DIGGING UP THE DEFINITION OF “FOSSIL”

Carl Mehling

Senior Museum Specialist, Division of Paleontology,

American Museum of Natural History, New York City

First Sunday, October 7, 2018           2:00 P.M.            Room 319

American Museum of Natural History         New York City 

People have a sense of what fossils are but defining the term “fossil” is remarkably tricky. Carl will attempt to pin it down, observe the inevitable pitfalls of the quest, and see if we can clarify the concept. And along the way we will observe the bewildering variety of fossils and dig into the philosophy of definitions.

Carl Mehling has been at the American Museum of Natural History since 1990 and is currently a Senior Museum Specialist taking care of the world’s largest collection of dinosaur fossils plus fossils of early synapsids and tetrapods, pterosaurs, crocodiles, turtles and marine reptiles. He is interested in all aspects of paleontology, especially the fringe areas that normally get little attention, including bizarre modes of fossil preservation, anomalous discoveries, and oddities within the history of paleontology. Carl collects fossils of all kinds, globally, and has written or edited a number of pieces on fossils, both scholarly and popular. In his spare time (aside from fossils) his interests include linguistics, lettering, wordplay, and food in all of its various forms.

Important Note: Because of the Museum’s schedule requirements, our October meeting will be on October 7^th, THE FIRST SUNDAY IN OCTOBER.

N.Y.P.S. MEETING DATES FOR THE YEAR

These are the meeting dates of the New York Paleontological Society for the 2018-2019 season. We meet at 2:00 P.M. in room 319 at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City (79th Street and Central Park West), unless otherwise specified. Our Annual Party will be held at the NYU Tandon (Polytechnic) School of Engineering in Brooklyn, N.Y. Due to changes in the museum’s schedule, the above dates may change (usually very unlikely), so check your Newsletter or the monthly meeting notice on this website.

September 16,2018	**December 1 or 8, 2018	March 17, 2019
*October 7, 2018	January 20,  2019	***April 14, 2019
November 18, 2018	February 17, 2019	May 19, 2019
NOTE: All the above dates are third Sundays of their respective months, except for October and April. *   Our October meeting is on the first Sunday, October 7. According to the Museum, The room is not available on the second or third Sundays. ** Our Annual Party (a Saturday) - date to be finalized! *** Our April meeting is on Sunday, April 14. .