Editorial

Abstract

In 2003 a group of early stage researchers in palaeontology from the University of Zaragoza organized
the first EJIP Encuentro de Jóvenes Investigadores en Paleontologia (Meeting for early stage researchers in
palaeontology) in the Spanish region of Aragón. The meeting was a success, and the proof is that it has been held
uninterrupted for 18 years, organized by different teams, it has been held in Spain and Portugal, and the format
has been exported to the rest of Europe, as the IMERP (International Meeting of Early Stage Researchers in
Palaeontology).

The idea of this organizing committee, composed by pre and postdoctoral researchers from the Universidad
de Zaragoza, Museo de Ciencias de Zaragoza (in Spain) and the Universidade Nova de Lisboa (in Portugal), was
bringing back the XVIII EJIP to Aragon for third time, after Ariño in 2003, and Boltaña in 2014, and celebrate
it in the locality of Andorra, in Teruel. This town is located in the Bajo Aragon area, between the valleys of the
Martin and Guadalope Rivers. The area has a mining tradition, focused in the lignite exploitation, but it also
has a tremendous paleontological heritage, with several sites of global importance… but were sadly surprised
by the current global situation, and we had to cancel the meeting in its traditional format. We are nowadays
living the Covid-19 pandemic, and we had to adapt to survive. With the priceless help of our colleagues of the 2nd
Palaeontological Virtual Congress we are going the celebrate the XVIII EJIP as a Virtual Congress. Nonetheless,
we encourage all the participants not to miss the chance of visiting the locality of Andorra in the future and to
enjoy the beauty and heritage of the area.