, you cannot do what dinosaurs might. There is no type specimen for human beings. No one, it seems, has ever filed one – at least not one that everybody else could agree upon. Admittedly, the lack of a human type specimen isn't likely to distress most people. After all, it's not like we don't already know what an H. sapiens looks like. They're everywhere, with 2.4 more born into the world each second, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. And even the loneliest person can look in a mirror. But among scientists – or at least those concerned with the taxonomy or scientific classification of living things – the fact that no type specimen exists for modern humans is a source of occasional bemusement trending toward consternation and contentious debate. It is also something of a twisted tale, one that includes a cryptic message from a long-dead icon of science, a wayward skull and, in an admiring sort of way, Raquel Welch. What's in a name? The story begins with Carolus Linnaeus, a Swedish pastor's son with a penchant for scientific organization. In 1735, Linnaeus, who had become a botanist of renown, devised a classification hierarchy for categorizing plants, animals and minerals into kingdoms based upon their unique physical characteristics. In it, he classified for the first time whales and similar creatures as mammals and recognized man's affinity with the apes, dubbing orangutans Homo troglodytes or "man-cave." This last aspect – the creation of a binomial nomenclature for all living organisms – is perhaps Linnaeus' most lasting contribution to taxonomy. Every known species is given a two-part Latin name. The first part identifies the organism's genus, the second its particular species. Linnaeus described and dubbed human beings Homo sapiens or "man-wise." But he didn't cite a type specimen, a concept that would not be invented for another century or so. Instead, Linneaus made reference to various races he was familiar with, either through actual exposure or communications with other scientists. There were just a handful, among them H. sapiens afer (Africans), H. sapiens europaeus and H. sapiens americanus (American Indians). These descriptions were not scientific in the modern sense of the word. Though Linneaus included notes about morphological differences among individuals and races, the bulk of each description was cultural and sociological. Linnaeus considered H. sapiens europaeus – the European – to be the quintessential human being and the best example of that particular species to be, well, himself. "Homo nosce te ipseum," he wrote. "Know thyself." For much of the next couple of centuries, science pretty much left it at that. "Obviously nobody felt a compelling need to name a type specimen for Homo sapiens because nobody did," said Gary Rosenberg, a malacologist (mollusk scientist) at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia and member of the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature. "I think most scientists thought that there was no need to describe the modern human being. And if there was, it was Linnaeus himself." Indeed, Linnaeus wasn't shy about talking about himself. He wrote five autobiographies. And "since for nomenclatorial purposes the specimen most carefully studied and recorded by the author is to be accepted as the type," wrote the noted English botanist William T. Stearns in 1959, "clearly Linnaeus, who was much addicted to autobiography, must stand as the type for his Homo sapiens." And thus the story might have remained except for two things: a general presumption among scientists that type specimens are a good thing to have and a 19th-century paleontologist named Edward Drinker Cope. Cope was one of the world's first great dinosaur hunters. In the late 1880s, he and Othniel Marsh, another famed dinoman, furiously competed against one another to unearth and identify as many dinosaurs as possible. Their rivalry was intensely bitter. Each hated the other. Each claimed the other was insane. Each resorted to occasionally dubious or unethical practices to thwart their archenemy. But between them, Cope and Marsh identified 130 of the 287 dinosaur species known at the time and breathed life into the emerging science of paleontology. In fact, Cope is credited with naming 1,200 vertebrate species and publishing 1,400 papers in his lifetime. But he wanted to do more, even after death, and so he willed his body to science. When Cope died in 1897, his flesh was stripped away, cremated and interred at the Philadelphia-based Wistar Institute, the nation's first independent medical research institute, and a place Cope admired and supported. Cope's brain, though, was saved, placed in a jar of formalin for future study. "Cope was a member of the Anthropometric Society, a group of learned men who all agreed to leave their brains to science," said Nina Long, a librarian for the Wistar Institute, now a biomedical research center with 27 laboratories. "They wanted to know why brilliant men are brilliant. Was it because their brains were bigger? Did they have more convolutions?" Like Linnaeus, Cope clearly thought well of himself. He decreed that the rest of his body – his skeleton – be used to create the type specimen for Homo sapiens. But Cope's dream died not long after he did. Obliging taxonomists reportedly found evidence of incipient syphilis in Cope's bones, a discovery that pretty much ruled out elevating Cope to physical exemplar of the human species. Cope of interest So Cope was laid to rest until the mid-1990s when he rose again. At least his skull did. In 1991, a National Geographic photographer named Louie Psihoyos was working on a story profiling paleontologists and the search for dinosaur remains. Psihoyos heard about the so-called "Great Bone War" between Cope and Marsh and discovered that Cope's bones were now residing in storage at the University of Pennsylvania's Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Psihoyos borrowed the bones, took them to the Peabody Museum in New Haven, Conn., and shot pictures of the material intermixed with memorabilia from Marsh, whose mortal remains were unavailable, having been buried in a cemetery when Marsh died in 1899. A few months later, Psihoyos borrowed Cope's skull again to use in photographs of active dinosaur digs out West. There, he introduced the late professor Cope to paleontologist Robert Bakker. In some ways, Bakker is a modern-day version of Cope, a wildly successful dinosaur hunter who is not averse to controversy or the limelight. Bakker admired Cope and, with Psihoyo's help, attempted again to establish the long-deceased scientist as H. sapiens' type specimen, this time based upon cranial capacity. He carefully counted and filled Cope's skull with tiny ancini de pepe pasta beads. In 1994, he published the findings in the Journal of the Wyoming Geological Society. Publishing is a requirement of any effort to establish a type specimen, but Bakker and Psihoyo's efforts met with mixed results. "It was just a kind of grandstanding by Bakker," said Ted Daeschler, a vertebrate zoologist at the Academy of Natural Sciences. Psihoyos, he notes, also had a book coming out at the time, which included a chapter about Cope and his prospective enshrinement. But Psihoyos insists his motives were altruistic and that most scientists appreciated the gesture, especially paleontologists. "My whole premise was to give Cope his death wish, almost a 100 years after his passing. There are no academy awards for paleontological research, no Pulitzer Prize," said Psihoyos. "It really is pretty thankless, back-breaking work to dig up bones and write papers and it takes decades to do it well and then when you finally begin to catch a glance of a fuzzy snapshot of the big picture of the past, you die." In any event, researchers say Cope doesn't live up to type specimen standards, which turn out to be very complex – and more than a little confounding. There are, for example, different kinds of type specimens. A holotype is the ultimate. It is the specimen identified and referenced in the first scientific paper formally describing a species. Syntypes are two or more specimens needed to fully describe a species. Paratypes are supplementary specimens to the holotype or syntypes. Hypotypes are specimens used to correct or extend an original description. Lectotypes are specimens superior in some way to the original holotype. Neotypes are specimens that replace other types that have been lost or destroyed. Presumably, Cope aspired to become a human lectotype, perhaps a neotype. But Rosenberg says neither is possible because another requirement for becoming a type specimen is being part of the material available to describing scientists. Generally speaking, that would include anybody alive or dead in 1758, when Linnaeus described Homo sapiens. Cope was born in 1840, thus missing the qualifying deadline by 82 years. There are other troubling problems, among them whether Cope's remains are completely intact. The bones bounced around a lot, shuttling from storeroom to storeroom. For years, they occupied a shelf in the office of Loren Eiseley, the noted anthropologist. At some point, the skull was dropped, broken and perhaps repaired using pieces from another skull. Type specimens cannot be composites. Singing Carolus' tune Over the years, other human beings have been proposed (not altogether seriously) as type specimen candidates. Among them: Bob Hope, Raquel Welch (whose credentials include being named the 1958 Fairest of the Fair at Del Mar) and Arnold Schwarzenegger, who's probably a little too busy now to take on another new job. But given the particular demands of the job, only Linnaeus appears to present a legitimate claim to type specimen status. At least he meets some of requirements. "The specimen (Linnaeus) is well-preserved in the Uppsala Cathedral, where you can easily go and jump on his grave," said Roland Moberg, a botanist in the Museum of Evolution at Uppsala University in Sweden. But nobody seems likely to push Linnaeus' case. It just isn't worth the likely headache. "Type specimens are important in zoological work, and they're very desirable to have," said Daeschler. "But it's a loaded concept for H. sapiens. How do you ask any species to choose its type specimen? Humans are incredibly variable, so picking out a single representative specimen would just cause problems nobody could resolve. "For this, we would need a dispassionate view. The description would have to be done by somebody not human, somebody like an alien." And aliens, as far as anyone can tell, are as hard to find as self-aware saurians.</blockquote> Jason K on "North America's tiniest Dinosaur" http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/topic.php?id=29#post-102 Wed, 21 Oct 2009 04:44:37 +0000 Jason K 102@http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/ <a href="http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/10/20/tiny-dinosaur.html" rel="nofollow">http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/10/20/tiny-dinosaur.html</a> The paper on Fruitadens should be out tomorrow, so it should be interesting to read about a dinosuar the size of a squirrel. Jason Carr on "Reecomended Reading" http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/topic.php?id=27#post-86 Tue, 20 Oct 2009 02:54:49 +0000 Jason Carr 86@http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/ Wayne made a good point in his post in the paleo mammals class thread about seeking out sources and doing your own research about topics that interest you. He mentioned the Textbook: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vertebrate-Life-8th-Harvey-Pough/dp/0321545761/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1256006480&sr=1-1">Vertebrate Life</a> by Pough, Janis and Heiser as a good starting point So I thought I'd put the general question out there what books would you recommend in paleontology topics both general and specific ranging from fish reptiles to dinos to mammals to invertebrates, and lets not forget biostratigraphy. Jason Testin on "Your First Test - Reference Request" http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/topic.php?id=28#post-100 Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:49:14 +0000 Jason Testin 100@http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/ Can anyone hook me up with.. Allosaurus fragilis: a revised osteology By James H. Madsen and Aspects of comparative cranial mechanics in the theropod dinosaurs Coelophysis, Allosaurus and Tyrannosaurus. EJ Rayfield - Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2005 Jason Carr on "Undergraduate Mammals Class" http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/topic.php?id=26#post-76 Sun, 18 Oct 2009 03:41:42 +0000 Jason Carr 76@http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/ It has been suggested that SDSM&T offer an undergraduate mammalian paleontology course. I'm creating this forum thread to discuss it. Would you be interested in taking it? would it provide a benefit? What does everyone think? Jason K on "Prehistoric Predators Badlands edition" http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/topic.php?id=24#post-74 Tue, 13 Oct 2009 04:59:43 +0000 Jason K 74@http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/ So is anyone else watching this? I had a pretty good laugh at the Daeodon aka Dinohyus flinging itself at the Chalicothere. Benjamin Zalneraitis on "xkcd 10/16" http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/topic.php?id=25#post-75 Fri, 16 Oct 2009 04:08:40 +0000 Benjamin Zalneraitis 75@http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/ So, I read the xkcd that went up today (<a href="http://xkcd.com/650/)" rel="nofollow">http://xkcd.com/650/)</a>, and thought, what a great thing for a forum. If you could ride any dinosaur (or prehistoric mammal, no discriminating), what would you ride? Personally, I would love to ride on a mesohippus (probably pumped full of steroids). It would be like a prehistoric clown car. katayatz on "What the heck is this?" http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/topic.php?id=22#post-71 Thu, 28 May 2009 20:41:39 +0000 katayatz 71@http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/ Hi, This was found at Keyhole reservoir in Wyoming a long time ago. Thinking it was some kind of weird turtle shell the way it was sitting in the sand when the water level dropped. It was in an area that has a lot of belemnites. In this same area, a few years ago, I found what I believe was a plesiosaurus. I took pictures of it but I could not find a paleontologist who would come look at it. Come to find out that a geologist from Gillette also found it and the dumbass "didn't want to see it deteriorate out there, so it is in a box in my garage".... and it has been there for how long?????? anyways, sorry to get off the subject, it just makes me mad. Anyways! My son accidentally dropped this 'rock' and it almost seems like an egg shape inside. I just wanted to see what you all thought of it or if you know a place I could take it. Thanks! denene <a href="http://s110.photobucket.com/albums/n90/katayatz/?action=view&current=IMGP1462.jpg"><img src="http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n90/katayatz/IMGP1462.jpg" alt="Photobucket" /></a> <a href="http://s110.photobucket.com/albums/n90/katayatz/?action=view&current=IMGP1466.jpg"><img src="http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n90/katayatz/IMGP1466.jpg" alt="broken" /></a> <a href="http://s110.photobucket.com/albums/n90/katayatz/?action=view&current=IMGP1475.jpg"><img src="http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n90/katayatz/IMGP1475.jpg" alt="egg? right" /></a> <a href="http://s110.photobucket.com/albums/n90/katayatz/?action=view&current=IMGP1476.jpg"><img src="http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n90/katayatz/IMGP1476.jpg" alt="egg? front" /></a> <a href="http://s110.photobucket.com/albums/n90/katayatz/?action=view&current=IMGP1477.jpg"><img src="http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n90/katayatz/IMGP1477.jpg" alt="egg? left" /></a> Sally Shelton on "AWG Scholarships" http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/topic.php?id=23#post-72 Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:50:02 +0000 Sally Shelton 72@http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/ Posted by Julia Sankey to the VRTPALEO listserv on 04 July 2009. 1) AWG (Association for Women Geoscientists) ANNOUNCES TWO NEW AWARDS FOR STUDENT TRAVEL TO PROFESSIONAL GEOSCIENCE MEETINGS The Sand Student Research Presentation Travel Award provides women geoscience students with support to present their research at the Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America including but not exclusive to sessions sponsored by the National Association of Geoscience Teachers. The Takken Student Research Presentation Travel Award provides women geoscience students with support to present their research at a national or international professional geoscience meeting other than the Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America. More information and instructions on how to apply are available on the AWG website at <a href="http://www.awg.org/EAS/awards/sand.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.awg.org/EAS/awards/sand.html</a> and <a href="http://www.awg.org/EAS/awards/takken.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.awg.org/EAS/awards/takken.html</a>. 2) ASSOCIATION FOR WOMEN GEOSCIENTISTS LONE STAR RISING CAREER SCHOLARSHIP The AWG Lone Star Career Scholarship provides professional development funding for women in the geoscience profession who wish to resume their geoscience careers after having been out of the work force. The awards are intended to cover professional development costs, up to $1,000, such as enrollment in geoscience training courses or workshops, fees for certifications & licensing, conference fees & expenses, professional membership fees, or any other justifiable costs to help candidate(s) reenter the workforce. Award Amount: Up to $1,000 will be given out in one year. Individual awards may range from a minimum of $100 to a maximum of $1,000. Number and size of awards will depend on the number of applicants and amount of funding requested. Application Deadline: December 31, 2009 Qualifications: The successful applicant will: ? Have previous work experience in an Earth Science field and have been out of the work force. ? Intend to reenter the workforce in an Earth Science field. ? Membership in AWG or the Lone Star Chapter is NOT required. ? Texas residency is NOT required. How to Apply: 1. Prepare a one-page (> 10pt. font) personal statement, describing your academic qualifications, professional work history, and any recent volunteer or home activities relevant to your area of expertise. Describe how the Scholarship will contribute to your career advancement. 2. State amount requested (up to $1,000) and provide an itemized list showing how Scholarship funds will be used. 3. (Optional) Include a letter of reference from someone familiar with your geoscience work experience and expertise or someone familiar with any recent activities that are relevant to your areas of expertise. 4. Clearly label all application materials with your name, address, phone number and e-mail address and send to: <a href="mailto:awg_lonestar@yahoo.com">awg_lonestar@yahoo.com</a> (emailed applications should have “AWG Lone Star Rising Career Scholarship” in the subject line), or mail to: AWG Lone Star Chapter P.O. Box 542042, Houston, TX 77254-2042 Other Information: Applicants will be judged on her geoscience professional qualifications, as indicated by work, academic and other (home/volunteer) experience, and on her demonstrated desire and potential to expand her current skill set or re-enter the workforce in a geoscience-related field. Nick on "Complete Primate Skeleton from the Middle Eocene" http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/topic.php?id=21#post-70 Thu, 21 May 2009 00:39:10 +0000 Nick 70@http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/ So, recently the fossil of a 47 million year old primate was unveiled to the public in New York City. The peer reviewed article can be found at <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0005723" rel="nofollow">http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0005723</a> What is everyone's opinion of this find? Jason Carr on "Planet of Dinosaurs" http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/topic.php?id=19#post-63 Wed, 06 May 2009 23:04:08 +0000 Jason Carr 63@http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/ I know we all enjoyed the Rifftrax version of Jurassic Park last December. Next friday the Rifftrax guys will be doing a live riff on the movie <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078089/">Planet of Dinosaurs</a> <a href="http://www.rifftrax.com/live/planet-dinosaurs-live-ticket"><img src="http://www.rifftrax.com/files/imagecache/thickbox/files/PlanetDinoLive_0.jpg" /></a> JerrodPreston on "Fledgling Paleontologist Seeking School" http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/topic.php?id=20#post-64 Thu, 07 May 2009 23:09:56 +0000 JerrodPreston 64@http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/ So, I've always wanted to be a Paleontologist ever since I was about 2 years old. I'd beg my parents to take me to museums so I could see the dinosaurs and I'd stay there for hours marveling at the bones. Well now's my Junior year in High School and I'm looking for a good college and I'm really liking The South Dakota School of mines. It's got all the programs I want, an opportunity for great field work and not-so impossible admissions requirements. I'd like a bit more information from the students of the school and any recommendations. Some info about me: I'd want to specialize in Vertebrate Paleontology (mostly Dinosaurs and Mammals). I'm 16 and a Michigan resident. Information on the costs of room and board, tuition and any tips on getting in would be greatly appreciated. Jason Carr on "New Paleo Building Construction" http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/topic.php?id=18#post-59 Wed, 22 Apr 2009 20:13:36 +0000 Jason Carr 59@http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/ Watch the Construction of our **NEW** Paleontology Labs live <a href="http://constructioncam.sdsmt.edu">here</a> Username: demo Password: ***blank*** Sorry but it requires the installation of special software that only works in Internet Explorer Benjamin Zalneraitis on "Speaking of Bad Movies" http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/topic.php?id=17#post-55 Tue, 14 Apr 2009 04:47:38 +0000 Benjamin Zalneraitis 55@http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/ <a href="http://www.spoonyexperiment.com/2008/07/06/yor-hunter-from-the-future-movie-review/" rel="nofollow">http://www.spoonyexperiment.com/2008/07/06/yor-hunter-from-the-future-movie-review/</a> This here is a review of "Yor: The Hunter from the Future." It covers the major plot points of the movie, which also tells us how to cut the choice meats off of a Triceratops. Enjoy. Jason Carr on "Movie Night" http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/topic.php?id=12#post-28 Fri, 03 Apr 2009 15:22:48 +0000 Jason Carr 28@http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/ I'd like to do one more movie night before the end of the semester. What movie would you like to see? So far I've heard 2 suggestions: <a title="The Core at imdb" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0298814/">The Core</a> <a title="Night of the Lepus at imdb" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069005/">Night of the Lepus</a> Please add your own to the discussion! <img title="Movie Night" src="http://paleoclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/movie-and-Popcorn.jpg" alt="" /> THE_MAN on "Avatar Questions" http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/topic.php?id=16#post-50 Wed, 08 Apr 2009 05:12:19 +0000 THE_MAN 50@http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/ Question: how do I set an avatar or profile picture? Jason Carr on "What do bird feathers and beer have in common?" http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/topic.php?id=15#post-40 Mon, 06 Apr 2009 01:03:39 +0000 Jason Carr 40@http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/ An interesting article by researches at Yale appearing in the online <a href="http://www.rsc.org/Publishing/Journals/sm/Index.asp">Journal of Soft Matter</a> about the role of nano-structures similar to beer bubbles in the blueness of bird feathers. Yale's press release <a href="http://www.opa.yale.edu/news/article.aspx?id=6559">here</a>. Mmmm beer. Benjamin Zalneraitis on "Research for Eoraptor lunensis" http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/topic.php?id=9#post-24 Fri, 27 Mar 2009 04:30:40 +0000 Benjamin Zalneraitis 24@http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/ I was wandering around school tonight and ended up in the library. I hadn't really been anywhere except the basement, so I started to explore. When I went to second floor, I saw the shelves of paleontology journals, and realised that I could do research for my presentation in Dinosaurs with these journals, in theory. It leads me to this question: Is there a database on which I can search the contents of paleontology journals to look for information? Right now, the best researching tool I have in Google, and its reliability is a bit low. I did see that "The Dinosauria" has a lot of information on the Eoraptor, but as it's very rarely updated, I'd like to have more recent sources (if they exist) with which to cross-reference the information. Anyone have any ideas? Jason Carr on "New book by University of Chicago Prof. Neil Shubin - Your Inner Fish" http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/topic.php?id=14#post-38 Sun, 05 Apr 2009 16:32:56 +0000 Jason Carr 38@http://paleoclub.com/bbpress/ When I made the forum categories I knew I was leaving stuff out, but I didn't want to make too many categories that would have only a post or two. Anyway, here is one of those topics that would be hard to categorize whatever groups I chose. <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102563802">Scientist Finds Humanity's 'Inner Fish'</a> Story on NPR.com about Neil Shubin, from the University of Chicago's new book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Your-Inner-Fish-Journey-3-5-Billion-Year/dp/0375424474">Your Inner Fish: A Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body</a> Here's an excerpt: <blockquote>Ancient fish bones can be a path to knowledge about who we are and how we got that way. We learn about our own bodies in seemingly bizarre places, ranging from the fossils of worms and fish recovered from rocks from around the world to the DNA in virtually every animal alive on earth today. But that does not explain my confidence about why skeletal remains from the past— and the remains of fish, no less— offer clues about the fundamental structure of our bodies.</blockquote>