are pleased to invite you to attend Conference and Workshop dedicated to Felix Yanovich Dzerzhinsky (1937 – 2015)

Evolutionary and Functional Morphology of Vertebrates

28 September – 2 October 2017

Zvenigorod Biological Station of Biological Faculty of Lomonosov Moscow State University

“Every morphological character is already a fact”

F.Ya. Dzerzhinsky

2017 is the year of the 80th birthday anniversary of Felix Yanovich Dzerzhinsky, honored Professor of Lomonosov Moscow State University, eminent morphologist, evolutionist, and teacher. The conference “Evolutionary and Functional Morphology of Vertebrates” and the Workshop in Functional and Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates will be dedicated to his memory. Morphology (i.e., the study of the structure and adaptations of organisms), like no other discipline, enables the reconstruction of the evolutionary history of living beings based on changes in the form and function of their organs. The combined analytic resources of functional morphology and comparative anatomy, as well as of modern methods, provide the basis for solving various biological problems.

Oral and poster contributions related to the following topics are welcome:

  • Morphology, biomechanics, and evolution of the musculoskeletal system of vertebrates
  • Functional morphology of the integument and its derivatives in vertebrates
  • Comparative anatomy and evolution of the internal organs (viscera) of vertebrates
  • Evolutionary morphology of the nervous system and sensory organs of vertebrates
  • Evolutionary embryology, evolution of ontogenetic and morphogenetic mechanisms in vertebrates
  • Evolutionary paleontology of vertebrates

Proposals for the topics of sessions and round-table discussions are invited.

Workshop in Vertebrate Morphology

The goal of the planned workshop is for students, post-graduates, and young scientists to be exposed to modern studies in vertebrate evolutionary and functional morphology.

Lectures will be presented by leading morphologists from the Lomonosov Moscow State University, the Paleontological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology & Evolution, the St. Petersburg State University, the Zoological Institute RAS, and other universities and institutions of the Russian Academy of Sciences and from abroad.

Workshop lead by the distinguished scientists will provide the participants with the modern morphological methods. Students and graduate students can find here topics for their future research, including for their Ph.D. project.

If you want to be a lecturer at the workshop or willing to lead the lab class, please send a separate application with the short outline of your lecture/lab class to morphology@list.ru before March 26, 2017. The final lecture/lab classes program will be determined by the Organizing Committee.

Participation, registration, deadlines

Oral and poster contributions are accepted. All participants will get Certificates of Attendance. Conference papers will be published.

Registration fee is paid on site (at the registration desk at the conference venue). Full registration fee – 1500 RUB, for postgraduates – 500 RUB, for students – 300 RUB.

Organizing Committee

  • Chair of the Committee
    • Leonid Petrovich Korzun, Dr. Habil., Chief of the Zoology Dept., Biological Faculty, Lomonosov Moscow State University
  • Co-Chairs
    • Valery Mikhailovich Gavrilov, Dr. Habil., Chief of the Zvenigorod Biological Station, Biological Faculty, Lomonosov Moscow State University
    • Vyacheslav Vladimirovich Rozhnov, Academician, Chief of A.N. Severtsov Institution of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences
    • Sergey Vladimirovich Rozhnov, Academician, Chief of Paleontological Institution of the Russian Academy of Sciences
  • Secretary of the Conference and the Workshop
    • Vladimir Valdimirovich Shakhparonov
      Phone: +7926-360-17-17
  • Members of the Organizing Committee
    • V.V. Gavrilov
    • K.B. Gerasimov
    • M.Ya. Goretskaya
    • T.B. Golubeva
    • N.V. Zelenkov
    • A.V. Zinoviev
    • E.N. Zubkova
    • M.V. Kalyakin
    • N.V. Kulikova
    • V.A. Makarov
    • A.V. Moiseeva
    • A.B. Popovkina
    • E.G. Potapova
    • N.A. Formozov
  • Technical support: Nadezhda Victorovna Kryukova ()

Key dates

  • registration – March 26, 2017
  • second circular – March –  April 2017
  • abstract submission – July 15, 2017
  • conference and –workshop dates – September, 28 – October, 2 2017

Contact information

  • Organizing Committee –
  • Urgent matters –
  • Online registration –
  • Registration by e-mail (in case you have any problems with online registration) –
  • Abstract submission –
  • Submission of applications by workshop lecturers/lab class organizers –
  • Technical support –