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Vote Now! Top 10 Open Access Fossil Taxa of 2017

Andrew Farke Open Access Open Science

Skull of Masrasector nananubis, courtesy of Matt Borths.
Skull of Masrasector nananubis, courtesy of Matt Borths. This is just one of the many fossil species vying for a spot on the Top 10 list.

From PLOS ONE to Palaeontologia Electronica, research on new fossil species is more accessible than ever before. This is a big step forward for our field, ensuring that everyone, everywhere can learn about and build upon the history of our planet.

To highlight some of these discoveries, PLOS is once again recognizing the top 10 new open access fossil species of the past year. And it ain’t just dinosaurs–we have assembled a list of more than 40 vertebrates, invertebrates, plants, microorganisms, and even fungi that have joined the pantheon of new species between December 1, 2016, and September 30, 2017. (and if something really cool is published before the vote ends on November 15, or if you think we missed your favorite new species, you can either add a write-in vote or petition the editors to add it to the list).

As we are fond of saying, this isn’t just a popularity contest! We want to recognize the hard work of researchers worldwide, no matter what organism they are working on. You might consider not just “wow” factor, but also things such as degree of data availability, thoroughness of the description, and broader significance to paleontology.

How Do You Vote?

When Does The Contest End?

  • The vote closes on November 15.

What Do the Winners Get?

  • The top new open access species of 2017 will get their organism illustrated by renowned paleoartist Brian Engh!
  • The top 10 species will be highlighted on the PLOS Paleo Community blog!

Want More Info?

Featured image: Spiclypeus shipporum, the #9 winner in the Top 10 OA Fossil Vertebrates of 2016 contest. Image by M. Skrepnick, from Mallon et al (2016).

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