More than 50 palaeontologists from around the world will gather in Alice Springs today for the 15th Conference on Australasian Vertebrate Evolution, Palaeontology and Systematics (CAVEPS) run by the Museum of Central Australia.

CAVEPS is a scientific forum that showcases research into the past, present and future of our region’s fauna, with a particular focus on the way Australian animals have adapted to aridity.

The biennial conference returns to Alice Springs, after it was first developed and hosted there 30 years ago. It has since grown to become the premier meeting of its kind in the southern hemisphere, with delegates travelling from as far as the United States and South Africa to attend.

Delegates will share their research on the secret life of Australia’s extinct giant cuckoos, how size does matter for Queensland's dwarf turtles, whether the tree-kangaroo killed off the koala in Papua New Guinea and what 7500 American shark teeth tell us about our past.

Director Marcus Schutenko says Central Australia is home to many world-renown palaeontological research sites, making it the ideal location for the conference.

“From the oldest graves of bony vertebrates known anywhere on Earth to a lakeside community a mere 7000 years old that was once home to creatures such as wombats and Tasmanian devils, Central Australia is a rich place for palaeontological research,” Mr Schutenko said.

“It’s great to host this conference again and great for Alice Springs.”

Delegates will have the opportunity to visit key palaeontological sites across Central Australia, including the Alcoota Scientific Reserve, a dense fossil site that is one of the largest concentrations of terrestrial vertebrates in Australia.

“We’ve invested consistently in our earth sciences program since the 1980s, particularly through our regular field work at Alcoota,” Mr Schutenko said.

“We look forward to sharing and exchanging our research with the broader scientific community.”

The conference runs until 5 September 2015.

The Museum of Central Australia is part of the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory.

A full program from CAVEPS 2015 can be downloaded at www.magnt.net.au

For more information please contact Caddie Brain, Digital and Communications Manager at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory on 08 8999 8207 or caddie.brain@nt.gov.au