GSA Session on Virtual Paleontology

["Falkingham, Peter" <pfalkingham@rvc.ac.uk>]

Imran Rahman (University of Birmingham) has asked me to forward the following 
to the list :


______________________________________________________________________________

Dear colleagues,

We would like to draw your attention to the following topical session at the 
2012 Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America in Charlotte, North 
Carolina (4th–7th November):

T144. VIRTUAL PALEONTOLOGY: COMPUTER-AIDED ANALYSIS OF FOSSIL FORM AND FUNCTION
Organizers: Imran A. Rahman and Selena Y. Smith
Sponsors: Paleontological Society, Palaeontological Association and GSA 
Geobiology and Geomicrobiology Division

Virtual paleontology – computer-aided visualization and analysis of fossil 
material – is an exciting new avenue of research. Powerful, high-resolution 
imaging techniques allow poorly understood or previously unknown anatomies of 
fossil plants, invertebrates and vertebrates to be described in much greater 
detail than formerly possible, and are applicable to a wide range of 
preservation types and specimen sizes. These include non-destructive scanning 
technologies such as micro- and nano-CT, synchrotron X-ray tomographic 
microscopy and magnetic resonance imaging. In addition, functional morphology 
can be rigorously investigated through quantitative analysis of the digital 
models produced using such techniques.

This session aims to bring together those interested in computer-aided analysis 
of fossil form and function to present and discuss methods and results. We 
welcome contributions from researchers working on all aspects of virtual 
palaeontology. Abstract submission will close on 14th August (see 
http://www.geosociety.org/meetings/2012/techProg.htm for details). If you have 
any questions about the session, please feel free to contact either of the 
organizers: Imran Rahman (i.rahman.1@bham.ac.uk) or Selena Smith 
(sysmith@umich.edu). We have also erected a webpage which contains further 
information: 
http://www.earth.lsa.umich.edu/~sysmith/paleobot/GSA2012_VirtualPaleo.html

SUPPORT FOR STUDENT PRESENTERS
Funding has been kindly provided by the Palaeontological Association to support 
student members of the association to present at this session. Please contact 
the organizers as soon as possible using the above email addresses for details.

Thank you for your attention,

Imran Rahman and Selena Smith

_____________________________________________________________________________________



----
Dr Peter L. Falkingham,
Marie Curie Research Fellow

Department of Veterinary Basic Sciences, Structure and Motion Laboratory, Royal 
Veterinary College, London, UK
and
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Division of Biology and 
Medicine, Brown University, USA

Email: pfalkingham@rvc.ac.uk
Mobile (UK): (+44) 07971234337
Cell (US): (+01) 401-632-5747
Publications: http://rvc.academia.edu/PeterFalkingham/Papers
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