The North American Paleontological Convention (NAPC) has been a cornerstone event in the paleontological community since 1969. Taking place every four to six years at various prestigious institutions across North America, it brings together scientists and researchers from all areas of paleontology. This inclusive format provides an excellent platform for developing new research directions and establishing connections with colleagues that you might not otherwise have met. This year, at the 12th NAPC at the University of Michigan, there were over 700 delegates and presentation abstracts making for a fun-filled week in Ann Arbor!
Prior to attending the convention, I was deeply impressed by the commitment of the Paleontology Society to creating a respectful and inclusive environment. I was able to complete the PS RISE (Paleo Society Respectful and Inclusive Scientific Event) training online and served as a RISE liaison during the meeting. As a PhD student who still finds conferences rather overwhelming and anxiety-inducing, having this support present at the event was immensely comforting to me.
The conference kicked off on Monday morning with a half-day plenary session titled “Paleontology for All,” that completely blew me away. The collection of talks in this session were incredibly thought-provoking, addressing critical issues of colonialism and systemic racism rooted within paleontology, as well as introducing the limits of “global” data, discussions of fossils as the key to understand our ever-changing planet, and the incredible work of paleo-artists. These talks really inspired me, and made me think about ways to reframe aspects of my paleobiology lectures and labs that I teach to undergraduate students here at the University of Victoria.
Throughout the week, I attended numerous sessions covering a wide range of topics, including:
- A model system for evolution and environmental change: the marine communities of the Neogene western Atlantic
- Integrated approaches to exploring coupled biotic, landscape and climate dynamics
- Proxies, sedimentological indicators, and biotic effects of oceanic anoxic events in the geological record
- Recent advances in computational paleobiology
The talks I attended were exceptional and really broadened the scope of my own research, providing several novel avenues to explore.
I presented my research in the session: “Answering big questions with small fossils: high-resolution biodiversity dynamics in deep time” with a talk titled ‘Investigating the responses of deep-sea sediments to Cenozoic paleoclimate and paleoceanographic events using data synthesis and the eODP project’. In this talk, I explained the preliminary results of the first chapter of my PhD, looking at using large databases of scientific ocean drilling data to address how and why sedimentation patterns have changed across significant climate transitions in the Cenozoic. Despite my talk being rather different compared to other talks in this session, I feel like it was well-received and sparked some intriguing questions. It also allowed me to practice speaking to people who were not necessarily familiar with my methodologies or overarching concepts, which really helped with my science communication skills.
In addition to the amazing science at the conference, I also got the time to run along the B2B trail in Ann Arbor, explore parts of Detroit, and even attend a concert at the Ann Arbor Summer Festival. Overall, attending NAPC was a wonderfully enriching experience. I am so grateful for the opportunity and for Time Scavengers for helping to make this possible. I look forward to participating in future conferences to discuss the results of this PhD chapter further. Thank you, NAPC, for an unforgettable week!