Join us in September 2021 to learn more about the remarkable advances that have been made over the last 20 years in the fields of paleontology and geology in the Western Interior of the United States, including the Escalante/Grand Staircase National Monument. Our conference focuses on the Cretaceous era and the many new species of dinosaurs that have been described in this region. It will include paper presentations, posters, exhibits, and field trips.

The conference is open to anyone interested in Cretaceous geology and paleontology.

Click below for registration information.

Click HERE to register today!

ABSTRACT GUIDELINES 

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By submitting an abstract you assure the committee that all work reported was conducted within the legal and ethical frameworks relevant to the lands and specimens on which it was carried out. You also agree to prepare a presentation (poster or oral) for the meeting. If you are unable to attend, an alternate presenter will be designated to present. Abstracts should describe original research or topics not previously published elsewhere. 

Abstracts should clearly state the goal of the study and include relevant information on specimens or taxa examined, methods, results or findings, and the significance of the results. The abstract should not include references or figures. 

Abstracts are limited to a maximum of 500 words. There is no limit on the title but it will be a single sentence. Trade names shall not be used for the purpose of advertising or endorsing products or services. 

Abstracts failing to follow these guidelines will be returned for editing and may be removed from consideration for the meeting. 

POSTER PRESENTATION GUIDELINES 

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Posters are limited to the maximum dimensions of 70” wide by 40” tall. They should include the following: Title, Authors (with affiliations), and Introduction/Background, Methods, Results, Discussion, and Bibliography sections. Presenters are advised to use Arial or a similar, easily read font, but this is not mandatory. Posters should be printed on sturdy media that can be mounted securely with pins.  

ORAL PRESENTATION GUIDELINES 

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Talks will be 15 minutes in length. This will be strictly enforced. Presenters may use the entire allotted time for their presentation, but if they want interaction with the audience, are advised to limit the talk to 12 minutes and leave 3 minutes for questions. Presentations will only be in PowerPoint (.ppt, pptx, pps, or .ppsx file extensions) or as pdf documents and will be run with Windows 10. Make sure your files are compatible with this platform.  

MEETING AGENDA

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Thursday September 23rd, 2021

5:00 PM-9:00 PM

Vendor set up in exhibits area.

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Friday September 24th, 2021

8:00 AM - 10:00 AM

--Ballrooms B and C: oral presentations.

--Ballroom A: poster session and vendor exhibit area.

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10:00 AM - 10:20 AM

20 minute break

10:20 AM - 12:00 PM

Talks resume

--Ballrooms B and C: oral presentations.

--Ballroom A: poster session and vendor exhibit area.

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12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Lunch

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1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Talks resume

--Ballrooms B and C: oral presentations.

--Ballroom A: poster session and vendor exhibit area.

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3:00 PM - 3:20 PM

20 minute break

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3:20 PM - 5:00 PM

Talks resume

--Ballrooms B and C: oral presentations.

--Ballroom A: poster session and vendor exhibit area.

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7:00 PM

Keynote speaker

--Pat Crowley-Producer of the Jurassic World movies.

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Saturday September 25th, 2021

8:00 AM - 10:00 AM

--Ballrooms B and C: oral presentations.

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10:00 AM - 10:20 AM

20 minute break

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10:20 AM - 12:00 PM

Talks resume

--Ballrooms B and C: oral presentations.

--Ballroom A: poster session and vendor exhibit area.

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12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Lunch

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1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Talks resume

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3:00 PM - 3:20 PM

20 minute break

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3:20 PM - 5:00 PM

Talks resume

--Ballroom A: poster session and vendor exhibit area.

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6:00 PM

Meeting Banquet catered by Wild Thyme Restaurant

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7:00 PM - 10:00 PM

After meeting party/social with DJ and cash bar

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Sunday September 26th, 2021

7:00 AM - 7:00 PM

Field trips

• Field Trip I will be to the Cretaceous outcrops of the Markagunt and Paunsaugunt Plateaus.

• Field Trip II will be to the Cretaceous outcrops of the Kaiparowits Plateau.

• Vans leave promptly at 7:00 am and return to the Kanab Center at 7:00 pm.

Download Agenda

Click HERE to register today!

FIELD TRIPS

Sunday September 26th (7:00 AM – 7:00 PM)

Two, day-long field trips will be offered following the conference, exploring the geology and paleontology of southern Utah’s exceptional Cretaceous record. A fieldtrip guide will be published in advance of each trip, and supplemental readings will also be made available.

FIELD TRIP I: Markagunt and Paunsaugunt Plateaus

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Field Trip leaders: Alan Titus, Jim Kirkland, et al.

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The Markagunt and Paunsaugunt plateaus, situated between the I15 corridor to the west and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument to the east, preserve a variety of Cretaceous units spanning much of the Upper Cretaceous. Beginning with the late Albian-Cenomanian Cedar Mountain Formation and ending with the upper Campanian Kaiparowits Formation, this trip will explore the fossils and geology of the western block of southern Utah, tracking fossil ecosystems influenced by the Sevier Orogeny to the west and the Western Interior Seaway to the east. Extensively surveyed for microvertebrates, the western plateaus are among the last unexplored regions of southern Utah for macrovertebrates, with potential for significant discoveries from poorly known intervals of the Upper Cretaceous.

FIELD TRIP II: Kaiparowits Plateau

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Field Trip leaders: Joe Sertich, Natalie Toth, Salvador Bastien, Mark Loewen

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The Kaiparowits Plateau, centered in the heart of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, preserves one of the most continuous records of Upper Cretaceous biotic evolution in North America. In particular, the Campanian Wahweap and Kaiparowits formations, extensively exposed on the Kaiparowits Plateau, have produced exceptional fossils for decades, many representing new vertebrate taxa found nowhere else in North America. This trip will track the advance and of the Western Interior Seaway, marked by the Cenomanian Naturita Formation and Cenomanian-Turonian Tropic Shale; its retreat, documented by the Turonian-Santonian Straight Cliffs Formation; to the establishment of some of the most prolific dinosaur ecosystems of the Western Interior, ending at the spectacular Kaiparowits Fm. tyrannosaurid bonebed nicknamed the “Rainbows and Unicorns Quarry.” Here we will investigate the site’s unique taphonomic signature, preserving evidence of tyrannosaur gregariousness among fossils of a diverse semiaquatic and aquatic host assemblage.

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Field Trip Costs: $115/person.  Transportation, lunch, field trip guide included in tuition.