Invited Speakers: Eric Davidson
David Wake
James Valentine
Scott Gilbert
James Hanken
Sean Carroll
Simon Conway Morris
Douglas Erwin
Walter Gehring
John Gerhart
Gregory Wray
William Jeffery
Brian Hall
Thoams Kaufman
Rudolf Raff
Cliff Tabin
Brian Goodwin
Guillaume Balavoine
Andre Adoutte
Geerat Vermeij
Keith Thomson
Douglas Futuyma
Adolf Seilacher
George Miklos
and others
Program:
ANNOUNCEMENT: International Symposium on
The Origins of Animal Body Plans and Their Fossil Records
Kunming, China
(Call for pre-registration. Please duplicate and post.)
From: Prof. Paul K. Chien, Department of Biology, University of San Francisco
Dear colleague,
An international symposium on the origin of animal body plans and their fossil records is planned for June 20-25, 1999. The symposium will be held at the Hot Spring Hotel on the east shore of Fuxian Lake, near Kunming, PRC, under the auspices of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
The proceedings will be in English. Contributed papers will be published in a special volume in the year 2000.
The origin of basic patterns of anatomical organization, or body plans, is a central question in evolutionary biology. The relatively sudden appearance of all major animal phyla in the fossil record, the "Cambrian explosion," focuses attention on how-and how rapidly-body plans evolved. The aim of this symposium is to bring together interested scientists to evaluate the broader significance of recent research in a variety of fields. For example, the nearby Chengjiang fauna is superbly preserved, and provides an unusually complete record of early Cambrian fossils. Its proximity in time to the Cambrian explosion makes it especially relevant to understanding the origin and evolution of animal body plans.
The finding of 580 million-year-old fossil animals in phosphate deposits in Weng-an, Guizhuo, may also help to shed light on these issues. The Weng-an fauna includes eggs and embryos, preserved in sufficient detail to make inferences about the developmental patterns leading to the emergence of early body plans. This symposium takes an integrated, interdisciplinary approach to the study of the origin and evolution of animal body plans. The organizers encourage not only paleontologists and evolutionary biologists, but also morphologists and developmental and molecular biologists, to attend and contribute. For example, this international gathering would be an excellent opportunity to report on recent insights into the role of Hox genes in body plan formation. The presentation of a variety of theoretical perspectives is especially encouraged.
The program will include opportunities to visit the fossil sites of the Lower Cambrian Chengjiang fauna; to study sections of the Cambrian/Precambrian interface at Meishucun, Jining; and to visit the Field Station of Early Life Research Centre, which will hold an exhibition of the Early Cambrian fossils from Chengjiang and Hai-kuo as well as the Weng-an biota from Precambrian phosphates, Guizhou.
Participants may also choose to make an optional pre-symposium excursion June 17-19 to the Precambrian fossil site at Weng-an, and to the Lower Cambrian fossil site at Zhijing, Guizhou, and/or a post-symposium excursion June 26-30 to Dali and Lijiang (in northwestern Yunnan, a region of attractive scenery which is home to the rich culture of the Bai, Naxi and other minority peoples).
If you are interested in participating, (observers are also welcome) and would like to receive further information, please respond, as soon as possible, either to me or our Chinese host Prof. Junyuan Chen, by email, fax or mail.
The printed circular will be sent by mail to those who require it.
Your Name: (first name) (middle name) (last name)
Position:
Address:
Email: Fax: Telephone:
Pre-symposium excursion: yes, maybe, or no?
Post-symposium excursion: yes, maybe, or no?
Will you present a lecture? If so, what is the provisional title?
With best regards,
Prof. Paul K. Chien
Department of Biology
University of San Francisco
2130 Fulton Street,
San Francisco, CA 94117, USA;
email: chienp@usfca.edu; fax:415-422-6363; telephone:415-422-6755
and
Prof. Junyuan Chen
Field Station of Early Life Research Centre,
Sanjiacun, Jinning, Kunming 650612. P. R.CHINA
email: chenjy@jlonline.com; fax: 0871-788-1037; telephone: 0871-788-9575.
Registration :
Deadline for Abstracts: 2/99
Email for Requests and Registration: chienp@usfca.edu