Despite this global pandemic raging all around us, during this first fortnight of May I have been taking part in a scientific conference from the comfort and safety of my own home. The 2nd Palaeontological Virtual Congress (PALAEOVC) showcases what I believe will become part of the new normal for scientific meetings.
PALAEOVC is developed exclusively in the virtual environment, meaning it is cheaper to hold (and attend), and can enable a higher number of researchers from every corner of the globe – which is great for those who can’t always travel to attend scientific meetings.
I presented a “virtual poster” which in essence consisted of 5 powerpoint slides showing one element of my research entitled “Endocast Anatomy of the Megalichthyid Tetrapodomorph, Cladarosymblema, Elucidated via Micro-CT” (which is a long-winded way of saying I’m looking inside the skull of a tetrapod-like fish called Cladarosymblema). This fish comes from the Carboniferous (~340 million years ago) of Queensland, Australia, and we’ve scanned two beautiful 3D preserved specimens, enabling me to look inside the fossils at the shape of their braincase.
PALAEOVC had several different sessions and different formats for presentations, invited guest presenters and even a virtual field trip to the Dolomites in northern Italy! The online platform provided space for discussion forums and it was great to be able to interact with the meeting and other attendees in your own time zone throughout the two weeks it was online.
I have to thank and congratulate the Scientific and Organising Committee for pulling PALAEOVC together which was particularly valuable during this time of global lockdown. I look forward to participating in the next one and envisage that this kind of virtual platform is likely to become more and more common in the future.
Dr Alice Clement 