Workshops and Tours
The pre-meeting workshop and tours are free but separate ticketed events. Places are limited to Association members and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis at time of online registration.
Spatial Standardisation in the Fossil Record: A Workshop in R
Convenor: Prof. Erin E Saupe
Date: 8th December 2026
Location: TBC
Duration: 10:00-12:00
Maximum capacity: 20 delegates
The fossil record is incomplete. Fossil sampling differs across time periods, environments, and organism groups. This uneven spatial distribution of fossil occurrences has major implications for ecological and evolutionary studies. If we interpret the fossil record without accounting for these biases, findings may be inaccurate or even misleading. To address this issue, it is important to standardise the spatial distribution of fossil data—both the total area sampled and the arrangement of sampling sites—before investigating questions related to biodiversity change, geographic range size, or other ecological patterns.
In this workshop, we will review the of spatial structure in the fossil record, methods for correcting these biases, and the potential consequences of ignoring them. We will also discuss practical ways to implement spatial standardisation usingthe R package divvy, designed to make spatial analyses more accessible. The software includes three spatial subsampling methods along with tools for measuring spatial coverage, and participants will have a chance to run code on sample data using these methods. Participants should have their own laptop that can run R or R Studio. Participants should be familiar with basic R commands and be able to install and load packages (this course may be useful if you’re new to R).
Museum of Natural History collections tours
Convenors: Dr Duncan Murdock and Dr Emma Nicholls
Date: 8th December 2026
Duration: 10:30-12:00
Maximum capacity: 30 delegates
The palaeontological collections at the Museum of Natural History, University of Oxford include one of the world’s most important collections of Middle Jurassic dinosaurs; exceptionally preserved specimens with intact soft tissues; and enigmatic fossils representing the earliest complex multicellular organisms. It features around 400,000 fossils, ranging from the Archean, ~2.7 billion years ago, to the end of the Pleistocene, 11,700 years ago. Delegates are invited to book on free behind-the-scenes tours of highlights of parts of these collections.
Oxford College Tours
Date: 8th December 2026
Duration: 10:00–11:00
Maximum capacity: 10 delegates
Join us as we explore one of Oxford’s medieval colleges, taking in the gothic architecture and ancient academic environment.
Other non-meeting tours
In addition to these meeting-run tours, there are a number of opportunities to explore Oxford and the University.
For Bodleian Library tours, please book using the Bodleian website.
To see the Dreaming Spires of Oxford, visit the University Church of St Mary the Virgin.