11th Founders Symposium
March 23-24, 2019
Lowry Conference Center, 1061 Akron Way, Denver
Exceptional preservation. Extraordinary fossils. It’s the dream of every paleontologist to find such a spot. Sometimes that dream comes true when an explorer finds a Lagerstätte –– a place where time and circumstance conspire to preserve ancient worlds in exquisite detail. Let WIPS treat you to some of the world’s greatest such sites and hear their stories from experts who know them best.
Our 2019 keynote speaker is Derek F. G. Briggs, co-author of The Fossils of the Burgess Shale (1994) and co-discoverer, with Simon Conway Morris and H.G. Whittington, of the true nature of many Burgess Shale fossils, including the Cambrian predator, Anomalocaris. Briggs is the G. Evelyn Hutchinson Professor of Geology and Geophysics; Curator in Charge of Invertebrate Paleontology, Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History.
Don’t miss the Western Interior Paleontological Society’s 11th symposium!
- Two days of talks by paleontologists
- Educational exhibits
- Displays of fossils
- Paleo art show and sale with over a dozen artists
- WIPS bookstore
About the Founders Symposium
The Western Interior Paleontological (WIPS) Founders Symposium brings scientists, fossil lovers and artists together every other year. First held in 1999, it was organized to promote the exchange of information and ideas between the avocational and professional paleontological communities. Proceeds from our Founders Symposiums are the primary source of funding for WIPS grants and scholarships programs, which benefit research and education in the field of paleontology.
2019 Founders Symposium Planning Committee
Western Interior Paleontological Society (WIPS) volunteers coordinate speakers, workshops, field trips, the art gallery and exhibits, marketing, housing/hosting, registration, sponsorships and more to make each biennial Founders Symposium possible.
Many thanks to the 2019 planning committee:
Daniel Winester, Chair – symposium@westernpaleo.org
Sheri Atencio-Church
Jim Bullecks
David Fangrow
Becky Greben
Wayne Itano
Nancy Kimber
John Makar
Susan Passmore
Judy Peterson
Gary Raham
David Warren
The Symposium Committee would like to thank Dr. James Hagadorn of the Denver Museum of Nature & Science for helping to recommend speakers for this Symposium.
Many thanks to WIPS web masters for their support: Angela Matthias and Kelly Carney
Speakers
Speakers are coming from across the country to tell us about Lagerstätten — famous deposits known for their exceptionally preserved fossils — from Canada’s Burgess Shale to Colorado’s own Florissant Formation. Paleontologists scheduled to date are:
Derek Briggs (keynote), Yale University
Biota, taphonomy, and significance of the Burgess Shale and general aspects of the taphonomy of Lagerstätten
William Ausich
The Ohio State University
Crawfordsville crinoid fossils (Lower Mississippian, Indiana)
Brent Breithaupt
BLM–Western Region
Robledo Mountain Formation vertebrate and invertebrate trackways (Permian, New Mexico)
John Foster
Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum
Wheeler and Marjum Shales (Cambrian, Utah)
Lance Grande
Field Museum of Natural History-Chicago
Green River Formation (Eocene, Wyoming)
James Hagadorn
Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Fossil jellyfish in Konservat- Lagerstätten
Frank Krell
Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Fossils in amber (Baltic, Lebanon, Myanmar) and in the Messel Formation (Eocene, Germany), with emphasis on scarab beetles
Martin Lockley
University of Colorado-Denver (Emeritus)
High diversity, high-resolution track sites (Cretaceous, Korea)
John Maisey
American Museum of Natural History (Curator Emeritus)
Santana Formation fossils (Cretaceous, Brazil)
Jim Mead
The Mammoth Site of Hot Springs
The Mammoth Site (Pleistocene, South Dakota)
Herbert Meyer
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
Florissant Formation fossils (Eocene, Colorado)
Roy Plotnick
University of Illinois
New research on Mazon Creek (Pennsylvanian, Illinois)
James Schiffbauer
University of Missouri
Ediacaran-Cambrian transition, with emphasis on small tubular fossils like Cloudina (China)
Blaine W. Schubert
East Tennessee State University
Gray Fossil Site (Miocene, Tennessee)
Poster Session
The Founders Symposium welcomes poster displays on any topic associated with paleontology. The goal of the poster session is to showcase paleontology to both symposium attendees and the public. It is also a forum for:
Western Interior Paleontological Society (WIPS) members to share information about their projects
Students in paleontology to gain experience developing and presenting scientific posters
Recipients of WIPS Karl Hirsch Memorial Grants to report on their research
Posters will be on display, along with educational exhibits and the Paleo Art Show and Sale, on both Saturday and Sunday. There is no fee to view the posters, displays or the art show and sale.
Exhibits
2019 Sponsors (as of October 26, 2018)
The Founders Symposium, and the funding it produces for paleontological research and education, is made possible with the support of generous sponsors. To learn more about sponsorship opportunities, contact symposium@westernpaleo.org
Burgess Shale Sponsors ($500 and above)
City of Lakewood
Gerald Forney
Wayne Itano
Mike and Liz Lacey
Dave Warren
Florissant Sponsors ($250 and above)
Don Brandborg
Alan Brandt
Dennis Gertenbach
Becky Greben
Angela Matthias
Judy Peterson
Mary Stewart
Lou Taylor
Green River Sponsors (Up to $250)
- P. Cavigelli
Sally Coulehan
Dave Fangrow
Nancy Kimber
Pat Monaco
Michon Scott
Wayne Smiglewski
Cindy Smith
Sally Stoker
Sue Ware
Jim Weedin
Auction Donation Sponsors
Proceeds from the sale of items donated by these sponsors and sold at WIPS’ December 2018 auction go directly to the symposium:
Dinosaur Brokers
Museums of Western Colorado
New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science
PaleoBond
Greg Sweat
Triebold Paleontology
In-Kind Sponsors
Kelly Carney, Goose Bump Hill, LLC – Web Consulting
Angela Matthias, Website Design
Gary Raham, Biostration