INTERNATIONAL PALAEONTOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION
ANNUAL REPORT FOR 2006
OBJECTIVES
The International Palaeontological Association (IPA) aims to
promote and coordinate international cooperation in palaeontology and to
encourage the integration and synthesis of all palaeontological knowledge. A detailed mission statement is
published on the IPA web site at [http://ipa.geo.ku.edu].
MEMBERSHIP
Corporate Membership is
open to national, regional, and disciplinary palaeontological societies and
sections of societies; as well as to other scientific societies, agencies,
institutions, organizations, working groups, and informal associations that
support the aim of IPA. Corporate
Members pay annual dues to IPA.
There are two classes of
individual membership: Subscribing
Members are individuals who subscribe to an international palaeontological
journal affiliated with IPA. A
portion of the subscription is designated for dues to IPA. Ordinary Members pay dues directly to
IPA.
CONSTITUTION
Following procedures prescribed by the former Constitution, on 19 August 2005 the proposed revised Constitution was approved by the IPA Council and placed on the IPA web site. An announcement in Lethaia invited members to send comments to the Secretary-General.
The revised Constitution of IPA was approved by the IPA General
Assembly meeting of June 20, 2006, in Beijing. It is published on the IPA web site at [http://ipa.geo.ku.edu].
OFFICERS 2002-2006
The officers of IPA for the period August 2002 through June
2006 were:
President: Richard J. Aldridge (UK)
Vice-Presidents: Luis A. Buatois (Argentina, Canada),
Daniel Goujet (France), Else Marie Friis (Sweden), Jin Yugan (China), Tat'yana
N. Koren (Russia).
Secretary-General: Rosalie F. Maddocks (U. S. A.)
Treasurer: Roger L. Kaesler (U. S. A.) (Dr.
Kaesler resigned effective December 2005 because of illness. Bruce S. Lieberman (U. S. A.) was
appointed to fill the unexpired portion of the term, January-June 2006).
Members-at-Large: Svend Stouge (Denmark), Warren D. Allmon
(U.S.A.).
Past
President: John A. Talent
(Australia)
Past
Secretary-General: David L. Bruton
(Norway)
OFFICERS 2006-2010
In accordance with procedures specified in the Constitution,
a Nominating Committee was elected by the IPA Council in January 2006. Members of the Nominating Committee
were Richard J. Aldridge (UK), Mary Droser (USA), Bruce S. Lieberman (USA),
Rosalie F. Maddocks (Chair, Non-Voting) (USA), and Jiayu Rong (China). Suggestions were solicited from the
general membership via announcements in Lethaia and PaleoNet. The Nominating Committee presented a
slate of nominations to the Council in May 2006. Elections were conducted by the General Assembly on June 20,
2006.
The officers of IPA for the term June 2006 through June 2010 are:
President: David A. T. Harper (Denmark)
Vice-Presidents: Stefan Bengtson (Sweden), Luis Buatois (Canada), Greg Edgecombe (Australia), Hou Zianguang (China), Bettina Reichenbacher (Germany), Jean Vannier (France).
Secretary-General: Rosalie F. Maddocks (U.S.A.)
Treasurer: Bruce S. Lieberman (U.S.A.)
Councillors-At-Large: Hiroshi Kitazato (Japan), Tat'yana Koren (Russia)
Past-President: Richard J. Aldridge (U.K.)
Past-Treasurer: Roger L. Kaesler (U.S.A.)
The President, Treasurer and Secretary-General compose the Executive Committee to conduct the day-to-day business of the IPA.
IPA COUNCIL
In addition to the Executive Committee and the other Officers of IPA, the Constitution provides that the Council shall include Delegates representing the Corporate Members and Lethaia, as well as Delegates charged with responsibility to carry out a specific task on behalf of IPA. The following delegates have been designated as of December 2006:
Delegate for Lethaia: Svend Stouge (Denmark).
Delegate for PaleoParks Project: Jere H. Lipps (U.S.A.)
Corporate Members have been invited to name their Delegates.
BUSINESS MEETING
The most recent meeting of the IPA General Assembly was held during the Second International Palaeontological Congress in Beijing, China on June 20, 2006.
The next meeting of the General Assembly is scheduled for
the Third International Palaeontological Congress in 2010.
AFFILIATIONS, MEMBERSHIP AND
FUNDING
The IPA is affiliated with the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) and with the International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS) but receives no funding from either organization.
The income of the IPA is derived in part from Corporate Membership
at a minimum recommended rate of US$7.50 per 100 members. The following is the list of Corporate
Members in good standing (dues paid) for 2006 as of December 2006:
Argentina:
Asociación Paleontólogica Argentina
Australasia:
Association of Australasian Paleontologists
British Columbia: British Columbia
Paleontological Alliance
Carnets de Géologie
China: Paleontological Society of
China (pending)
Czech Republic
France: Association Paléontologique
Française
India: Palaeontological Society of India
Italy: Società Paleontologica Italiana
Japan: Palaeontological Society of Japan
The Micropalaeontological Society
New Zealand: The Royal Society of New Zealand
The
Palaeontological Association
Poland: Paleontological Society, Geological Society of Poland
Romania: Paleontological Society of Romania
Russia: Russian National Committee
of Geologists
Spain: Sociedad
Española de Paleontología
Switzerland: Société Paléontologique de la Suisse
USA: The Paleontological Society
Some of these societies have been faithful members of IPA
for many years, and the IPA appreciates their continuing support. This year we were especially delighted
to welcome several new corporate members of IPA, as well as to reinstate
several former members retroactively for 2004 and 2005.
Another source of IPA income is dues from Subscribing Memberships, which are designated as a portion of each individual subscription to Lethaia, the International Journal of Palaeontology and Stratigraphy. In January 2006 the total number of individual subscribers was 177, a decrease of 32 from previous years. As of 20 December 2006, the number is 161, a further slippage of 16.
The new Constitution reinstated the category of Ordinary
Membership. Individuals pay dues
directly to the Treasurer.
To ensure continuity and accurate records, all Corporate and
Ordinary Members are encouraged to pay dues ahead for multiple years at a time.
IPA AND LETHAIA
Lethaia, an international journal of palaeontology and
stratigraphy, is published by Blackwell
Scientific (effective 1 January 2007, formerly by Taylor and Francis Publishers)
under the oversight of the Lethaia
Foundation (Lars Holmer, Chairman).
Lethaia is a formal
publication outlet for the IPA, and subscription by an individual confers
membership in IPA. IPA is not
involved in the editing or production of Lethaia. For
purposes of liaison, David Harper (President of IPA) and Svend Stouge
(Editor-in-Chief) sit on the Lethaia
Foundation as observers; the latter is a Delegate to the IPA Council.
The IPA and Lethaia
have enjoyed a long and fruitful symbiotic relationship. Members of IPA were influential in the
founding of Lethaia in 1968 as an
international journal of broad scope in palaeontology and stratigraphy, at a
time when nearly all other journals were tied to national organizations and
specialized interests. In 1970 IPA
formally adopted Lethaia as its
official journal and authorized the publishers to collect IPA dues from
individual subscribers. According
to the IPA Constitution, formal communications of IPA are published in Lethaia. IPA
encourages all paleontologists to support IPA and Lethaia by subscribing and by submitting high-quality palaeontological
manuscripts.
THE IPA WEB SITE AND
ELECTRONIC DIRECTORIES
The IPA Constitution prescribes the publication of a World
Directory of Palaeontologists.
Since 2001 this has been published electronically.
The IPA web site [http://ipa.geo.ku.edu/] features general information about the association, its officers, rules and by-laws, links to the publishers of Lethaia and Fossils & Strata, and information on palaeontological symposia.
The officers of
IPA are grateful to the IPA web master, Michael Cormack, and to the host
institution (the Paleontological Institute, The University of Kansas), for
capable development and maintenance of this valuable resource.
Three electronic databases are now part of the IPA
site. The site is immensely
popular, and over 1800 palaeontologists have now entered appropriate data.
The Directory
of Paleontologists of the World
(1856 records)
The Directory
of Fossil Collections of the World
(88 records)
The PaleoLink
Database (303 records)
Two more electronic databases are under development:
The Directory of Globally
Important Palaeontological Sites, together
with a web site for the PaleoParks Project, coordinated by Jere H. Lipps.
The Directory
of Paleontological Societies and Associations
By announcements on PaleoNet [http://www.nhm.ac.uk/hosted_sites/paleonet//] and in Lethaia, palaeontologists of the world have been encouraged
to submit and to update their information to these databases.
SPONSORSHIP FOR
PALAEONTOLOGICAL MEETINGS
All organizers of international palaeontological meetings
are invited to apply for IPA sponsorship, which includes permission to mention
IPA sponsorship on advertising materials and to use the IPA logo on conference
documents. This permission is
granted automatically for individual members and corporate members of IPA.
In 2006 IPA sponsorship was granted to the following
meetings:
"Palaeogeography and Palaeobiogeography: Biodiversity in Space and Time" Cambridge University, April 10-13, 2006 (Organizer, Claire Slater; Host, National Institute for Environmental e-Science, Centre for Mathematical Sciences, University of Cambridge).
"Primitive Life, Ancient Radiations." Two-day symposium, December 7-8, 2006, at the Reunion des Sciences de la Terre in Dijon, France (Organizers, Frederic Marin and Bertrand Lefebvre.
"Major Events in the Evolution of the Marine Biota" (Organizers, Drs. David Harper and Rong Jiayu). 33rd International Geological Congress in Oslo, August 2008.
"Fossils from Orogenic Belts"
(Organizers, Dr. David Bruton and David Harper). 33rd International Geological Congress in Oslo,
August 2008.
"PaleoParks: The Conservation and
Preservation of Paleontological Sites" (Organizer, Dr. Jere Lipps,
Convenor). 33rd
International Geological Congress in Oslo, August 2008.
FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF
PALAEONTOLOGICAL MEETINGS
The Association considers applications for small grants to cover the costs of initial planning, but not to defray travel and other expenses of participants. It is expected that this seed money will be repaid when the meeting is successfully concluded. Funding is usually made well in advance of the meeting.
In 2006 financial support was granted for the following conferences:
"Primitive Life, Ancient Radiations." Two-day symposium, December 7-8, 2006, at the Reunion des Sciences de la Terre in Dijon, France (Organizers, Frederic Marin and Bertrand Lefebvre.
"Xth International Congress on Fossil Cnidaria and Porifera" To be held in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 2007. Organizer: Dr. Olga Kossovaya. Host institution: All-Russian Research Geological Institution (VSEGEI).
INTERNATIONAL UNION OF
GEOLOGICAL SCIENCES
E-bulletins describing activities of the IUGS are received
regularly and are published at the following web site:
[http://www.iugs.org/].
IUGS Vice President Eldridge Moores is the liaison officer with
Affiliated Societies.
INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF PLANET
EARTH (IYPE)
On 22 January 2006 the General Assembly of the United Nations proclaimed 2008 (the middle year of the 2007-2009 triennium) as the International Year of Planet Earth (Appendix 1, 2). This UNESCO program was initiated by IUGS.
In January2006 the IPA was granted Associate Partner status
as a sponsor of IYPE. Information
about the objectives and activities of IYPE is available at [www.esfs.org],
including the downloadable color brochure "Earth and Life: Origins of
Diversity." On 20 January IPA made
a contribution in partial support of printing costs for this brochure, edited
by Dr. Bettina Reichenberger.
The IPA expects to be involved in outreach activities of the IYPE. In fulfillment of this objective, IPA is conducting workshops and database development for monitoring of endangered palaeontological sites worldwide. In May the IPA submitted an Expression of Interest to the IYPE (Appendix 3) to register our intention to request funding for the PaleoParks Project (coordinated by Dr. Jere Lipps), and we look forward to the opportunity to submit a formal proposal for this purpose soon.
The IPA encourages all of its Corporate and Individual
Members to examine the objectives of the IYPE, to consider submitting proposals
for palaeontological activities under either the outreach or investigative
rubrics, and to request IPA sponsorship of these activities as appropriate.
INTERNATIONAL UNION OF
BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Information about IUBS is available at [www.iubs.org]. As a member organization, IPA has been invited to send a voting delegate to the IUBS General Assembly in Washington, D. C., in May 2007. We look forward to continued cooperation with IUBS in activities of mutual interest.
GEOHERITAGE
On 15 August Dr. W.A.P. Wimbledon, ProGEO Secretary (ProGEO, European Association for the Conservation of the Geological Heritage, affiliated to IUGS) invited IPA to join a consortium of national and international, scientific and geoconservation organizations, which will function as a global editorial board for a proposed new journal Geoheritage. The proposed scope of Geoheritage will include geosite conservation but also a spectrum of on-site science, geological and geomorphological research, GSSPs, management and physical conservation, interpretation, education, tourism, sustainable development, wider environmental issues, the built heritage where there is a connection to natural materials, and also data, materials and places relevant to science and the history of science. IPA was invited in order to provide a focus for palaeontology among the wider geoscientific interests already represented. It is hoped that consortium members will help to encourage people, groups and organizations to edit, write, and promote the writing of papers for the journal.
IPA gladly accepted the invitation to join this consortium
for purposes of palaeontological oversight and communication. Dr. Jere Lipps (IPA Delegate for
PaleoParks Project) has been appointed to serve as Liaison with the consortium
on behalf of IPA. In discussions
concerning viability of a new journal, IPA would encourage consideration of
either an online journal or systematic alliances with a short list of existing
journals such as Lethaia. Although it would be inappropriate to
take a direct part in editing a journal, the IPA will be delighted to coordinate
this initiative with existing projects, such as PaleoParks and the International
Year of Planet Earth, and to encourage all Members and Corporate Members of IPA
to participate.
SECOND INTERNATIONAL
PALAEONTOLOGICAL CONGRESS
The Paleontological Society of China hosted this meeting in
Beijing, China, June 17 to 23, 2006.
The official web site is [http://www.ipc2006.ac.cn]. Many IPA Corporate Members offered
travel grants to graduate students to enable young researchers to attend this
meeting.
The Executive Committee of IPA cooperated with the
International Scientific Committee of IPC 2006, and Dr. Jin Yugan, Former Vice
President of IPA, was Co-Chair of the Scientific Committee. The schedule included field excursions,
a one-day mid-congress excursion, exhibitions of collections, and four days for
plenary sessions, special sessions, and business meetings. There were numerous symposia, including
plenary sessions with speakers representing IGCP projects and other
international programs.
Like the first congress held in
Australia in 2002, it represented a wide range of interests of our community
and showcased the vigor and vitality of our discipline. It also provided an
invaluable venue for our colleagues worldwide, and across all subdisciplines, to
meet and mingle, and as a result, facilitated both international and
interdisciplinary collaborations. With
more than 850 participants, IPC 2006 captured the rapid growth in our
paleontological knowledge and highlighted the importance of exploring unknown
territories in our discipline.
On behalf of the participants and of
paleontologists everywhere, IPA extends its thanks and congratulations to the
Organizing Committee and Sponsors of IPC2006. We also offer our condolences on the untimely death of Dr.
Jin Yugan, whose efforts contributed so much to the success of this conference
(Appendix 4).
THIRD INTERNATIONAL
PALEONTOLOGICAL CONGRESS 2010
Preliminary, informal conversations have been held with the Association Paléontologique Française regarding a possible venue in France.
Other Corporate Members who may be interested in hosting or
assisting with the organization of this meeting are encouraged to bring their
ideas to the attention of the Executive Committee for consideration.
33rd INTERNATIONAL
GEOLOGICAL CONGRESS
The IPA will sponsor several palaeontological
symposia for the 33rd IGC, 5-14 August 2008 in Oslo. Proposed topics include "Major events
in the evolution of the marine biota"
(Drs. David Harper and Rong Jiayu, Convenors) and "Fossils from orogenic
belts" (Drs. David Bruton and David Harper, Convenors).
The IPA has also proposed a
Workshop on "PaleoParks: The Conservation and Preservation of Paleontological
Sites" (Dr. Jere Lipps, Convenor).
The planned field excursions include several of possible palaeontological
interest.
Corporate Members of IPA are
encouraged to propose additional symposia and workshops with palaeontological
themes.
INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON ZOOLOGICAL NOMENCLATURE, ICZN
AFFILIATES, MEMORANDUM OF COOPERATION
On 13 July 2006 President David A. T. Harper signed a Memorandum of Cooperation establishing the new status of IPA as an ICZN Affiliate (Appendix 5). This status acknowledges that IPA supports the aim and activities of the ICZN but requires no financial contribution.
PALEOPARKS PROJECT
The IPA sponsored a Topical Symposium (T23) and Workshop on
the conservation of outstanding fossil sites at IPC2006 in Beijing (Dr. Jere
Lipps, Convenor and Editor). This
workshop included oral presentations, posters, and discussions by participants,
to share ideas for developing national and international efforts. The papers from this workshop are being
submitted for publication in Carnets du Geologie, with a manuscript deadline in mid-January 2007.
The IPA has proposed a Workshop
on "PaleoParks: The Conservation and Preservation of Paleontological Sites," to
be held during the 33rd IGC.
The Convenor is Dr. Jere Lipps.
This is a continuing series of meetings, started at IGC 32 in Florence
in 2004 and continued in IPC2006, to bring together palaeontologists and others
who are informed about the need for and status of the conservation and
preservation of palaeontological sites that have heritage, educational,
touristic or scientific values.
The workshop will consist of presentations about such sites, discussion
of them, and of the process of identifying such sites and how to get them
recognized and preserved.
Formal goals and specific objectives for the PaleoParks
project are being developed, for discussion and endorsement in Oslo. A prototype web page is in development
for the IPA web site. The desirability
of another name for the PaleoParks project is under discussion, because of the
similarity to "GeoParks" (trademark label for a European initiative with somewhat
comparable objectives and some overlap of sites, but with different scope and
emphasis).
Dr. Lipps reports that he greatly appreciates the
encouragement and suggestions of participants in former workshops. He invites IPA Corporate and Individual
Members and anyone else who may be interested in becoming involved in this
activity to contact him directly at <jlipps@berkeley.edu>.
ACCOUNTS FOR 2006
Treasurer's Reports are compiled
quarterly and annually.
The Association wishes to acknowledge the efforts of the
long-time Treasurer, Roger L. Kaesler, for his capable management of the IPA
accounts since 1996. Dr. Kaesler
resigned effective December 31, 2005 for health reasons.
The IPA welcomes Dr. Bruce Lieberman of the University of
Kansas, who filled the unexpired portion of Dr. Kaesler's term, from January to
June 2006, and who has been elected to serve as IPA Treasurer 2006-2010.
In April 2001 the Secretary-General and the Treasurer
submitted a signed statement to the U. S. Internal Revenue Service seeking to
register the IPA as a charity pursuing educational aims and therefore exempt
from paying tax. This status has
been approved and continues.
SMITHONIAN INSTITUTION
ARCHIVES
In 1993 an agreement was reached with the Smithsonian
Institution Archives to deposit the IPA records there. Correspondence with Archivist Shawn
Johnstone confirms that one box of records was deposited in 1994 covering the
dates 1973-1992.
In January 2005, Dr. Roger L. Kaesler, IPA Treasurer,
transferred correspondence and records accumulated during the years 1995-2002
to the Smithsonian Institution Archives.
Other IPA officers for the period 1993-2002 have been asked
to transfer their IPA records to the SIA.
Anyone having information concerning the whereabouts of IPA
records for any part of the period 1933-1973 is requested to contact the
Secretary-General.
CONCLUSION
In 2006 the IPA continued to provide leadership and support
for palaeontological activities worldwide.
In 2007, the Executive Committee of IPA intend to:
Support, communicate, and coordinate
international palaeontological activities effectively, with the help of IPA
Corporate Members.
Sponsor international palaeontological
symposia and workshops at many sites and occasions.
Develop formal goals and specific
objectives for the PaleoParks Program, and begin to accomplish them.
Cooperate with other international organizations and programs on behalf of the palaeontological sciences, including IUGS, IUBS, IYPE, the Geoheritage program, and ICZN.
Continue developing an electronic
Directory of Globally Important Palaeontological sites.
Cooperate in planning and
sponsorship of palaeontology-related activities for the International Year of
Planet Earth.
Encourage more
palaeontologists to subscribe to Lethaia.
Encourage more
palaeontological societies to become Corporate Members of IPA.
Encourage working groups and other
informal palaeontological organizations to affiliate with IPA.
Encourage contributions by
organizations and individuals to the directories maintained by IPA.
Encourage specialist
palaeontological societies to hold their meetings in close juxtaposition with
the International Palaeontological Congresses.
Encourage participation by
palaeontologists in relevant interdisciplinary scientific programs.
Continue to represent and develop
the interests of palaeontology where appropriate, nationally, regionally and
worldwide.
Submitted December 26, 2006
Rosalie F. Maddocks
Secretary-General IPA
Appendices:
1: Joint Statement by IUGS and
UNESCO Concerning the International Year of Planet Earth, 29 November 2006.
2: Announcement
by United Nations and IUGS of International Year of Planet Earth
3. IPA Expression
of Interest to IYPE: "PaleoParks:
The Conservation and Protection of Fossil Sites"
4. Death of
Professor Yugan Jin
5. ICZN
Affiliates Memorandum of Cooperation
Appendix 1: Joint Statement
by IUGS and UNESCO Concerning the
International Year of Planet
Earth, 29 November 2006.
Appendix 2: Announcement of
International Year of Planet Earth
By United Nations and
International Union of Geological Sciences, 30 January 2006
Dear Colleague,
It is my great pleasure to announce that the General Assembly of the United Nations, at its Plenary Session of 22nd of December 2005, proclaimed 2008 as the UN Year of Planet Earth by consensus. This UN Year is the core year of the 2007-2009 triennium during which the International Year of Planet Earth (Earth Science for Society) will operate. This will be the first ever UN Year for the Earth Sciences.
The Press Release issued by
the UN, is reproduced below.
"By
a draft on the International Year of Planet Earth, 2008, which the Committee
approved without a vote on 11 November, the Assembly would declare 2008 the
International Year of Planet Earth. It would also designate the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to organize
activities to be undertaken during the Year, in collaboration with UNEP and
other relevant United Nations bodies, the International Union of Geological
Sciences and other Earth sciences societies and groups throughout the world.
Also by that draft, the Assembly would encourage Member States, the United
Nations system and other actors to use the Year to increase awareness of the
importance of Earth sciences in achieving sustainable development and promoting
local, national, regional and international action."
The International Year of Planet Earth aims to demonstrate the great achievements made in the geosciences and to urge politicians and decision- makers to apply such knowledge for the benefit of humankind. Now that this IUGS and UNESCO initiative has collected the political support of 191 UN member countries, our fund-raising campaign will begin with approaches to a broad sweep of the private sector including extraction industries, governments, foundations, insurance companies, banks et cetera.
The International Year of Planet Earth will soon be incorporated as a legal entity with tax exempt status for donations. It will consist of a Board of Stakeholders (IUGS, UNESCO, Chairs of the Outreach, Science and Development Committees, Founding Partners, Sponsors, donors and regional representatives) and a Secretariat.
The Secretariat will be outsourced, and the call for proposals will be open until 15th of April 2006. We invite all professional geoscientific and other qualified bodies to consider hosting the International Year's Secretariat. For more details, please go to the Year's website: www.yearofplanetearth.org.
National implementation of the Year of Planet Earth is essential for its success. We kindly invite all of you to approach your national IUGS representative, UNESCO Commission or any other relevant geoscience body inn your country to start preparations for your own national Year of Planet Earth in connection and cooperation with the International Year's Secretariat. For that purpose you may wish to select 2007, 2008 or 2009, as best suits your national needs. As the preparation for UN proclamation and promotion of the International Year has been the joint responsibility of IUGS and UNESCO and of the Founding Partners, we propose that representatives of these bodies be included in your National Committee. In order to maximize advantages to be gained from the International activities and the services provided by the international Secretariat of the Year's Corporation, as well as adding an international dimension and outreach component to your national activities, we propose to formalize such relations through written agreements. Suggestions for developing national committees for the Year of Planet Earth can be downloaded from the Year's website: www.yearofplanetearth.org.
Calls are open now for submitting international project proposals on the outreach programme and on selected science themes. Again, please go to our website for downloading Expression of Interest forms and submit these to the (IUGS) Secretariat.
Finally, I invite you to "spread the word" about this major global event in the history of the Earth Sciences; never before have all nations of the world explicitly invited our geoscience communities to convey their knowledge to society with a view to having decision-makers and governments make use of that knowledge for the benefit of all humankind. Let us work hard together to ensure that this unique triennium will be the greatest (geo)show on Earth!
With my kind regards
Eduardo F.J. de Mulder
Chair of the Management Team of the International Year of Planet Earth
Past-President IUGS
Appendix 3: IPA Expression of Interest, International Year of Planet
Earth
International
Year of Planet Earth
EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (EoI) FORM
Project Title: PaleoParks: The Conservation and Protection of Fossil Sites.
Outreach Line:
This
proposal from the International Palaeontological Association (IPA) is linked
generally to sustainability of sources of evidence in Earth System Science, and
specifically to the IYPE "Earth and Life" theme. We aim to make a major leap forward in the conservation,
protection and responsible professional and educational use of important fossil
sites worldwide. These sites are
crucial to our science, as paleontologic and geologic data come primarily from
field observations and collections.
But many important sites are being destroyed or severely damaged by
indiscriminate collecting, by development or by neglect. Another critical facet is the
increasing commercial interest in fossils, which often command high monetary
values, encouraging irresponsible exploitation of fossil localities. We need to ensure that important sites
are properly documented, protected and managed as part of our global heritage,
and their value brought to the attention of a wide global public. In this way, the scientific,
educational and touristic values of the sites can be preserved and enhanced for
future generations.
(Please strike through that which does not apply)
Short title and/or Acronym: PaleoParks
Brief
description of Project:
Our primary aim is to create a universally
accessible directory of protected fossil sites worldwide. An international effort in this
direction has already begun, led by the IPA and involving paleontologists from
many countries (including Australia, USA. UK, China, Mexico, Israel, France,
Italy, Spain, Germany, Russia, Pakistan, Mozambique, Ethiopia, and
Romania). This loosely affiliated
group needs further co-ordination, encouragement and support to continue their
efforts, and we need to extend the activity into other countries. Our on-line interactive catalogue of
Protected Fossil Sites will include whole countries, World Heritage Sites,
National, State and local sites, and even sites protected by individuals. This list will serve as an outreach and
educational tool, as well as providing models of how sites have been protected
successfully in the past. It will
also provide documentary support for national paleontological and geological
societies who wish to convince government or other bodies of the importance of
these sites.
Date of Submission: May
11, 2006
Leader or Leaders:
Richard J. Aldridge (UK;
President, IPA)
Jere
H. Lipps (USA; Coordinator, IPA PaleoParks project)
Rosalie F. Maddocks (USA,
Secretary-General, IPA)
Bruce
S. Lieberman (USA; Treasurer, IPA)
Planned
International Participation (indicate firm commitments in bold italics):
Jodie Houston, Australia
David Scott, Canada
Li Minglu, China; Zhu Maoyan, China.
Marie-The Venec-Peyre, France
Javier Gaitan, Mexico
Luis Costa Junior, Mozambique
Bruce Hayward, New Zealand
S. Sameeni, Pakistan
Juan Carlos Braga, Spain
H. Richard Lane, USA; Michael Cormack, USA
We have also received initial
expressions of interest from many other scientists. We will launch this initiative publicly at IPC2006 (2nd
International Palaeontological Congress, Beijing) in June 2006; more than 850
participants have already registered for this meeting.
Duration: June 1, 2006- May 31, 2009.
We envisage activities over three years to set up the program, after which
we expect it to be self-sustaining through the interest and activities of the
paleontological community and public users.
Major
Objectives: The
key objective is to produce a comprehensive web-based directory of protected
sites of global importance (PaleoParks).
We will also develop a list of endangered and threatened sites so that
we can stimulate action to conserve them – this list will be
password-protected and not publicly available until the sites are
protected. The directory of
protected sites will be managed by the IPA and housed on the IPA website along
with the existing directories.
There will not be annual targets, but the 3-year target will be to have
the majority of important international sites on the database and a system in
place to ensure regular updating.
Methods/Approach: We will use a global network of palaeontologists, guided by a steering
committee, to develop the database of sites. To ensure sustained activity we will hold annual workshops,
to which we will invite active participants, particularly those from developing
countries (see below). The program
will be advertised through scientific and popular publications (e.g. Lethaia, Geology Today), on the World Wide Web, on
electronic bulletin boards, including PaleoNet, VertPaleo, MicroPaleo, and at
paleontologic and geologic meetings.
Planned
Results: The primary deliverable for this program is the WWW site for
PaleoParks. Other outcomes will
include the development of an international network of collaborating
paleontologists who will assist in the identification of valuable fossil sites
and assist governments and other authorities in the protection of these sites.
Please
indicate the wider societal benefit of your research: We aim to achieve the protection
of valued fossil sites by legal canons, governments, organizations and
individuals worldwide. These
irreplaceable sites represent the history of life on planet Earth, hence are
part of the national and global heritage of all humans. Many sites will serve as educational natural
exhibits available for instruction and viewing by interested individual
tourists and groups of students at all levels. We intend to capitalize on the inherent interest that people
have to see fossils in the field, often stirred by TV and movies (Jurassic
Park etc.).
Each site description on our database will have information for the
general public, educators, students, and tour leaders. We will compile experience and advice
concerning practical issues, such as how sites are best visited and the proper
decorum expected, plus the benefits that visitors may derive. We will also seek the involvement of
the general public in the identification of potential sites, and our
collaborating scientists will recruit interested laypeople to assist with
aspects of the task.
Please
indicate the target audience of your outreach activity (if applicable) and
explain the need: Our targets are scientists, amateurs, the general public, teachers,
students at all levels, and tourists.
The need is to provide frontline education regarding the history and
evolution of life, its place in Earth history, and the importance of
conservation.
Planned
Workshops: We
are organizing a workshop, funded by IPA, at IPC2006 in Beijing. A key workshop will be held in 2008,
focus year of the IYPE, probably in association with the IGC in Oslo. Other workshops will be held in 2007
and 2009, the latter to develop plans for the continuation of the efforts
beyond 2009.
Proposed
Publications: The primary output will be the database hosted on the IPA
WWW site. Short articles about the
project will be published in the scientific and popular literature. It may also be appropriate to produce
brochures for some individual sites in co-operation with local authorities.
Other Products (e.g. database,
instrument, policy document, etc.):
See above.
Involvement
of other bodies (list entities and nature of
involvement):
Plans
for Including Scientists from Developing Countries and/or Young Scientists in
Project and Leadership: These are of fundamental importance, and will be identified, invited to
workshops and invited to serve on the steering committee.
PROPOSED
BUDGET (in $ (US)):
Travel:
Workshops/ Meetings:
$10,000
each for 3 workshops = $30,000
(The
workshops will be held in association with international meetings, but we will
need to find the costs of room and facility hire, and expenses for invited key
participants, particularly from developing countries).
Administrative
Costs (must be less than 10% of total allocation):
$2500
Other
Costs (specify):
Dedicated
computer (IPA webmaster):
$2200
Computer
assistance in web development:
$4000/year
Student
assistance in uploading information: $4000/year
TOTAL: $ 58,700
Sum sought from International Year: $54,000
Sum requested, pledged or obtained from other sources:
The International Palaeontological Association
will buy the computer and cover the administrative costs. The IPA has already made a contribution
towards the cost of the workshop at IPC2006 in Beijing, and officers of the IPA
and leaders of this project will provide their time without cost. The IPA also acknowledges the ongoing generosity of the
Paleontological Institute of the University of Kansas in hosting and partially
subsidizing the maintenance of the IPA web site.
Your coordinates:
Prof.
Richard J. Aldridge
Department of Geology
University of Leicester
Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
Phone: +116 252 3610
E-mail: ra12@le.ac.uk
Fax: +116 252 3918
Prof. Jere H. Lipps
Museum of Paleontology #4780
1101 Valley Life Sciences Building
University of California,
Berkeley, California 94720
Phone: 510-642-9006
Fax: 510-642-1822
E-mail: jlipps@berkeley.edu
www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/people/jlipps/jlipps.html
Prof.
Rosalie F. Maddocks
Department of Geosciences
Room 312 Science &
Research Bldg. 1
University of Houston
Houston, TX 77204-5007
U.S.A.
Phone: 713-743-3429
E-mail: RMaddocks@uh.edu
Prof. Bruce S. Lieberman
Department of
Geology
University of
Kansas
1475
Jayhawk Blvd.
120 Lindley Hall
Lawrence,
KS 66045
E-mail: blieber@ku.edu
Phone:
785-864-2741
Fax: 785-864-5276
Appendix
4: Death of Professor Yugan Jin
Date:
Mon, 03 Jul 2006 09:02:53 +0100
From: Richard Aldridge <ra12@leicester.ac.uk>
Subject: Re: Prof Jin Yu-gan
To: Shuzhong Shen <szshen@nigpas.ac.cn>
Cc: "Rosalie F. Maddocks"
<RMaddocks@uh.edu>,
"Lieberman, Bruce S"
<blieber@ku.edu>, "Harper, David A.T."
<Dharper@snm.ku.dk>
X-UoL-Id:
fc15016e6be9521aef620256d1c2db4b@1FxJS7-0000OH-FM@apollo.le.ac.uk
X-PMX-Version: 4.7.1.128075, Antispam-Engine:
2.4.0.264935,
Antispam-Data: 2006.5.29.43405
User-Agent: Microsoft-Entourage/10.1.0.2006
Original-recipient: rfc822;geos64@mail.uh.edu
Dear Professor Shen
I have just returned from China following IPC 2006 and have learned the sad
news about Professor Jin. His passing is a great loss to palaeontology in
China and in the world. On behalf of the IPA and personally, can I pass on
my condolences to all his family and friends.
It is particularly sad that Yu-gan was unable to be at IPC to see the fruits
of all his hard work in setting up and driving that Congress. Our memories
of that supremely successful meeting will serve as a memorial in our minds
to his achievements.
With my very best wishes
Dick Aldridge
Richard J. Aldridge
F. W. Bennett Professor of Geology
Department of Geology
University of Leicester
Leicester LE1 7RH
UK
Past-President, International Palaeontological Association
Phone: +116 252 3610
E-mail: ra12@le.ac.uk
Fax: +116 252 3918
Appendix
5: ICZN Affiliates Memorandum of
Cooperation
Supported by the International Trust for
Zoological Nomenclature (ITZN)
The Natural History Museum
Cromwell Road
London SW7 5BD
Tel: +44 (0)20 7942 5653
E-mail: iczn@nhm.ac.uk
Website: www.iczn.org
ICZN Affiliation - Memorandum of Cooperation
Dear
Sir / Madam,
I am writing to you as Executive
Secretary of the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN). As
you will be aware, ICZN produces the internationally recognised and accepted
Code for naming animals (now in its 4th edition, and on the web at:
www.iczn.org/iczn/index.jsp), as well as resolving problems that arise with the
names of animals. ICZN provides these services through its Commissioners, up to
30 international specialists, and its secretariat based at the Natural History
Museum in London.
ICZN's activities are mandated by
the International Union of Biological Sciences, of which it is a member, and
the Convention on Biological Diversity. ICZN is also an Associate Participant
of GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
At ICZN we now see the emergence
of a further, significant benefit to all taxonomists and other users of animal
names through the development of ZooBank, a system of registration for the
scientific names of animals. The initial proposal appeared in Nature last September, and has received
strong support from the zoological community. A copy of the Nature commentary is attached. It is
also accessible through the ICZN website (www.iczn.org), where you will also
find discussion of the proposal and related matters.
The work of ICZN will become
increasingly important in the face of current global problems facing the
environment, biosecurity, biodiversity, conservation, and other issues
affecting animals, such as climate change and avian flu. It will become even
more essential to ensure the correctness of the scientific names of animals in
documentation relating to import and export, quarantine, medicine and
veterinary science, and conservation, e.g. red data lists and CITES.
In previous messages
we have asked associated organisations for direct financial assistance, however
modest, to contribute towards the costs of carrying out the functions of ICZN.
While we greatly value this support, we realise that this is an unsustainable
fundraising strategy for keeping ICZN running in perpetuity. We are therefore
currently seeking not a financial contribution but a statement of approval of
ICZN's role and products, in the form of the attached Memorandum of
Cooperation. We hope that by building up a critical mass of support from the
users of ICZN's products and services we can lobby for financial help from
other donors.
Your signature on the
attached MoC could therefore be critical for the future of ICZN and
consequently for the maintenance of standards, sense and stability in animal
names.
Yours sincerely,
Dr Andrew Polaszek
Supported by the International Trust for
Zoological Nomenclature (ITZN)
The Natural History Museum
Cromwell Road
London SW7 5BD
Tel: +44 (0)20 7942 5653
E-mail: iczn@nhm.ac.uk
Website: www.iczn.org
ICZN Affiliates
Memorandum of Cooperation
As signatories to this Memorandum
of Cooperation with the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, we
support the overall aim of the Commission, that of promoting "Standards,
Sense and Stability for animal names in science". We endorse the
activities of the Commission in producing and periodically revising the International
Code of Zoological Nomenclature, and ruling on cases where animal nomenclature requires
resolution.
We recognise that the Commission
is a unique body of specialist scientists, truly international in its
composition, who freely donate their services to the work of ICZN. Without the
existence of ICZN, and particularly without the Code, animal scientific
nomenclature would rapidly become unstable.
Now more than ever, with
information technology revolutionising the way that animal taxonomy is
undertaken and the means by which the results of taxonomic research are
disseminated, ICZN has a central and crucial role to play in maintaining
stability of animal names.
We also support ICZN's Mission and
Vision statements:
Mission:
The
International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature is dedicated to achieving
stability and sense in the scientific naming of animals.
Vision:
The International Commission on
Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN), acting in the capacity of adviser and arbiter,
assists the zoological community through generation and dissemination of
information on the correct use of the scientific names of animals.
This includes the publication
of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature and the Bulletin of
Zoological Nomenclature containing applications to, and rulings by, the
Commission.
ICZN will distribute this
information as widely as possible, working towards the provision of a free
service.
By signing this Memorandum of
Cooperation we are therefore pleased to become ICZN Affiliates forthwith.
Signed: Professor David A.T.
Harper
Date: 13.07.2006
Position
in organisation: President
Organisation
name or stamp: International Palaeontological Association
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