Summer Symposium 2023

16th Annual Summer Symposium

Saturday, August 12th - Sunday, August 13th 2023

Held by the Paleontological Research Institution at the Museum of the Earth

Page last updated August 11, 2023

Quick Links

1. Keynote Speaker

2. Event Schedule

3. Registration

4. Attendee Announcements and Resources

Welcome

The Paleontological Research Institution (PRI) Summer Symposium is a small, fun, and relatively informal event held at the end of the summer each year to share scientific research and build community. We aim to attract academics, professionals, educators, community scientists, and students from all varieties of natural science disciplines including paleontology, organismal biology, geology, and the Earth sciences.

As part of PRI’s 90th Anniversary event, Celebrate 90, we are excited to host Summer Symposium in person again this year. The two-day event will follow our usual structure with a day filled with talks, a keynote, and an informal BBQ followed by a field trip day. We hope you can join us as we celebrate another year of sharing scientific research!

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Adriane Lam, Binghamton University

Event Schedule

Additional details will be added below as plans solidify.

Saturday, August 12: Presentations and BBQ

9:30am: Doors open.

10:00-10:15am: Welcome from PRI’s Director, Dr. Warren Allmon.

10:15-Noon(ish). Morning Session: The Paleozoic

• Jon Hendricks: “Year of the Devonian” at PRI. Brief overview of all things Devonian currently happening at PRI, including our new “NY Rocks!: Ancient Life of the Empire State” exhibit, publication of the Devonian of New York, and curation of the Brett and Baird stratigraphic collection.

• George McIntosh: Late Devonian crinoid ghost lineages. The origins of many Mississippian crinoid clades can be traced back to the Middle Devonian of eastern and central North America. After reaching a peak in diversity during the Middle Devonian in Michigan and New York, there is a marked reduction in crinoid diversity in the late Givetian (S. hermanni and K. disparilis zones) of Iowa, Wisconsin, New Mexico, and Michigan following the Taghanic event. A significant number of Middle Devonian crinoid clades, absent during the Late Devonian Frasnian and Famennian Stages, reappear after a 30 million year absence, in the Early Mississippian Tournaisian Stage.

• Ashley Prow: Exploring Dacryoconarid body size trends across the Late Devonian Punctata Event. Dacryoconarids are an extinct group of marine microorganisms that were abundant and globally distributed during the middle Paleozoic. The group experienced a rapid decline in diversity and geographic distribution entering the Late Devonian, followed by their extinction early in the Famennian (~371-359 Ma). The punctata event is a globally recognized positive carbon isotope excursion having occurred during the early Frasnian, prior to the extinction of dacryoconarids in the Appalachian Basin. In this study, we examine the diversity and size dynamics of dacryoconarids in the northern Appalachian Basin through the late Givetian- early Frasnian. The adult conch and embryonic chamber volumes of dacryoconarids were measured from consecutive shale-bearing units representing the upper Hamilton (late Givetian) through West Falls (middle Frasnian) groups at Eighteen Mile Creek and Penn Dixie Fossil Park in western New York.

Short Break

• Dan Krisher: A database for the Paleozoic corals of New York state. Over 175 years of research has generated a wealth of data concerning the Paleozoic corals of New York state however the usefulness of this data is hampered by its publication in a multiplicity of journals and books spanning many years and the evolving nature of both taxonomic and stratigraphic knowledge. A database has been created which aggregates all taxonomic and biostratigraphic data for the Paleozoic corals in New York state into a single source. The existence of this database will then allow for the creation of a guide for the identification of New York state’s Paleozoic corals and provide a framework for future studies.

• Nick Gardner, Bovis, Engelman, Godlesky, Hodnett, and Shell: A Post-Carboniferous Rainforest Collapse Fish and Molluscan Fauna from the Glenshaw Formation (Conemaugh Group) in the Appalachian Basin, USA. Here we report a previously undescribed fossiliferous horizon dominated by molluscans (cephalopods and gastropods) with a diverse fish fauna (elasmobranchs, holocephalans, and osteichthyans) in the Glenshaw Formation (Conemaugh Group). The horizon postdates the Carboniferous Rainforest Collapse (CRC), approximately 305 Ma, during the Kazimovian stage (early Late Pennsylvanian, Carboniferous). The site, located in northern West Virginia, corresponds to the Portersville marine zone and the main fossiliferous horizon is a reddish limestone caked with an iron and manganese rich mud at its top. The limestone marks the beginnings of a penultimate marine transgression sequence in the Appalachian Basin which covered eastern Ohio, western Pennsylvania, and portions of northern West Virginia and western Maryland. While marine gastropods and solitary horn corals are the most abundant fossils, a markedly diverse cephalopod fauna is present (dominated by coiled nautiloids). Numerous marine chondrichthyan teeth and spines are present, representing both elasmobranch and holocephalan clades. The most abundant members of the chondrichthyan fauna, in order, are: Petalodus ohioensis, Orthacanthus cf. compressus, a Glikmanius-like ctenacanth. Other clades such as cochliodontiforms and eugeneodonts are also present. Despite a diverse marine fauna, the presence of oolitic limestone and ample fragments of gymnosperm Cordaites wood, along with numerous teeth of the freshwater elasmobranch shark, Orthacanthus, suggest that the site was nearshore. Osteichthyan teeth and bone fragments are also present, but are of insufficient preservation to refer more precisely. This site underscores the importance of continued fieldwork in Appalachia.

• Will Hooker: Reshaping the past: investigating geological deformation in †Diictodon using 3D geometric morphometrics. Fossils are deformed by taphonomic and geological compression, potentially obscuring original shape and intraspecific variation that could reveal insights into sexual dimorphism, development, and microevolutionary processes indicated by asymmetry. Systematic quantitative studies are therefore needed to explore the influence of taphonomy on palaeontological analyses and determine the possibility of perceiving original biological shape or asymmetry. †Diictodon, a basal therapsid, is a model system for investigating these questions because it is abundant and well preserved, representing approximately half of all vertebrate fossils from the Late Permian Karoo Basin of South Africa. Here, we apply 3D geometric morphometrics to study a large dataset of 76 †Diictodon crania. We classify crania into five deformation styles, which form distinct clusters in multivariate space. Further, we examine the individual contributions of deformation style to intraspecific asymmetry and their effects on the capacity to conduct retrodeformation to restore original shape. In addition, we suggest the possibility that intraspecific variation within other fossil species may represent geological deformation rather than original biological disparity.

Noon(ish)-1:30pm: Lunch (provided by PRI) and time to explore the Museum of the Earth AND View Posters (Presenters will be present from 1:00-1:30)

• POSTER: Ravi Koorapati: Middle Miocene Qualitative Reconstruction of the Oligotrophic South Atlantic Gyre, IODP Expeditions 390 & 393. In the initial stages of this project, we have tried to analyze the shipboard Natural Gamma Radiation (NGR) and X-Ray Fluoroscence (XRF) data from IODP Expeditions 390-393 along a ~31° S crustal line from two sites (Holes U1560A and U1583C) closer to the Mid-Atlantic ridge to decipher the response of the Hadley Cell across the Miocene Climatic Optimum (MCO) and Mid-Miocene Climate transition (MMCT) events. Initial data suggests increased windiness over the South Atlantic mid-latitudes which may indicate a contraction of the Hadley cell and position of the Westerlies closer to the two sites related to cooling in the late phases of MCO and MMCT.

• POSTER: Martin Welych-Flanagan. Variability, reliability, and significance of brachiopod δ18O values from the Middle Devonian Hamilton Group.

1:30-2:30ish: Afternoon Session I: Mesozoic and Cenozoic

• Maxwell Miles Candlen and Freya S. Wilhelm: The Podokesaurus Project, part I: Preserving precious prehistoric paraphernalia. Podokesaurus holyokensis is a theropod dinosaur from the Early Jurassic of the northeastern United States. The holotype specimen was described in 1911 by Dr. Mignon Talbot, the first woman to have both discovered and named a non-avian dinosaur. Only six years later, this unique fossil was destroyed in a fire and is only survived by photographs and plaster casts. Our research proposes to preserve these extant materials through a thorough description of their quality and provenance, including 3D scanning so that they may be studied remotely. We will treat similarly life models created by Richard S. Lull in conjunction with the casts. Our publication will serve as a comprehensive resource on the history and current conditions of Podokesaurus holyokensis materials and provide a path to pave the way for future research on this remarkable species.

• Maria A. Gandolfo, Maria C. Zamaloa, and Facundo De Benedetti: Cretaceous Spore clumps and Angiosperm pollen clumps from Argentinean Patagonia. Cretaceous spore clumps and angiosperm pollen clumps are rarely described in detail in paleopalynology assemblages. Here, we present three species of fern spore clumps and 19 species of angiosperm pollen from the Maastrichtian of the La Colonia Formation. La Colonia outcrops in Chubut Province, Patagonia, Argentina. The aggregates represent 2 heterosporous aquatic and 1 homosporous terrestrial ferns; and among the angiosperm clumps there are representatives of monocots (Arecaceae, Juncaceae, Typhaceae, and Liliacidites) while the dicots are represented by eudicots (Malvaceae, Cunoniaceae, Ericaceae, and several of unknown affinities). All clumps are monospecific and composed of mostly undamaged pollen that varies in number and size of the individual grains, aperture type, and exine sculpturing. Additionally, floral or animal origins of the clumps and the probable pollination modes will be discussed.

• Corey Hensen: Glauconitic shell beds on a mixed carbonate-siliciclastic shelf: a new model for the middle Eocene Gosport Sand, eastern U.S. Gulf Coastal Plain. Glauconite-bearing shell beds are a conspicuous feature of the Paleogene record in the U.S. Gulf Coastal Plain and have been historically interpreted in the context of a passive margin analogous to the modern Gulf of Mexico. Field and subsurface studies are used here to demonstrate their genetic significance in the context of mixed carbonate-siliciclastic deposition that was typical of the Paleogene. This provides a refined stratigraphic model for this setting and demonstrates the non-actualistic aspects of this classic middle Eocene section.

• Brendan Anderson: Conflicting Body-Size Trends Across the Plio-Pleistocene Molluscan Turnover Event in the Western Atlantic. Previous work indicated small body size is associated with extinction survival for mollusks during the latest Pliocene western Atlantic faunal turnover event, and where extant and fossil confamilial bivalves have been compared these were found to have decreased in size. We investigated 3 families of gastropods of differing ecology with both high turnover and at least one boundary-crossing lineage in order to assess the impact of the turnover event on each clade’s body size. Despite high levels of turnover, we found no general pattern of body-size change associated with the event either within clades or among boundary-crossing lineages, suggesting that body size interacted with extinction, origination, and organism ecology in complex ways across this event.

2:30-2:45: Break

2:45-3:45 Afternoon Session II: The Recent

• Loren Jones: Diagnostic Tools to Identify Exotic Moths. I am a technician at the Cornell University Insect Collection researching micromoths in the family Tortricidae from Central and South America. Most species from this group found in Latin America have been described in the last 30-40 years and only by 2-3 people. They tend to be very difficult and more often than not require dissections of genitalia or even DNA analysis to identify species, and sometimes that even that doesn't work! My work revolves around learning and fine-tuning these tools for other researchers to use, increase my own knowledge base, and use this information to continue investigating groups to unravel the mysteries around their taxonomy.

• Bella Kennedy: Evaluating bias in taphonomic analyses from methodological decisions using Crepidula fornicata deposits in Long Island Sound. Accurately evaluating post-mortem alteration and taphonomic processes, such as bioerosion and encrustation can allow for better understanding of the origin and formation of shell deposits. However, methodological decisions made during collection and sampling can impact our interpretations of the taphonomic signatures taking place. Using samples of Crepidula fornicata shells from deposits in Long Island Sound, we were able to evaluate the sensitivity of taphonomic signatures when taking methodological decisions into account. To ensure unbiased samples, we recommend the implementation of specific procedures and decisions, including randomization, careful selection of sampling locations, the inclusion of fragments in the analysis, and the use of cumulative sampling curves.

• Nick Gardner, Hodnett, Miller, Van Vranken, and Zumbrun: People, Places, Things: Libraries Have It All for STEM Outreach. Libraries are a cornerstone of the communities they exist within, providing access to information and resources for people of all ages. Classically, libraries are hubs for humanities, often providing a space for individuals and groups to pursue reading interests, or serving as a community repository for local history. Libraries have increasingly taken on the role of outreach venues for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), offering programs and activities that encourage interest in this area. Libraries are well-suited for STEM outreach for multiple reasons. First, libraries are already trusted institutions that people are familiar with. This makes them a natural place for people to go to learn about STEM topics. Second, libraries have a wide range of resources that can be used for STEM education, including books, magazines, and access to computers and the Internet. Third, libraries are ideally located in convenient locations, making them accessible to people of all ages. Fourth, libraries often already have spaces or equipment to facilitate guest speakers who may have multimedia needs. Here, we outline two models for the library and STEM outreach based on our first-hand experience. The first model places the librarian as facilitator, with the librarian conducting outreach activities, leveraging the trust the public places in librarians and libraries. The second model places the librarian as a collaborator, working with a STEM subject matter expert (SME) to conduct outreach activities within the space. This still leverages trust, but in this case trust is both transferred from the librarian and also an innate quality of the STEM SME. We give specific examples of the librarian as facilitator through curation of STEM collections or displays and also through facilitating activities that instruct scientific principles. In this we highlight examples from applied science (gardening), intersections of chemistry and physics (alka seltzer rockets), geology (mineral and rock collections), technology (multimedia, drones), and paleontology (fossil identification, show and tell). We also give examples of the librarian as a collaborator through hosting and participating in a regional STEM festival in and out of the library, a fossil festival within the library, and examples of STEM SMEs participating or presenting outreach activities within the library. We hope by outlining these models and examples that we can encourage educators and SMEs to partner with libraries and/or librarians. Libraries provide valuable and non-transactional third spaces for patrons. They are a useful venue for SMEs who may need to conduct outreach activities for professional purposes (such as academic faculty needing to provide service in their communities).

• Paul Harnik: Impacts of ocean deoxygenation on marine benthos in the Gulf of Mexico.

3:45-4:00: Break / Overview of Field Trip Logistics

4:00-5:00: Keynote Presentation by Dr. Adriane Lam

5:00-8:00: BBQ Dinner

Sunday, August 13: Field Trip

We will be exploring the paleontology and geology of Middle Devonian strata near the north end of Canandaigua Lake and Fayette. Additional details and logistics will be sent by Friday to field trip registrants and shared at the symposium on Saturday. NOTE that the field trip will begin in Canandaigua at 9am, not at the Museum of the Earth in Ithaca; it will end in Fayette. Participants are responsible for arranging their own transportation on Sunday.

Registration

Pricing:

Regular Registration

Entire Weekend - $50

Symposium Day Only - $30

Field Trip Day Only - $20

Student and Early Career Registration

Entire Weekend - $30

Symposium Day Only - $20

Field Trip Day Only - $10

PRI members receive $10 discount on the entire weekend registration or $5 off on single day registration. Saturday’s Lunch and Dinner are included with Entire Weekend and Symposium Day registrations.

Pre-registration is required to join this year’s Summer Symposium.
If you have any questions o​r would like to request accessibility accommodations, please contact [email protected].

Attendee Announcements and Resources

Contact: [email protected]. We will monitor messages sent to this email during the event should you need to contact us.