Yet more on the museum & the meeting.

As I mentioned recently, in conjunction with the Flugsaurier meeting we have recently opened a new small exhibition on pterosaurs here at the PSPG. I look forward to 60 pterosaur researchers coming here to criticise what Oliver Rauhut and I created. A few photos from it are presented here in this post. I would like to thank Luis Rey, Dino Frey, Helmut Tischliner, John Sibbick, Dave Unwin and Luis Chiappe for kindly donating photos for us to use.

While I have a few people's attention I thought I should promote a couple of websites here. For those that do not know it, I am running a science education website called Ask A Biologist. Oli & his wife Adriana have also recently set up a new website for the research group here at the BSPG and can be seen at Mesozoic Vertebrates. I expect it will be of interest to many of you as it covers ongoing research projects, lists papers and covers the background of the researchers.

Since several people have asked me, I have posted a list of all of the titles of the talks and posters for the meeting. Hopefully it will not put anyone off! It is in the order of the name of the first author.

Talks
Andres B – Pterosaur systematics.

Bennett SC - Reconstruction of forelimb musculature of pterosaurs: implications for evolution of the pterosaur wing.

Browning L, Palmer C, Rayfield E, Wilkinson M, & Benton MJ - Modeling the flexible wings of a large pterosaur.

Buffetaut E - Pterosaur wing bones from the Early and Late Cretaceous of France.

Claessens L, O’Connor P & Unwin DM - Lung ventilation in pterosaurs.

Cunningham J & Conway J – Potential for quadrupedal launch in Azhdarchoid pterosaurs

Deeming DC & Unwin DM – Eggshell structure and its implications for pterosaur reproductive biology and physiology

Elgin RA, Palmer C, Hone DWE, Frey E & Greenwell D - Areodynamic function of the pterosaur cranial crest

Fastnacht M - Why did they do it THAT way? A study of the pterosaur skull construction and their evolutionary pathways

Habib M - Structural characteristics of the humerus of Bennettazhia oregonensis and their implications for specimen diagnosis and azhdarchoid biomechanics.

Hone DWE – Mutual sexual selection in pterosaurs.

Kellner AWA – New information on Thalassodromeus and Tupuxuara (Tapejaridae, Pterodactyloidea) from the Santana Formation, Brazil.

Lockley M – Formal growth dynamics may trump functionalism as an explanation for limb proportions in pterosaurs and other higher vertebrate clades.

Lockley M, Mitchell L, Brehaupt B & Harris J - A global overview of pterosaur ichnology: tracksite distribution in space and time.

Lü JC, Xu L & Ji Q - On the phylogeny and diversity of Chinese pterosaurs

Martill D - Evidence for catastrophic trauma in azhdarchoid and ornithocheirid skulls from the Santana Formation (Cretaceous, ?Albian) of Brazil

Marugan-Lobon J & Unwin DM - The geometry of the pterosaur skull

Meijer HJM, Van der Meij MME, van Waveren I & Veldmeijer AJ - Linking skull morphology to feeding in Tapejaridae: adaptations to frugivory in Tapejara wellnhoferi.

Naish D - Lower Cretaceous pterosaur diversity in Europe: a new look.

O’Conner P, Claessens L, & Unwin DM – Postcranial pneumaticity in pterosaurs: perspectives on pulmonary structure and the evolution of body size.

Peters D - The origin and radiation of the Pterosauria.

Rodrigues T - Comments on the taxonomy of the genera Coloborhynchus and Anhanguera (Pterosauria, Pterodactyloidea, Anhangueridae).

Sayão J - New Data on the pterosaur fauna from the Crato Member, Santana Formation, Araripe Basin, Northeast Brazil.

Stecher R – A new pterosaur find from the late Triassic of Switzerland.

Unwin DM - When pterosaurs came down from the trees: terrestrial locomotor styles and their implications for pterosaur ecology and evolutionary history.

Witton M – Pterosaur heavyweights: a new approach to investigating pterosaur mass and its implications for pterosaur flight.

Wellnhofer P – A short history of pterosaur research.

Posters
Apesteguia S, Ősi A & Haluza A - New pterosaur remains (Archosauria, Ornithodira) from the Late Cretaceous of Argentina and an evaluation of the Late Cretaceous South American record.

Barrett PM, Butler RJ, Edwards N, Milner AR & Steel L - Pterosaur distribution: a global database.

Company J - First record of toothed pterosaurs (Pterodactyloidea, Ornithocheiridae) from Albian deposits of the Iberian Peninsula (Utrillas Formation, Southeastern Iberian Range, Spain).

Conway J - The forelimb musculature of Anhanguera.

Fletcher T, Salisbury SW & Cook AG – New pterosaur fossils from the Early Cretaceous (Aptian-Albian) of western Queensland, Australia.

Frey E & Tischlinger H - “Solnhofen” pterosaurs with soft-tissue preservation:
details of wing membranes, sole pads and webbing of the pes.

Göhlich UB, Chiappe LM & Tischlinger H - Soft tissue preservation in the skeleton of Juravenator (Theropoda, Coelurosauria) from Schamhaupten.

Hone DWE, Dyke GJ & Ibrahim N – Germanodactylus cristatus reunited.

Hone DWE & Naish D - Perceptions of pterosaurs through time – a brief history.

Kellner AWA - Comments on the monophyly of the Tapejaridae and new information on Thalassodromeus and Tupuxuara (Pterodactyloidea) from the Aptian-Albian Santana formation (Brazil).

Martill DM, Gale A & Witton M - First Coniacian (Late Cretaceous) pterosaur from the Chalk Formation of England.

Martill DM, Witton M & Campos HBN - What is Tupuxuara? A review of an enigmatic pterosaur

Piñuela Suárez L - Evidence of pterosaur tracks in the Late Jurassic of Asturias (Northern Spain).

Pereda-Suberbiola X, Company J & Ruiz-Omeñaca JI - Azhdarchid pterosaurs from the Late Cretaceous (Campanian-Maastrichtian) of the Iberian Peninsula: an update.

Prondvai E, Frey E, Hone DWE & Tanács T - Body volume, mass and weight estimation in Rhamphorhynchus and other pterosaurs: a new method.

Signore M, Santaniello V, Veldmeijer AJ & Campos HBN - Preliminary phylogenetic analysis of a new specimen of pterodactyloid pterosaur from the Cretaceous of Brazil.

Steel L - The palaeohistology of pterosaur bone: an overview.

Tischlinger H & Frey E - “Solnhofen” pterosaurs with soft-part preservation: soft-tissue crests and occipital cones, preservation of muscles and hairy structures.

Witton M – A large, enigmatic azhdarchoid from the Crato Formation (Early Cretaceous, Aptian) of Brazil.

Directions to the Museum:

I thought it was worth bringing this post back to the top to make life easier! Lists of hotels and hostels are still on the blog but much futher down! Do e-mail me if you are having problems.



From the Airport:
Exiting either terminal (1 or 2) follow the signs for the S-bahn (suburban lines). This is a large white ‘S’ in a green square.

The S bahn lines 1 and 8 both run from the airport to the centre of the city (central station: Hauptbahnhof), but in opposite directs. The S1 takes around 55 minutes the S8 around 45 minutes. Both leave the station every and 20 minutes.

Tickets can be bought from counters or ticket machines (generally accepting both Euros and credit cards). A single into the centre is currently 8.80E (zones 1-4). Once you have bought you ticket do not forget to have it stamped or it is not valid!

Get off the train at hauptbahnhof. The station announcements on these lines is in German and English so it should be easy to find.

There is also an express coach running directly from the airport to Hauptbahnhof run by Lufthansa. It goes every 20 mintes and should be slightly cheaper than the train. Sadly I do not know where to get tickets (I think they are bought from the coach driver), or where it leaves from. However, the airport is pretty small so it should be easy to find. You do not have to be a Lufthansa passenger to use the service.


From the Hauptbahnhof (main train station):
There are two choices from here.

U-bahn:
One can switch to the U-bahn (urban lines, effectively a metro service) which is a white U in a blue circle. Take the U2 line (red) heading north (towards station Feldmoching) one stop to Konigsplatz. Trains run about ever 5 minutes. At some times of day and additional service (the U8) runs on the same lies as the U2 and this can also be taken.

Get off the train and take the exit at the front of the train on the left hand side (Brienner Str/ LuisenStr exit). This will bring you into Konigsplatz. On your right will be a large Greek-style gateway with Brienner Strasse running left to right in front of you. Cross Brienner Str and turn left. Almost immediately on your right is the entrance to Richard-Wanger Str. The museum is the building facing down the street as you turn into R-W Str.


On foot:
Follow the exit signs for Bahnhof-platz, Walk north away from thestation up Banh-hof platz. This road will turn into Luisenstrasse bending around to the right (it goes past an enormous modern art structure of a red iron circle). Walk up Luisenstrasse until you hit Brienner Strasse and Konigsplatz, then follow the directions above to the museum (left up Brienner Str. and then right into Richard-Wagner-Strasse).

As a useful hint all U-bahn and S-bahn stops and most bus stops have a large-scale map of the local area so if you are lost these can be of great help.

FLUGSAURIER 2007 - final notes


Dear All,

Following a late flurry on interest we should have a total of just over 55 delegates at the Munich meeting. There will be a total of 28 talks plus 20 posters covering the full range of pterosaur biology and evolution.

Obviously we are now fully closed for abstracts etc. but people are still welcome to attend. There are a few minor things that should be brought up to try and make the whole process as smooth as possible, so do please bear with me.

First of all, as far as I am aware, Peter Wellnhofer still does not know of his importance in this event. Oliver Rauhut and I spoke to his wife recently and he does not seem to realise that it is in his honour. I assume he will find out before the Tuesday morning, but please do not spoil the surprise! I should add that for those who cannot attend the meeting, if you wish to convey a message to him (to be read out, or given to him personally) then please send it to me by e-mail or post and I can take care of this.

Registration is possible on the Monday (10th) from 16:00 to 18:00 in the main hall of the museum, and then again from 09:00 till 10:00 on Tuesday. It should be possible to register before then on the Monday if you happen to be in the museum, but please be aware that we will be very busy on your behalf! Payment should be in Euros and having the correct change will help up immensely.

Directions to the museum from the airport and train station and maps are online at the website flugsaurier.blogspot.com but I can send them by e-mail if you require further help. You can contact me on the phone number below, or on my cell phone at 01702989342 if you are lost and we will try to help you get here.

Oral presentations will be made on electronic projectors. We are power point capable and the base unit will be a PC. However we also expect to have a Mac available. Nevertheless, please try and make sure your presentations are PC compatible. Traditional slide projects and an OHP are available on request. Talks are 20 minutes in duration *including* time for questions, so please aim to speak for 15-18 minutes.

We will provide tea, coffee, juice and biscuits during the breaks but you will have to arrange you own lunches. There are many cheap restaurants nearby and we have also arranged for you to use the university cafateria.

For the conference dinner as stated drinks are not paid for and will have to be taken care of on the night, so do remember to bring some money. Dress is not formal - I would like a relatively relaxed atmosphere so do not feel obliged to come in a suit (although a Hawaiian shirt and shorts might not be appropriate either!).

I have had much interest in the viewing of our specimens, both those in our collections and also those 'guest' specimens that will be here for the meeting. Although Thursday afternoon is reserved for this there are obviously a lot of delegates and a lot of specimens and only limited space and microscopes. Do please be patient with us and we will try to get everyone to see everything. We will try to arrange extra access during lunchtimes and early evenings, but we are at the mercy of numbers and closing times.

There is a slight update on the fieldtrip with good and bad news. The bad news is that the Solnhofen museum intend to charge us their normal entrance fee, so I will have to ask delegates to pay the additional 2 Euros on arrival. My apologies, but as you have surely noticed we are running this meeting as cheaply as possible and had nut budgeted for this. However, far better new, the Jura museum have very kindly dipped into their own pockets and will provide a free lunch for all the delegates!

Those wishing to submit manuscripts to the special volume of Zitteliana are still welcome to do so. If possible I would like to have these manuscripts at the meeting. However, a formal submission date has been set as the 19th of October thus giving you all 4 weeks from the end of the meeting. These should be submitted electronically to both myself and Eric Buffetaut. We will then review papers (in conjunction with other reviewers where necessary) and then make our decisions. We hope to have room for everything we receive (provided it is of sufficient quality), but me may yet have to turn down manuscripts.

I have only 2 people registered for vegetarian meals (Tamara Fletcher & Edina Prondvai). If there are others and I have missed you out, then please let me know.

Although the meeting takes place a full week before the Munich Oktoberfest begins, hotels are filling up and I suggest delegates make plans for their accommodation as soon as possible if they have not done so already. There is a list available on the Flugsaurier website, but there are plenty more if you search online, almost all of which are in the centre of town and thus close to the museum.

Finally, do please bring reprints, books, data, PDFs, models, casts and anything else that may be of interest to your fellow delegates. We have a great opportunity to exchange information and sadly many papers (especially those not published in English, or only in meeting handbooks) are not always accessible to others and here we can ensure that many of these are passed on.

We are still open to other people attending the meeting should anyone raise a very later interest, so do please pass on any enquiries to me.

I look forward to seeing you all very shortly,

Dave