Paleontological Society of the Philippines

Dear community,

It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to Dave Bukry, a USGS emeritus scientist and a longtime colleague to many of us.

Dave began his career with the USGS in 1967 and worked there until his retirement in the late 1980s, after which he continued as a scientist emeritus. He made significant contributions to the fields of micropaleontology, marine geology, and paleoceanography, including his involvement in the Deep Sea Drilling Project.

John Barron shared a thoughtful summary of Dave’s career in geology: https://whoswhonewsletters.com/2019/03/28/john-david-bukry/

Our condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues.

Meet the Philippine entry for International Mollusc of the Year! 𝘓𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘰 𝘢𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢, also locally known as “antingaw” in Bohol, is the first known shipworm that lives within and eats through rock.

Unlike the rest of the shipworm family, 𝘓. 𝘢𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢 bores and burrows its way through limestone rather than wood. Its shell has uniquely evolved to cut through rock: while the teeth-like denticles of tamilok and ugaong are small and sharp, 𝘓. 𝘢𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢 instead has denticles that are large and blunt. The mechanism of how this odd animal gets nutrients from rock remains a mystery. Scientists believe that it may harbor symbiotic microorganisms in its gills that help break down its inorganic diet, and that further study of these digestive processes may lead to future biotechnology products. With support from the DOST National Research Council of the Philippines, the UP Marine Science Institute is currently investigating this species through the "Teredinids and Associated Microbes: A Multi-level Investigation of Lifestyles and Outstanding Compounds as Sources of Novel Therapeutics" or TAMMILOC Project.

✅ Vote for 𝘓𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘰 𝘢𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢! bit.ly/IMOY2026_AntingawPH

𝘓𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘰 𝘢𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢 is found exclusively in the Abatan River of Bohol, which is honored in its species name. Like its fellow shipworms in other regions, It is also eaten as a local delicacy.

This quirky and promising clam is representing the Philippines against Italy, Australia, the United States, and Seychelles for International Mollusc of the Year 2026. The annual competition is hosted by Senckenberg, Senckenberg Ocean Species Alliance - SOSA, and Unitas Malacologica.

Let's show our national pride and give antingaw our full support! Public voting starts today and ends on April 26.

For more information about International Mollusc of the Year, visit the official website: https://www.unitasmalacologica.org/mollusc-of-the-year-2026.html

Read the original 2019 paper on its discovery: https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2019.0434

Species Splash is an initiative of the UP Marine Science Institute that features the marine biodiversity being studied by our scientists. For interview requests and other media inquiries, please contact content(at)msi.upd.edu.ph.

Congratulations to the Nannoworks Laboratory on the nomination of their book, Atlas of Coccolithophores in Philippine Marginal Seas, at the 43rd National Book Awards under the category Best Book in Science! 📗🏆🔬🐚🌊

The National Book Development Board (NBDB) is the book authority of the Philippines, dedicated to creating a vibrant, diverse, and equitable book publishing ecosystem.

The National Book Awards honors the most outstanding books written and published in the Philippines. The awarding ceremony is set to take place in March 2026.

Join us this Friday for a talk on late Pleistocene fossils from the Rancho La Brea asphalt seeps in Southern Califronia with Dr. Mairin Balisi.

This event is co-sponsored by the National Institute of Geological Sciences, the Iuvenis Orbis Geological Fraternity, the Nannoworks Laboratory and the Paleontological Society of the Philippines.

Join us as we celebrate the 27th Founding Anniversary of the Paleontological Society of the Philippines!

Share your memories of the Society and your own local fossil finds with and let's all continue to spread awareness and appreciation to the field of Paleontology in the country!

DID YOU KNOW? 🧐

The first office of the Society is located at the Paleontology Laboratory at the National Institute of Geological Sciences, UP Diliman.

The laboratory contains fossils from all over the world and is still being used as a teaching and research laboratory at the institute. The Paleo Lab is also the faculty office of Dr. Priscilla Militante-Matias! Even until the relaunching of the Society in 2019, the meetings were held in the Paleo Lab.

The photos above include one of the first meetings for the relaunching of the Paleontological Society of the Philippines in October 2018 with (center, from L-R) Dr. Allan Fernando, Dr. Marietta De Leon, Dr. Priscilla Militante-Matias, Dr. Perry Ong (†, former Dean of the UP College of Science) and Dr. Alyssa Peleo-Alampay (inset below, presiding chair).

DID YOU KNOW? 🧐

The first president of the Paleontological Society of the Philippines is Dr. Priscilla J. Militante-Matias.

She graduated B.S. Zoology (cum laude) at the University of the Philippines, Diliman and Ph.D. Geology at Stanford University, California, USA. She is also the first Filipina Ph.D. student at Stanford and one of the first female geologists in the Philippines! She is also credited in publishing one of the first studies on recent foraminifera in the Philippines.*

She has been awarded several prestigious awards including the Achievement Award from the Geological Society of the Philippines (1995), Achievement Award in the Earth Sciences from the National Research Council of the Philippines (1995), Professional Award from the UP Alumni Association (1996), Gawad Paglilingkod Award from UP Diliman (1997), and has been recently given a Legacy Award in Paleontology by the UP Geology Alumni Association earlier this year.

We thank her for her continuous support to the Society and her long-lasting impact in the field of Paleontology in the Philippines! 👏

*Graham, J.J. and Militante-Matias, P.J. (1959). Recent foraminifera from the Puerto Galera Area, Oriental Mindoro, Philippines. Stanford University Press.

Are you a budding geologist looking to ensure that you are on the right track—both ethically and professionally? 🧐🪨

Join us for the workshop and seminar “𝐍𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬: 𝐀 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐞𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬” with 𝐃𝐫. 𝐊𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐧 𝐋. 𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐬, president of the Geological Society of the Philippines.

📅 𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥 𝟕, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓, 𝟖 𝐀𝐌 𝐭𝐨 𝟏𝟐 𝐏𝐌
📍𝐆/𝐅 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐑𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐬, 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐮𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲

This seminar is designed for newly licensed and early-career geologists eager to understand the ethical responsibilities of the profession. Gain valuable insights from industry experts and equip yourself with the knowledge to navigate your career with integrity.

Limited on-site slots available—register now! If you can’t attend in person, join us via Zoom.

✍️𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞: https://bit.ly/Code-of-Ethics-for-Geologist or scan the QR code in the poster!

Tag your friends and colleagues! Together, let’s foster a culture of integrity and excellence in the field of geology—wherever we are.