EAVP 2021 – Virtual conference

This year’s conference of the European Association of Vertebrate Palaeontologists (EAVP) took place online from July 5-9, 2021. More than 160 participants gathered to attend the virtual event. The programme offered them an opportunity to discuss recent research, to meet new colleagues and to re-connect with „old“ conference friends. In addition to the main session, the conference included a variety of workshops, roundtables and symposia.

The symposium on 3D fossils, robotic and experimental palaeontology organized by myself brought attention to cutting-edge research in palaeobiology using recent technological advances including synchrotron X-ray tomography, high-performance computer modelling and robotics. Excellent researchers presented their work providing insights into the current state of the art in reconstructing past life with a special emphasis on robotic and experimental palaeontology as well as artificial intelligence. The symposium revealed the promise and challenge that such approaches hold for answering fundamental questions in vertebrate palaeontology.

The abstracts will be published Open Access as a special volume in PalaeoVertebrata, the official journal of the EAVP.

Thank you to the organizers and every participant who have made this EAVP conference a great success!

References:

Böhmer C (2021) X-ray vision into palaeopathology. PalaeoVertebrata.

Böhmer C (2021) 3D fossils, robotics and experimental palaeontology. PalaeoVertebrata.

Böhmer C and Rössner G. (2018). Dental paleopathology in fossil rhinoceroses: etiology and implications. Journal of Zoology 304 (1): 3-12. Special issue on paleopathology (invited contribution). DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12518

Böhmer C, Heissig K and Rössner G (2016). First fossil evidence for dental eruption series and replacement pattern in Miocene rhinoceroses as revealed by macroscopy and X-ray: implications for ontogeny and mortality profile. Journal of Mammalian Evolution 23 (3): 265-279. DOI: 10.1007/s10914-015-9313-x