Western Association of
Vertebrate Paleontology
(WAVP)

WAVP is a regional organization focused on the collection, conservation, and study of fossil vertebrates. Paleontologists – scientists, enthusiasts, and students from across the western United States – meet annually to share new discoveries.

2026 Meeting

February 13 – 15, 2026,
at the Alf Museum of Paleontology,
Claremont, California

Please see below for information on abstract submission, registration, and collections access during the meeting.

Join us on Presidents’ Day weekend for research presentations, networking, and field exploration!

Conference Program

Submit Your Abstract

Event Registration

Conference Program

Friday,
February 13

Evening – Keynote address by Dr. Julia Tejada, Caltech

Saturday,
February 14

All day – Research symposium: oral presentations, lightning talks, posters

Click Here for Program

Click Here for Abstracts

 

Sunday,
February 15

Morning – Field trip

 Click Here for Field Trip Information

 

Saturday Program

7:30–8:15 Registration
8:15–8:30 Welcome and Opening Remarks
8:30–10:15 Oral Session 1: Paleozoic and Mesozoic
10:15–10:30 Break
10:30–12:00 Oral Session 2: Mesozoic Dinosaurs & Associates
12:00–1:00 Lunch
1:00–2:30 Oral Session 3: Across the K/Pg & into the Neogene
2:30–2:55 Break
2:55–4:00 Oral Session 4: Neogene & Pleistocene Mammals
4:00–4:15 Closing Remarks & Announcements
4:15–4:30 Break
4:30–5:30 Poster Session (presenters at posters)

All events are in Stockdale Community Center on the campus of The Webb Schools.

Presenter Information

Presentation Formats

  • Oral presentation: 12-minute talk followed by three minutes for questions. Presentations will need to be uploaded by the morning of the conference – files should be in PowerPoint or PDF format.
  • Poster presentation: Traditional printed poster for hour-long session. Posters may be mounted at the start of the day. Please note maximum poster dimensions for the mounting boards: 46″ wide by 68″
  • Lightning talk: New for 2026! A short (three minutes for talk, followed by two minutes for questions) oral presentation with slides. This is an ideal venue to present a cool specimen or new piece of research that does not require extended presentation time. Presentations will need to be uploaded by the morning of the conference – files should be in PowerPoint or PDF format.

Program

Abstract acceptance notifications were emailed on January 29 – please reach out (afarke@webb.org) if you did not receive a notification.

The full program is available at this link.

The full abstract volume is available at this link.

 

Talk & Poster Prizes

Prizes for best student/post-doc talk / posters will be awarded.

Thank you to The Anatomical Record for their sponsorship of student awards.

The Anatomical Record logo

Abstract submission is now closed.
Thank you for your entries!

Registration Information

Early

ends January 29

  • Students / post-docs: $40
  • Non-students: $65

Regular

ends February 5

  • Students / post-docs: $50
  • Non-students: $75

Late

including on-site

  • Students / post-docs: $60
  • Non-students: $95
Register here

NOTE:
The initial purchase screen lists the full (Late) price by default.
The discount for Early / Regular registration is applied at the time of checkout.

Registration rates include meeting attendance, Saturday breakfast and lunch, and Sunday field trip (self-drive).

However, lunch is not guaranteed for registrations after February 5, so please do your best to register before then.

Collections Access

The Alf Museum of Paleontology, host of WAVP 2026, has exceptional specimens across 600 million years, an unparalleled trackway collection, and a unique model of research and mentorship where students from The Webb Schools – the secondary school that houses the museum – contribute to generating and disseminating paleontological insights.

We welcome you to view and conduct research in the Alf Museum’s specimen collections during the days before or after the meeting. Please fill out the Collections Access Form linked below, and we will aim to accommodate your request. Please email Collections Manager Bailey Jorgensen (bjorgensen@alfmuseum.org) with any collections or database questions in advance of your visit.

Request collections access here

Get In Touch

For questions, please email the 2026 organizing committee at
info@alfmuseum.org
with the subject line “WAVP 2026”.

The Alf Museum, venue of WAVP 2026, is located at:
1175 W Base Line Rd, Claremont, California, 91711

WAVP 2026

Alf Collections Access

Conference Program

Presentation Information

Registration

Lodging and Travel

Past Conferences