International Palaeontological Association

I. P. A. Origin

The I.P.A. was founded in Washington, D.C., U.S.A., in July, 1933 during the 16th Session of the International Geological Congress under the name of International Paleontological Union (I.P.U.). The first constitution was published in the Journal of Paleontology, Vol. 12 (1938). A revised constitution of I.P.U. was adopted in London, England on 17th July, 1958 during the 15th Session of the International Zoological Congress. The new name 'International Palaeontological Association' and a new constitution were adopted on 25th August, 1972 during the 24th Session of the International Geological Congress in Montreal, Canada. The 1972 Montreal constitution was published in Lethaia (1973, v. 6, no. 1, pp. 91-99). Amendments to the Montreal Constitution were adopted on 9 August 1984 during the 27th Session of the International Geological Congress in Moscow, USSR, and by the IPA General Assembly during the First Internatinal Paleontological Congress in Sydney, Australia, in 2002. The current, revised Constitution was adopted by the IPA General Assembly on 20 June, 2006 during the Seconf International Paleontological Congress in Beijing.

Mission Statement

The aim of the I.P.A. is to promote and coordinate international cooperation in palaeontology, including palaeobotany and palaeozoology of all geological periods, and to encourage the integration and synthesis of all palaeontological knowledge.

To this end the activities of the I.P.A. shall include:

(a) Organization of international meetings especially in association with international congresses;

(b) Collaboration with the officers responsible for programmes of international congresses to ensure that items of palaeontological interest are included on the programme of such congresses;

(c) Publication of a world directory of palaeontologists;

(d) Cooperation in the publication of international journals devoted to palaeontology;

(e) Encouragement and incorporation of International Research Groups within special fields of palaeontology, such as by the organization of symposia, the publication of proceedings, and by such other methods as shall be decided;

(f) Cooperation with other international organizations having interests allied to palaeontology;

(g) Representation in International Union of Geological Sciences (I.U.G.S). and International Union of Biological Sciences (I.U.B.S.) of national palaeontological societies;

(h) Any other activities considered appropriate by the Executive Committee.

Membership

Membership of IPA can be corporate, institutional or individual.

Corporate membership is open to national organisations and societies at the present rate of USD $7.50 per 100 members. Increments for the succeeding 100 members is USD $15.00, $22.50 and so on up the scale. Corporate membership fees are to be paid directly to the treasurer in dollars and drawn on a New York bank, or by bank transfer.

Institutional and individual membership is tied to subscription to the IPA journal of stratigraphy and palaeontology, Lethaia. Rates for 2003 will be USD $250.00 for institutional membership and USD $115.00 for individual membership. Please observe that these prices include distribution of the printed version as well as free electronic access to the full text of the journal.

Subscription orders (and application for IPA membership) should be sent to the publishers, Taylor & Francis, P.O. Box 6397, Basingstoke, RG24 8QS, U.K. or via: orders@tandf.co.uk