In many ways, the United Kingdom is a gravitational center for palaeontology, both in its historical formation as a discipline and through its modern institutions. Leni was fortunate to visit and learn from researchers working at the University of Bristol, a prominent site for current palaeobiology research. While there, she met with several researchers working within the field of experimental taphonomy and soft-tissue preservation – an emergent interest within Leni’s doctoral research – and learned of the variety of methods and materials deployed to these ends.
Leni was also able to discuss at length with researchers about the different ethical concerns that are currently unfolding within the international palaeontology community. She participated in a seminar organized by PhD researcher Hady George to discuss – among other matters – issues of repatriation, equitable authorship, legislating fossil materials, and contributed considerations of how anthropologists might approach these topics. She would like to extend her gratitude to the Bristol palaeobiology community for an incredibly warm welcome and for many informative and stimulating discussions.
Photo: Leni Charbonneau
After her time in Bristol, Leni traveled to Edinburgh in Scotland to participate in Progressive Palaeontology (ProgPal), a conference supported by the larger Palaeontological Association. ProgPal is aimed specifically at early-career researchers, providing a platform to present ongoing research. Leni presented a poster detailing the AMBER project across its various field sites and those aspects of the project that intersect with palaeobiological research. While at ProgPal, she had the privilege of learning how to produce cellulose acetate peels (a method of studying fossilized plant material), visiting the fossil-rich site of Barns Ness, and sitting on the winning pub-quiz team. Leni would also like to thank the organizing committee of ProgPal for an incredibly informative few days in Edinburgh!
Photo: Leni Charbonneau
A special thanks to Hady George, whose hospitality and welcome enabled Leni to meet an incredible number of inspiring researchers between Bristol and Edinburgh. For many insightful conversations, Leni would also like to thank: Emily Rayfield and the researchers at the Emily Rayfield Laboratory, Dr. John Cunningham, Dr. Phil Donoghue, Ayari Yanagihara, Diego Sánchez-Ganfornina, and many more folks!