79th SVP, Brisbane

Last week Australia welcomed the largest gathering of vertebrate palaeontologists (an “assemblage” of palaeontologists according to Prof. Flint) that Australia has ever seen* at the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (SVP) meeting. The 79th annual meeting was held for the first time in the Southern Hemisphere at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre in Queensland, Australia.

SVP was founded in 1940 and has over 2000 members from across the globe representing all manner of people interested in vertebrate palaeontology. It was a week filled with workshops, talks, poster sessions, social events, field trips and more.

Prof. Mike Archer from UNSW opened the proceedings with a talk entitled “Life, Sex, Songs, Scrat and the Sponge: Australia’s Guinness Book of Evolutionary Records” at the University of Queensland on Tuesday, and on Wednesday we were treated to a special Welcome Reception held at the Queensland Museum. The Awards Banquet dinner was held on Saturday night with a surprise guest appearance from Prof. Flint singing his new song all about Mary Anning.

As always these events are an unmissable opportunity to hear about the hugely varied questions, fossils and approaches that people apply to palaeontology, and also to catch up with colleagues from near and afar. The Flinders Palaeo Lab was represented in force with about 25 past and present members in attendance.

Thanks to the organisers and the host committee for such a truly inspiring and interesting week. Looking forward to 2020 in Cincinnati!

*As far as I know