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NEW YORK
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PALEONTOLOGICAL SOCIETY
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MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT
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INCOGNITUM, MASTODON, FRANKENSTEIN! The rocky relationship between science and the American Mastodon Dr. Chris Widga Director of the Earth and Mineral Sciences Museum & Art Gallery Penn State University Sunday, May 19, 2024 2:00 P.M. THIS TALK WILL BE ONLINE First reported from North America in the mid-18th century, the mastodon was important to early American identity and played a key role in the development of the concept of "extinction." Since that time, scientific attention towards the mastodon ebbed, until genomic approaches and new datasets became available. New research has clarified (and complicated!) the evolutionary history of this iconic North American proboscidean. Bio: Chris Widga is a paleontologist who studies deep-time North American landscapes. Originally from Nebraska, Widga completed a PhD at the University of Kansas with a focus on two things: the fossil record of Bison, and the brief period of overlap between people and extinct megafauna at the end of the last Ice Age. After stints at the Illinois State Museum and the Gray Fossil Site & Museum (East Tennessee State University), he became the director of the Earth and Mineral Sciences Museum & Art Gallery at Penn State University in 2023. His active research includes the history of North American grasslands, bison population dynamics over the last 20,000 years, and the evolution and extinction of North American elephants such as mammoths and mastodons.
N.Y.P.S. MEETING DATES FOR THE YEAR These are the meeting dates of the New York Paleontological Society for the 2023-2024 season. We normally meet at 2:00 P.M. in a room at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City (79th Street and Central Park West). However, due to the covid-19 pandemic and new construction, the Museum is unable to assign any rooms for meetings for any groups through November. Exactly when the Museum will allow groups like our Society to reserve rooms is uncertain. It will depend on new room availability and also the status of covid and the relevant Museum and government policies pertaining to indoor meetings and our Society’s own judgement as to whether attendance will be safe for our members and attendees. But, since room availability may change, it has been decided to hold online meetings on the regular dates and times so that the schedule remains the same whether the meeting is in a room or online. One advantage of online meetings is that they will be recorded so members who can’t attend at the meeting time can view the whole meeting afterwards at their convenience. Our Annual Party would normally be held at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering in Brooklyn, but new construction may effect the availability of a large enough venue space. It also may be affected by the University’s policy as to whether or not to allow us to meet in the event space there due to covid guidelines and the large number of people that usually attend. Due to the nature of the party (many tables, events, talks and wonderful food), this event cannot be held online. As of this writing, all of the dates this year are on the third Sunday of the month, except September’s. Also, our Annual Holidays Party would be held if possible on a Saturday (the date to be determined), but, again, the available venue space and covid rules may effect this event. The dates are as follows:
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