97th Annual Meeting of the German Society of Mammalian Biology (DGS)
Date
2nd to 6th September 2024
Venue
Paläontologisches Museum München / Lehrstuhl für Paläontologie und Geobiologie der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München / Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Geologie, Richard-Wagner-Str. 10, 80333 München
List of hotels with special LMU (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München) rates
Concept
This year’s DGS meeting explicitly invites neontologists, zooarchaeologists, and palaeontologists to get together in order to exchange data, hypotheses, and methodologies across the disciplines. It is aiming at stimulating future transdisciplinary research to open up possibilities for more comprehensive understanding of the world’s modern mammal fauna with a view into deep time and transition to Anthropocene.
The meeting is dedicated to two major topics:
A) Mammals and Grasslands
Mammals and grasslands are tightly linked. A considerable number of mammal species, large and small, are adapted, deeply rooted, in manifold ways to conditions related to grasslands and contribute to the unique biodiversity of those ecosystems. Nevertheless, the narrative of the anthropogenic origination of most grasslands and their harm on global biodiversity is persistent, especially with regard to worldwide deforestation and climate change. Yet, evidence from the past is ambiguous. Hence, the importance of mammals to grasslands and their mutual evolutionary impact is not only a well debated topic, but also an experimental field with yet unsatisfying outcome (e.g. Oostvaardersplassen, Netherlands; Pleistocene Park, Siberia). Expertise from various disciplines is needed to comprehensively assess the nature of grassland mammal biology in space and time.
Invited speakers:
Elizabeth le Roux, Prof. Dr., Aarhus University, Denmark
Ludovic Orlando, Prof. Dr., Centre for Anthropobiology and Genomics of Toulouse, Purpan Medical School, Toulouse, France
Abigail Parker, Dr., University of Helsinki, Finland
Frans Vera, Dr., Wijk bij Duurstede, The Netherlands
B) Wild animal of the year 2024: European hedgehog
Since 2017 the Deutsche Wildtier Stiftung organizes polls for the animal of the year to raise public attention for wild animals and their threats, habitat-loss or human-wildlife-conflict. For 2024, the foundation's donors voted for the European hedgehog, Erinaceus europaeus, which, on the one hand, suffers from agricultural restructuring of its rural habitats and, on the other hand, faces danger from technical achievements in urban gardens and parks. Consequently, it is listed as near-threatened on the red list of Germany. DGS 2024 provides a scientific platform for this species promoting a multidisciplinary view in order to emphasize the becoming and importance of its ecological role. Accordingly, any contribution on Erinaceus europaeus and relatives including related zooarchaeological or palaeontological topics is strongly encouraged.
Invited speakers:
Sophie Lund Rasmussen, Dr., University of Oxford, United Kingdom
Anne Berger, Dr., Leibniz Institut für Zoo- und Wildtierforschung, Berlin, Germany
Marc Furió, Prof. Dr., Institut Catalá de Paleontologia M. Crusafont, Sabadell, Spain
C) Free topics
In addition, contributions on any zoological, zooarchaeological, or palaeontological topic dealing with mammalian biology are welcome. Multi- or transdisciplinary topics are especially appreciated and will be prioritised in case of more registrations for oral presentation than available number of slots.
Workshops
A) Shrews and Bornavirus
(in German)
Organisers: Merle M. Böhmer and Rainer G. Ulrich
In recent years, there has been increased attention for shrews and the Borna disease virus 1 (BoDV-1) that they transmit to humans. The virus has been known to cause Borna disease in horses for a long time, whereas evidence of its transmission to humans was only succeeded for the first time in 2018. The inflammation of the brain caused by BoDV-1 in humans leads to death in the majority of cases. Fortunately, the number of infections and disease cases in Germany appears to be low so far. Bavaria is one of the main areas of distribution of the virus and the shrew Crocidura leucodon has been identified as the main reservoir. The aim of the workshop is to strengthen networking between research on shrews and the studies on BoDV-1.
B) Introduction to ORS Dragonfly
Instructors: Anneke van Heteren and Stefanie Luft
Dragonfly is a software platform for scientific image processing developed and distributed by Object Research Systems (ORS). Dragonfly can process CT images, including segmentation, to extract quantitative information about different objects and materials. Dragonfly is free for non-profit institutions.
In this workshop we will guide you through the main functions for CT-scan segmentation and bone analyses. The workshop will include both theory and practice. We will provide CT-scans to the participants to practice on, but participants are also welcome to bring their own (preferably small) CT-scans to work with.
Maximum number of participants: 30
Programm
To be viewed in detail here
Sunday, 1st September 2024
Pre-workshop: Shrews and Bornavirus (in German)
Time: 4-6pm
Place: Bayerisches Landesamt für Gesundheit und Lebensmittelsicherheit, Lazarettstr. 67, 80636 München. Raum 0.101
Monday, 2nd September 2024
Talks: Mammals and Grasslands
DGS board meeting, Curators meeting, Young DGS meeting
Welcoming reception
Tuesday, 3rd September 2024
Talks: Wild animal of the year 2024: European hedgehog
Postersession
Wednesday, 4th September 2024
Talks: Free topics
General meeting
Young DGS quiz
Conference dinner
Thursday, 5th September 2024
Workshop: Introduction to ORS Dragonfly
Time: 9am-5pm with regular breaks
Place: Luisenstraße 37 | 1st Floor | Room C 124
• Guided tour special exhibition SKELETTE - Choreografen der Bewegung
Museum Mensch und Natur
• Guided tour Botanischer Garten München
• Guided tour Paläontologisches Museum München
Field trip A to hominid fossil site Hammerschmiede (full day coach tour)
CANCELLED
Friday, 6th September 2024
Field trip B to Late Neolithic wetland settlement of Pestenacker (World Heritage Site), Przewalski's horses in Augsburg's municipal forest, and Naturmuseum Augsburg (Full day coach tour)
CANCELLED
Important Dates
Abstract submission opens 5th of April 2024
Deadline abstract submission 21th of May 2024 8am
Conference registration opens 31st of May 2024
Abstract acceptance notification 31st of May 2024
Deadline early conference registration 29th of July 2024
Deadline field trip preregistration 14th of July 2024
Deadline late conference registration 4th of August 2024
Registration
Fees
Meeting
Student member: early registration € 75, late registration € 85
Student non-member: early registration € 85, late registration € 95
Full DGS member: early registration € 180, late registration € 200
Non-member: early registration € 200, late registration € 220
Conference Dinner
Student: € 30
Regular: € 60
DGS Junior meeting grants
The DGS offers 5 ‘small’ meeting grants of 300 EUR each to junior scientists who want to present their work at the forthcoming annual meeting. Every junior DGS-member (pre-PhD) without own budget can apply.
Grants can only be assigned if the abstract is accepted for the conference, and if grant winners agree to present their topic as a poster or talk at the annual meeting in Munich. If this agreement cannot be maintained, the grant has to be paid back. Please send your application with a short informal letter and the abstract which has been submitted (poster or talk) to the secretary of the society, Dr.Stéphanie Schai-Braun (execsec-dgs@uni-due.de) until 15 June 2024.
Hosting Institution
GeoBio-CenterLMU
Organizing Team
Prof. Dr. Gert Wörheide, PD Dr. Gertrud Rößner, PD Dr. Anneke van Heteren, Dr. Nadja Pöllath
Contact
dgs2024@palmuc.org
Logo
The logo for the 97th Annual Meeting of the German Society for Mammalian Biology (DGS) depicts a Gomphotherium, ancient proboscidean and center piece at the Paläontologisches Museum München, representing the past Bavarian mosaic landscapes, greeting an okapi, representing the DGS, against the backdrop of Munich. Made by Anneke van Heteren based on the silhouette images of a Gomphotherium by Scott Hartman (CC BY 3.0 / colour changed to grey), an okapi by Kai Caspar (CCO 1.0) and Munich by Stefan Meister (CC BY-SA 4.0).