The Paleontological Society, formally the Paleontological Society of America, is an international organisation devoted to the promotion of paleontology

Paleontology

Paleontology "old, ancient", ὄν, ὀντ- "being, creature", and λόγος "speech, thought") is the study of prehistoric life. It includes the study of fossils to determine organisms' evolution and interactions with each other and their environments...

. The Society was founded in 1908 in Baltimore, Maryland and was incorporated in April 1968 in the District of Columbia. The Society publishes the bi-monthly Journal of Paleontology

Journal of Paleontology

The Journal of Paleontology is a peer-reviewed scientific journal covering the field of paleontology, published by The Paleontological Society.-Indexing:The Journal of Paleontogy is indexed in:*BIOSIS Previews*Science Citation Index...

and the quarterly Paleobiology

Paleobiology (journal)

Paleobiology is a scientific journal promoting the integration of biology and conventional palæontology, with emphasis placed on biological or paleobiological processes and patterns. It attracts papers of interest to more than one discipline, and occasionally publishes research on recent organisms...

, holds an annual meeting in the autumn in conjunction with the Geological Society of America

Geological Society of America

The Geological Society of America is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of the geosciences. The society was founded in New York in 1888 by Alexander Winchell, John J. Stevenson, Charles H. Hitchcock, John R. Proctor and Edward Orton and has been headquartered at 3300 Penrose...

, sponsors conferences and lectures, and provides grants and scholarships.

The Society is currently based in the Department for Earth and Environment at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...

, but has five geographic sections—Pacific Coast (founded March 1911), North-Central (founded May 1974), Northeastern (founded March 1977), Southeastern (founded November 1979), Rocky Mountain (founded October 1985), and South-Central (founded November 1988).

Medals and awards

The Society recognizes distinguished accomplishments through three awards, one recognized by a medal, the other two by inscribed plaques normally presented annually:

• The Paleontological Society Medal
  Paleontological Society Medal
  The Paleontological Society Medal the most prestigious honor bestowed by the Paleontological Society, is awarded to a person whose eminence is based on advancement of knowledge in paleontology.- Awardees :...
  
  , given since 1963, is the most prestigious honor bestowed by the Society and is awarded to a person whose eminence is based on advancement of knowledge in paleontology.
• The Charles Schuchert Award
  Charles Schuchert Award
  The Charles Schuchert Award is presented by the Paleontological Society to a person under 40 whose work reflects excellence and promise in the science of paleontology .- Awardees :...
  
  , given since 1973, is presented to a person under the age of 40 whose work reflects excellence and promise in the science of paleontology. The award is named for Charles Schuchert
  Charles Schuchert
  Charles Schuchert was an American invertebrate paleontologist who was a leader in the development of paleogeography, the study of the distribution of lands and seas in the geological past.-Biography:...
  
   (1858-1942), an invertebrate paleontologist from Yale University who was a leader in the development of paleogeography.
• The Harrell L. Strimple Award, awarded since 1984, is given for contributions to paleontology by an amateur (someone who does not derive his/her livelihood from the study of fossils).