4th INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON
DINOSAUR EGGS AND BABIES

Second Circular

August 8-14, 2009
Montana State University
Bozeman, Montana

Host Committee:

David Varricchio, Committee Chair, Department of Earth Sciences,
Montana State University
John R. Horner, Museum of the Rockies, Montana State University
Frankie Jackson, Department of Earth Sciences, Montana State University
Darla Zelenitsky, Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, Calgary,
Alberta


The Fourth International Symposium on Dinosaur Eggs and Babies will convene in
Bozeman, Montana August 8 – 10, 2009. Montana State University is located in
south central Montana near the Bridger, Gallatin, and Madison mountain ranges
and an hour and a half drive from Yellowstone National Park (see
http://www.bozemanchamber.com/). Weather in Bozeman in August is warm, sunny
and dry. Average high and low temperatures are 22 C and 6 C. The Museum of the
Rockies, located on the MSU campus, has a large collection of Mesozoic
specimens, including Late Cretaceous dinosaur eggs, nests and embryos, in
addition to an outstanding collection of dinosaur remains.


Schedule

Saturday, August 8 (evening) - Opening reception at Museum of the Rockies.

Sunday, August 9 and Monday, August 10 - Symposium talks and poster sessions.

Monday, August 10 (evening) - Conference banquet, keynote lecture (Jack Horner).



Technical Program

Presentations at previous Dinosaur Eggs and Babies meetings have included
dinosaur egg localities, specimen descriptions, field and laboratory methods,
biostratigraphy of eggshell, preservation and experimental taphonomy, egg
classification and ootaxonomy, eggshell microstructure and function, geochemical
signatures of diet and diagenesis, embryos and growth, reproductive behavior,
phylogenetics of eggshell and reproductive traits, and the origins of avian
reproduction. The 4th Symposium welcomes papers on these or any other topic
related to dinosaur reproduction, eggs and young. The technical program will
accommodate both oral presentations and posters. Abstract submissions are due
by May 1st, 2009 and are limited to 250 words. Details on abstract submission
will be provided in the third circular. For those interested, we will publish a
symposium volume in a special issue of Historical Biology. Because of the tight
publication schedule, adherence
to the following time line for participation will be strictly enforced.

May 1, 2009 - abstract for symposium presentations and/or volume (250 word
limit)
Oct. 1, 2009 - deadline of submission of full article
Mar. 1, 2010 - deadline for review and revisions
August, 2010 - publication


Field Trips

August 11 and 12 - Fieldtrip (option 1)

Two days, one night field trip to Egg Mountain locality in the Late Cretaceous
Two Medicine Formation of western Montana with overnight stay in Choteau. Day 1
includes tour of the Egg Mountain localities. Day 2 will be spent visiting
additional Two Medicine localities and the East Front of the Rocky Mountains.

August 11 through 14 - Fieldtrip (option 2)

Four days, 3 nights. Day 1 of this field trip will begin with visiting Egg
Mountain, with over night in Choteau. Day 2 will be spent at Devil's Coulee
nesting locality in the Oldman Formation of Alberta. Day 3 will consist of a
visit to the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology in Drumheller, Canada, and day
4 will include a visit to Dinosaur Provincial Park. This trip will end in
Calgary, Canada, with an option to return to Bozeman. Please note that
participants should be aware of the necessary requirements needed to cross into
and out of Canada.


Accommodations

Dormitory rooms are available on campus during the conference from Aug 7 – 10,
with checkout on Aug. 11. Alternatively, several motels (in addition to
restaurants, bars and shopping) are located in the downtown area, approximately
30 minutes walking distance from campus and the museum. If renting a car, other
motels are located near the freeway, approximately 4 miles or 15 minutes driving
distance. Due to closure of the dorms Aug. 11, participants in the post-meeting
field trips will need to arrange alternative accommodations for their return to
Bozeman. Excess luggage, however, may be stored during the field trips.
Bozeman offers very limited taxi service (i.e. 3 vehicles); therefore, a list of
hotels with and without airport shuttles is included. We recommend that if you
are not staying in the dormitory during the conference you may want to rent a
car or enjoy walking.


Motels

The following motels offer airport shuttle but are not within walking distance
of the museum or campus. In addition, public bus transportation to campus is
not available on weekends.

Wingate – 1 866-910-4995 222 (www.wingatebozeman.com)
Hampton Inn – 1-800 HAMPTON (www.hampton.inn.com)
Hilton Garden Inn – 1-406 582-9900 (www.bozeman.stayhgi.com)
Best Western Grandtree Inn – 1-800-624-5865 (www.bestwesterngrandtree.com)


Please Note: The Best Western Grandtree Inn offers a significant discount ($149
vs. $84/room) if 10 rooms are booked for field trip participants in advance for
the evening of August 14, 2009. Let us know if you are interested.


Other Motels/ Bed & Breakfast within 30 min walking distance of the museum and
campus but without airport shuttle service.

City Center Motor Inn – 1 (406) 587-3158.
Lewis & Clark Motel of Bozeman – 1 (406) 586--3341
Imperial Inn – 1 (800) 880-2383; 1 (406) 586-3354
Voss Inn Bed and Breakfast – 1 (406) 587-0982



The host committee welcomes your comments and suggestions and we are looking
forward to the 4th International Symposium on Dinosaur Eggs and Babies in
Bozeman!