Student Support for the North American Paleontological Convention -- 2005

北美古生物学大会（NAPC）是一个由来自不同学科的古生物学家组成的四年一度的会议。计划于2005年6月19日至6月26日在新斯科舍省哈利法克斯的达尔豪西大学举行的会议将是第八届NAPC。以往的每一次会议都被认为是展示新研究成果和讨论当前古生物学研究领域的绝佳机会。NAPC的一个目的是让那些通常不会接触的专家见面并交换意见。例如，微体古生物学家和脊椎动物古生物学家有不同的专业团体，在不同的时间开会，但这两个群体的一些成员研究来自同一岩石单元的化石。根据以往的经验，NAPC-2005组织委员会预计将有500多名专业人员参加为期三天的会议和几次实地考察，并进行互动。NAPC提供了一个杰出的教育机会，从讲座和海报展示中获得古生物学信息的集中展示，而没有一般地质会议上的其他干扰。组委会认为，学生的持续兴趣对该领域的健康至关重要。学生们不仅将继续研究过去的生活，他们将提供新的方法，并以新的眼光审视古老的化石。NAPC让学生有机会与该领域的领导人会面，并在国家或区域地质会议所不提供的场所正式和非正式地讨论他们正在进行的研究。

The North American Paleontological Convention (NAPC) is a quadrennial gathering ofpaleontologists from a variety of disciplines. The meeting planned for June 19 throughJune 26, 2005 at Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia will be the eighth NAPC. Eachprevious convention has been judged an excellent opportunity for the presentation of theresults of new research and for discussions of current areas of paleontological research.One aim of NAPC is to allow specialists who would not otherwise normally be in contact tomeet and exchange ideas. For example, micropaleontologists and vertebrate paleontologistshave different professional societies that meet at different times, yet some members ofthese two groups work on fossils from the same rock units. Based on past experience, theOrganizing Committee for NAPC-2005 expects that more than 500 professionals will attendand interact during three days of meetings and on several field trips. NAPC provides anoutstanding educational opportunity to obtain focused presentations of paleontologicalinformation from talks and poster presentations without the other distractions presentedat a general geological meeting.The Organizing Committee believes that the continued interest of students is critical tothe health of the field. Not only will students maintain the study of past life, they arethe ones who will provide fresh approaches and examine old fossils with new eyes. NAPCallows students the ready opportunity to meet with leaders in the field and to discusstheir research in progress, both formally and informally, in a venue not provided by anational or regional geologic meeting.