Paleonet: GSA Topical Symposium on Quantitative Paleontology

[Norman MacLeod]

Luke Mander <luke.mander at gmail.com>, Surangi Punyasena
<punyasena at life.illinois.edu> and I have had the following Topical Session
approved for the upcoming GSA meeting in Charlotte, NC this Autumn.

The Future of Quantitative Paleontology: Biometry, Computer Vision & Machine
Learning

Accurate identifications and classifications are necessary to document the
origin and radiation of major groups, estimate historical patterns of
taxonomic richness and diversity, and provide age estimates for various
evolutionary and geological events. Recently, there have been calls for
taxonomists and researchers who employ taxonomic data to embrace emerging
technology from fields such as digital imaging, pattern recognition,
computer vision and machine learning, for the purpose of developing better
classifications as well as improving the accuracy, consistency and speed of
taxonomic identifications (MacLeod et al. 2010). This topical session will
draw together contributions from researchers who are developing and/or
applying tools from fields such as digital imaging, pattern recognition,
computer vision and machine learning, to classification problems in
paleontology and allied sciences. We welcome contributions from researchers
working on organisms from all branches of the tree of life and all parts of
the stratigraphic column.

Our specific objectives are to:

1. Review the current state-of-the-science in automated taxon
classification/identification in terms of concepts, technology, and
applications;

2. identify and evaluate resources available to geoscientists in this area;

3. Highlight important research questions that must be addressed in short,
medium, and long terms; and

4. Encourage discussion, debate, and (most importantly) use of automated
classification/identification resources to tackle real problems across the
geosciences.

Abstract submission will open in April and close on 14 August, 2012. If you
have an idea for an abstract, a question about the session, or just want to
register your interest in attending, please feel free to contact any of the
organizers.

A web page has been established for this topical session at:

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/hosted_sites/paleonet/GSA/

As the session programme takes shape the web page will be updates. However,
it already contains links to background materials in this area you find find
interesting/useful.

Financial support for this topical session has been generously provided by
The Paleontological Society <http://www.paleosoc.org/>.

With kind regards.

Norm MacLeod

___________________________________________________________________

Prof. Norman MacLeod
Keeper of Palaeontology
The Natural History Museum
Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD

(0)207 942-5204 (Office)
(0)207 942-5546 (Fax)
http://www.nhm.ac.uk/hosted_sites/paleonet/MacLeod/ (Web Page)

Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, Gower Street,
London WC1E 6BT, UK

Nanjing Institute of Geology & Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences,
39 Beijing Donglu, Nanjing, China

___________________________________________________________________