paleonet Early vertebrates at NAPC

[Mark Purnell <map2@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Symposium on Early Vertebrate Evolution
North American Paleontological Convention
Halifax, Nova Scotia, June 19-26 2005

With 10 days to go before the abstract deadline we would like to
inform/remind people about the symposium on early vertebrates at NAPC this
year. This is shaping up to be a most interesting session, but we would like
to take this opportunity to encourage more contributions of talks and/or
posters on the general theme of early vertebrate evolution (the provisional
list of speakers and titles, and the official symposium outline will give
you an idea of the nature of this session).

Provisional list of Speakers (as of Jan 21):

Dick Aldridge and Mark Purnell:
    A new Jamoytius-like vertebrate from the Late Ordovician of South Africa
    and the interpretation of characters in the 'naked agnathans'
Howard Armstrong:
    conodont life history strategies
?Alain Blieck: 
    title TBA
Carole Burrow and Wouter Sudkamp:
    A new look at Machaeracanthus
Mike Coates:
    Gladbachus adentatus Heidtke & Kratschmer: is it a chondrichthyan, and
    if so, where does it fit in phylogeny?
Bob Davidson: 
    Volcanism, palaeoecology and new cephalaspid species: fresh evidence
    from the Early Devonian of Scotland.
Gavin Hanke: 
    Prepectoral spines on a new mesacanthid from northern Canada and
    analysis of acanthodiform fishes.
John Maisey and Philippe Janvier:
    Pucapampella upsets traditional views on jaws and teeth
Mark Purnell and Philip Donoghue:
    Stem groups, genome duplications, and the evolution of vertebrate
    complexity
Paul Smith: 
    Early fishes - biogeography, habitat and plate tectonics
Moya Smith: 
    Jaws and dentitions inside out
Ivan Sansom: 
    New information concerning Ordovician vertebrates
Sue Turner: 
    Silurian vertebrates of North American: an overview


Abstract submission and registration forms, together with abstract
preparation instructions are on the NAPC website at:
http://earthsciences.dal.ca/napc/napc.htm

Please note that the abstract submission deadline is January 31, 2005.

If you are planning to submit an abstract, please let me know your
provisional title (off list) so that we can keep track of the programme as
it develops.

Mark Purnell

(On behalf of the symposium organisers
Sue Turner, Mark Purnell, Gavin Hanke)


Jaws! False teeth and Gums - what makes a vertebrate a vertebrate :

This symposium will consider the state of play regarding ideas about the
evolution and phylogeny of early vertebrates, especially "basal"
gnathostomes (jawed fishes). Recent discoveries in Australia, China and
Canada have brought into question traditional views of the status of
acanthodians and "sharks" for instance. The origins and early evolution of
of teeth and tooth whorls and the role of fin spines are key topics along
with current hypotheses regarding the vertebrate dermal and endo- skeleton.
The planned conference field trips will include some of the key vertebrate
localities in eastern Canada: Arisaig, Campbellton and the Gaspe Peninsula.



Dr Mark A. Purnell
Department of Geology
University of Leicester
University Road
Leicester LE1 7RH
UK
Tel +44 116 252 3645 Fax +44 116 252 3918
www.le.ac.uk/gl/map2/