- Roy E. Plotnick, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago.

In the old days, before the advent of the internet and the personal computer, you kept up on the scientific literature by going to the library and examining the stacks of new journals that had just arrived. If you wanted to pursue an area of research and write your own paper, you searched the library stacks, guided by the list of references in the back of published papers and the huge published volumes, such as the Bibliography and Index of Geology, that catalogued the papers on the subject. You may also find out, perhaps guided by more senior scientists, that there were certain critical papers in your area that you needed to read. 

The Paleontological Society Journals are seeking two Editorial Interns to attend the 2022 Geological Society of America Annual Meeting and assist our editorial boards in recruiting new paper submissions. Interns will get an inside look at academic publishing and assist Journal of Paleontology and Paleobiology in diversifying our content and our authorship. Each intern will receive a $2000 stipend to cover the costs of attending the 2022 GSA Annual Meeting. 

The Paleontological Society has entered into agreements with two services to facilitate the reporting of alleged violations to our Code of Conduct. These go under the names of NAVEX and Vault.

The year 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the landmark 1972 paper by Niles Eldredge and Stephen J. Gould that introduced the concept of punctuated equilibrium to the fields of paleontology and evolutionary biology.

The Paleontological Society is pleased to announce the fourth annual “Future Leaders in Paleontology” topical session at the 2022 GSA Annual Meeting. The goal of the session is to showcase the outstanding work of our student members in a high-profile setting. The Society will limit the number of paleontological sessions running concurrently with this special session, in order to have a prominent platform for our student members.

The Palaeontological Association's Annual Meeting: Cork, Ireland (July 18-24, 2022)

The Paleontological Society International Research Program, or PalSIRP, is the Paleontological Society’s answer to disparities in funding for basic research in low- and middle-income countries around the world. While the program has expanded in important ways over the past two and a half decades, it has the potential to do more to address global inequities in the funding of paleontological research. Please read on for a description of this vital initiative and, if you are interested in supporting its goals, you can donate at: https://www.paleosoc.org/donate and choose PalSIRP Sepkoski Grants. 

Due: 5 PM (Pacific time zone), Friday March 4, 2022

Paleontological Society funds are available to support meetings or sessions organized by society members. Our first priority is to provide up to US$1000 to support stand-alone meetings, where your group is organizing the entire conference. If additional funds are available, we can also support speakers at individual sessions within larger meetings. If you are organizing a topical session within a larger meeting, we can provide US$400 per invited speaker for up to two presenters.

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Mary Droser has received the National Academy of Sciences Charles D. Walcott Medal for her studies of early animal evolution and ecology. 

Please consider nominating one of your colleagues for Paleontological Society Fellow. Any PS member can nominate, though the nomination letter needs support from at least one PS Fellow. The deadline for nominations is February 28th. Click here for more information.

The Paleontological Society is soliciting nominations for the 2022–2024 Student Representative! The new representative will serve a two-year term that overlaps with our current Student Rep Jood Al Aswad.

Check out the new and updated Understanding Evolution website, the brainchild of the team at the University of California Museum of Paleontology (UCMP)! We encourage you to utilize these great lessons and resources in your own classrooms, and share them with educator colleagues.

Congratulations to our 2021 slate of distinguished Paleontology Society Fellows!

As Editor in Chief of the Paleontological Society’s Book/Journal Elements of Paleontology, I wanted to draw your attention to two recently published articles that highlight the breadth of Elements as well as highlight some of the publishing capabilities of the series.  Elements is more than just a series for the Paleontological Society Short Course Notes.  It publishes longer articles on a variety of paleontological topics including education and outreach in paleontology, stratigraphy, taxonomy and paleontological methods and techniques, to name a few.  As always, we are looking for content.  Feel free to contact me concerning ideas for new elements and edited volumes. 

The Paleontological Society Ethics Committee is pleased to present its second annual report to Society members about its activities and investigations conducted in association with the PS Policy on Non-Discrimination and Member Code of Conduct.

Virtual Policy Internship: Wrap Up

The Paleontological Society is pleased to report the completion and signing of a joint Memorandum of Understanding with the National Park Service (NPS) and with the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology. Although this MOU is potentially broad-reaching, one of its primary purposes is to enhance scientific efforts and stewardship of paleontological resources throughout the National Park System. The signing, which took place during a Government Affairs town hall meeting at the 2018 GSA Annual Meeting in Indianapolis, culminated a process led by Vincent Santucci, Senior Paleontologist and Paleontology Program Coordinator, to envision and develop the memorandum.  Signatories included Dave Steensen, Chief of the Geological Resources Division for the National Park Service; Bruce MacFadden, President of the Paleontological Society; and P. David Polly, Past-President of the Society for Vertebrate Paleontology, on behalf of President Emily Rayfield.  As part of the ceremony, both Societies were presented with commemorative plaques by the NPS.