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THE ICHTHYOLITH SOCIETY (provisional name)

INTERNATIONAL FISH MICROVERTEBRATE WORKING GROUP

IGCP NEWSLETTER: IGCP 406, 421

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TAXONOMIC DISCLAIMER

This publication is not deemed to be valid for taxonomic purposes [see Article 8b in the International Code of ZoologicalNomenclature 3rd Edition (1985), eds W.D. Ride et al.].

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EDITORIAL

This issue is the first in which I have had to have a co-editor - Dr Andrew Simpson from MacquarieUniversity joined me in 1999. It has been over 18 months since I produced the last issue - partlythis was necessitated by my 6 months sojourn overseas teaching at the University of Hannoverwhich took up most of a year in preparation and returning to "normal", and partly from the necessityfor me to concentrate on my own research. Please write if you feel I have "lost" any news you werehoping to see in this issue AND if you feel that the Issues is still a useful mode of disseminatinginformation and ideas. Reports, references, and important news about meetings continue to be foundon our website and others. If you do not have access to the internet please contact me if you needreference lists etc. To save space I have sent the full 1998 and 1999 reports to our web page.

Issue 19 went out in mid 1998 before the main fish/IGCP 406 meeting of the year atWarsaw which saw the production of Special Publication no. 4 - contact Dr Mark V.H. Wilson formore information about this and specials 2-5. Reports of that and other IGCP 421 and SDS meetingscan be found below. Alain Blieck and I completed the final report of IGCP 328: PalaeozoicMicrovertebrates which is now with Dr Peter Konigshof, the editor of Courier ForschungsinstitutSenckenberg (see list below); publication is planned for 2000 - please continue to support our workby buying a copy and ordering one for your institutional library. The third part of the GrossSymposium was published in mid 1999 as Modern Geology vol. 24, no. 1 and includes 5 papers.

IGCP 406: Circum Arctic Paleozoic Vertebrates met successfully in late September-earlyOctober 1999 in Latvia hosted by Dr Ervins Luksevics in conjunction with the 4th BalticStratigraphical Conference. Special Publication no. 5 resulted. May 2000 saw the 9th Early/LowerVertebrates Symposium conjoined with IGCP 406 at Flagstaff, Arizona is a most successful eventhosted by Prof. David Elliott and his team at the University of Northern Arizona Geology Department.The Final IGCP 406 field meeting and symposium will take place in July 2000 at Syktyvkar, Timan-Pechora Province, Russia. Consult below and the WWW site for information regarding the futuremeetings.

The cut-backs and retrenchments continue. In Australia the national survey, A.G.S.O.,shed more of its former palaeontological unit and apparently intend to employ palaentologists only ona contract basis. I was dismayed to meet palaeontologists in Germany, young and relatively oldalike, with full professorial qualifications who did not have a permanent job and so were leaving theprofession. Professor H-G. Herbig of University of Cologne, President of the GermanPalaeontological Association, was compiling a report on the status of palaeontologists in universitiesand other institutions. With such basic information groups can begin lobbying to retainpalaeontological positions especially to counter the pervading "myth" I have heard again and againthat palaeontology is not interesting, "relevant" or useful. At the same time Germany has one of themost active networks of amateur palaeontologists and dealers/collectors. Some of the latter cancreate problems within our field. Because of the past and the often unscrupulous collecting ofspecimens, many countries (e.g. Australia and Kenya) now have strong laws preventing the removalof cultural heritage which can include fossils. Whether we are professional or amateur we have aduty to make sure when we collect that we have permission and any relevant documentation(permits etc.) before we remove fossils just as individuals and institutions must make sure they arenot in possession of "stolen goods". Even in recent times there have been blatant lapses of goodpractice and private landowners have become disenchanted with the plundering of their land. They inturn then deny access to key sites to bona fide workers as is happening at some important Scottishsites.

Some of you will know that IGCP Secretary-General, Dr Vladislav Babuska completed histerm at UNESCO in Paris in 1999. I for one would like to put on record the immense help DrBabuska has given to our IGCP project work on fish microfossils over the past 6 years. We wish himwell in his future endeavours back in the Czech Republic.

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Because of the upcoming changes in tax law in Australia I have decided to suspendsubscriptions. Please continue to support this newsletter with articles, news and if possible,donations and exchanges. Thanks again to all for your good wishes during my recent illness, forcontinuing input and especially for sending reprints, and donations - please keep them coming!Credit card facilities are still available (see donation form on back page). These contributions aregreatly appreciated to keep producing the newsletter.

Sue TurnerJune 2000

Please contact me, Dr Sue Turner at the Queensland Museum (preferably send disc or byemail, please - ASCII, Word or WordPerfect preferred). Fax: 617 3846 1918 or send email:<SueT@qm.qld.gov.au> and <s.turner@mailbox.uq.edu.au>.

ICHTHYOLITH ISSUES AND IGCP 406 ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB

Our World Wide Web page:

http://gause.biology.ualberta.ca/wilson.hp/Paleozoic.html

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IGCP 328: PALAEOZOIC MICROVERTEBRATES UPDATE

Palaeozoic Vertebrate Biochronology andGlobal Marine / Non-marine Correlation

Final Report of IGCP 328 (1991-1996)A. BLIECK & S. TURNER editors

Contents – to be published in Courier Forshungsinstitute Senckenberg Volume to beannounced.

BLIECK, A. & TURNER, S.: IGCP 328: Palaeozoic Microvertebrates final scientific report— Introduction.- 21 + 76 p., 4 text-figs, 2 tables, include. list of referees and IGCP 328final publication list 1991-1997 [ready for publication].Early PalaeozoicTALIMAA, V.N.: Significance of thelodonts (Agnatha) in correlation of the uppermostOrdovician to Lower Devonian of the northern part of Eurasia.- 8 p., 7 tables [ready forpubl.].MÄRSS, T.: Silurian vertebrate studies during 1990-1996.- 20 p., 3 text-figs [ready forpubl.].TURNER, S.: New Llandovery to early Pridoli microvertebrates including Early Silurianzone fossil, Loganellia avonia nov. sp., from Britain.- 32 p., 8 text-figs, 5 tables, 6 plates,+ 11 p. appendix of localities [ready for publ.].SOEHN, K.L., MÄRSS, T., HANKE, G.F. & WILSON, M.V.H.: Preliminary vertebratebiostratigraphy of the Avalanche Lake sections (Wenlock, Silurian), southern MackenzieMountains, N.W.T., and review of northwestern Canadian vertebrate localities of Silurianage.- 30 p., 3 text-figs, 1 plate [ready for publ.].BLOM, H.: Silurian vertebrates from North Greenland.- 6 p., 2 text-figs [ready for publ.].ZHU Min & WANG Jun-qing: Silurian vertebrate assemblages of China.- 9 p., 1 text-fig.,2 tables [reviewed].BURROW, C.J. & TURNER, S.: Silurian vertebrates from Australia.- 12 p., 3 text-figs [readyfor publ.].VERGOOSSEN, J.M.J.: Acanthodian and chondrichthyan microremains in the Siluro-Devonian of the Welsh Borderland, Great Britain, and their biostratigraphical potential.-25 p., 1 text-fig., 2 tables, 4 plates [ready for publ.].BASDEN, A., BURROW, C., HOCKING, M., PARKES, R. & YOUNG, G.: Siluro-Devonianmicrovertebrates from southeastern Australia.- 40 p., 12 text-figs [ready for publ.].Devonian: Old Red Sandstone ContinentBLIECK, A. et al.: Biostratigraphical correlations of Early Devonian ichthyofaunas of theOld Red Sandstone Continent.- [in progress; ].VALIUKEVICIUS, J.J. & KRUCHEK, S.: Acanthodian biostratigraphy and interregionalcorrelations of the Devonian of the Baltic States, Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia.- 21 p.,10 text-figs [ready for publ.].ELLIOTT, D.K., JOHNSON, H.G., CLOUTIER, R., CARR, R.K. & DAESCHLER, E.B.:Middle and Late Devonian vertebrates of the western Old Red Sandstone Continent.- 34p., 3 text-figs, 1 table [reviewed].MARK-KURIK, E.: The Middle Devonian fishes of the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia) andBelarus.- 25 p., 4 text-figs, 3 tables [ready for publication].GINTER, M. & IVANOV, A.: Stratigraphic distribution of chondrichthyans in the Middle andUpper Devonian of the East European Platform margin.- 27 p., 2 text-figs, 2 plates [readyfor publ.].ESIN, D., GINTER, M., IVANOV, A., LEBEDEV, O., LUKSEVICS, E., AVKHIMOVICH, V.,GOLUBTSOV, V. & PETUKHOVA, L.: Vertebrate correlation of the Upper Devonian andLower Carboniferous on the East European Platform.- 22 p., 12 text-figs [ready for publ.].Devonian: ChinaWANG Nian-zhong, WANG Jun-qing, ZHANG Guo-rui & WANG Shi-tao : Devonian macro-and micro-vertebrate assemblages of China.- 14 p., 2 text-figs [reviewed].

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ZHU Min: Catalogue of Devonian vertebrates in China, with notes on bio-events.- 16 p., 4text-figs [reviewed].BURROW, C.J., TURNER, S. & WANG Shi-tao: Devonian microvertebrates fromLongmenshan, Sichuan, China: taxonomic assessment.- 88 p., 10 text-figs, 1 table,14 plates [ready for publ.].Devonian: GondwanaTURNER, S. & YOUNG, G.C.: Devonian microvertebrates and marine/non-marinecorrelation in Eastern Gondwana.- 18 p., 4 text-figs [in progress].LONG, J.A. & TRINAJSTIC, K.M.: An overview of the Devonian microvertebrate faunas ofWestern Australia.- 22 p., 2 text-figs, 1 table, 3 plates [ready for publ.].TURNER, S., BASDEN, A. & BURROW, C.J.: Devonian vertebrates of Queensland.- 32 p.,12 text-figs, 3 tables, 4 plates + appendix 7 p. [ready for publ.].JONES, R.K., TURNER, S. & FORDHAM, B.G.: Late Devonian fauna from the ColumbineSandstone (Coffee Hill Member), Gap Creek, central New South Wales.- 22 p., 9 text-figs,2 plates [ready for publ.].Carboniferous and PermianSCHNEIDER, J.W., HAMPE, O. & SOLER-GIJÓN, R.: The Late Carboniferous andPermian: aquatic vertebrate zonation in southern Spain and German basins.- 25 p., 7text-figs, 2 tables [ready for publication].ZAJIC, J.: Vertebrate zonation of the non-marine Upper Carboniferous-Lower Permianbasins of the Czech Republic.- 9 p., 6 text-figs [ready for publ.].

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IGCP 406 "Circum-Arctic Lower-MiddlePalaeozoic Vertebrate Palaeontologyand Biostratigraphy"

See our Palaeozoic Microvertebrates World-Wide-Web page at:-

http://gause.biology.ualberta.ca/wilson.hp/Paleozoic.html

Summary of Reports for 1998 -1999

The project has grown to more than 100participants from 18 countries.

Achievements in 1998

Since the last newsletter the main 1998meeting was held in Warsaw, Poland. IGCP406 was also represented t at the SilurianSubcommission meeting in Spain (Märss), theECOS VII (conodont) meeting in Italy (seereport below), and SVP meetings in U.S.A.Several smaller workshops, field meetings,and field trips (funded by other agencies)were also held by project participants.

IGCP 406 Annual Meeting: Circum-ArcticPalaeozoic Faunas and Facies GeologicalInstitute, Warsaw University, Warsaw,Poland, Sept. 3-8 1998 including Timan-Pechora and Chondrichthyan workshops.

Was hosted by Instytut GeologiiPodstawowej, Wydzia Geologii, UniwersytetWarszawski (Institute of Geology, Faculty ofGeology, Warsaw University); MeetingOrganisers were Michal Ginter, StanSkompski and B. Sobociñska.

Field party at Checiny Castle site (M. Ginterphoto)

Edited outline of the meeting:-

1st session included Stratigraphy andinvertebratesRostislav G. Matukhin *, Vladimir Menner,Valentina Karatajute-Talimaa, SergeyMelnikov, Tatiana Modzalevskaya, PeepMännik, Tiiu Märss - On the reconstruction ofthe Palaeozoic sedimentary basins andpalaeotectonic conditions in the modernArctic shelves.

Alexander V. Kanygin - Early Palaeozoic seasin Siberia on the eve of the global expansionof vertebrates: formation of multistage marineecosystemsTatiana M. Beznosova - Ordovician/Silurianboundary in the sub-polar Urals:biostratigraphic aspectNatalya V. Belyaeva - Parageneticassociations of rocks reflecting incompletestructure of sequences (Late Devonian ofPechora basin)Marek Lewandowski - Assembly of Pangea:combined palaeomagnetic and palaeoclimaticapproach

2nd session: Conodonts and vertebratesPeep Männik - Telychian sedimentary basinsand conodont faunasAlexei Kuzmin, Alexander Ivanov, AlexanderOrlov - Middle to Upper Devonian boundarybeds of the Timan, RussiaTamara Nemyrovska - Bashkirian andMoscovian conodonts of the Donets Basin,UkraineIeva Upeniece - The first finds of fossilparasitic flatworms (Platyhelminthes) [in fish]Olga B. Afanassieva - New Data onosteostracans from Severnaya Zemlya(Russia)Tiiu Märss *, Ken L. Soehn, Mark V.H. Wilson- Microvertebrate-based correlations of theLlandovery-Wenlock boundary in somesections of the Selwyn and Frankliniansedimentary basins, northern CanadaElga Mark-Kurik - Placoderms in the Lowerand Middle Devonian of Severnaya ZemlyaDaniel Goujet - Placoderms from the LowerDevonian of Arctic Canada: new anatomicalfeatures and stratigraphic distributionRobert K. Carr*, Elga Mark-Kurik - Reanalysisof Heterostius and Homostius (brachythoracidarthrodires: Placodermi): Implications onsystematics and paleogeography.Pierre-Yves Gagnier, Mark V.H. Wilson, GavinF. Hanke - A new acanthodian from the EarlyDevonian of the Northwest Territories, CanadaHans-Peter Schultze - The primitiveactinopterygian DialipinaYuri M. Gubin - Permian amphibians ofnorthern Russia.Mikhail A. Shishkin *, Evgeniya K.Sytchevskaya - New data on the endemicvertebrate assemblage from the Permo-(?)Triassic Bugarikta Formation of the lowerTunguska River Basin, central Siberia.

Poster session included:Tatiana Beznosova - Ordovician-Silurianboundary at the Subpolar Urals:biostratigraphic aspectsMichal Ginter - Taxonomic problems withCarboniferous "cladodont-level" sharks' teethAlexei Kuzmin - Fammenian conodonts fromClimenievyi Cape of Novaya ZemlyaAlexei Kuzmin, Alexander Ivanov - LateGivetian - Frasnian conodont and vertebrateassemblages of the Middle Timan, Russia.Markus Otto - A new antiarch from theDevonian of Ellesmere Island, Arctic Canada

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Vladimir Tsyganko - Fauna and eustaticchanges of the Frasnian sea on the northPechora plate

3rd session: ChondrichthyansGavin F. Hanke *, Mark V. H. Wilson –Structure and variation of acanthodian andchondrichthyan scales from the LowerDevonian of the Mackenzie Mountains,CanadaMark V. H. Wilson *, Gavin F. Hanke – Bodyform and fin spines in species with scales ofchondrichthyan growth pattern from the LowerDevonian of the Mackenzie Mountains,CanadaValentina Karatajute -Talimaa *, RomaMertiniene – Morphogenetic types ofsquamation of Devonian and EarlyCarboniferous chondrichthyansClaire Derycke *, Zarela Herrera, Patrick R.Racheboeuf, Roland Trompette – OldestMiddle Palaeozoic ichthyofauna fromMauritaniaKate Trinajstic - Frasnian sharks from theGneudna Formation, Western AustraliaAlexander Ivanov - Late Devonian - EarlyPermian chondrichthyans of Russian ArcticMichael Williams - Tooth retention incladodont sharksRodrigo Soler-Gijon – Heterochrony and theevolution of the xenacanth sharksMartha Richter - Dental histology and itsbearing on the systematics of theXenacanthiformes (Pisces: Chondrichthyes)Oliver Hampe - British XenacanthsAndrea Tintori - New Chondrichthyan faunafrom the Guadalupian (middle Permian) of theSultanate of OmanGary D. Johnson – Dentitions of LatePalaeozoic Orthacanthus species and newspecies of ?Xenacanthus (Chondrichthyes:xenacanthiformes) from North America

************More than 50 participants from 16 countries(Australia, Canada, Estonia, France,Germany, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania,Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Sweden,Ukraine, U.K., U.S.A.) attended. The mainemphasis was on palaeobiological andbiostratigraphic studies of both vertebratesand invertebrates in the Canadian, Russian,Danish, and Norwegian Arctic. Two workshopswere held: geology of the Timan-Pechoraregion, and the early fossil record ofChondrichthyes. The field excursion on Sept.6-7 visited important Devonian localities in theHoly Cross Mountains.

The meeting provided a forum forreporting of significant advances inbiostratigraphical and paleobiologicalresearch. Some 41 extended abstracts werepublished in the conference volume: M. Ginterand M.V.H. Wilson (eds). 1998. Circum-ArcticPalaeozoic Faunas and Facies. Warszawa,Poland, 1998. Ichthyolith Issues SpecialPublication 4, 62 pp and a field guide(Skompski, 1998).

What has Valya found at Ostrowka Quarry?(Ginter photo)

Several participants brought manuscripts forthe Severnaya Zemlya volume, which will bepublished, in Paris, as a special issue ofGeodiversitas. These papers coverOrdovician to Devonian thelodonts, anaspids,and conodonts, and involve confirmation ofbiostratigraphic zonation as well as significantrevisions to accepted stratigraphy. Othermanuscripts were published as a special 1999conference issue of Acta Geologica Polonica49 1-2 and elsewhere.

Papers dealing with new taxa andassemblages included one by Pierre-YvesGagnier et al. on a new acanthodian found inLower Devonian strata of northern Canadaduring IGCP 406-related field work in 1996.Marcus Otto reported a new antiarch from theDevonian of Ellesmere Island, Arctic Canada,while Daniel Goujet demonstrated higher thanexpected diversity of placoderms after IGCP328 - sponsored field work in 1994 and 1995in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Bob Carrand Elga Mark-Kurik presented their jointresearch on systematics andpalaeogeography of arthrodires, and Elgareported 7 chronological placodermassemblages in the Lower and MiddleDevonian of Severnaya Zemlya. OlgaAfanassieva illustrated her recent findings onosteostracans from Severnaya Zemlya. TiiuMärss et al. correlated thelodont-bearingLlandovery-Wenlock boundary beds ofSelwyn-Root and Franklinian basins. Hans-Peter Schultze announced exciting findingson the early actinopterygian fish Dialipina,based on IGCP 406-related field work at theAnderson River, northern Canada, in 1997.Valya Talimaa compared Silurian andDevonian vertebrate faunas in the Circum-Arctic region and found that the late Silurian -early Devonian vertebrate assemblages fromTiman-Pechora, Northern and Polar Urals,Novaya Zemlya and Severnaya Zemlya belongto Young's (1981) Cephalaspid VertebrateProvince, pointing to the close relationship ofthese regions to the Baltica and Laurentiapalaeocontinents. On the other hand, theEarly Devonian vertebrates from Taimyr andNovosibirsk Islands represent the AmphiaspidVertebrate Province characteristic of theSiberian palaeocontinent. Data fromdistribution of shelly fauna and conodonts

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support these conclusions. MarekLewandowski presented a series ofpalaeogeographic maps for Gondwana,Baltica, and Laurentia for the early Ordovician- early Permian time span. TatianaModzalevskaya reported on similar isotopicsignatures in Ludlow brachiopods from theTiman-Pechora region and Gotland; Tiiu Märssadded that the carbon isotope curve found byher student, T. Martma, in sections fromBaillie-Hamilton and Cornwallis islands is verysimilar. Peep Männik contributed conodontage data for the Canadian island sections,and recognized two Telychian conodontfaunal provinces - one connected withnorthern and northeastern parts of Balticaand Laurentia, and the other with thesoutheastern parts of the samepalaeocontinents.

Timan-Pechora Workshop

Topics discussed:• the state of studies of Lower-Middle

Palaeozoic strata in the region;• publication;• IGCP 406 future meeting in Syktyvkar

and excursions to the Timan-Pechoraregion, July 2000.

During recent decades extensive geologicalstudies (palaeontology, sedimentology,mineralogy, geochemistry etc.) have beencarried out in the Timan-Pechora region. Manyoutcrops and core sections were studied indetail. Conferences and field-meetings (e.g.1983, 1987), many papers and monographicstudies have been published (T. Beznosova)or prepared (A. Abushik and L.Shamsutdinova; S. Melnikov in press) -unfortunately, almost all in Russian. Allparticipants agreed that the main task now isto publish in English. To begin with, 4-5papers dealing with general problems ofSilurian and Devonian palaeontology,stratigraphy, sedimentology andpalaeogeography will be published at the endof 1999 in Estonia (in the Proceedings of theEstonian Academy of Sciences, GeologySeries ). Also, some authors are thinkingabout the possibility of re-publishing theirmonographs in English. As the Timan-Pechoraregion is one of the easiest, and leastexpensive of the Arctic regions to reach, andas the Palaeozoic strata are well exposedand studied there, it was chosen as bestregion for the last IGCP 406 field meeting.The specialists working in the regionaccepted this suggestion enthusiastically andpreparations began - see Circulars of themeeting "Palaeozoic pan-Arctic Tectonics,and Evolution of Basins and Fauna"Syktyvkar, Russia, July 12-15, 2000 (CAPV-2000) (see web site).

Workshop on Early Fossil Record ofChondrichthyansThis attracted many scientists and graduatestudents with interests in early fossil

chondrichthyans, including several who hadnot previously participated in IGCP 406meetings. Participants had the opportunity toexamine brought specimens as well as themicrovertebrate collections of the GeologyInstitute, Warsaw. Technical papers werepresented; examples being Hanke and Wilsonon a diverse assemblage of acanthodian-likechondrichthyans and chondrichthyan-likeacanthodians from the Lochkovian MOTHlocality in northern Canada; Karatajute-Talimaa and Mertiniene on morphogenetictypes of Devonian and Carboniferouschondrichthyan scales. Undoubted Devonianchondrichthyans were presented by M.Williams, K. Trinajstic, and C. Derycke; andLate Palaeozoic chondrichthyans by A.Ivanov, R. Soler-Gijon, O. Hampe, and G.Johnson.

New Working Group:Early and Middle Palaeozoic Basins in theCircum-Arctic Region: Palaeotectonics andPalaeogeography

V.V. Menner and P. Männik proposed thisworking group at the business meeting. Thenew group's objective would give specialattention to comparative analysis of data fromdifferent parts of the Circum-Arctic region,with the aim of reconstructing thepalaeogeographical situation, and toevaluating and improving palaeotectonicreconstructions.Studies would focus in the followingdirections:1. Improvement of global correlations ofSilurian and Devonian sequences (based ondetailed studies of some selected intervals,particularly of the series boundaries).2. Comparative analysis of the evolution ofthe Silurian and Devonian sedimentary basinsin Canada, Greenland, NE Europe (Timan-Pechora region) and the northern part ofcentral Siberia.3. Comparison of associations of Silurian andDevonian faunas (brachiopods, ostracodes,conodonts, vertebrates, etc.) from differentpalaeobasins in the Circum-Arctic region.4. Improvement of biogeographicalsubdivision of the studied regions.5. Evaluation and improvement ofpalaeotectonic reconstructions.A more detailed program is found on the website; as of September 1999, however, littleinterest had been shown. Please contactorganisers of you wish to participate.

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IGCP 406 1999 Meeting, Jurmala,LatviaThe 1999 Annual Meeting of IGCP 406 washeld in September, in connection with the 4th

Baltic Stratigraphical Association in Jurmala,near Riga, Latvia. The meeting was ably co-organised by members of the LatvianUniversity, Dr Ervins Lukseviks and team.

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Ichthyolith Issues Special Publication 5resulted [more in Issue 21 and see web site]

IGCP 406 ~ 2000Meetings for 2000, the final year of theproject, include a workshop in associationwith the Early Vertebrates meeting inFlagstaff, Arizona, together with fieldexcursions to the southwestern USA, and thefinal Annual Meeting to be held in Syktyvkar,Russia, which will include a field excursion tothe Ordovician through Carboniferous of thesubpolar Urals (see web site).

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IGCP 421 & ECOS VII: Pre-symposium field trip (and culturaldelights) - Sardinia 20-22 June1998

29 workers from 10 countries attended thistrip. They set off with their newly acquiredECOS VII rucksacks to the first locality, inthe Upper Ordovician of Cea Brabetza, nearSan Basilio, which was some way up a smalltrack; minibuses were used lest the conodontworkers should have to walk too far in theSardinian sunshine. Detailed explanation ofthe geology and conodonts of the roadsideoutcrop was given by Annalisa Ferretti, EnricoSerpagli, Francesco Leone and Alfredo Loi(with occasional translation by Gian LuigiPillola).

We walked to Locality 2 in Silurianrocks 500m east of Silius Village, using afield path that had been generously clearedby the local farmers. Sample bags andhammers at the ready, we listened as Enrico,Carlo Corradini and Annalisa describe geologyand conodonts with the aid of some finelycrafted posters. Samples were taken, andsunblock applied as the sun rose further intothe cloudless sky.

Staying in the Silurian Ockerkalk, thenext locality featured nodular limestone withloboliths. Lunch followed in a small farmhousewhere we were greeted by the (soon tobecome familiar) smell of barbecued suckingpig - the vegetarians among us found this atrifle difficult to cope with, even theomnivorous Chief Panderer Dick Aldridge.

A slight leap up the stratigraphiccolumn took us to the Upper Devonian(Famennian) near Villasalto village where twosections were examined. Carlo and Gian Luigiprovided yet another superb explanation ofthe geology before we embarked on possiblythe most strenuous walk of the day, whichactually involved a slight incline. Peoplemarvelled at the climbing expertise of theyounger Repetski (Rocco, age 12). After awonderful first day we sat on the terracesipping drinks kindly bought by the Mayor ofVillasalto.Day two began in the Cambrian CabitzaFormation of southwest Sardinia, where theconodont faunas have been completelyremineralised to a fetching shade of green

due to diagenetic preservation in clinochlore.The type-section of the Iglesias Group (LowerCambrian - Tremadoc) was next, although noconodonts have been recovered. Trilobiteswere also hiding, so the party inspected thesedimentary features.

Section from Sardinian fieldguide

Near Fluminimaggiore small, butattractive, exposures of OrthocerasLimestone (Wenlock-Ludlow) impressedeveryone with the macrofossils (nautiloids,graptolites and bivalves). Once again, thequality of posters used to aid description ofthe outcrop and a further repast ofgargantuan proportions, accompanied byplenty of wine and water, fulfilled us.

The last geological stop was a LowerDevonian section near Fluminimaggiore. The14m outcrop of limestones and mudstonescontains an abundant conodont fauna and avariety of macrofossils from the MasonPorcus Formation (delta Zone). Samples wereenthusiastically collected before return to thebus, where Gian Luigi and Alfredo provided animpromptu water flinging entertainment in ahorse trough.

It is not possible to visit Sardinia andconcentrate solely on geological aspects, soa deviation into archaeology concluded theday. The Nuraghe settlement dating back tobetween the XIII and IX centuries BCconsisted of a large central cone-shapedtower, surrounded by, and connected to, fivesmaller towers around which a town was built.Barry Fordham posed a pertinent question onthe subject of the symbolic statues and therelevance of the number of breasts thesepossess. The answer is, for those of you whoare interested, that most female statues have

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two breasts, but some represent anandrogynous condition and only have one.

The last day took us back to SWSardinia. The first stop in the UpperOrdovician of Cannamenda was to twotrenches which exposed the Punta S ArgiolaMember of the Domusnovas Formation. Therichest Ordovician conodont fauna in Sardiniais found here, but only, to quote theguidebook, in the thin fossiliferous horizon (4-4.5cm) with no lateral continuity and poorlyexposed as small sparse pieces in the field.The only redeeming feature is its distinctivepink colour.

We returned again to the Devonian.Of all the outcrops we visited, this was themost unconvincing, in that it appeared to be aloose block set in the hedge between twofields. Nevertheless, important conodontshave been collected, representing the onlyMiddle and Late Devonian faunas collected inSW Sardinia.

There was a final look at the SilurianOrthoceras Limestone before we slipped intothe Cambrian Gonessa Formation for a spotto eat. The venue - a restaurant next to anenormous cave; lunch (ample cold meat, anti-pasta and suckling pig) had an added bonus -our first taste of famous Italian ice cream.Absolutely mouth-watering!

After lunch Cambrian material wascollected from the roadside. The last part ofthe day was spent travelling around thespectacular coast of SW Sardinia. The SardicUnconformity, described by Cocozza as themost beautiful in the world, and to this dayknown to Italians as “La Discordanza”, wasour last stop. Upper Cambrian laminatedshales (Cabizta Formation) are overlain byboulder-bearing conglomerates of theOrdovician Monte Argentu Formation, anunconformity definitely as spectacular as anyI have seen. The return to Senorbí heraldedanother huge meal. The main course fish hadinteresting crushing dentition, some of whichwas dissected by Phil Donoghue. The afterdinner entertainment arrived in the form of ajoke-telling session chaired and dominated byRocco Repetski, with encouragement fromDick Aldridge and Andrew Simpson.

Our last day began with Ordovicianlocalities, and some of the steepest walks ofthe week; not necessarily a bad thing after allthe eating! The outcrops at Umbrarutta yieldthe best -preserved Ordovician faunas foundin Sardinia, so last samples were collected,and we finished the geological part of the fieldtrip. We then headed west to thearchaeological ruins of Tharros, grabbing alast chance to do some geology by studyingbasaltic blocks used in its construction.

The final seafood meal was fantasticand the wine flowed freely. Dick Aldridge gavethe speech of thanks to the organisingcommittee aided and abetted by NormanSavage's helpful suggestions. We all heartilyagreed that the trip had been an enormous

success, and raised our glasses to theorganisers.

From: Karen Cochrane, University ofBirmingham [edited from Pander Societynewsletter]

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ECOS VII: Scientific sessions,

Bologna-Modena June 24-26,1998

The scientific sessions for the 7thInternational Conodont Symposium in Europe(ECOS VII) took place at the University ofBologna (claimed as the world's oldest) in theDipartimento di Scienza della Terra eGeologico-Ambiantale.

Congress President, ProfessorEnrico Serpagli, noted the large number ofparticipants (109 from 27 nations), many whohad dipped into their own pockets, despitethe generally gloomy global picture ofdeclining funding for palaeontologicalresearch. During the welcome we werereminded that the University has a proudtradition of stratigraphic research in theCarnic Alps and the Dolomites, dating back toPollini last century. The University was alsothe site of the 2nd International GeologicalCongress in 1880. There is obvious pride inthe Department's Geological andPalaeontological Museum (visited bydelegates the previous evening), that housesa fully reconstructed Diplodocus. Themuseum was only recently saved fromextinction and opened to the public in 1988.The President of the Italian PalaeontologicalSociety reiterated the words of welcome, andnoted that despite technological andgeochemical advances, fossils are stillneeded for accurate and viable agedeterminations.

Dick Aldridge (Univ. Leicester),presented the invited lecture on conodontpalaeobiology, reviewing the developingconcepts and summarising current knowledgesince the discovery of the whole animal in amuseum draw in the early 1980s. He noted

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that, prior to that discovery, palaeobiologicalideas were essentially unconstrained. Thestudy of bedding plane assemblages, growthand wear of elements, and modelling ofmultielement architecture gives a frameworkon which to develop palaeobiologicalconcepts; he noted that the issue ofzoological affinity is a subject that interests alarge number of people. He presentedevidence for paired sensory organs, ray-supported caudal fin, extrinsic eyemusculature, and his lines of argumentsupporting chordate affinities.

Papers then covered evolution,palaeobiology and geochemistry. HubertSzaniawski (Polska Akademia Nauk)discussed evolutionary relationships betweenthe earliest protoconodonts, paraconodontsand euconodonts based on interpretations ofelement morphology of some unusual formssuch as Coelocerodontus . Karen Cochrane(Univ. Leicester) pursued the issue from ahistological perspective challenging thetraditional view of euconodont evolution fromprotoconodonts via paraconodonts. Sheused an unusual presentation graphicrepresenting 'white matter' in black. PetrovnaKasatkina (Russian Academy of Sciences,Vladivostok) argued from soft tissuehomology and analogy that euconodonts aremore appropriately considered as close tochaetognaths and proposed a newsuperphylum the Chaetodonta consisting ofeuconodonts and chaetognaths. StephanieBarrett (Univ. Leicester) outlined her work onfunctional morphology of the feedingapparatus via the study of occlusion patternsin prioniodontid Pa elements and speculatedon the impact of this on evolutionary patternsduring the Ordovician.

Two geochemical papers werecautionary in tone. Studies of rare earthelements in Triassic conodonts by YasminHaunold (Inst. Paleo., Vienna) concluded thatvariations reflect only very local conditions. Astudy by Julie Trotter (CSIRO Division ofPetroleum Resources, Australia) of strontiumisotopes from conodonts from the EarlyOrdovician Emanual Formation of the CanningBasin show remarkable heterogeneity withinsingle elements; this has serious implicationsfor the development of a global strontiumcurve. This paper generated the most intenseand varied discussion of the session, if notthe conference.

The next session ran concurrentlywith the first IGCP 421 meeting, wherein thegeneral state of the project was assessed.Focus then went on the early Palaeozoic anddealt with more traditional conodont topics ofbiostratigraphy and taxonomy: threebiostratigraphic papers spanning theCambrian and Ordovician; conodonts from thecentral Appalachians (John Repetski,U.S.G.S.), conodonts from the subsurfacewestern Canada and Williston Basins(Godfrey Nowlan, Geol. Surv. Canada), andCambrian-Ordovician of the ArgentinePrecordillera (Guillermo Albanesi, Museo de

PaleontologÌa, Univ. Nacional Cordoba). Twopapers focussed on Upper Ordovicianconodont faunas from opposite sides of theAtlantic; from Wales (Annalisa Ferretti, Univ.Modena), and central Nevada (Walter Sweet,Ohio State Uni.). The final two papersfocussed on palaeoecology and taxonomy:Zhang Jianhua (Univ. Stockholm) presentedanalysis indicating the Ordovician conodontSpinodus spinatus is a deep-water indicatorand Anita Löfgren (Lund Uni.) presented aseptimembrate reconstruction of Cornuodus.

Day 2 dealt with Silurian conodontsand biostratigraphy. Peep Männik (Inst.Geol., Tallinn) carved up the late Llandoveryand early Wenlock celloni andamorphognathoides zones into 10 new zonesbased on the Pterospathodus lineage. CarloCorradini (Univ. Modena, our energeticSardinian guide) presented a Silurian zonalscheme for Sardinia similar to the classicapproach of Walliser (1964). Viive Vira (Inst.Geol., Tallinn) subdivided the Baltic Ludlow toPridoli using the 'remscheidensis' group.Andrew Simpson (then Univ. Queensland)presented Silurian conodont faunas from theJack Formation of northern Australia.

The Early Devonian followed: JoseIgnacio Valenzuela-Rios (Univ. Valencia)reinterpreted the A. eleanore lineage; PierreBultynck (Inst. Roy. Sci. Naturelles deBelgique) showed the facies relationships ofMorroccan Emsian to Eifelian conodonts(dehiscens to partitus zones). OtherDevonian studies by Bill Kirchgasser (StateUni. New York) reported on biostratigraphicimplications of the widespread discovery of“North Evans” conodont faunas. Willi Ziegler(Forsch. Senckenberg) reviewed recentdevelopments in high-resolution conodontbiochronology in the Devonian noting that itwas more useful than sequence stratigraphy,graphic correlation or alternate zonalschemes, and tying their phylogenetic-zoneconcept to recent radiometric data. CharlesSandberg (U.S.G.S.) focussed on the use ofconodonts in establishing the timing of theLate Devonian Alamo Impact Meggabreccia.Gilbert Klapper (Dept Geol., Univ. Iowa)compared the original 13-fold Frasnianconodont zonation based on the MontagneNoire sequence with 9-fold “standard”zonation of the German and Great Basinsequences, highlighting taxonomic andmethodological differences. This offeringgenerated the most biostratigraphic “heat” ofthe meeting. Willi Ziegler (Forsch.Senckenberg) presented conodont datathrough the Frasnian-Famennian boundary ofthe Rheinisches Schiefergebirge. ImmoSchülke (Univ. Hannover) reviewed earlyFamennian conodonts of the Montagne Noire.Norman Savage (Univ. Oregon) completedwith a report on Late Devonian conodontfaunas from Timan.

A break in the conodont flow followedwith a session dedicated entirely to IGCP421:Alison Basden (MUCEP) covered EarlyDevonian fish of the Tyers-Boola area of

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Australia; Alain Blieck (Univ. Lille) et al. theDevonian to Early Carboniferous of the CarnicAlps; and Claire Derycke (Univ. Lille) theDevonian of Mauritania. Thesemicrovertebrate studies have resulted mostlyfrom earlier IGCP 328 work and fromsequential sampling associated with refinedbiochronological conodont investigations, theexception being the Mauritanian study wherefish were found as a result of a review ofDevonian chonetid brachiopods.

Tamara Nemyrovska (UkrainianAcad. Sciences, Kiev) presentedphylogenetic data on Gnathodus bilineatusfrom the Rheinisches Schiefergebirge. Thencame the Carboniferous: Glenn Merrill (Univ.Houston) presented biostratigraphic analysisof Neognathodus and Peter von Bitter (Roy.Ontario Museum, Toronto) reconstructedGondolella from Illinois. The moveable feastthen shifted location to the University ofModena.

Cooler conditions prevailed and thelast day began with a large batch of papersconcerning Ordovician conodont faunas.Tatania Tolmacheva (VSEGEI, St Petersberg)reported on basinal Upper Cambrian to MiddleOrdovician conodont clusters. Jerzy Dzik(Pol. Acad. Sciences, Warszawa) reported onOrdovician climate modelling on conodontdata from the Holy Cross Mountains. ChrisBarnes (Univ. Victoria) drew together a vastarray of circum Laurentian Late Ordovicianconodont data into a regional biofaciessynthesis. Oliver Lehnert (Univ. Erlangen-Nürnberg) reported on middle Ordovicianfaunas from Argentina. Stig Bergström (OhioState Uni.) reported on some Late MiddleOrdovician conodonts from Norway withLaurentian affinities; this palaeogeographicanomaly indicated the potential ofgeochemical studies (particularly neodymium)in unravelling puzzles of provinciality. SvenStouge (Geol. Surv. Denmark and Greenland)considered the suprageneric taxonomy ofsome Ordovician lineages.

John Talent and Ruth Mawson(Macquarie Uni., Sydney) presentedCarboniferous conodont data fromnortheastern Australia permitting somestratigraphic realignments. Anna Somersville(Univ. College, Dublin) showed three upperViséan sections from Ireland; TamaraNemyrovska (Ukrainian Academy ofSciences, Kiev) on faunas from the DonetsBasin, Ukraine, and Alexander Alekseev(Moscow State Uni.) on faunas from theMoscow Basin. The final offering was fromBruce Wardlaw (U.S.G.S.) on Permian faunasfrom the Salt Range, Pakistan. Heinz Kozur(Budapest) reported the Permo-Triassic bioticcrisis. Selan Meco (Univ. Politeknik, Tirana)covered the Triassic of Albania and MikeOrchard (Geol. Surv., Canada) reviewed onTriassic multielement gondolellids.

The final session returned to thepalaeobiological theme. Richard Krejsa(California Polytech.) expressed his biologicalconcerns about basal bodies. Kim Freedman

(Univ. Leicester) discussed the taphonomyand function of the Promissum apparatus.Phil Donoghue (Univ. Birmingham) resolvedthe paradox of growth and function inconodont elements with a study of internaldiscontinuities. Mark Purnell (Univ. Leicester)built on knowledge of form and function ofconodont apparatuses to undertake a broadtrophic analysis. Karsten Weddige (Forsch.Senckenberg) produced a “scissor andbasket” model for Lower Devonianspathognathodid apparatuses.

In many ways this ECOS was one ofconsolidation of the primary biochronologicutility of conodonts. There were a largenumber of high quality poster presentationsmostly covering biostratigraphic issues, butalso including biofacies analysis, thermalanalysis, palaeobiology and palaeogeography.Unlike some previous ECOS conferences thathave sparked a revolution in scientificthinking about conodonts and generatedpassionate debate both during and outside ofscientific sessions (such as multielementtaxonomy - ECOS 1, zoological affinities -ECOS 4), or held out promise of new insightsthrough geochemistry (ECOS 5), thisconference was dominated by the traditionalapplications of conodontology. This is not tosay that ECOS 7 was any less significantthan previous events. Quite the opposite, infact, as the vast array of new datademonstrates the intrinsic internationalstrength of modern conodont research.Conference organisers are to becongratulated for developing a scientificprogram that showed how conodont researchcontinues to gather momentum across abroad range of geological and biologicalapplications. The organisers were alsoresponsible for producing a soc ial programthat can only be described as breath taking inscope and style. This program acted as anexcellent catalyst for collaborativeinternational communication and will be a hardact to follow for future ECOS organisers.

The IGCP421 project meetingbenefited enormously through its concurrencewith ECOS 7. Nine of the 108 conferenceabstracts, principally those dealing with otherfossil groups, were specifically marked asexclusive contributions to IGCP421. The vastmajority of the papers presented, however,were directly relevant to IGCP421 projectoutcomes as they dealt with high-resolutionPalaeozoic biochronology and inter-regionalcorrelations of direct relevance to the northGondwana margin. This project continues togenerate an enormous volume of data andfoster the international collaboration essentialfor the ambitious synthesis to follow.

See also the British MicropalaeontologicalSociety Newsletter(http://www.nhm.ac.uk/hosted_sites/bms),reports in Geochronique (by Catherine Girardand Marie-France Perret) and in NachrichtenDeutsche Geologische Gesellschaft (byDieter Stoppel).

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Fish papers from the ECOS VII Abstractsvolume:-

Basden, A. 1998. Early Devonianmicrovertebrates from the Tyers-Boolaarea of central Victoria, Australia. In G.BAGNOLI (Ed), ECOS VII Abstracts,Bologna-Modena, 1998, 11-12, TipografiaCompositori Bologna.

Blieck, A., Derycke, C., Perri, M.C. &Spalletta, C. 1998. Devonian - LowerCarboniferous vertebrate microremainsfrom the Carnic Alps, northern Italy: apreliminary report. Op. cit., 18-19.

Derycke, C., Herrera, Z., Racheboeuf, P.R. &Trompotte, R. 1998. Palaeozoicvertebrate microremains from Mauritania:first results. Op. cit., 29-31.

Kirchgasser, W. & Vargo, B. 1998. MiddleDevonian conodonts and ichthyoliths in anUpper Devonian limestone in New York:implications for correlations around theGivetian-Frasnian boundary. Op. cit., 52-53.

Andrew Simpson, Macquarie University

******************************IGCP 421 - North GondwanaBioevent\Biogeography Patterns in Relationto Crustal Dynamics - Islamic Republic ofIran, Dec. 5-20 1998

The 4th IGCP 421 meeting was held in theIslamic Republic of Iran under the auspices ofthe University of Isfahan, IUGS andUNESCO. The organising hosts were Dr MehdiYazdi (Univ. Isfahan) and Dr MohammadDastanpour (Shahid Bahonar Univ. Kerman).Overseas participation was good, asnumerous joint research projects with Iraniangeologists are being conducted. Mostoverseas delegates travelling to the beautifulcity of Isfahan were routed via Tehran, andthe travel and accommodation arrangementswere mostly free of problems, although somedelegates carelessly parted from theirluggage en route to Isfahan. The meetingconsisted of three field trips, scientificsessions and numerous ancillary functionsand events. The weather was unseasonablywarm, and there were opportunities to seecity sights, purchase Persian crafts andwares.

The preconference field trip (Dec. 6-16) was to the Tabas region, in east centralIran. Palaeozoic sequences of the ShotoriRange and the Derenjal Mountains wereexamined. This region made famous by thepioneering studies of Huckriede et al. (1962)and Ruttner et al. (1968), based on UNESCO-sponsored field work commencing with theformation of the Geological Survey of Iran in1959. The area is now the focus of moredetailed studies. Travel was by coach fromIsfahan to Tabas, via Nain and Anarak, with adelightful lunch at the Kalhlak lead minefollowing a brief stop at a pre-Islamic base

metal mine. The focus included the DevonianBahram and Shishtu Formations, theCarboniferous Sardar Formation and thePermian Jamal Formation in the Howz-e-Doraharea, and the Shishtu and Sardar Formationsof Kale Sardar and the Carboniferous andPermian of Shirgesht. All were examined withample macrofossil collecting and somesignificant new finds. A small breakawaygroup spent one half day looking at theCambrian-Silurian of Dahaneh-e-Kolut, some40 km N of Tabas. The return journey via thecity of Ardakan had numerous cultural stops.

The scientific sessions at theUniversity of Isfahan on December 13th and14th was attended by 56 delegates from 10nations with large contingents from Australiaand France. Many undergraduate studentsfrom the University of Isfahan attended.Considerable interaction with postgraduatestudents was welcomed, and will lead tofurther research cooperation. 48 papers andposters were presented on middle Palaeozoicthemes; Devonian ones the most numerous.Conodont faunas (14 papers) received themost attention, with brachiopod faunas (9papers) the most frequently-discussedmacrofossil group. Microvertebrate andvertebrate faunas (5 papers) and generalmiddle Palaeozoic sedimentology andstratigraphy (5 papers) were also recurringthemes. Other topics were corals, ammonites,palynomorphs, stromatoporoids, trilobites,crinoids, tectonics anddiagenesis/metamorphism. The dominance ofconodonts and shelly faunas in the programproduced some highly useful correlationsbetween middle Palaeozoic platformsequences. In particular there were newinsights into the biochronological relationshipsbetween conodonts, brachiopods andvertebrate faunas.

Considering the aims of IGCP421, amost gratifying aspect of the scientificprogram was the volume of papers (21 intotal) concerned with the previously poorly-known middle Palaeozoic of Iran. Iran isthought to have occupied a position on thenorth Gondwanaland margin, and this locationis pivotal because of the dearth of modernpalaeobiogeographic and taxonomic studiesof material between Afghanistan and Turkey.Most of this new data will underpin theproject’s ambitious biogeographical analysis,and the planned volume will go a long waytowards filling a lacuna for the northGondwana margin. We can be grateful for thisin significant measure to the conferenceorganiser, Dr. Mehdi Yazdi of the Universityof Isfahan who has recruited an enthusiasticband of students to make important newdiscoveries.

The abstracts volume compiled byRuth Mawson and others from MacquarieUniversity, contains much new information, aswell as a useful bibliography, compiled byTony Wright (University of Wollongong) listingpalaeontologic publications on the Palaeozoicof Iran. The meeting resolved to compile a

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middle Palaeozoic correlation chart for theAsian sector of north Gondwanaland forpresentation at the meeting in Pakistan in1999. This project will greatly assist inresolving complex stratigraphic alignments inan region poorly understood at the start ofIGCP421.

There were two other conferencefield trips: a one day trip (Dec. 14) toDevonian sections at Chah-Riseh close toIsfahan, and following on from the conferencewe travelled on Dec. 15 by coach to anovernight stay in Shiraz after a dusk visit tothe ruins of Pasargade (the ancient capital ofCyrus the Great). On the morning of Dec. 16we visited Naght-e-Rostam (where tombsattributed to Xerxes, Darius I, Darius II andArtaxerxes are located) and finally the fabledPersepolis. Eventually we set off for Kerman(800 km) by coach, passing first the saltTashk Lake east of Shiraz and crossing theZagros front via Neyriz and Sirjan beforebeing welcomed in the wee hours by MikeBassett and Mohammad Dastanpour. In theKerman region, our accommodation was inUniversity guest houses, and we all enjoyedtypical Persian breakfasts and delightfulPersian meals in the evenings.

Finally came a 4-day field trip in theKerman region (17-20 Dec.) examiningprimarily Devonian sequences yielding newmacrofossil data. We visited sections atGerik, Shams Abad, Hutk and Bidu, allexposing largely late Devonian strata with richcoral, brachiopod and stromatoporoid faunas.One cultural highlight was a visit to the mudcity of Bam (famous for its black dates)where eucalypts, casuarinas and mimosasthrive in the fertile and well-wateredenvironment. En route to Bam, we visited theDorah Shah Cambrian limestone with its richtrilobite and stromatolite remains, and somedelegates were able to study the nearby fish-bearing Late Devonian strata. In Kerman, wevisited the offices of the Geological Surveyand were able to organise purchase ofobscure Iranian geological literature.

The logistical difficulties oforganising an international conference andfield trips in a nation that has been isolatedfrom much of the rest of the world for manyyears are immense. The hunger forinternational scientific collaboration andliterature was obvious; Universities, theGeological Survey of Iran, and numerousmines welcomed delegates and participated inthe venture by organising local IGCP421meetings, discussion groups, tours, or bysimply hosting a function. Some delegateswere interviewed by a range of media; all werewelcomed into laboratories, shown numerousspecimens, engaged in endless discussion byeager students, and overwhelmed byhospitality. Almost every delegate enjoyedthe hospitality of the GSI in Tehran, andmany visited their offices and helddiscussions with Iranian colleagues. Thesuccess of this venture was a greatillustration of the value of UNESCO's IGCP

program. We salute our Iranian hosts andIGCP leaders, and thank them for thismarvellous opportunity. A meeting volume isexpected to appear in the supplement seriesto the Records of the Western AustralianMuseum late in 2000.

From the Isfahan Abstracts volume:-Hairapetian, V. & Gholamalian, H. 1998. First

report on the Late Devonian fish remainsand microvertebrate fragments in theChahriseh area, north east of Esfahan,Iran. In Mawson, R., Talent, J., Wilson, G.& Cockle, P. (Editors) Abstract Book,Isfahan Meeting IGCP 421, NorthGondwanan mid-Palaeozoicbioevent/biogeography patterns in relationto crustal dynamics. p. 15

Hampe, O. 1998. Remains of Phoebodusfrom the Upper Devonian (MiddleFamennian) of northwestern Iran(Chondrichthys; Elasmobranchii). Op. cit.,p. 16.

Schultze, H-P. Fishes from the LowerDevonian of the Canadian Arctic. Op. cit.,p. 32.

Yazdi, M. & Turner, S. 1998. Vertebratesfrom the Early Carboniferous of theShotori Range, Tabas, eastern Iran. Op.cit., 42-43.

Yazdi, M., Turner, S. & Manani, M. 1998.Discovery of new conodont andmicrovertebrate remains in the LateDevonian of the Shotori Range, easternIran. Op. cit., p. 43.

Young, G.C. 1998. North Gondwana Mid-Palaeozoic connections with Euramericaand Asia: Devonian vertebrate evidence.Op. cit., 44-45.

John Long, Western Australian MuseumAndrew Simpson, Macquarie UniversityTony Wright, University of WollongongGavin Young, Australian National University

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SDS trip to Morocco April 1999Dr Michal Ginter in disguise begging for his

fare home?photo courtesy of M. Ginter

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IGCP 421 - North GondwanaBioevent\Biogeography Patterns in Relationto Crustal Dynamics : SDS at Errachidia-Rabat (Morocco). 23 April-1-May 1999

The 5th international meeting was held inMorocco by the Department of Geology,Scientific Institute, Mohammad V AgdalUniversity, Rabat, the Faculty of Sciences,Moulay Ismail University, Errachidia, and theGeological Survey of Morocco (MideltRegional Centre) under the overall guidanceof Prof. Ahmed El Hassani of the ScientificInstitute, Rabat. Associated with the meetingof IGCP 421 was a meeting of the IUGSSubcommission on Devonian Stratigraphy(SDS).

The meeting consisted of a one-daytransect from Rabat across the Middle andHigh Atlas to Errachidia, followed by a one-day scientific meeting (24 April) at the Hotelde Ville in Errachidia during which 36scientific papers were presented orally or asabstracts to an audience of 91 local andforeign participants. The 40 foreignparticipants were from Germany (9), France(9), USA (6), Italy (5), Australia (2), CzechRepublic (2), Belgium (1), China (1), Iran (1),Pakistan (1), Poland (1), Spain (1) and U.K.(1). A 7-day formal excursion then ensued (25April-1 May) during which colleagues fromvarious institutions in Morocco and Europedemonstrated sequences of regional andglobal significance in the Tafilalt and Mesetaregions of Morocco.

The Tafilalt region is of primesignficance for IGCP 421 because of itssuperb sequences displaying conodont andammonoid biostratigraphy through Devoniantime, and also because of elegantly displayedsedimentary signatures for the Kacak,Chotec, Taghanic, and Lower and UpperKellwasser events. The Kellwasser events arealso well displayed in the western Mesetathough in seemingly allochthonous slabs anddiffering in detail sedimentologically from thesame intervals in the Tafilalt region. Sectionsthrough the above 5 global event-intervalsdemonstrate that none of them wereinstantaneous; all have a "historicalcomponent" involving a significant interval oftime. Of special interest for IGCP 421 is theemerging realization from provinciality ofDevonian faunas between the Tafilalt andMeseta regions - including the pelagicgoniatite faunas that one might assume todisplay little or no provinciality - that theSouth Atlas Suture between the two regionshas undergone major displacement,conceivably more than 1,000 km.

The following sample of oral andposter contributions will convey an impressionof the scope of the meeting: Condensedpelagic carbonates of the Harz Mountains,Germany (Hünecke - poster prize);Comparison of the Rabat-Tiflet zone ofMorocco with coeval strata in Bohemia(Hünecke & Krienke); Dislocation of theMoroccan Meseta carbonate platform (Chakiri

& Tahiri); Extensional tectonics with respectto Devonian reef building in the northernMeseta (El Kamel & El Hassini); Hercyniandeformation-evolution of the Carnic Alps(Pondrelli et al.); Mid-Palaeozoics of Pakistan(Talent et al.); Early and early MiddleDevonian of the Anti-Atlas (Ziegler et al.);Mid-Palaeozoic anoxic, eustatic and reefepisodes (House et al.);Magnetosusceptibility stratigraphy (Ellwood);Magnetosusceptibility stratigraphy of the Anti-Atlas compared with other Gondwanan andnon-Gondwanan sequences (Crick et al.);Rock magnetic characterization of theFrasnian-Famennian boundary (Bucholz &Rolf); Emsian conodont succession of NWMorocco (Benfrika & Bultynck); Late Emsian-early Givetian conodont succession in theTiflet area of Morocco (Gouwy et al.);Goniatite zonation of the Pharciceras Stufe(House & Becker); Famennian ammonoidsuccession of the S MaÔder (Becker et al.),Famennian ammonoid succession of the Anti-Atlas (Korn); Pragian conodont zonation(Slavik); Emsian-earliest Eifelian successionin the conodont genus Polygnathus(Bultynck); Conodont biostratigraphy of theLate Silurian of Sardinia (Corradini et al.);Silurian-Early Devonian pioneer plantcommunities (Douglas); Mid-Givetian trilobitesand the Taghanic extinction (Feist & Orth);Middle Devonian stromatoporoids from NorthAfrica (Mistiaen);Tabulate coral biogeographyof Spain and Morocco (Fernandez-Martinez);Silurian-earliest Devonian Bohemian typebivalves from the Carnic Alps (Kriz);Carboniferous brachiopods from Mali(Legrand-Blain); Asteropygid trilobites fromNorth Africa (Morzadec); Devonian andCarboniferous crinoids from Iran (Webster etal.); Placoderms from the Late Devonian of EIran (Yazdi et al.); Conodonts from blackshale facies of Appalachia (Over &Kirchgasser); Biogeography of crinoidcolumnals (Le Menn); Palaeozoic sharks asfacies indicators (Ginter).

The formal meeting and excursionwere noteworthy for excellence of preparationand enthusiasm of the excursion leaders.The various administrative authorities werememorably kind and courteous.

Two publications were produced for theconference:

1. R. Feist, J.A. Talent & B. Orth (eds),Abstract Book Errachidia Meeting SDS-IGCP421 (April 23rd-May 1st 1999), 48 pp. Institutdes Sciences de l'Evolution, Université deMontpellier II, France.

2. A. El Hassani & A. Tahiri (eds), ExcursionHandbook, Pt I: Tafilalt and Maïder (easternAnti Atlas) (p. 1-107); Pt II: The northwesternMoroccan Meseta, (p. 107-158).. InstitutScientifique (Rabat), Faculté des Sciences etTechniques (Errachidia) & Centre Régional deGéologie (Midelt), Morocco.

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A volume of refereed papers from theconference will be published in Notes etMémoires du Service Géologique de Maroc.

John A. Talent, Macquarie UniversityJoint Coordinator IGCP 421

Sixth International Meeting of IGCP 421North Gondwana Biogeography/BioeventPatterns in Relation to Crustal Dynamics (8-26 September 1999), In conjunction with theFirst Pakistan Palaeontological Convention(18-26 September 1999).

The 6th international meeting of IGCP 421consisted of a formal presentation of some 40scientific reports at the University ofPeshawar, 20-21 September. The pre-conference program consisted of twoexcursions:

1. Palaeozoics of northernmostPakistan, especially in the watershed of theYarkhun River and in the vicinity of theBaroghil Pass with access to the principalsections being obtained by jeep, yak andhorse with some support from mule trains (21Aug.- 7 Sept.; 30 participants; Leader: JohnTalent). This group continued by jeep to Gilgiten route to Kashi/Kashgar in far-westernChina meeting up with participants for themore formal pre-conference excursion,

2. Palaeozoics of a transect of theTarim Block across the Karakorum CollisionZone and Karakorum Block to Gilgit and themid-Palaeozoics of central Chitral (8-19 Sept.;30 participants; Leaders: Sun Dong-jiang, andChen Xiu-qin for the portion in China and JohnTalent for the portion in Pakistan).

The principal focus for theseexcursions was a recent publication by Talentet al. (1999, Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia IStratigrafia 105: 201-230) and publications bythe Milano group led by Prof. MaurizioGaetani. We were fortunate to have ProfessorGaetani with us in the Baroghil area duringExcursion 1.

The post-conference program (22-26Sept.; Leaders: various) consisted ofexamination of the Proterozoic to midPalaeozoic succession of the Cherat Range,Nowshera area, a visit to the superbGeoscience Laboratory at the GeologicalSurvey of Pakistan, Islamabad, examinationof the famous Salt Range Permian-Triassicsequence, a structural-stratigraphic transectfrom Kohat to Peshawar and, finally,examination of the Devono-Carboniferoussequence at Gundhai Sar and on-sitediscussion of ages of stratigraphic unitsalong the Khyber Road between Shaghai Fortand the Afghan border at Torkham.

The opening session of theconference, attended by 190 delegates, wasopened by His Excellency, the Governor ofNorthwest Frontier Province, Major-GeneralAurangzeb and the Vice-Chancellor ofPeshawar University, Professor M. QasemJan. Highlights of the conference were

extended exposés on application of expertsystems to handling biogeographic data (V.NYolkina et al.), Phanerozoic climate in relationto biogeography (A.J. Boucot et al.), Mid-Palaeozoic event-stratigraphy in relation toisotopic data (A.S. Andrew and others),transgression-regression patterns in the midPalaeozoics of the Italian Alps (C. Perri & C.Spalletta), charophyte biostratigraphy (M.Feist) CAI analysis in relation to metamorphicoverprint in the Carnic Alps (M. Pondreli),transition from diagenesis to metamorphism-CAI versus IC data-in the Townsvillehinterland of NE Australia (C. Brime et al.), agroup of four papers on conodontbiostratigraphy in relation to tectonics inTurkey (Y. Goncuoglu & H. Kozur),quantitative palaeobiogeographic implicationsof the silicified brachiopod faunas of theGarra Limestone of NSW (G.A. Brock & J.A.Talent), Middle Devonian trilobites from NEAustralia and Late Devonian trilobites fromIran (R. Feist et al.), Devonian plants from thenorthern Gondwana margin (B. Meyer-Berthaud et al.) and a flock of about dozenother papers from Australian participants.

Conjoined with the conference wasthe 1st Pakistan Palaeontologic Convention(FPPC), an initiative suggested by us in orderto increase viability of the meeting and toshowcase the role of biostratigraphy instructural interpretations and, in the case ofthe FPPC, in hydrocarbon exploration. Theconference and attendant excursionshighlighted the paucity of biostratigraphicallywell-constrained ages throughout themountainous region of Pakistan north of theSalt Range.

In addition to participants fromPakistan, 35 conference delegatesrepresented 11 other countries. TheAustralian contingent was the largest (13);others came from France (5), USA (3), Italy(2), Spain (2), India (2), Russia (2), Iran (2),China (2), Morocco (1), Germany (1) andHungary (1). Pivotal for the success of theconference were the enthusiasm and energiesof Vice-Chancellor Qasem Jan, head of theNational Centre of Excellence in Geology,Prof. Hamidullah, and staff members Fazl-i-Rabbi Khan, Mohammed Riaz, Barkat Ullah,Amjad Ali and many more who seemed to beeverywhere at all times, looking afterconference participants. Noteworthy wasparticipation of two delegates from India, DrsO.N. Bhargava and A.D. Ahluwalia, both fromPanjab University, Chandigarh. That theywere able to take part in the conference wasdue to remarkable perseverance withbureaucracy by our Peshawar Universityfriends at a time of acute border tensionbetween Pakistan and India.

John TalentMacquarie University

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9TH INTERNATIONAL MEETINGEARLY VERTEBRATES/LOWER

VERTEBRATESFLAGSTAFF, ARIZONA, MAY 15-19, 2000

ORGANIZING COMMITTEEDavid K. ElliottNorthern Arizona UniversityDepartment of GeologyBox 4099Flagstaff, AZ 86011Tel: 520 523 7188e-mail: David.Elliott@nau.eduHeidemarie G. JohnsonDavid D. Gillette

The 9th International Meeting onEarly Vertebrates/Lower Vertebrates was heldat Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff,Arizona, USA on May 15 through 19, 2000.Many excellent presentations on Paleozoicvertebrates (fishes and amphibians) weregiven - reports will follow in Ichthyolith Issues21. A volume of short abstracts and fieldguide was produced and a symposium volumeis planned. A pre-meeting trip to the HardingSandstone was cancelled but the post-meeting field-trip to Devonian localities acrossSW USA was successful.

The meeting included the following symposia:

Interrelationships of thelodontsAgnathan interrelationshipsPlacoderm interrelationshipsChondrichthyan interrelationshipsActinopterygian interrelationshipsSarcopterygian interrelationshipsPaleozoic vertebrate biostratigraphyOpen and poster session

Post-Meeting Field TripMay 20 - 27, 2000

Day 1 -May 20Flagstaff, Arizona - Cedar City, Utah

This part of the trip is mostly scenic,and will include a stop at Lake Powell. Thegeology is mostly Mesozoic.Day 2 -May 21Cedar City, Utah - Eureka, Nevada

Visit to Egan Range locality outsideEly, Nevada (D.K. Elliott) - Lower DevonianSevy Formation.Day 3 -May 22Eureka, Nevada -Elko, Nevada

Will spend most of the day at theRed Hills locality (H.-P. Schultze) - MiddleDevonian Denay Limestone.

Day 4 - May 23Elko, Nevada - Salt Lake City, Utah

Stop at Lakeside Mountain locality(D.K. Elliott, H.-P. Schultze) - Lower DevonianSevyDay 5 - May 24Salt Lake City, Utah -Logan, Utah

Visit to Logan Canyon localities (H.-P. Schultze, H.G. Johnson) -Lower

Devonian/Middle Devonian Water CanyonFormationDay 6 - May 25Logan, Utah

Spend most of the day in BlackSmith Fork (Denison locality) - LowerDevonian/Middle Devonian Water CanyonFormationDay 7 - May 26Logan, Utah - Moab, Utah

Different return route to Flagstaff, toview more of western United States. Rocksmostly Mesozoic.Day 8 - May 27Moab, Utah -Flagstaff, Arizona

Trip leads through Mesozoicoutcrops, including massive NavajoSandstone. Most of the journey will be on theNavajo Reservation.

Reports in next issue and see web site.

**********Memorial

Dr HANS LUDOLPH JESSEN,1935 - 1999

Hans Jessen (pictured far rightabove with a group at the NaturiskaRiksmuseet in Stockholm in the 1960s - photoby Alex Ritchie) died in early 1999 aftersuffering years of a debilitating illness. I methim only once, during my visit to theNaturhistoriska Riksmuseet in Stockholm in1970; he was very kind and explained to methe ins and outs of the museum. Sadly, I wasnot able to meet him again when I went to theUniversity of Cologne in November 1998.Hans went to that University in 1957 receivinghis undergraduate degree in geology in 1960.During the summer of 1959 he met Dr. TorØrvig (NHRM, Stockholm) and joined hisexcavation of the Upper Devonian fish sitesat Bergisch Gladbach, a town east ofCologne. This stimulated his interest in fossilfish, which remained the main focus ofresearch. His body of work on osteichthyansprovides a fine legacy to us all.

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After graduation, he moved briefly toMunich to work on fossil fish with Prof. Dehm.However, as Hans-Peter Schultze (2000) hasrelated, he did not find the inspiration heexpected and so returned to hisScandanavian roots. He found what heneeded within the Paleozoologiskaafdelningen in the Riksmuseet at Stockholmwhere he began to work on the UpperDevonian crossopterygians of BergischGladbach with Ørvig, while becoming astudent of the late Erik Jarvik (see previousIchthyolith Issues for information on boththese scientists). Jarvik became Jessen'smentor, their personalities and characterresonating. He finished his Licenciate(equivalent then to Ph.D.) in Stockholm in1965, comparing crossopterygians fromBergisch Gladbach with relevant materialincluding North American Onychodus. Hansreceived his Swedish doctorate in 1972 andthen returned to Cologne University havingbeen offered an assistantship in the geologydepartment. He went on to become curator ofthe palaeontological collections and earned“ausserplanmaessige” professorship status(title, teaching duties, but not full position asprofessor) in 1980. Hans fostered threegraduate students—Lars Friman, who is nowan engineering geologist; Ms P. Kuester, nowmarried to palaeontologist Prof. Oekentorp inMünster; and Marcus Otto, who is nowworking at the Humboldt Museum in Berlin[ed.]

Obits by H-P. Schultze in SVP Bulletin no.178 (Suppl. JVP 20, 1) 134-135, and one (inGerman) in the news letter of the GermanPalaeontologische Gesselschaft.

ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ

Publication and taxa list compiled by H-PSchultze & S. Turner

Jessen, H. 1966. Struniiformes. - InPIVETEAU, J. (ed.), Traité de Paléontologie,4 (3), 387-398.

--- 1967. Die Crossopterygier des OberenPlattenkalkes (Devon) der Bergisch-Gladbach-Paffrather Mulde (RheinischesSchiefergebirge) unter Berücksichtigung vonamerikanischem und europäischemOnychodus-Material. - Arkiv för Zoologie,serie. 2, 18, 14, 305-389.

--- 1967. The position of the Struniiformes(Strunius and Onychodus) amongcrossopterygians. - Colloques internatl. Cent.natl. Rech. scient., 163, 173-180.

--- 1968. Moythomasia nitida GROSS und M.cf. striata GROSS, devonischePalaeonisciden aus dem Oberen Plattenkalkder Bergisch-Gladbach - Paffrather Mulde(Rheinisches Schiefergebirge). -Palaeontographica Abt. A, 128 (4-6), 87-114.

--- 1968. A Devonian osteolepidid fish fromBritish Columbia.- Geol. Surv. Canada, Bull.165, 65-70, 1pl.

--- 1968. The gular plates and branchiostegalrays in Amia, Elops and Polypterus. - InØrvig, T. (ed.), Current Problems of LowerVertebrate Phylogeny. Nobel Symposium 4,429-438.

--- 1972. Die Bauchschuppen vonMoythomasia nitida GROSS (Pisces,Actinopterygii). - Paläontol. Z., 46 (3/4), 121-132.

--- 1972. Schultergürtel und Pectoralflosse beiActinopterygiern. - Fossils and Strata, 1, 1-101.

--- 1973. Interrelationships ofactinopterygians and brachiopterygians:evidence from pectoral anatomy. -Interrelationships of fishes, Suppl. 1, Zool.Jour. Linn. Soc., 53, 227-232.

--- 1973. Weitere Fischreste aus dem OberenPlattenkalk der Bergisch-Gladbach -Paffrather Mulde (Oberdevon; RheinischesSchiefergebirge). - Palaeontographica Abt. A,143 (1-6), 159-187. [Further Devonian fishesof the Oberer Plattenkalk of the Bergisch-Gladbach - Paffrath Trough (Upper Devonian)Rhineland. [*NGEN *NSPE Holopterygiusnodus ]

--- 1974. Sensationen aus rheinisch-bergischen Steinbrüchen. Bemerkungen zurfossilen Tierwelt der Bergisch Gladbach-Paffrather Mulde. - Rheinisch-BergischerKalender 1974, 51-55.

--- 1975. A new choanate fish, Powichthysthorsteinssoni n. g., n. sp., from the earlyLower Devonian of the Canadian ArcticArchipelago. - Colloques internatl. Cent. natl.Rech. scient., 218, 213-222.

--- 1980. Lower Devonian Porolepiformes fromthe Canadian Arctic with special reference toPowichthys thorsteinssoni JESSEN. -Palaeontographica Abt. A, 167 (4-6), 180-214.

--- 1984. Bemerkungen zum ArthrodirenStürtzaspis germanica (TRAQUAIR) aus demHunsrückschiefer (Siegenium) der Eifel(Rheinisches Schiefergebirge). - N. Jb. Geol.Paläontol. Mh., 1984, H. 5, 269-278.

--- 1985. Professor Dr. Erik Stensiö 11.1.1984†. - Paläontol. Z., 59, 169-170.

--- 1989. Ein rhipidistider Fischrest aus denKlerf-Schichten (oberes Unter-Devon) derEifel (Rheinisches Schiefergebirge). -Palaeontographica Abt. A, 206 (1-3), 17-24.3pls. Plates are separated from the text [Arhipidistian fish remnant from the Klerf Beds

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(upper Lower Devonian) of the Eifel (RhenishSlate Mountains)].

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Taxa named for JessenFriman, L. 1982. Ein mittel devonischerAntiarche, Gerdalepis jesseni n. sp., aus derSätenicher Mulde, Nord)Eifel (RheinischesSchiefergebirge). Paläont. Z. 56 :p229-234.

JesseniaOtto, M. & Bardenheuer, P. 1996. Lungfishwith dipterid toothplates in the LowerDevonian of Central Europe. Modern geol. 20:341-350.

Strunius - figure from Jessen 1967

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INDIVIDUAL NEWS* * * * * * *

¶- new students or workers

For full listing of all 1998 and early 1999papers see our web site - We can offer theseas a paper, disc or e-mail copy if you have nointernet access - please apply to the editor.

***********Dr Olga AFANASSIEVA, PaleoichthyologyLab., Paleontological Institute of RussianAcademy of Sciences 123, ProfsoyuznayaSt., Moscow, 117647, RUSSIATel: 7 (095)339-74-88, Fax: (095)339-12-66NEW EMAIL: oafan@paleo.ru

Olga with Tiiu Märss spoke at the Jurmalameeting with a paper on the recognition ofosteostracan microremains and showing theirincreasing use for biostratigraphy.

Paper of note:Afanassieva, O.B. & Märss, T. 1999. New

data on osteostracan microremains from theSilurian of Severnaya Zemlya, Russia.Ichthyolith Issues Special Publication 5, 4-5.

Paper in press:Afanassieva, O., and Karatajute-Talimaa, V.

Osteostracans. In: Mathukhin, R.G., andMenner, V.V. (editors) Stratigraphy ofSilurian and Devonian of SevernayaZemlya Archipelago. [In Russian]

***********Dr Per Eric AHLBERG, Department ofPalaeontology, Natural History Museum,Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, U.K.E-MAIL ADDRESS: pea@nhm.ac.uk

Per hosted a meeting on Early Vertebrates inApril 1999 (to be published as a specialvolume of the Systematics Association). Hehas been working with Zerina Johanson of theCanowindra Fish Kill site in Australia on theLate Devonian rhizodont fishes. At Jurmalahe considered Devonian correlations betweenScotland and the Baltic.

Paper of note:Ahlberg, P.E., Ivanov, A., Luksevics, E. and

Mark-Kurik, E. 1999. Middle and UpperDevonian correlation of the Baltic area andScotland based on fossil fishes. In:Luksevics, E., Stinkulis, G. & Kalniya, L.(eds.) The 4th Baltic StratigraphicalConference. Problems and Methods ofModern Regional Stratigraphy. Abstracts.Riga, 6-8.

***********Dr. DONALD BAIRD, 4 Ellsworth Terrace,Pittsburgh, PA 15213-2808, USA

Upper Carboniferous fish fauna of FivePoints, Ohio. Don Baird and Bob Hook (Austin, Texas)report the completion of their 9-year collecting

campaign at Five Points in Mahoning Country,Ohio. This locality is now extinct, with thestrip-mines reclaimed and the remainingcannel buried in landfill. All 1600-plusspecimens have been accessioned at theCarnegie Museum of Natural History,Pittsburgh.

The high-diversity Five Points fauna -15 fish genera, 16 amphibian genera plus onefragmentary reptile - comes from the LowerKittanning Coal of the Allegheny Group,Middle Pennsylvanian (early Westphalian D, HMazon Creek). The assemblage and its coal-swamp ecology resemble (with differences)those of the classic Westphalian D sites ofLinton, Ohio, and Nyrany, Bohemia. Faunalcompositions differ but where genera concur,the species are practically identical. Thusmany provincial names need to besynonymized. There are many more namesthan taxa in the Carboniferous!

For sharks we have an abundance ofthe xenacanth Orthacanthus, including intactdentitions, male claspers, and stomachcontents; 223 teeth of Ageleodus; and somefragmentary specimens of the long-snoutedctenacanth Bandringa, much larger than anydescribed. Late-surviving Gyracanthus hasleft us pectoral and prepectoral spines.Palaeoniscoids are rare: “Elonichthys”peltigerus , Platysomus, and a variety ofhaplolepids. Lungfishes include the commonSagenodus, Conchopoma with its (heterodox)marginal dentition well displayed, and rare,queer little Palaeopichthys. Unlike Linton therhipidistians Megalichthys and Rhizodopsisare present. Plus, inevitably, quantities of thecoelacanth Rhabdoderma. For us, of course,the tetrapods are the best part, but youfisherpersons don’t want to hear about them!

***********Werner A. BARTHOLOMÄUS NBSchneidemühler Weg 12, D-30659HANNOVER, Germany,Phone: 49 (0)511 649 86 70c/o e-mail: mudroch@mbox.geowi.uni-hannover.de

Werner is working at the University ofHannover on glacial erratic (geschiebe)boulders from the Devonian of the East Balticarea (Bartholomäus 1999, Solcher 1999). InGermany the “Geschiebekunde" (scientificexamination of erratics) has an old tradition.Some past publications did deal with fishremains, mainly of Palaeozoic age. Nowadaysthe activities are organised by the“Gesellschaft für Geschiebekunde” inHamburg. Its main periodicals are the “Archivfür Geschiebekunde” and “Geschiebekundeaktuell ”. Both journals are funded incontinuation of the former “Zeitschrift fürGeschiebeforschung ...”, published inBerlin/Leipzig. This journal ends in the year1948.

At the moment there is little activityon fish remains in Devonian sandstones ofBaltic derivation. I am working at the

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University of Hannover on erratics of thistype (“Kugelsandstein”, “Old-Red-Sandstein”).The main questions concern the petrography,cement type and diagenesis. Because muchof the erratics in North Germany are rich inapatitic remains (Arthropoda, Heterostraci,Crossopterygii and other fishes) that I havealso examined them along the way. Because Ihave no experience in working with fossilfishes, I made contact with fish workersespecially in the Baltic States.Several groups of fishes can be deducedfrom scales: acanthodians with a problematicscale fauna and Psammosteiformes. Thescale Porolepis posnaniensis points to alower Middle Devonian age. A completeunknown for Werner is the scale shown in thephoto below. Does anyone has an idea, aboutthe taxonomic position of this scale? Pleasesend relevant reprints. [NB see also Otto & Laurin 1999 - ed.]

Bartholomäus, W.A. 1999. Petrology of BallSandstone geschiebes (Devonian) andtheir apatite remains. In 4th BalticStratigraphical Conference. Problems andMethods of Modern Regional Stratigraphy.Abstracts. Riga, 11-12.

Solcher, J. 1999. Fish fauna and origin of ageschiebe of the Old Red Sandstone. In:4th Baltic Stratigraphical Conference.Problems and Methods of ModernRegional Stratigraphy. Abstracts. Riga,102.

***********Alison BASDEN, Centre for Ecostratigraphyand Palaeobiology, Macquarie University, NewSouth Wales, 2109, AUSTRALIAalison@gsa.org.au

Alison is working on her Ph.D. thesis whichincludes a new palaeoniscoid braincase fromthe Taemas district of New South Wales.She is currently working for the GeologicalSociety of AustraliaGeological Society of AustraliaSuite 706, 301 George StreetSydney NSW 2000Tel: 02 9290 2194Fax: 02 9290 2198

Papers of note:Basden, A. 1999. Emsian (Early Devonian)

microvertebrates from the Buchan andTaemas areas of southeastern Australia.Recs Western Australian MuseumSupplement No. 57:15-21.

Basden, A. 1999. Early Devonianmicrovertebrates from the Tyers-Boola areaof central Victoria, Australia. In IGCP 421Bologna-Moderna volume. Boll. Soc.Paleont. It. 37 (2-3), 527-541

Basden, A., Young, G.C., Coates, M.I. &Ritchie, A. 2000. The most primitiveosteichthyan braincase? Nature, Lond. 403,185-188.

In pressBasden, A., Burrow, C., Hocking, M., Parkes,

R. & Young, G. 2000. Siluro-Devonianmicrovertebrates from southeasternAustralia. Courier Forschungs-InstitutSenckenberg

***********Patrick BENDER, Museum of the Council forGeoscience, Private Bag X112, Pretoria,0001, SOUTH AFRICIA

Patrick is finishing off his Ph.D. thesis after astay in Western Australia with supervisorJohn Long.

Papers of interestAnderson, M.E., Long, J.A., Evans, F.J.,

Almond, J.E., Theron, J.N. & Bender, P.A.1999. Biogeographic affinities of Middle andLate Devonian fishes of South Africa. RecsWestern Australian Museum SupplementNo. 57: 157-168.

Bender, P.A. 1999. First documentation ofsimilar Late Permian actinopterygian fishfrom Australia and South Africa. RecsWestern Australian Museum SupplementNo. 57:183-189.

Evans, F.J. & Bender, P.A. 1999. ThePermian Whitehill Formation (Ecca Group)of South Africa: a preliminary review ofpalaeoniscoid fishes and taphonomy. RecsWestern Australian Museum SupplementNo. 57: 175-181.

***********Jan L. den BLAAUWEN, University ofAmsterdam, E.C. Slater Insituut, PlantageMuidergracht 1018 TV AMSTERDAM, TheNetherlands

Professor de Buisonjé, retired palaeontologistof the University of Amsterdam, and Jan are

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working on Middle Devonian vertebratematerial from Scotland and Orkney.Research started in 1974, collecting not onlyarticulated material but also disarticulatedmaterial from non-fish beds. More specificallythe latter included coprolites, hundreds ofwhich have been thin-sectioned revealing theprey, mainly acanthodians but alsoinvertebrates. Proper identification of theacanthodians was difficult because of lack ofdetailed information on scales etc. fromliterature. In order to fill this gap, we starteddestructive investigation on articulatedspecimens: making serial thin sections ofspines and scales. Of great value wasarticulated fossil material from the Moray Firtharea donated by Bob Davidson [See previousIchthyolith Issues and Burrow below - ed]. Itis this part of our research that will bepublished in the near future. Regionalinformation concerning the distribution ofcoprolites and their contents will follow thepublication.

*****************************Dr. Alain BLIECK, Université des Sciences etTechnologies de Lille Sciences de la Terre,U.R.A. 1365 du C.N.R.S., F-59655 Villeneuved'Ascq Cedex, FRANCEAlain.Blieck@univ-lille1.fr; Fax: 33 - 20436900

Alain spoke about Severnaya Zemlyaheterostracans at Jurmala - co-operative workwith Valya Talimaa. Following the meeting hewent to Lithuania. He writes: My stay inVilnius was very successful. I haveheterostracans from all over the RussianArctic to work on! Severnaya Zemlya + Timan-Pechora and others. I will certainly need asecond life ...In his report to IGCP 406 this year Alainwrites:The French Group of IGCP 406 (A. Blieck, P.-Y. Gagnier & D. Goujet) has mainly worked onthe taxonomy, biostratigraphy andpalaeobiogeography of Devonian vertebratesfrom the Canadian, European (Spitsbergen),and Russian Arctic:1) heterostracan pteraspidomorphs from the

Lower Devonian of Severnaya Zemlya(Russia);

2) acanthodians from the Lower Devonian ofthe Mackenzie District (NWT, Canada);

3) placoderms and thelodonts from theLower Devonian of Spitsbergen. Mostresults confirm closepalaeobiogeographical relationshipsbetween the "northern" margin of the OldRed Sandstone Continent (CanadianArctic), the Barentsia block(Spitsbergen), the Kara-Tajmyr block(Severnaya Zemlya), and even with thenorthern part of Siberia (Central Tajmyrand Noril'sk region).

Books of note:Blieck, A. Turner, S., Fraser, N. & Wimbledon,

W. (eds.) 1999. Gross Symposium part 3.Modern Geology 24, 1-2, 108pp.

Blieck A., & Turner S. (eds) 2000.Palaeozoic Vertebrate Biochronology andGlobal Marine / Non-Marine Correlation.Final Report of IGCP 328 (1991-1996).Courier Forschungs-Institut Senckenberg22X. [It's coming!].

Papers of note:Blieck A., & Janvier P. (1999).- Silurian-

Devonian vertebrate-dominatedcommunities, with particular reference toagnathans.- In: Boucot A.J., & Lawson J.D.(eds), Paleocommunities: a case studyfrom the Silurian and Lower Devonian [IGCP53 Project Ecostratigraphy Final Report].Cambridge Univ. Press, Chapter 9: 79-105.

Blieck A., & Karatajute-Talimaa V. N. 1999.Devonian heterostracan pteraspidomorphs(Vertebrata) from Severnaya Zemlya(Russia) - A preliminary report. IchthyolithIssues Special Publication 5, p11.

Malvesy T., & Blieck A. (1999).- A quoi sertun inventaire ? Les collections géologiquesdu Musée d'Histoire Naturelle de Lille.- In: IIJournées Nationales du PatrimoineGéologique (Soc. Géol. Nord – Musée Hist.Nat. Lille – Cons. Sites Nat. Nord-Pas-de-Calais; Lille, 16-18 juin 1999). Poster etrésumé, 1 p.

Field guide:Blieck A. (1999).- UPRESA 8014 Workshop:

vertebrate Famennian localities (UpperDevonian) of the Ardenne massif:stratigraphy – palaeoenvironment –palaeobiogeography (Villeneuve d'Ascq andBelgium, 11-12 June 1999).- Field TripGuidebook, 8 p. [mimeographed].

Papers in pressBlieck, A. & Turner, S.: IGCP 328: Palaeozoic

Microvertebrates final scientific report —Introduction.- includ. list of referees andIGCP 328 final publication list 1991-1997.Courier Forschungs-Institut Senckenberg.

Blieck, A., Cloutier, R., with contributions ofElliott, D.K., Goujet, D., Loboziak, S.,Reed, R.C., Rodina, O., Steemans, P.,Valiukevicius, J.J., V'yushkova, L., Yolkin,E.A. & Young, V.T.: Biostratigraphicalcorrelations of Early Devonian vertebrateassemblages of the Old Red SandstoneContinent. Courier Forschungs-InstitutSenckenberg .

Blieck A., Malvesy T., Candilier A.-M.,Cloutier R. & Poplin C. Les collections duMusée d'Histoire Naturelle de Lille. 2:Vertébrés paléozoïques.- Ann. Soc. Géol.Nord; 2série, 7: 1-41; Villeneuve d'Ascq.

Blieck A., Turner S., Young G.C., withcontributions of Luksevivs E., Mark-KurikE., Talimaa V.N. & Valiukevicius J.J. (inpress).- Devonian vertebrate biochronologyand global marine/non-marine correlation.-In: Bultynck P. (ed.), InternationalDevonian Correlations. Volume II. Cour.Forsch.-Inst. Senckenberg .

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Henning BLOM, Department of EarthSciences, Historical Geology andPalaeontology, Norbyvägen 22, S-752 36Uppsala, SWEDENTel: + 46 18 471 27 40, Fax: + 46 18 471 2749E-mail: Henning.Blom@pal.uu.se

Henning is reviewing anaspid scales with TiiuMärss and Giles Miller. He gave a talk ontheir findings at Jurmala. They have sortedout scale types on the well-known articulatedspecimens from Norway and can now relateisolated remains to these and recognise newtaxa.

Papers of note:Blom H. 1999. Loganellia (Thelodonti,

Agnatha) from the Lower Silurian of NorthGreenland. Acta Geologica Polonica,49(2):97-104.

Blom H., Märss T. & Miller G.C. 1999. Affinity,classification and distribution of Silurianand Lowermost Devonian birkeniid anaspidscales in the Circum-Arctic, Baltoscandiaand Britain. Ichthyolith Issues SpecialPublication 5, p12-13.

Blom, H. 2000 in press. Silurian vertebratesfrom North Greenland. Courier Forschungs-Institut Senckenberg

***********Wim van der BRUGGHEN, 20 WatchmealCrescent, Fairfley, Clydebank, Glasgow G8I5EB, SCOTLAND.

Wim is still pursuing and finding beautifulSilurian thelodont specimens in Scotland. Heis working on the internal squamation ofLoganellia scotica.

Wim and ed. had a mini-workshop on Scottishthelodonts in Glasgow, Jan. 1999

***********Carole BURROW, Vertebrate PalaeontologyLaboratory, Department of Zoology &Entomology, University of Queensland, StLucia, Q4072, AUSTRALIA.E-mail: CBurrow@zoology.uq.edu.au

Carole had a very useful meeting with BobDavidson and Nigel Trewin up in the wilds ofthe Midland Valley of Scotland Tillywhanlandquarries in March 1999. She came back with

a bag of Scot tish fossil fish (mostlyacanthodians) to prepare. Otherwise she isworking on her thesis. She writes:

Heard a few interesting talks in London(NHM meeting), and now know, amongst otherthings, a few molecular biol/genetics/systematicsetc buzz-words and that lungfish are more closelyrelated to us than coelacanths. Cyclostomata are areal entity again; and oral/pharyngeal denticlesAREN'T the same as scales according to some - ohwell! back to the drawing board!

Papers of note:Burrow, C.J. & Trinajstic, K. 1999. Fish

microfossils. In Yasin, A.R. & Morey, A.J.(comps) Yaringa East 1 well completionreport Gascoyne Platform South Carnarvonbasin Western Australia. Geol. Surv. WARecord 1997/7, 30-31.

Burrow C.J., & Turner, S. 1998. Devonianplacoderm scales from Australia. Journal ofVertebrate Paleontology 18, 677-695.

Burrow C.J. & Turner, S. 1999: A review ofplacoderm scales, and their significance inplacoderm phylogeny. Journal of VertebratePalaeontology 19, 204-219.

Burrow C.J. & Young, G.C. 1999. Anarticulated teleostome fish from the LateSilurian (Ludlow) of Victoria, Australia. RecsWestern Australian Museum SupplementNo. 57:1-14.

Burrow C.J., Vergoossen J.M.J. & Turner S.,Thorsteinsson R. & Uyeno T. 1999.Microvertebrate assemblages from the LateSilurian of Cornwallis island, Arctic Canada.Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences,36:349-361.

Papers in pressBurrow C.J. & Turner, S. Silurian vertebrates

from Australia. Courier Forschungs-InstitutSenckenberg

Burrow C.J., Turner, S. & Wang Shi-tao:Devonian microvertebrates fromLongmenshan, Sichuan, China: taxonomicassessment. Courier Forschungs-InstitutSenckenberg

***********Ken S.W. CAMPBELL, Department ofGeology, The Australian National University,Canberra, ACT 2600, AUSTRALIAken.campbell@anu.edu.auKen and Dick Barwick are still busy in'retirement' working on various lungfish.

Campbell, K.S.W. & Barwick, R.E. 1999.Dipnoan fishes from the Late DevonianGogo Formation of Western Australia.Records of the Western Australian MuseumSupplement No. 57:107-138.

Campbell, K.S.W. & Barwick, R.E. 1999.Middle Devonian Dipnoan tooth-plates fromEstonia. JVP 19(2): 220-233.

****************************¶Benita CHAMBERS, 9 Panek CrescentMount Isa, Queensland 4825, Australia

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benita_chambers@hotmail.com

Benita is doing her Master's at James CookUniversity, Townsville, on some LowerCarboniferous shark material from the UttingCalcarentite that Alex Cook (QueenslandMuseum) collected. She may convert to aPh.D. later on.

Please send relevant reprints.

***********

Dr Mike COATES, Dept of Biology, UniversityCollege London, Medawar Bldg, Gower St.,London WC1E 6BT, U.K.E-mail: m.coates@ucl.ac.uk

In Edinburgh, Mike presented a poster on hisStethacanthus work with his current ideas onso-called primitive chondrichthyan phylogeny[but just what constitutes a primitive shark isthe problem - ed]. Mike has a new student,Sam Davis, who is going to work on earlyvertebrates.

Mike will be moving to University ofChicago in the near future.

Papers of note:Coates M.I., & Cohn, M.J. 1998. Fins, limbs,

and tails: outgrowths and axial patterning invertebrate evolution. BioEssays 20(5):371-381.

Coates, M. & Sequeira, S.E. 1999. Primitivesharks and the interrelationships ofgnathostomes. In Major Events in EarlyVertebrate Evolution: Palaeontology,Phylogeny and Development. A jointSystematics Association / Natural HistoryMuseum meeting 8-9 April 1999, p. 8.

Coates, M.I. 1999. Stethacanthus andprimitive conditions for chondrichthyanneurocrania. Abstracts of papers, 59thAnnual Meeting of Vertebrate PaleontologyAdams Mark Hotel, Denver, Colorado,October 20-23, 1999. JVP 19(3) September1999, p39A.

***********Ted DAESCHLER, Academy of NaturalSciences of Philadelphia, 1900 BenjaminFranklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA 19103,USA

Papers of interestDaeschler E.B. 1998. A primitive

actinopterygian from the Late DevonianCatskill Formation at Red Hill, ClintonCounty, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. Jl Vert.Paleontology, SVP Abstracts 37A.

Daeschler, E.B. & Cressler, W. 1999.Sampling an early continental ecosystem:Late Devonian bone beds at Red Hill,Clinton County, PA. Abstracts of papers,JVP 19, Supplement to 3, September 1999,41A.

Davis, M.C., Shubin, N.H., and Daeschler,E.B. 1999. A juvenile rhizodont from theLate Devonian Catskill Formation at RedHill, Clinton County, Pennsylvania, USA.SVP Abstracts, JVP 19, Supplement to 3,September 1999, 41A.

****************Dominique DELSATE, Musée nationaled'histoire naturelle, Bibliothèque/Exchange25, rue Münster, L-2160 LUXEMBOURGe-mail: dominique.desate@skynet.be

Delsate D. 1997. Un Arthrodire Brachythoraci(Placoderme) du Dévonien inférieur (Emsien)de Lellingen (Grand-Duché de Luxembourg).Note préliminaire.- In: Maubeuge P.L. &Delsate D. Notes paléontologiques etbiostratigraphiques sur le Grand-Duché deLuxembourg et les régions voisines. Trav.Scient. Mus. natn. Hist. nat. Luxembourg, 27:1-15.

******************Kim DENNIS-BRYAN, 29 East End Road,Finchley, London, N3 2TA, UK.E-mail: kim.bryan@acstx.co.uk

Kim wrote (1998!): “Kate (Trinajstic) is stillhere and at this very moment photocopyingvarious papers to take back to Perth. I doubthowever she can equal Bob Carr who wascarrying 36 kilos of reprints in his luggage. Itwas fun to see everyone again in Warsaw andcatch up on what everyone has been doing(some people I haven't seen since Paris).Kate says the Australian contingent (thatmeans Kate) produced a brilliant paper anddiscussion - need I say more. Actually Ithink she is more likely to be remembered forher quest for poppy cake throughout thepatisseries of Warsaw.”

***********Mags DUNCAN, Dept of Geology, TrinityCollege, University of Dublin, Dublin 2, EIRE.Fax. +353-1-6711199.E-mail: MEDUNCAN@tcd.ieAlso 7 Braemor Park, Rathgar, Dublin 14,Ireland.Tel: 353-1-4922442

Mags finished writing up her Ph.D. thesis onLower Carboniferous microremains of Irelandbut attended the Warsaw and Jurmalameetings. Thesis defense on March 3rd wassuccessful! Now for the job.

*************************¶ Vincent DUPRET, Laboratoire dePaléontologie, 8, rue Buffon, 75 005 PARIS,FRANCE.e-mail: vdupret@hotmail.com

I'm presently preparing a thesis onArthrodires (Placoderms) of Podolia, underDaniel Goujet's direction, at the NationalNatural History Museum of Paris. Alain Blieckmay be my co-tutor.

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Please send me a list of addresses ande-mails of the people working with IchthyolithIssues - That would facilitate my work andgetting the links with the searchers.

***********Dr Dave ELLIOTT, Northern ArizonaUniversity, Department of Geology, PO Box4099, Flagstaff, AZ 86011-4099, U.S.A.Fax (602) 523-9220

Dave successfully ran the 9th Early/LowerVertebrates meeting in Flagstaff in May 2000(more of this in next issue) - he also 'retiredas editor of JVP and is having a well-earnedrest. He wrote last year:

The situation concerning my students isthat Randy Reed completed his work on theWater Canyon last year and graduated. He isstill job hunting and in the meantime isteaching courses here and acting as thedept. technician. We have collaborated on acouple of biostrat papers and we are nowworking on the description of a newAllocryptaspis from the WC (plus a completerevision of the reconstruction of cyathaspididmouthparts--Denison got it all wrong I'mafraid), and on his work using sea levelcurves to relate the WC to the curvespreviously calculated for the Devonian ofEuramerica and then to the conodont zonalscheme.

Jack Evans is now in Oregon after aspell in Nevada and may be starting work onhis thesis again. He is picking the Iowacollections we made some time back.

Heide Johnson and I just submitted aplacoderm paper to the Linn Soc and we arenow working on a description of the Yahatindafauna (collected by Dave Dineley in the '60s).My main aim over the next year is to describeall the cyathaspidids from the western USthat I've collected in the last ten years. Thereare at least 15 new species and they areimportant to the biostrat correlations that I'vebeen doing.

My other main task is to co-operate withRay Thorsteinsson on his arctic faunas fromCornwallis Island. I was in Calgary in mid-November last year to start the work.

Paper of interestElliott, D. K., E. J. Loeffler, and Liu, Y. 1998.

New species of the cyathaspidid Poraspis(Agnatha: Heterostraci) from the LateSilurian and Early Devonian of NorthwestTerritories, Canada. Journal of Paleontology72:360-370.

Elliott, D.K. 1999. The heterostracan head.Abstracts of papers, Fifty-ninth AnnualMeeting of Vertebrate Paleontology AdamsMark Hotel, Denver, Colorado, October 20-23, 1999. JVP 19(3) Sept. 1999, p43A.

Paper in pressElliott D.K., Johnson H.G., Cloutier R., Carr

R.K. & Daeschler E.B.: Middle and LateDevonian vertebrates of the western Old

Red Sandstone Continent. CourierForschungs-Institut Senckenberg

***********Dr Pierre-Yves GAGNIER, Grand Galerie del'Évolution, Museum National d'Histoirenaturelle, 36 rue Geoffrey Saint-Hilaire, F-75005 Paris, FRANCE.E-Mail: gagnier@mnhn.fr

At Jurmala, Pierre-Yves gave a preliminaryreport on acanthodian microremains in theBaillie Hamilton and Cornwallis Islandssections of Arctic Canada.

Papers of noteGagnier P.-Y. 1998. Review of Five

Kingdoms: An Illustrated Guide to the Phylaof Life on Earth, by Margulis, L. &Schwartz, K.V. éditeurs. Third edition. W.H. Freeman and Compagny, New York.1998, 520 p.- Ecologie.

Gagnier P.-Y. 1999. Evolutionary patterns ofthe acanthodian head. Abstracts of papers,59th Annual Meeting of VertebratePaleontology Adams Mark Hotel, Denver,Colorado, October 20-23, 1999. JVP 19(3)September 1999, p45A.

Gagnier P.-Y. 1999. Sensory Structures inVertebrates / Eyes.- In: R. SINGER (ed.),Encyclopedia of Paleontology. FitzroyDearborn Publishers.

Gagnier P.-Y. 1999. Chordate and VertebrateBody Structure: Dermal Skeleton,Postcranial.- In: R. SINGER (ed.),Encyclopedia of Paleontology. FitzroyDearborn Publishers.

Gagnier P.-Y. 1999.- Ornamentation inVertebrates.- In: R. SINGER (ed.),Encyclopedia of Paleontology. FitzroyDearborn Publishers.

Gagnier P.-Y., Hanke G. & Wilson M.V.H.1999. Tetanopsyrus lindoei gen. et sp.nov., an Early Devonian acanthodian fromthe Northwest Territories, Canada. ActaGeologica Polonica, 49(2):81-96.

************************************Ray GARTON, WV Geological Survey, POBox 200/600 Saxman Street, >Barrackville,WV 26559, USAPh: 304/366-1810, Fax: 304/366-8019.E-mail: museum@geosrv.wvnet.edu, orgarton@mammoth-geo.com

Ray's question on the net generated a fairamount of mail:"I've seen many illustrations of Cladodus sp.teeth and body reconstruction illustrations invarious publications of Romer and Moy-Thomas. Does anyone have photos or knowof actual specimens showing most if not all ofthe animal?"

******************************Dr Michal GINTER, Fac. Geol., Al. Zwirki iWigury 93, 02 089 Warsaw, Poland.E-mail: fiszbit@geo.uw.edu.pl

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Michal ran a very successful meeting inWarsaw in September 1998 (see reportsabove) and then edited the manuscripts forActa Geological Polonica now out as volume47 with an additional paper by Gary Johnsonin volume 47.3.

Special Publication of Note:Ginter, M., and Wilson, M. V. H. (Editors).

1998. IGCP 406 Circum-Arctic PalaeozoicFaunas and Facies. Faculty of Geology,Warsaw University, Warsaw, Poland,September 3-8, 1998 Ichthyolith IssuesSpecial Publication 4:1-62.

Papers of note:Ginter M. 1998. Taxonomic problems with

Carboniferous "cladodont-level" sharks'teeth. pp. 14-16. In: Ichthyolith IssuesSpecial Publication 4.

Ginter M. & Turner S. 1999. The earlyFamennian recovery of phoebodont sharks.Acta Geologica Polonica. 49(2):105-117.

Ginter M. 1999. Late Famennian pelagic sharkassemblages . Ichthyolith Issues SpecialPublication 5, 18-20.

Ginter, M. 1999, Famennian – Touraisianchondrichthyan microremains from theEastern Thuringian Slate Mountains,Abhandlungen und Berichte Fur Naturkunde,21, 25-47.

Papers in press:Esin D., Ginter M., Ivanov A., Lebedev O.,

Luk_evi_s E., Avkhimovich V., GolubtsovV. & Petukhova L.: Vertebrate correlationof the Upper Devonian and LowerCarboniferous on the East EuropeanPlatform. Courier Forschungs-InstitutSenckenberg

Ginter, M. & Ivanov, A.: Stratigraphicdistribution of chondrichthyans in theMiddle and Upper Devonian of the EastEuropean Platform margin. CourierForschungs-Institut Senckenberg

***********Dr Daniel GOUJET, Lab. de Paléontologie,Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 8 RueBuffon, F-75005 Paris, FRANCE.E-Mail: goujet@mnhn.fr

Daniel participated at Jurmala with a talk onarctic placoderms and also in a spirited dancewith the Latvian University folk company.

Papers of noteGoujet D. 1999. Placoderms and basal

gnathostome apomorphies.- In: Ahlberg G.(conven.), Major Events in Early VertebrateEvolution: Palaeontology, Phylogeny andDevelopment (joint Systematics Association/ Natural History Museum meeting, 8-9 April1999, London): 11 [abstract].

Goujet D.F. 1999. Placoderm distribution andDevonian paleogeography in the Circum-Arctic.- In: 4th Baltic StratigraphicConference & IGCP 406: Circum-ArcticPalaeozoic Vertebrates meeting, Jurmala,

Latvia, Sept. 27 – Oct. 2, 1999).-Ichthyolith Issues, Spec. Publ. 5: 20[abstract].

Papers in pressGoujet D. ed. (in press).- Palaeontology and

stratigraphy of the Silurian-Devonian ofSevernaya Zemlya, Russia [provisionaltitle].- Geodiversitas, 15 papers; Paris (13papers submitted and accepted, 2 papers inprogress).

Goujet D. (in press).- Placoderms.- In:McMillan Encyclopedia of Life Sciences.

*************Eileen D. GROGAN Adelphi University,Biology Dept, Garden City, NY 11530, USA.E-mail: egrogan@sju.edu

Dick Lund and I have new cochliodontsidentified, have been constantly revising acladogram of chondrichthyan relationships,last upgrade (presented during April meetingsin London), follows my reexamination ofHelodus) and analyses of jaw and cranialevolution. We're also revising a manuscriptwhich proposes a model to explain thedepositional features of the Bear Gulch andthe quality of fossil preservation. You canaccess the Bear Gulch website at:

www.adelphi.edu/~lund

Papers of noteGrogan E.D. 1999. On the anatomy and

relationships of Helodus simplex. Abstractsof papers, 59th Annual Meeting ofVertebrate Paleontology, Denver, Colorado,October 20-23, 1999. JVP 19(3) September1999, p48A.

Lund R., & Grogan E.D. 1999. The cranialanatomy and relationships of someCarboniferous euchondrocephalans.Abstracts of papers op. cit.. JVP 19(3)September 1999, p60A.

***********Dr Oliver HAMPE, Museum fur Naturkunde,Zentralinstitut der Humbold-Universitat zuBerlin, Invalidenstr. 43, D-10115, Berlin,Germany

Oliver is studying the histology ofxenacanthoid teeth and has been sorting outthe British Carboniferous xenacanth teeth -now completed - the final report was given atJurmala.

Papers of note:Hampe O. 1999. Revision of the Xenacanthida

(Chondrichthyes: Elasmobranchii) from theCarboniferous of the British Isles: finalresults. Ichthyolith Issues SpecialPublication 5, 20-21.

Hampe, O. & Long, J.A. 1999. The histologyof Middle Devonian chondrichthyan teethfrom southern Victoria Land, Antarctica.Records of the Western Australian MuseumSupplement No. 57:23-36.

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Paper in pressSchneider J.W., Hampe O. & Soler-Gijón, R.The Late Carboniferous and Permian: aquaticvertebrate zonation in southern Spain andGerman basins. Courier Forschungs-InstitutSenckenberg

***********Simon K. HASLETT, Faculty of AppliedSciences, Bath College of Higher Educat ion,Newton Park, Newton St. Loe, Bath BA2 9BN,U.K.

Paper of interest:Haslett S.K. 1998. Biostratigraphic synthesisof vertebrate and plant occurrences in theLower Old Red Sandstone (Siluro-Devonian)of southern Gwent, Wales, UK. N. Jb. Geol.Palaeont. Mh. 3:182-192.

***********Maria & Dirk HOVESTADT, Merwedelaan 6,4535 ET Terneuzen, The NETHERLANDSNEW tel 0115 648567.Fax 0115 648566.E-mail: dmhovest@zeelandnet.nl

…had a successful trip to Australia last yearand did co-operative work with Sasha Ivanovthis year on shark teeth histology.

***********Dr Robert ILYES, [DOES ANYBODY HAVEAN ADDRESS FOR ROBERT???] Norway

Some time ago he sent this message:

I am now working as a science teacher at aschool just outside Oslo. I do not have myown email address yet because the schoolcannot afford to have separate addresses forall the teachers. I'm still doing some researchon early vertebrates, and Natascha Heintzand I am in the progress of finishing up apaper on the Gigantaspids from Spitsbergen.

Natascha is retired now. Theuniversities in Norway no longer findPalaeozoic vertebrates very interesting, andit does not seem like they will hire any fishpeople at all. Hopefully I can keep in touchwith you guys on the 406 project as good as Ican. I'm sorry that it goes down the drain withearly vertebrates in Norway, and other placestoo [e.g. the NR in Stockholm where UlfBorgen lost his position in May - ed.]. Pleasesend my best to everybody!!!!

NB Natascha did visit Australia in September1998.

***********¶Wayne ITANO, 1995 Dartmouth Ave,Boulder, CO 80303, U.S.A.Phone: 1 (303) 499-4248, fax: 1 (303) 497-7375E-mail: <witano@sni.net>Home Page: http://www.sni.net/~witano

Research interests: Paleozoic fish,particularly Chondrichthyes from thePennsylvanian of Colorado.

I'm an atomic physicist working at theNational Institute of Standards andTechnology. Paleontology is my hobby. Oneof my projects is a website consisting ofphotographs and descriptions of fossils foundby me or by other members of my family. Thehome page of the fossil section is

http://www.sni.net/~witano/fossils.htm

My interest in Paleozoic fishes really beganwith finding a largely complete Ctenacanthusfinspine. To see a picture and description,follow the links from my main fossil page tothe Minturn Formation page and then theCtenacanthus page. John Maisey has it now,but he sent me a cast. Last summer, I tookon the project of finishing up a publication onPennsylvanian sharks from the MinturnFormation of Colorado. Hence, I'm trying tocollect any and all references that could be ofuse in this. I have easy access to theUniversity of Colorado library, but it lacksquite a few things that look interesting,including Ichthyolith Issues.

The publication started out in about1984, when Martin Lockley (Univ. of Coloradoat Denver) found a large number of sharkteeth at a locality in the Minturn Formation inColorado. Practically nothing has been writtenon the subject. There were several teeth thathad never been reported from Colorado, andone, Lagarodus, that was practically unknownin North America. There were also severalfinspine taxa represented. After I finish thisproject I might try to do some work on themicrovertebrates from the same locality.

Publication in progress:"Shark remains from the PennsylvanianMinturn Formation, Eagle County, Colorado,"(tentative title), with Martin Lockley, KarenHouck, Michael Hansen, Barbara Stahl

***********Alexander O. IVANOV, Lab. of Paleontology,Institute of Earth Crust, University of St-Petersburg, 16 Linija 29, St Petersburg199178, RussiaEmail: aoi@duxnet.dux.ru

Alexander spent 6 months in Lille as aEuropean visiting scientist working with ClaireDerycke and Alain Blieck.

Papers of note:Belyaeva N.V. and Ivanov A.O.1998. Lyaiol' -

a treasury of fossil vertebrates. VestnikInstituta Geologii Komi Nauchnogo TsentraRAN, 6, 14-15. [in Russian].

Ahlberg P.E., Ivanov A., Luk_evi_s E. andMark-Kurik E. 1999. Middle and UpperDevonian correlation of the Baltic area andScotland based on fossil fishes. In: 4th

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Baltic Stratigraphical Conference Abstracts.R_ga, p6-8.

Ivanov A.O. 1999. Late Devonian - EarlyPermian chondrichthyans of the RussianArctic. Acta Geologica Polonica. 49(3):267-285.

Ivanov A.O. 1999. Tooth internal morphologyof Palaeozoic symmoriid sharks.Ichthyolith Issues Special Publication 5,p21-22.

IVANOV A. & DERYCKE C. 1999. Distribution ofGivetian Omalodus shark assemblage.Ichthyolith Issues Special Publication 5,p22-24.

Papers in pressEsin D., Ginter M., Ivanov A., Lebedev O.,

Luk_evi_s E., Avkhimovich V., GolubtsovV. & Petukhova L.: Vertebrate correlation ofthe Upper Devonian and LowerCarboniferous on the East EuropeanPlatform. Courier Forschungs-InstitutSenckenberg .

Ginter M. & Ivanov A.: Stratigraphicdistribution of chondrichthyans in the Middleand Upper Devonian of the East EuropeanPlatform margin. Courier Forschungs-InstitutSenckenberg .

************************Dr Philippe JANVIER, U.R.A. 12 du CNRS,Lab. de Paléontologie, MNHN, 8 rue Buffon,75005, Paris, FRANCEjanvier@cimrs1.mnhn.fr

Papers of note:Janvier P. & Villarroel A.C. 1998. Los Peces

Devónicos del Macizo de Floresta (Boyacá,Colombia). Consideraciones taxonómicas,biostratigráficas y ambientales. GeologiaColombiana,No 23. pp. 3-18.

Janvier P. 1999. Ostracoderms and the shapingof gnathostome characters. In MajorEvents in Early Vertebrate Evolution:Palaeontology, Phylogeny and Development.A joint Systematics Association / NaturalHistroy Museum meeting 8-9 April 1999, p.17.

Zhu Min Y-X & Janvier P. 1999. A primitivefossil fish sheds light on the origin of bonyfishes. Nature 397, 607-610.

***********Zerina JOHANSON, Macquarie UniversityCentre for Ecostratigraphy and Palaeobiology,School of Earth Sciences, MacquarieUniversity, NSW 2109, AUSTRALIA.

This year Zerina joined Sue Turner and AnneWarren in sorting out the sarcopt fishes ofthe Early Carboniferous Ducabrook Formation,Queensland. She visited the site with AlexRitchie in June '99 and collected yet morerhizodont material. A first paper on thestrepsodont was submitted to Geodiversitas.She is currently working on sarcopts from aseries of late Devonian fish sites in NewSouth Wales; in Edinburgh she spoke abouther work on a Late Devonian rhizodont .

Papers of note:Ahlberg P.E., and Johanson Z. 1998.

Osteolepiforms and the ancestry oftetrapods. Nature 395:792-794.

Johanson Z. & Young G.C. 1999. NewBothriolepis (Antiarchi: Placodermi) from theBraidwood region, New South Wales,Australia (Middle-Late Devonian). Recordsof the Western Australian MuseumSupplement No. 57:55-75.

Johanson, Z. & Ritchie, A. 2000. A new LateFamennian lungfish from New South Wales,Australia, and its bearing on Australian-Asian relations. Alcheringa 24, 99-118.

Johanson, Z., Turner, S. & Warren, A. 2000. FirstEast Gondwana record of Strepsodus(Sarcopterygii, Rhizodontida), from the LowerCarboniferous Ducabrook Formation, CentralQueensland, Australia. Geodiversitas 22(2): 161-169.

***********Assoc. Pr. Gary D. JOHNSON, Dept EarthSciences & Physics, University of SouthDakota, 414 East Clark Street, Vermillion SD,USAFax: 1 605 677 6121

Paper of note:Johnson G.D. 1999. Dentitons of LatePalaeozoic Orthacanthus species and newspecies of ?Xenacanthus (Chondrichthyes:xenacanthiformes) from North America. ActaGeologica Polonica 49 (3): 215-266.

***********Dr Valentina KARATAJUTE-TALIMAA,Lithuanian Institute of Geology, Sevcenkos13, 2600 Vilnius, LITHUANIAFax: (370 2) 23 67 10

Valya has had research visits from MoyaSmith, Alain Blieck and Daniel Goujet and withothers is working on the Severnaya Zemlyavolume. She made presentations at the 3rdand 4th Baltic Symposiums. Her majormethodological paper concerning thelodonts,chondrichthyans etc. was published in Berlin.She has worked with Tiiu on a survey ofthelodonts for the upcoming revision ofObruchev's Fundamentals of Palaeontology.In mid August 1999 she was busy being agrandmother again!

Papers of note:Karatajute-Talimaa V. 1998. Determination

methods for the exoskeletal remains ofEarly Vertebrates. Mitteilungen aus demMuseum für Naturkunde in Berlin.Geowissenschaftliche Reihe 1: 21-51.

Karatajute-Talimaa V., Brazauskas A. &Valiukevi_ius J. 1999. Vertebrateassemblages of the Silurian/Devonianboundry beds and the section completenessin the Baltic Syneclise. In: 4th BalticStratigraphical Conference. Problems and

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Methods of Modern Regional Stratigraphy.Abstracts. R_ga, p42-43.

Karatajute-Talimaa V. & Smith M.M. 1999.Scales of the oldest acanthodians(morphology, histology and growth types).Ichthyolith Issues Special Publication 5,p24-25.

Papers in pressAfanassieva O., & Karatajute-Talimaa V.

Osteostracans. In: Mathukhin, R.G., andMenner, V.V. (editors) Stratigraphy ofSilurian and Devonian of Severnaya ZemlyaArchipelago. [In Russian]

Karatajute-Talimaa VLower Devonian(Lochkovian) thelodonts from the OctoberRevolution Island (Severnaya ZemlyaArchipelago). Geodiversitas.

Karatajute-Talimaa V. & Blieck A.[Heterostracans].- In: Matukhin R.G. &Menner V.V. (eds), Stratigrafiya silura idevona arkhipelaga Severnaya Zemlya[Stratigraphy of the Silurian and Devonianof the Severnaya Zemlya archipelago];Novosibirsk [In Russian].

Karatajute-Talimaa V., and Märss T UpperSilurian thelodonts of Severnaya ZemlyaArchipelago. Geodiversitas.

Karatajute-Talimaa V., & Märss T. Thelodonts.In: Mathukhin, R.G., and Menner, V.V.(editors) Stratigraphy of Silurian andDevonian of Severnaya Zemlya Archipelago.[In Russian]

Karatajute-Talimaa V.N.: Significance ofthelodonts (Agnatha) in correlation of theuppermost Ordovician to Lower Devonian ofthe northern part of Eurasia. CourierForschungs-Institut Senckenberg

**********Dr Anne KEMP, Centre for Microscopy andMicroanalysis, University of Queensland, StLucia, Qld 4072, AustraliaE-mail: a.kemp@mailbox.uq.edu.au

PLEASE NOTE NEW ADDRESS.

Anne is continuing with projects on conodontsand lungfish.

Paper of interestTurner S., Kemp A. & Warren A. A., 1999.

First Early Carboniferous lungfish (Dipnoi,Ctenodontidae) from central Queensland.Alcheringa 23, 177-182.

**********Dr Natasha KRUPINA, Paleoichthyology Lab.,Paleontological Institute of Russian Academyof Sciences 123, Profsoyuznaya st.,Moscow, 117647, RUSSIAVoice: (095)339-74-88, Fax: (095)339-12-66,e-mail: nkrup@paleo.msk.su

I completed a paper (given to thePaleontological Zhurnal in October 1995) "Theshoulder girdle and opercular series ofAndreyevichthys epitomus, a Late Devoniandipnoan from the Tula Region of Russia". The

shoulder girdle and opercular are interpretedas structures taking part in breathing withconsequent evolutionary transformations ofthe dipnoan exoskeleton related to theiradaptations from gill- to lung- breathing.

With Moya Smith and Robert Reisz(Erindale Campus, Biology, University ofToronto) I have begun to work on a paper ondental plates of Early Devonian lungfishIchnomylax from Taymyr Peninsula. Thislungfish had peculiar dental plates which grewin an unusual way and possibly could havespecial histological structure. The genus wasestablished by John Long in 1994 on thematerial from the Lower Devonian of Victoria,Australia (type species - Ichnomylax kurnai).Dental plates of both Taymyrian andAustralian forms look extremely similar, butundoubtedly belong to different species.

Papers of interest:Krupina N.I. and Reisz R.R. 1999.

Reconstruction of dentition in hatchlings ofAndreyevichthys epitomus, a LateFamennian dipnoan from Russia. ModernGeology, 24:99-108.

Krupina N.I., Reisz R.R. & Smith M.M. 1999.Discovery of petrodentine in tooth plates ofan Early Devonian dipnoan from NorthernSiberia. Ichthyolith Issues SpecialPublication 5, p27.

***********Dr Elga KURIK, Institute of Geology,Estonian Academy of Sciences, Estonia PST7, E-10105 Tallinn, ESTONIAkurik@gi.ee

Elga produced coloured models of certainfishes for a special exhibition in Estonia andalso seen at the Natural History Museum inRiga: included are anaspid Rhyncholepis,placoderms Tiaraspis, Bothriolepis , andacanthodian Culmacanthus.

Publication update:Mark-Kurik E. 1995. Muistsed kalad ja nende

kivistised Eestis [Ancient fishes and theirfossils in Estonia] Eesti Loodus No. 8,August, 226-228 (In Estonian, Engl. summ.p. 229).

Mark-Kurik E. 1999. Psammosteidmicroremains from the Middle Devonian ofEstonia. Modern Geology, 24(1):1-21.

Mark-Kurik E. 1999. Some Middle Devonianand Emsian Correlation problems. In: 4thBaltic Stratigraphical Conference. Problemsand Methods of Modern RegionalStratigraphy. Abstracts. R_ga, p58-60.

Mark-Kurik E., Blieck A., Loboziak S. &Candilier A.-M. (1999).- Miosporeassemblage from the Lode Member (GaujaFormation) in Estonia, and the Middle-UpperDevonian boundary problem.- Proc. Eston.Acad. Sci., Geol., 48 (2): 86-98, 2 fig., 1pl.; Tallinn [with Estonian and Russianabstracts].

Marshall J.E.A., Astin T.R., and Mark-Kurik E.1999. An integrated palynostratigraphy and

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lithostratigraphy of the Middle DevonianLacustrine sediments of the OrcadianBasin, Scotland and their correlation withthe Baltic area. In: 4th Baltic StratigraphicalConference. Problems and Methods ofModern Regional Stratigraphy. Abstracts.R_ga, p62-63.

Nessov, L.A. and Mark-Kurik, E. 1999.Tropinema, a Middle Devonian arthodire withhigh median dorsal crest from east Baltic.Russian Academy of Sciences,Proceedings of the Zoological Institute, St.-Petersburg, 277:58-66.

Paper in press:Mark-Kurik E.: The Middle Devonian fishes of

the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia) andBelarus. Courier Forschungs-InstitutSenckenberg .

Mark-Kurik E. (In press) Arthrodires. In:Mathukin, R.G. & Menner, V.V. (editors).Stratigraphy of Silurian and Devonian ofSevernaya Zemlya Archipelago. (inRussian).

Poster:Mark-Kurik E., Karatajute-Talimaa V. & OttoM. 1998. Chondrichthyan remains from theMiddle and Late Devonian of the Baltic area.IGCP 406 Annual Meeting, Warsaw.

***********Dr Oleg LEBEDEV, Paleontological Instituteof RAS, 123 Profsoyusnaya, Moscow 117647,RUSSIA. Voice (095)3391988, Fax 7 095 339-0622 or 339-1266.Email: pbul@paleo.msk.su,http://www.paleo.ru

Oleg is still busy with his thesis, "Vertebrateassemblages of the D/C boundary of CentralRussia" and hopes to finish the text by theend of the year.

I finished my chapter for the MiddleCarboniferous vertebrates of the MoscowSyncline for the volume by Alekseyev et al (inprep.) and am currently working on therevision of the chondrichthyan materials (PZ-Recent) from the CIS territory for the futurevolume of the new Fundamentals ofPaleontology (6 volumes of vertebrates fromthe territory of CIS and Mongolia) also inprep. The Russian version is supposed to befinished in 2000, and will probably betranslated later (of course if we find apublisher and a sponsor).

Paper in pressEsin D., Ginter M., Ivanov A., Lebedev O.,Luk_evi_s E., Avkhimovich V., Golubtsov V.& Petukhova L.: Vertebrate correlation of theUpper Devonian and Lower Carboniferous onthe East European Platform. CourierForschungs-Institut Senckenberg.

***********

¶David LINDLEY, Department of Geology,Australian National University, Canberra ACT0200Ph: 02 6249 2061e-mail: lindley@leme.anu.edu.au

I'm presently working on a systematic studyof ischnacanthid acanthodian fish faunas atthree levels in the late Pragian-Emsian (ca.16 Ma time span) Murrumbidgee Grouplimestones in the Murrumbidgee andGoodradigbee valleys. Acanthodian jawbonesare relatively rare in the limestones andaccordingly little work has been completed onthis group to date. Intensive collection bythe writer at specific stratigraphic levels hasassembled a relatively large number of wellpreserved jawbone specimens. Fin spinesand scales have also been recovered fromresidues.

Progress to date: 1. The ischnacanthid fauna from the CavanBluff Limestone, at the base of theMurrumbidgee Group, has been prepared anddescribed (Lindley 2000).2. Ischnacanthid fauna from the CurrajongLimestone-lower Bloomfield Limestone,approximately mid level in the MurrumbidgeeGroup, prepared and described. Plates beingprepared.3. Collection of highest level in sequence -Warroo Limestone and/or Crinoidal Limestone- about to commence.

Lindley, I.D. 2000. Acanthodian fish remainsfrom the Lower Devonian Cavan BluffLimestone (Murrumbidgee Group) Taemasdistrict, New South Wales. Alcheringa 24,11-35.

***********Dr John A. LONG, Western AustralianMuseum, Francis St., Perth, WA 6000,AUSTRALIAE-mail: long@museum.wa.gov.au

The CAVEPS 97 volume was printed in May1999 as a Records of the Western AustralianMuseum Supplement no. 57 with 424pp withmostly fish papers (14 plus abstracts).Another Records for the SDS/IGCP 421Esfahan meeting in almost ready.

Orders and inquiries from AnnOusey, Publications Department, TheWestern Australian Museum, Francis St.,Perth, Western Australia, 6000; e-mail:ouseya@museum.wa.gov.au; fax is +61-8-94272882

Our new fossil and mineral gallery is now infull swing. We plan to have more real fossilson display than any other museum inAustralia-due to open in August. I'm doing anentire cabinet on early fishes (Ordovicianfishes and agnathans in general), plus puttingall the best Gogo fishes on display, plus acabinet devoted to fish-tetrapod transition(with fantastic casts of the East Greenland

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material which arrived this morning!). It'skeeping Ken, Alex and I very very busy! Ihave no time available for research until thisgallery opens.

However, John Long had a successful trip toJapan and Okinawa - he is now a grandmaster (martial arts) so don't mess withJOHN! (manuscript reviewers beware).

BookBaynes A. & Long J.A. 1999. Papers in

Vertebrate palaeontology. Records of theWestern Australian Museum, Supplementno. 57, 424pp.

Papers of note:Anderson M.E., Almond J.E., Evans F.J. &

Long J.A. 1998. Devonian (Emsian-Eifelian)fishes from the lower Bokkeveld Group(Ceres Subgroup) of South Africa. InAlmond J., Anderson J., Booth P.Chinsamy-Turane A. Cole D., De Wit M.,Rubridge B., Smith R. & Van Bever Don J.(Editors) Special Abstracts IssueGondwana 10: Event Stratigraphy ofGondwana. Journal of African EarthSciences 27: 7-8.

Long J.A. 1999. A new genus of fossilcoelacanth (Osteichthyes:Coelacanthiformes) from the MiddleDevonian of southeastern Australia.Records of the Western Australian MuseumSupplement No. 57:37-53.

Long J.A. & Ahlberg P.E. 1999. Newobservations on the snouts of rhizodontfishes (Palaeozoic Sarcopterygii). Recordsof the Western Australian MuseumSupplement No. 57:169-173.

Paper in press:Long J.A. & Trinajstic, K.M.: An overview ofthe Devonian microvertebrate faunas ofWestern Australia. Courier Forschungs-Institut Senckenberg .

***********LU Liwu, Associate Curator of Paleontology,National Geological Museum of China, Xisi,Beijing 100034, P.R.CHINAEmail: lulw@163.net

Thank you very much for Ichthyolith Issues,It is very helpful for my work. In the pastdecades, apart from the Palaeozoic fishes, Ihave studied fossil fishes from the bird-bearing beds in North China. Last month, Ifinished a successful dig in the Carboniferousof Ningxia collecting fossil fishes in theNamurian of northwest China. Many fishes,both macro- and microfossils, have beenfound. Our program was supported by NSFC.Is there new information on Carboniferousfossil fishes, especially from the Namurianstage?

Papers of interest:

Lu Liwu 1994, A new paddlefish from theUpper Jurassic of Northeast China.Vertebrata PalAsiatica, 32(2):134-142.

Ren dong, Lu Liwu & et. al., 1995, Faunaeand stratigraphy of Jurassic-Cretaceous inBeijing and the adjacent areas.Seismological Publishing House, Beijing.

Lu Liwu, 1996, New Data of Bothriolepissinensis (Placoderm:Antiarch) from MiddleDevonian of Central Hunan, China.Geological Museum Study, 1996, pp.69-77.Seismological Publishing House, Beijing.

Pan Jiang, Lu Liwu, Ji Shu`an, 1996, A briefreview on Chinese palaeo-geography ofvertebrates during the middle Palaeozoic.Journal of Southeastern Asian EarthScience , 13(3-5): 185-190.

Ren Dong, Lu Liwu & et al., 1996, MesozoicFauna assemblages of Yanliao area, NorthChina and its paleoecological andpaleogeographical significance. ActaGeoscientia Sinica, V17. sup. 148-154.

Pan Jiang & Lu Liwu, 1997, Grammaspis, Anew antiarch (Placoderm) from EarlyDevonian of Jiangyou, Sichuan Province. InTong Y.S. et al.(eds), Evidence forEvolution-Essays in Honor of Prof.Chungchien Young on the Hundredthanniversary of His birth. Ocean Press,Beijing.

Pan Jiang, Lu Liwu & Zeng Xiangyuan, 1998,Report of Remigolepis (Placoderm) fromUpper Devonian, Hunan, S. China. In WangY.Q & Deng T.(eds), Proceedings of the 7thAnnual Meeting of the Chinese Society ofVertebrate Paleontology. Ocean Press,Beijing.

Lu L., Pan, J. (1998). New Galeaspids(Agnatha) and placoderm Fish Fossils fromthe Silurian of the Tarim Basin, NorthwestChina. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology,Abstract Papers, 58th Annual MeetingSociety of Vertebrate Paleontology. p59A.

*******Ervins LÚKSEVIKS, Institute of Geology,University of Latvia, Rainis Blvd 19, Riga LV-1586, LATVIAerluks@lanet.lv

Ervins and his colleagues at the University ofLatvia are to be congratulated for organisinga most successful joint IGCP 406 symposiumand the 4th Baltic Symposium in Jurmala.

Books of note:Luk_evi_s E., Stinkulis _. & Kalni_a L. (eds.)

The Fourth Baltic StratigraphicalConference. Problems and Methods ofModern Regional Stratigraphy. Abstracts,126pp., R_ga.

Luk_evi_s E., Stinkulis _ and Wilson M.V.H.(eds.) Lower -Middle Palaeozoic EventsAcross the Circum-Arctic. A joint BalticStratigraphical Association/IGCP 406Project meeting. J_rmala, Latvia,September-October 1999. IchthyolithIssues Special Publication 5, 67pp., Riga.

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Papers of noteLuk_evi_s E. 1999. Stratigraphic occurrence

of vertebrate remains in the Upper Devonianof Severnaya Zemlya (Russia). ActaGeologica Polonica 49(2):125-131.

Paper in pressEsin D., Ginter M., Ivanov A., Lebedev O.,

Luk_evi_s E., Avkhimovich V., Golubtsov V.& Petukhova L. Vertebrate correlation ofthe Upper Devonian and LowerCarboniferous on the East EuropeanPlatform. Courier Forschungs-InstitutSenckenberg

Kurshs V., Luk_evi_s E., Upeniece I., &Zupins I. (In press). Late Devonian marinedeltaic clastics and associated fish remainsin Lode quarry (Latvia). Latvijas GeologijasVestis.

Luk_evi_s E., & Sorokin V. (In press). Newspecies of placoderm fish Bothriolepis(Placodermi, Antiarcha) from the UpperDevonian of North Timan.Paleontologicheskiy Zhurnal. [In Russian]

* * * * * * * * * *Dr Richard LUND, Adelphi University, BiologyDept, Garden City, NY 11530, USA.E-mail: lund@panther.adelphi.eduhttp://www.adelphi.edu/~lund/

London, shark teeth and stuff

I managed to get to the latest Londonconference (NHM, April 1999). What I have tosay is not necessarily a proper report in thestrict sense of the word, but my impressionsof the highlights of the meetings, which wereextremely stimulating and very successful. Ido urge the conveners to assemble moremeetings of the disciplines of molecular,developmental, and paleontological folks.

The molecular geneticists run intosevere and understandable problems whenthey try to deal with 3-4 extant species and alarge number of extinct taxa. They might aswell use an ouija board; there are far toomany pieces of the puzzle missing. Oh yes,and many have this wonderful habit of usingone, just one, teleost, amphibian, reptile, bird,and mammal. The topology of the branches ofa tree provides vital information; without thisinformation one just gets a Hennig's Ladder,which is not at all informative. It certainlydoes not work well with a problem like theagnathan-gnathostome transition. Bycontrast, the lamprey head is yieldingmarvellous and useful information to thedevelopmental people. It is turning out to bejust about exactly like a gnathostome in allthe early stages that matter. This definitelyputs lampreys very close to thegnathostomes. There was some elegantdevelopmental work presented by severalJapanese colleagues and some of AndrewLumsden's students as well.

Michael Coates presented a paperclaiming that the holocephalans originatedfrom between the sister species of the

stethacanthids Damocles and Falcatus , andthus that the holocephalans are sister taxa ofthose two but not the other stethacanthidcladodonts. This result is singularly difficult toaccept.

Hans-Peter Schultze presented apaper on Dialipina, which has rhombic ganoidpeg-and socket scales, submandibulars, theskull arrangement of something non-actinopterygian, the body of an onychodontid,the fins of an onychodontid, the tail of anonychodontid, and claimed that it was a stemgroup actinopterygian. C'est possible.

Mark Wilson did his usual brilliant,understated, and simple, thing, presentingstartling new animals with startling newinformation, that unsettled me and gave melots to think about. BUT, and this is directedat all of us, he took two essentially identicalspecies of fish and claimed that one is achondrichthyan and one an acanthodian, onthe basis of the scales. Sorry, there issomething fundamentally missing from ourinformation about the development anddistribution of scales if this result could haveemerged. It is material such as Mark's, plusmodern developmental studies, that willunlock the secret of stem-groupgnathostomes.

Psarolepis is an interesting fish, likethe proverbial camel (built by a committee).Much was presented to think about here. Theauthors are confident that the bits and piecesall belong to the same animal, and so I haveto tentatively accept this. But I believe thecladistics every bit as much as Xiaobo does.That, incidentally, may not be saying an awfullot, as he demonstrated in his talk on playingstrategies for the cladistics computer game.

Meanwhile, having reexamined theHelodus specimens that Moy-Thomas used,Dr. E.D. Grogan and I presented two postersessions, one on the already publishedembryological analysis of Callorhinchus jawsand skull, the other on Helodus and a raft ofnew paraselachians that conform, infundamental ways, with the skull plan ofHelodus. Moy-Thomas' original study did notfare too badly here. However, the ethmoid ofHelodus is completely roofed over, withexcellent ethmoid canals, and there are verylarge and long tooth-bearing adsymphysials,upon which the 'Diclitodus' teeth are borne.And no, there are no tooth plates in thosespecimens; none at all, just families ofHelodus teeth. And, as Moy-Thomas noted(and Barbara Stahl), there is no synarcuum.So here Eileen Grogan and I are with theParaselachii, a group name I coined long agoin an ill-advised moment of desperation andhave tried to ignore ever since, but it is nowfilling up with fascinating fish, with fascinatingarrangements of heterodont teeth. Watch theJournal of Morphology in the new year for thefirst of these fish.

The Barbara Stahl Holocephalanvolume (Handbook Vol. 4, F. Pfeil, Munich) isnow out, and she has done a masterful job onall those isolated teeth and tooth plates. I do

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have one important correction, and a fewother miscellaneous ones. The modernchimaeroid jaw developmental analysis wasdone by Eileen D. Grogan, but attributed toDominique Didier (Dagit) in the volume. Alsonote that the pectoral fin of Chondrenchelysproblematica illustrated in Fig 33 A is that of amale; the females have pectoralendoskeletons essentially identical toHarpagofututor volsellorhinus (Fig. 33 B).Finally, "Similharriotta dabasinskas" is a juniorsynonym for the cladodont elasmobranchBandringa, although I do not know whichspecies. It is not a holocephalan. It hascladodont teeth.

*******************************Ian MACADIE, Canterbury Museum, RollestonAve, Christchurch, NEW ZEALAND.

Ian discovered thelodonts in the LowerDevonian of Reefton this year and at theEdinburgh VPCA meeting in September 1999spoke about the various microassemblagesand the difficulties of arresting them from theclutches of the South Island temperaterainforest.

* * * * * * * * * *Dr John G. MAISEY, Department ofVertebrate Paleontology, American Museumof Natural History, Central Park West at 79thStreet, Pullman, New York, NY 10024-5192,U.S.A.

John attended the SVPCA meeting inEdinburgh and gave an interesting overviewof Devonian sharks from the Malvinokaffricprovince of Gondwana featuring a little sharkbraincase from Brazil which he and EricAnderson are studying.

Maisey J. 1999. A primitive chondrichthyanbraincase from the Middle Devonian ofBolivia. In Major Events in Early VertebrateEvolution: Palaeontology, Phylogeny andDevelopment. A joint SystematicsAssociation / Natural Histroy Museummeeting 8-9 April 1999, p. 21.

Maisey J.G. 1999. A stem chondrichthyanbraincase and its phylogenetic significance.Abstracts of papers, Fifty-ninth AnnualMeeting of Vertebrate Paleontology AdamsMark Hotel, Denver, Colorado, October 20-23, 1999. JVP 19(3) September 1999, p61A.

* * * * * * * * * *Dr Jon MALLATT, Department of Zoology,Washington State University, Pullman, WA99164-4236, U.S.A.Fax 509-335-3517.

Paper of note:Mallatt J. 1998. Crossing a majormorphological boundary: The origin of jaws invertebrates. Zoology 100: 128-140.

* * * * * * * * * *

Dr Tiiu MÄRSS (Co-Leader IGCP 406),Institute of Geology, Estonian Academy ofSciences, Estonia PST 7, E-10105 Tallinn,ESTONIAEmail: tiiu@pzgeol.gi.ee>I have finished the biostratigraphic paper onSevernaya Zemlya vertebrates (version inRussian for Novosibirsk volume) with ValyaTalimaa, and the taxonomical work on thethelodont species now in press withGeodiversitas should be in Paris. A newCanadian Arctic thelodont Boothialepis is alsodescribed (in Paleontology). Now we areworking on the thelodont chapter for the newedition of Obruchev"s Osnovi Paleontologi"Fundamentals of Paleontobgy" Agnatha &Fish volume being produced by PIN and theRussian Academy of Science.

Papers of note:Märss T., Caldwell M., Gagnier P.-Y., Goujet

D., Männik P., Martma T. and Wilson M.V.H. 1998. Results of the expedition to Baillie-Hamilton and Cornwallis Island in 1994. p.104. In: Gutierres-Marco, J.C., and Rabano,I. (editors). Proceedings of the 6thInternational Graptolite Conference of theGWG (IPA) and the SW Iberia Field Meeting1998 of the International Subcommission onSilurian Stratigraphy (ICS-IUGS), Madrid,1998. Temas Geologico-Mineros ITGE, 23:104.

Märss T., Soehn K.L., & Wilson M.V.H. 1998.Microvertebrate-based correlations of theLlandovery-Wenlock boundary in somesections of the Selwyn and Frankliniansedimentary basins, northern Canada. pp.37-39. Ichthyolith Issues SpecialPublication 4:1-62.

Matukhin R.G., Menner V.V., Karatajute-Talimaa V., Melnikov S., Modzalevskaya T.,Männik P. & Märss T. 1998. On thereconstruction of the Palaeozoicsedimentary basins and palaeotectonicconditions in the modern Arctic shelves. p.35. Ichthyolith Issues Special Publication4:1-62.

Märss T. 1999. Changes in scale morphology- a basis for high resolution thelodontbiostratigraphy. The Fourth BalticStratigraphical Conference. Problems andMethods of Modern Regional Stratigraphy.Abstracts. R_ga, p65-66.

Märss T.& Gagnier P.-Y. 1999. A newchondrichthyan from the Wenlock, LowerSilurian, of Baillie-Hamilton Island, ArcticCanada.- In: Ahlberg G. (conven.), MajorEvents in Early Vertebrate Evolution:Palaeontology, Phylogeny and Development(joint Systematics Association / NaturalHistory Museum meeting, 8-9 April 1999,London): 49 [abstract and poster].

Märss T. , Soehn K.L. & Wilson M.V.H. 1999.Event levels in the distribution of Silurianand Lower Devonian vertebrates in NorthernCanada. Ichthyolith Issues SpecialPublication 5, p29-30.

Miller C.G. & Märss T. 1999. A conodont,thelodont and acanthodian fauna from the

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Lower P_ídolí (Silurian) of the MuchWenlock area, Shropshire. Palaeontology ,42(4):691-714.

Papers in press/prep.:Märss T. Silurian vertebrate studies during

1990-1996. Courier Forschungs-InstitutSenckenberg .

Märss T., and Karatajute-Talimaa V.Ordovician and Lower Silurian thelodontsfrom Severnaya Zemlya. Geodiversitas.

Soehn K.L., Märss T., Hanke G.F. & WilsonM.V.H.: Preliminary vertebratebiostratigraphy of the Avalanche Lakesections (Wenlock, Silurian), southernMackenzie Mountains, N.W.T., and reviewof northwestern Canadian vertebratelocalities of Silurian age. CourierForschungs-Institut Senckenberg

Märss T., and Karatajute-Talimaa V.Thelodonts. In new "Fundamentals ofPaleontology".

* * * * *Rob MARTIN, Department of Geology andGeography, West Virginia University, P.O.Box 6300, Morgantown, WV 26506-6300,U.S.A.Phone: 304-293-5603 FAX: 304-293-6522email: rmartin@geo.wvu.eduWeb page: http://www.geo.wvu.edu/

Rob writes “Well, I've finally found a Ph.D.here at West Virginia where I shall make apaleoecological study of Devonian fishes.This may include specimens stored at theBuffalo museum! I am going up soon for apreliminary look around.”

****************Bill MAY - enquiry off the net.E-mail: bmay@telepath.com

Bill is interested in Permian palaeoniscoids.He wrote to the VP listserver:Can anyone give me references on identifyingLower Permian palaeoniscoid fish scales.Thanks in advance.

* * * * *Roma MERTINIENE, Lithuanian Institute ofGeology, Sevcenkos 13, 2600 Vilnius,LITHUANIA. Fax (370 2) 23 67 10

Papers of note:Karatajute-Talimaa V., & Mertiniene R.1998.

Morphogenetic types of squamation ofDevonian and Early Carboniferouschondrichthyans. pp. 23-25. IchthyolithIssues Special Publication 4:1-62.

Mertiniene R. 1999. Structure of scales of the“Holmesella” morphological type. IchthyolithIssues Special Publication 5, p34.

* * * * * * * * * *Dr Marcus OTTO, Paläontologisch-Geologisches Institut und Museum, fürNaturkunde der Humboldt-Universität,Invalidenstr. 43, D-10115 Berlin, GERMANY

Papers of note:Otto M. 1998. A new antiarch from the

Devonian of Ellesmere Island, Artic Canada.Ichthyolith Issues Special Publication, 42-43.

Otto M. 1999. Neues material vonProtitanichthys? montanus(Vertebrata,Placodermi, Arthrodira) aus dem unterenMitteldevon des Bergischen Landes. [Newmaterials of Protitanichthys? Montanus(Vertebrata, Placodermi, Arthrodira) fromthe Lower Middle Devonian of theBergisches Land (Northwest, Germany). N.Jb. Geol. Paläont. Mh., 397-408.

Otto M. 1999a. The problem of fossilinterpretation. Lethaia Reviews, Lethaia,32:140-142.

Otto M. 1999b. New finds of vertebrates inthe Middle Devonian Brandenberg Group(Sauerland, Northwest Germany). Part 2.Ptyctodontida, Acanthodii, Actinopterygiiand Sarcopterygii. PaläontologischeZeitschrift, 73(1/2):113-131.

Otto M. & Laurin M. 1999. Osteostracantesserae from the Baltic Middle Devonian:morphology and microanatomy. N. Jb. Geol.Paläont. Mh . 8:464-476.Otto M. & Laurin M. 1999. Structure of thedermal skeleton of Middle Devonianosteostracans from the East Baltic.Ichthyolith Issues Special Publication 5,p37-38.

* * * * * * * * * *

Dr Bobby PATON, National Museums ofScotland, Royal Museum of Scotland,Edinburgh EH1, U.K.E-mail: rlp@nms.ac.uk

Co-hosted an excellent SVPCA at the RoyalScottish Museum and Museum of Scotlandwith many interesting fishy (and other) papersand events with a suitably Scottish flavour.

Paper of interest:Paton R.L., Smithson T.R. & Clack J.A. 1999.An amniote-like skeleton from the EarlyCarboniferous of Scotland. Nature 398:508-513.

* * * * * * * * * *¶Frank RIEMANN, Institute of Geology &Palaontology, University of Hannover,Callinstr. 30, D-3000 HANNOVER 1, Germany

Frank Riemann supervised by Prof. DetlevThies and Dr. Immo Schülke has worked onLate Devonian (Early Fammenian)microvertebrate remains from France(Montagne Noir). The study of numerous earlyFamennian fishes is based on conodontsamples from Coumiac Quarry, La Serretrench C and the Causses et Veyran sectionwhich Schülke investigated for conodontapparatuses. The samples have beenanalysed from systematic, stratigraphic, andsequence stratigraphic perspectives. The

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material comprises acanthodian,elasmobranch and osteichthyan remains.

Riemann F. 1998. Mikrofauna (Ichthyolithen,Phyllocariden und Scolecodonten) aus dembasalen Famennium (tringularis - bis crepida-Zone) der Montaigne Noir (Frankreich).Diplomarbeit U. Hannover, Oct.

***********Martha RICHTER, Laboratório dePaleontologia, Museu de Ciências eTecnologia, Pontifícia Universidade Católicado Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS,BRAZILmrichter@pucrs.br

From July 1998 was based in Germany for ayears Post-Doc with Prof. W-E. Reif. My post-doc project deals with thousands of sharkteeth and scales, as well as otherfragmentary actinopt remains from the UpperPermian of Brazil. I am working on acollection of microremains coming from similarlevels studied by Wurdig-Maciel (1975). Apartfrom the actinopterygian scales and teeth,there are numerous well-preservedxenacanthid teeth and hybodontiform-liketeeth and (fragmentary) spines. The materialis pretty well-preserved and very good forhistology as well, so I hope to be able toprovide some new insights on that SouthAmerican ichthyofauna. I plan to examine thePalaeozoic shark collections at differentmuseums around Germany and elsewhere inEurope during my stay.

Papers of note:Richter M. & Langer M.C. 1998. Fish remains

from the Upper Permian Rio do RastoFormation (Paraná Basin) of southernBrazil. In Almond, J., Anderson, J.,Booth, P. Chinsamy-Turane, A. Cole, D.,De Wit, M., Rubridge, B., Smith, R. &Van Bever Don, J. (Editors) SpecialAbstracts Issue Gondwana 10: EventStratigraphy of Gondwana. Journal ofAfrican Earth Sciences 27: 158-159.

Richter M. 1998. Dental histology and itsbearing on the systematics of theXenacanthiformes (Pisces:Chondrichthtyes). pp. 43-44. IchthyolithIssues Special Publication 4:1-62.

* * * * * * * * * *Alex RITCHIE, Australian Museum, 6 CollegeStreet, Sydney. PO Box A285, SydneySouth, NSW 2000. AUSTRALIANEW EMAIL: alexr@amsg.am.gov.au

Alex visited the old country for the EdinburghVP meeting and gave a talk on the state ofplay at the Age of Fishes Museum,Canowindra.

*************Ivan SANSOM and M. Paul SMITH, School ofEarth Sciences, University of Birmingham,Egbaston, Birmingham BI5 2TT, U.K.

E-mail: <SANSOM@ers.bham.ac.uk>

Abstract of note:Sansom I.J., Smith M.M. & Smith P.M. 1999.The Ordovician radiation of vertebrates. InMajor Events in Early Vertebrate Evolution:Palaeontology, Phylogeny and Development.A joint Systematics Association / NaturalHistroy Museum meeting 8-9 April 1999, p.26.

*************Hans-Peter SCHULTZE, Paläontologisch-Geologisches Institut und Museum, fürNaturkunde der Humboldt-Universität,Invalidenstr. 43, D-10115 BERLIN, GERMANYh0662bmw@rz.hu-berlin.de

Hans-Peter Schultze has submitted amanuscript on “Dialipina and the characters ofbasal actinopterygians" to the special volumeof the London conference held in April 1999.Dialipina is the most primitive member of theactinopterygians. It possesses two dorsalfins like other osteichthyans in contrast toother actinopterygians.

Steve Cumbaa and Rick Day, CanadianMuseum of Nature, Ottawa, Canada, H.-P.Schultze, Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin,Germany, and John Storer, Yukon Tourism,Whitehorse, Canada, relocated the Devonianlocality of Stomiahykus in the northernMackenzie Mountains, Yukon Territories. Afloat plane dropped us on a lake 2 1/2 hourshiking distance from the locality on July 29.The crinoidal limestone layer is extensive, butuseful vertebrate remains could only be foundin one locality on the tributary of the SnakeRiver. No additional lungfish skull was found,arthrodiran plates and one largeMachaeracanthus spine instead. The age ofStomiahykus is not Middle, but EarlyDevonian. After transfer to Popcornfish lakeby helicopter, another float plane took us outto Mayo, Yukon Territories, on August 11.

Gloria Arratia and H.-P. Schultze arefinishing a manuscript on the vertebralstructure of sarcopterygians starting with theontogeny of extant lungfish together withCasciotta. There is more variation in thestructure of the vertebrae of Eusthenopteronthan shown by Jarvik and Andrews.

Schultze H-P.1999. Dialipina and the primitivecharacters of basal actinopterygians. InMajor Events in Early Vertebrate Evolution:Palaeontology, Phylogeny andDevelopment. A joint SystematicsAssociation / Natural Histroy Museummeeting 8-9 April 1999, p. 27.

Schultze H-P. 1999. Melanognathus, aprimitive dipnoan from the Lower Devonianof the Canadian Arctic. Ichthyolith IssuesSpecial Publication 5,p38-39.

* * * * * * * * * *¶Jonas SHETCHKUS, Lithuanian Institute ofGeology, Sevcenkos 13, 2600 Vilnius,LITHUANIA.E-mail: jonas@geologin.lt

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Jonas is a new student of Valya Talimaa'sand Juozas Valiukevicius. He is doing hismaster's thesis on microremains of UpperDevonian actinopts from the Baltic States,Belarus, etc. (scales, teeth and otoliths).Please send relevant reprints.

* * * * * * * * * *Rodrigo SOLER-GIJON, Paläontologisch-Geologisches Institut und Museum, fürNaturkunde der Humboldt-Universität,Invalidenstr. 43, D-10115 Berlin, GERMANY

I was very busy with the corrections of twomanuscripts related with xenacanths. One onthe structure and growth of the occipital spineof Orthacanthus (J. Morphology) and other ontrace fossils (fish trails (ichnogenusUndichna) produced by xenacanths togetherwith tetrapod trackways (probably frommicrosaurs) from the Stephanian ofPuertollano (submitted to Lethaia). On theother hand I continue with the baby andjuvenile sharks (small Cretaceous hybodontfrom Las Hoyas?). Also, I am studying (withJiri Zidek) small complete xenacanths fromBohemia.

Papers of note:Soler-Gijón R. 1998. Heterochrony and the

evolution of xenacanth sharks. IchthyolithIssues Special Publication 4.,46

Soler-Gijón R. & Hampe, O. 1998. Evidenceof Triodus JORDAN 1849 (Elasmobranchii:Xenacanthida) in the Lower Permian of theAutun Basin (Muse, France). N. Jb. Geol.Paläont. Mh., 1998: 335-348, 4 figs., 2tabs; Stuttgart.

Paper in press:Schneider J.W., Hampe O. & Soler-Gijón R.:The Late Carboniferous and Permian: aquaticvertebrate zonation in southern Spain andGerman basins. Courier Forschungs-InstitutSenckenberg

* * * * * * * * * *Dr Barbara J STAHL, 100 Magnolia Rd,Manchester, New Hampshire 03104, USAbjstahl@anselm.edu

Barabara has finished her magnum opus, thelatest Handbook of Paleoichthology onHolocephali.

Where to order

Verlag Dr Friedrich PfielWolfratshauser Str. 27. D-81879Ph: 49 89 7428270, fax: 49 89 7242772.E-mail: 100417.1722@compuserve.com

**********Andrea TINTORI, Dipartimento di Scienzedella Terra, Via Mangiagalli 34, 20133MILANO, ITALYEmail: tintori@e35.gp.terra.unimi.it

Paper of note:Tintori A. 1998. New chondrichthyan faunafrom the Guadakyouab (middle Permian) ofthe sultanate of Oman. Ichthyolith IssuesSpecial Publication 4: 48-49.

* * * * * * * * * *Kate TRINAJSTIC, Western AustralianMuseum, Francis St. Perth, WA 6000,AUSTRALIAktrinajs@geol.uwa.edu.au

Kate finished her thesis and is planning post-doc work. She has submitted several paperson the thelodont and shark fauna of the earlyFrasnian in Western Australia.

Papers of note:Trinajstic K. 1998. Frasnian sharks from the

Gneudna Formation, Western australia.Ichthyolith Issues Special Publication 4, 50.

Trinajstic K. 1999a. Scale morphology of theLate Devonian palaeoniscoid Moythomasiadurgaringa Gardiner and Bartram 1977.Alcheringa 23, 9-19.

Trinajstic K.M. 1999b. Scales ofpalaeoniscoid fishes (Osteichthyes:Actinopterygii) from the Late Devonian ofWestern Australia. Records of the WesternAustralian Museum Supplement No. 57:93-106.

Trinajstic K.M. & McNamara K.J. 1999.Heterochrony in the Late Devonianarthrodiran fishes Compagopiscis andIncisoscutum. Records of the WesternAustralian Museum Supplement No. 57: 77-91.

Paper in press:Long J.A. & Trinajstic K.M.: An overview ofthe Devonian microvertebrate faunas ofWestern Australia. Courier Forschungs-Institut Senckenberg.

* * * * * * * * * *Dr Sue TURNER, Queensland Museum, P.O.Box 3300, S. Brisbane, Q 4101, AUSTRALIA

….is just too busy!!!! But thoroughly enjoyedher 6 months as a D.A.A.D. Visiting Professorteaching in Hannover during Winter 98-99.She gave a series of 15 lectures on theGeology of Australia and with Detlev Thiesgave a combined lecture/prac. course on fishmicrofossils; they were joined for one sessionby Jo Vergoossen (Univ. Groningen). While inEurope she had chances to visit andsometimes lecture at the Senckenberg, theHumboldt, Universities of Bonn, Cologne,Copenhagen, Marburg Tübingen, Villeneuved'Ascq and Warsaw; as well as quick visits tothe Natural History Museum and to see Wimvan den Brugghen in Glasgow, with a brieflook at East Kirkton Quarry in the snow and arunning 10 minute tour of the newly-openedMuseum of Scotland provided by formerKeeper, Ian Rolfe, giving her a quick glimpseof the Turinia pagei model which she helpedcreate. She also had a chance to visit DrVlad Babuska at UNESCO in Paris before his

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retirement as Secretary-General of IGCP lastApril.

She made a fleeting visit to Edinburgh,Reading, Newcastle and Jurmala inSeptember 99. In Edinburgh she spoke aboutthe Lower Carboniferous tetrapod-bearingassemblage in Queensland. Allen & Unwinhave just brought out a paperback called"Wizards of Oz - Recent breakthroughs byAustralian scientists" by Peter Spinks andAnne Warren and Sue are in it for thediscovery of the Carboniferous tetrapods!Most exciting so long as the powers that beread it and give us more money!!

In Jurmala Sue showed some of the arcticremains from Somerset Island and Timan. Inbetween she delved in museum drawers atBGS and RSM Edinburgh and the HancockMuseum.

Papers of note:Turner S. 1999. Early Silurian to Early

Devonian thelodont assemblages and theirpossible ecological significance. In Boucot,A.J. and Lawson, J. (eds.).Palaeocommunities: case studies inInternational Geological CorrelationProgramme 53, Project Ecostratigraphy,Final Report. Cambridge University Press,Cambridge. 42-78.

Turner S. (1999): Non-gnathostomevertebrates: In R. Singer (ed.),Encyclopedia of Paleontology. FitzroyDearborn Publishers. 2 volumes; 1700 p.Chicago.

Turner, S., Kuglitsch, J.J. and Clark, D.L.1999. Llaandoverian thelodont scales fromthe Burnt Bluff Group of Wisconsin andMichigan. J. Paleont., 73(4):667-676. (SEETHE COVER!!)

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>Below a small digression upon which I havepondered long and hard:-

THE IMPORTANCE OF COPROLITE EVENTSS. Turner : Ichthyolith Issues 20.

HAS anyone else wondered seriouslyabout how much we owe to the vertebratedigestive system to preserve really importantinformation about the evolution of ourancestors? With my propensity for findingcoprolites (and sometimes not much else) Ihave often given the matter deep thought.Well, I think we should elevate the humblecoprolite to the position it deserves. Isuggest here that we should seek out thecharacteristics of Palaeozoic and other fishcoprolite-bearing horizons, which I proposehere to designate Coprolite Events (as abelated contribution to IGCP 216 perhaps -with apologies to Otto Walliser).

These phosphatic deposits are eventhorizons crowded, nay overwhelmed by fossilordure or coprolites (Reviews see e.g.Häntzschel et al. 1968, Duffin 1979, Thulborn1991). Palaeozoic horizons where coprolitesbegin to be noticeable (i.e. fish have got to areasonable size and perhaps begin schooling)

do not occur until the Early Carboniferousaccording to Daphne Sumner's (1994) review.She illuminated us on the large numbers ofcoprolites throughout the West Lothian Oil-Shale Formation, Lower Carboniferous(commonly in the transition zone between theEast Kirkton Limestone and the overlyingLittle Cliff Shale) which is a case in point.She also noted other horizons, in particular,the Pumpherston Shale at South Queensferrynear Edinburgh (even I managed to collectsome from here - S.T. coll. in HancockMuseum - courtesy of a fine day out withStan Wood) - all Viséan. She noted othersimilar Carboniferous horizons (Price 1927,Johnson 1934, Zidek 1980). Johnson's (1934)horizon may be a significant stratigraphicevent horizon being found by him in Coloradoand by Price (1927) in West Virginia atapproximately the same age in black shalesof the so-called Weber Formation; thecopious coprolites occurring in a zone about23 m thick. Johnson and Price ascribed theircoprolites to "ganoids" but given their spiralnature, chondrichthyans would be a morelikely source. Does anyone else haveevidence of this Late Carboniferousphosphatic hey day. Were Zangerl &Richardson's (1963) examples from the sametime?

BUT significant coprolitic horizons do alsooccur in much older deposits: the Telychianfish beds of Lesmahagow in Scotland andNew Brunswick, Canada, for example. Herepresumed coprolitic masses and strings haveyielded some of the best-preserved thelodontscales. The source of these coprolites isthought to be invertebrate, arthropod andpossibly eurypterid or phyllocarid. Gilmore(1992) had a deal to say about other spiralcoprolites in the Late Llandovery of Scotland;Ritchie (1963) also noted these. Gilmore sawhis specimens as originating from thelodontswith a spiral valve, as in chondrichthyans.

At the first IGCP 328 meeting at Parc deMiguasha in 1991, Jim McAllister enthralledus with an account of the coprolites from theLate Devonian (early Frasnian), EscuminacFormation (McAllister 1996). Then there areamazing examples possible in the lateFamennian Cleveland Shale (e.g. Williams1972, Briggs & Crowther1990, McAllister1985). Waldman (1970) prized open aCretaceous coprolite to the same good effectfinding Lepisosteus scales and other remainsin a presumed crocodilian coprolite. Heemphasised something I have been trying tomaintain since the beginnings of IGCP 328 -that most palaeoecology etc. has been basedon macrovertebrate evidence and thatmicrovertebrates have been neglected orignored, giving what Waldman calls anunbalanced or a "top-heavy" approach.

So vertebrates got into the weightybusiness much earlier than Sumner'scontention implies and equally significantly byEarly Silurian times. BUT I know of no reallygood Ordovician event - can anyoneenlighten me?

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If others would like to have a good look atsuch Palaeozoic phosphatic delights, sendstories to the next issues.

Coprolite inclusions "pie" from McAllister, J.1996

Some ReferencesBriggs, D.E.G. & Crowther, P.R. eds 1990.

Palaeobiology, a synthesis. Oxford.Duffin, C. J. 1979 Coprolites: A brief review

with reference to specimens from theRhaetic bone-beds of England and SouthWales. Mercian Geol. 7, 3: 191-204.

Gilmore, B. 1992. Scroll coprolites from theSilurian of Ireland and the feeding of earlyvertebrates. Palaeontology 35: 319-333.

Häntzschel, W., El-Baz, F., & Amstutz, G.C.1968. Coprolites: an annotated bibliography.Mem. Geol. Soc. Amer. 108, v11 + 132pp

Johnson, J. Harlan 1934. A coprolite horizonin the Pennsylvanian of Chafee and ParkCounties, Colorado. J. Paleont. 8: 477-479.

McAllister, J. 1985. Re-evalution of theformation of spiral coprolites. Univ. KansasPaleontol. Contr. Pap. 114, 1-12.

McAllister, J. 1996. Coprolites. 328-347. InSchultze, H-P. & R. Cloutier (eds)Devonian Fishes and Plants of Miguasha,Quebec, Canada. Verlag Dr Friedrich Pfeil:Munchen.

Price, P.H. 1927. The coprolite horizon of theConemaugh Series in and aroundMorgantown, West Virginia. Ann. CarnegieMus. 17: 211-254.

Ritchie, A. (1963). Palaeontological Studies inScottish Silurian Fish-Beds. Unpub. Ph.DThesis, Univ. Edinburgh.

Sumner, Daphe 1994. Coprolites from theViséan of East Kirkton, West Lothian,Scotland. Trans Roy. Soc. Edinb., EarthSci. 84: 413-416.

Thulborn, R.A. 1991. Morphology,preservation and palaeobiologicalsignificance of dinosaur coprolites.Palaeogeogr., Palaeoclimatol., Palaeoecol.83: 341-366.

Waldman, M. 1970. Comments on aCretaceous coprolite from Alberta, Canada.CJES 7, no. 3, 1008-1012.

Williams, M.E. 1972. The origin of 'spiralcoprolites'. Univ. Kansas Paleontol. Contr.Pap. 59, 1-19.

Zangerl, R. & Richardson, E. S. Jnr. 1963.The paleoecological history of two

Pennsylvanian black shales. Fieldiana Geol.Mem. 4. 352 pp.

Zidek, J. 1980. Acanthodes lundi, newspecies (Acanthodii) and associatedcoprolites from the uppermost MississippianHeath Formation of central Montana. Ann.Carnegie Mus. 49: 49-78.

* * * * * *José I. VALENZUELA RIOS, Departmento deGeologia, Universitat de Valencia, SPAINE-mail: Jose.I.Valenzuela@uv.es

Nacho enjoyed himself immensely at theECOS VII conference and field trip. He, SvenStouge and Andrew Simpson formed the“ECOS swim team” and ploughed up and downthe pool in the Hotel Sporting Trexante inSenorbi village, Sardinia. The pool wascomplete with an inflatable shark, rumoured tobe there to make the Australians feel more athome.

Papers of note.Botella H. and Valenzuela-Rios J.I. 1999.

Early Devonian microvertebrate remainsfrom Niguella (Iberian Chains, Spain). IVEuropean Workshop on VertebratePaleontology (1999) Albarracin, Spain. p28.

García Lopez S., Rodriguez -Canero R., SanzLôpez J., Sarmiento G.,& Valenzuela-RiosJ.I. 1999. Conodontos y episodioscarbonatados en el Silúrico de la CadenaHercinica meridional y del DominioSahariani. [Conodonts and Carbonaticepisodes in the Silurian System from theHercinic Chain and the Saharian Domain].Revista Espanola de Paleontologia. N0

Extraordinario, 33-57.

* * * * * * * * * *Dr Juozas VALIUKECIUS, Lithuanian Instituteof Geology, Sevcenkos 13, 2600 Vilnius,LITHUANIAFAX: (370 2) 23 67 10

Papers of note:Valiukevicius, J. 1998. Acanthodians and

zonal stratigraphy of Lower and MiddleDevonian in East Baltic and Byelorussia.Palaeontographica , 248: 53 pp.

Valiukevicius, J. 1999. Early DevonianAcanthodian biogeography. IchthyolithIssues Special Publication 5, p50-52.

papers in press:Valiukevicius J.J. & Kruchek, S.:

Acanthodian biostratigraphy andinterregional correlations of the Devonian ofthe Baltic States, Belarus, Ukraine, andRussia. Courier Forschungs-InstitutSenckenberg

Valiukevicius J. (In press) Acanthodians. In:Mathukhin R.G., and Menner V.V. (editors)Stratigraphy of Silurian and Devonian ofSevernaya Zemlya Archipelago. [InRussian]Valiukevicius J. (In press). Devonian

39

acanthodians from the Severnaya ZemlyaArchipelago. Geodiversitas.

* * * * * * * * * *Jo M.J. VERGOOSSEN, PaleontologischeWerkkamer, Biologisch Centrum,Rijkuniversitat Groningen, PB 14, 9750 AAHaaren, THE NETHERLANDSvergooss@biol.rug.nl

Jo is in the final stages of writing his thesis.

Papers of note:Vergoossen J.M.J. 1999. Siluro-Devonian

microfossils of Acanthodii andChondrichthyes (Pisces) from the WelshBorderland/South Wales. Modern Geology,24, 23-90.

Vergoossen J.M.J. 1999. Late Silurian fishmicrofossils from Ramsåsa, locality H,Scania, South Sweden. Ichthyolith IssuesSpecial Publication 5, 52-53.

Paper in press:Vergoossen J.M.J.: Acanthodian andchondrichthyan microremains in the Siluro-Devonian of the Welsh Borderland, GreatBritain, and their biostratigraphical potential.Courier Forschungs-Institut Senckenberg

* * * * * * * * * *WANG Nian-Zhong, I.V.P.P., P.O. Box 643,Academia Sinica, Beijing 100044, CHINA

Papers of note:Wang N.Z., Zhang S.B., Wang J.Q., and Zhu

M. 1998. Early Silurian chondrichthyanmicrofossils from Bachu County, Xinjiang,China. Vertebrata PalAsiatica 36:257-267.

Wang N.Z., Wang J.Q., Zhang G.R. & WangS.T. 1998. The first discovery of Silurianand Early Devonian acanthodians fromZoige and Tewo counties, West QinlingMountains. Vertebrata PalAsiatica 36:268-281.

Papers in pressZhu Min & Wang Jun-qing: Silurian vertebrateassemblages of China. Courier Forschungs-Institut SenckenbergZhu Min, Wang Nian-zhong & Wang Jun-qing:Devonian macro- and microvertebrateassemblages of China. Courier Forschungs-Institut Senckenberg

* * * * * * * * * *¶Hans-Martin WEBER, Universität Köln,Geologisches Institut, Zülpicher Strasse 49a,Köln, D- GERMANYfx 49 (0)221 470 5050

Hans-Martin is interested in the LateDevonian fishes of the Bergisch-Gladbachand in addition is working on LowerCarboniferous carbonates from Belgium. Hehas found a rich microfauna which includesteeth of Bransonella.

***********

Lisa WHITENACK, USA - from the netE-mail: whitenac@students.uiuc.edu

Lisa sent this to the VP listserver:

While I'm sorry to say that I don't know ofany Cladodus specimens that have more thanthe teeth preserved, I would like to saythanks again to those who helped me with myCladodus/form taxon problem earlier this year.My senior thesis is FINALLY done! The titleof it is "The Fauna and Paleoecology of theBurlington Formation (Mississippian) ofMissouri, with a focus on ChondrichthyanIchthyoliths" If anyone is interested in acopy, let me know...I did devote a smallchapter to the status of Cladodus.

**********Mark V.H. WILSON, Department of BiologicalSciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton,CANADA T6G 2E9E-mail: Mark_Wilson@biology.ualberta.ca

We continue to find amazing things in oursamples from the MOTH site, but most of thenew undescribed species are coming in theacanthodian and problematic heterostracanareas rather than in the thelodonts.Nevertheless I'm still very interested in thefork-tails. The more I work with them the moreI think they share something special withpteraspidiforms.

I've got a couple of undergraduatestudents doing projects on cephalaspidsthese days. One of them is zeroing in on thesandy filling of the inner ear that we see incephalaspids, acanthodians, and putativechondrichthyans at the MOTH site. It alsooccurs in acanthodians at Miguasha.

Books /Papers of Note:Ginter M., & Wilson M.V.H. (Editors). 1998.

IGCP 406 Circum-Arctic Palaeozoic Faunasand Facies. Faculty of Geology, WarsawUniversity, Warsaw, Poland, September 3-8,1998 Ichthyolith Issues Special Publication4:1-62.

Luksevics E., Stinkulis G. & Wilson, M.V.H.(eds.) Lower -Middle Palaeozoic EventsAcross the Circum-Arctic. A joint BalticStratigraphical Association/IGCP 406Project meeting. Jurmala, Latvia,September-October 1999. IchthyolithIssues Special Publication 5, 1-67.

Wilson M.V.H., Hanke G.F., & Sahney S.1999. Observations on the head of someLower Devonian gnathostomes. IchthyolithIssues Special Publication 5, p54-55.

Wilson M.V.H., Hanke G.F., & Sahney S.1999. Teeth, jaws, and ears in some earlygnathostomes. Abstracts of papers, 59thAnnual Meeting of Vertebrate Paleontology,Denver, Colorado, October 20-23, 1999.JVP 19(3) September 1999, p85A.

Paper in press:Soehn K. L., Märss T., Hanke G.F. & WilsonM. V. H.: Preliminary vertebrate

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biostratigraphy of the Avalanche Lakesections (Wenlock, Silurian), southernMackenzie Mountains, N.W.T., and review ofnorthwestern Canadian vertebrate localities ofSilurian age. Courier Forschungs-InstitutSenckenberg

* * * * * * * * * *Dr Gavin C. YOUNG, Department of EarthSciences, Australian National University,Canberra, ACT 0200, AUSTRALIAEmail: gyoung@earthsciences.anu.edu.au

In early 1999 Gavin spent 3 months at theMNHN in Paris working on placoderms withDaniel Goujet. Gavin is remembered in 1998for his stoic performance in continuing histalk at Isfahan while doubled over astechnicians attended to an audio malfunction.What a professional!

He is currently at the HumboldtMuseum in Berlin.

Papers of note:Young G.C. 1999. Preliminary report on the

biostratigraphy of new placodermdiscoveries in the Hervey Group (UpperDevonian) of central New South Wales.Records of the Western Australian MuseumSupplement No. 57: 139-150.

Young G.C. & Janvier P. 1999. Early-MiddlePalaeozoic vertebrate faunas in relation toGondwana dispersion and Asian accretion.In: Gondwana Dispersion and AsianAccretion, IGCP 321 Final Results Volume.Metcalfe I., Charvet R.J.J. & Hada S. (eds.)p115-140.

Papers in pressBasden A., Burrow C., Hocking M., Parkes R.

& Young G.: Siluro-Devonianmicrovertebrates from southeasternAustralia. Courier Forschungs-InstitutSenckenberg

Young G.C. & Turner S.: Devonianmicrovertebrates and marine-nonmarinecorrelation in East Gondwana: overview.Courier Forschungs-Institut Senckenberg

* * * * *Dr Jaroslav ZAJIC, NB. NEW ADDRESS -Institute of Geology, Academy of Science ofthe Czech Republic, Rozvojova 135, 165 02Praha 6, CZECH REPUBLICtel.: ++420-2-20922628 (exchange) fax.:++420-2-20922670E-mail: zajic@gli.cas.czhttp://www.gli.cas.cz/home/zajic/default.htm

This year I will 1) prepare finally myichthyolith work for press 2) write newextended faunal list of the limnic Permo-Carboniferous fauna of the Czech Republicand 3) start with study of the Permianacanthodians of the Czech Republic.

Paper in press:Zajic J.: Vertebrate zonation of the non-marine Upper Carboniferous-Lower Permian

basins of the Czech Republic. CourierForschungs-Institut Senckenberg

**********ZHU Min, I.V.P.P., P.O. Box 643, AcademiaSinica, Beijing 100044, CHINA

Papers of note:Zhu M. 1998. Early Silurian sinacanths

(Chondrichthyes) from China. Palaeontology41:157-171.

Zhu Min, Yu Xiaobo & Janvier, P. 1999. Aprimitive fossil fish sheds light on the originof bony fishes. Nature 397, 607-610.

Wang N. Z., Zhang S. B., Wang J. Q., andZhu M. 1998. Early Silurian chondrichthyanmicrofossils from Bachu County, Xinjiang,China. Vertebrata PalAsiatica 36:257-267.

Papers in press:Zhu Min & Wang Jun-qing: Silurian vertebrate

assemblages of China. Courier Forschungs-Institut Senckenberg

Zhu Min & Wang Nian-zhong & Wang Jun-qing: Devonian macro- and microvertebrateassemblages of China. Courier Forschungs-Institut Senckenberg

Zhu Min: Catalogue of Devonian vertebratesin China, with notes on bio-events. CourierForschungs-Institut Senckenberg

**********

MESOZOIC MATTERS

III INTERNATIONAL MEETING ONMESOZOIC FISHES

Systematics, Paleoenvironments andBiodiversitySerpiano (TI-CH) ---August 2001

At one of the most famous sites for thesefossils, the Monte San Giorgio-Besano area.

The organization of the meeting issupported by the Dipartimento di Scienzedella Terra of the Milano University (AndreaTintori), the Museo Cantonale di StoriaNaturale in Lugano (Markus Felber), thePalaeontologisches Institut und Museum derUniversitaet Zuerich (Heinz Furrer).

REGISTER NOW

Contact: Dr Andrea Tintori<tintori@e35.gp.terra.unimi.it>

*************In an abstract from the 'ProgressivePalaeontology' meeting held at Bristol, astudent has "enigmatic" Carboniferous shark'steeth reworked into Late Triasic fissure fauna- see extract below. I suppose "enigmatic"means he's having trouble identifying them? -we all know that problem - ed.---------------------------------------------------------------

41

¶Byron BLESSED, Department of EarthSciences, University of Bristol, Wills MemorialBuilding, Queen's Road, Bristol. BS8 1RJ,UK. E-mail:ByronBlessed@palaeokarst.freeserve.co.uk

Distinct vertebrate assemblages from anUpper Triassic cave deposit

In south-west Britain, Mesozoic karsticdeposits can be found within CarboniferousLimestones lying immediately beneath anuncomformity with overlying Triassiccontinental deposits. These deposits containa range of surface-derived material, oftenrevealing concentrated and isolatedvertebrate remains, that would otherwise belost in an `open' environment.

Cromhall Quarry, the most famous andextensively studied of these deposits, has agrowing number of identified taxa (over 24).Blessed suggests that the Cromhallpalaeokarst deposit represents a cavesystem with 3 separate faunal assemblages;a) terrestrial-derived assemblage - raretetrapod remains and evidence of the firstmammals; b) a `classic' Rhaetian fish fauna(with taxa such as Lissodus minimus,`Hybodus' minor, `Gryolepis ' and `Birgeria'), c)enigmatic reworked Carboniferous shark teeth[BUT check Duffin 1996].

Modified from Abstracts, ProgressivePalaeontology, Bristol '99 Conferencesponsored by Palaeontological Association(UK) 28th April, 1999, Bristol

**********************¶ Dr Dominique DELSATE, CRS du MNHNLuxembourg, Paléontologie, 25 Rue Münster,L-2160 LUXEMBOURG

Here is the fauna I identified from theLuxembourg Ladinian of Moersdorf (commonwork with Chris Duffin) Hybodus plicatilis,Hybodus multiplicatus/multiconus, Acrodusgaillardoti, Polyacrodus sp, Palaeobatesangustissimus, Lissodus sp and Lissodusnov.sp, and Actinopterygian teeth I am busyattempting to determine cf Birgeria, cfGyrolepis , Colobodus... I am also still busysorting sediments from the same outcrop,trying to gather more material.

Delsate D., Herman J. & Lepage JC. 1989.Nouvelles faunes D’elasmobranchs duToarcien de la Lorraine Belge. Bulletin de laSociete belge de Geologie, 98-1, 77-80

Delsate D. & Lepage J.C. 1990 DecouverteD’une Fauna Originale D’Elasmobranchesdans les Phosphates du Toarcien Lorrain(Couche a Coeloceras Crassum). Bulletin del’Academie et Societe lorraines desSciences, 29(3), 153-161

Delsate D. 1992. Chondrichthyensmesozoiques du Luxembourg Notepreliminaire. Bull. Soc. Nat. Luxemb., 93,181-193.

Delsate D. 1993. Synthése Des FaunesD’élasmobranches du Trias et du

Jurassique de Lorraine. Cossmanniana,Paris, Hors-série No. 2, Août 1993, pp. 52-55, sans figs.

Duffin C.J. & Delsate D. 1993. The age ofthe Upper Triassic vertebrate fauna fromAttert (Province of Luxembourg, Belgium).Belgian Geological Survey – ProfessionalPaper, 264, 33-44.

Duffin C.J., & Delsate D. 1993. A newmyriacanthid holocephalan(Chrondrichthyes) from the Early Jurassicof Luxembourg – N. Jb. Geol. Paläont. Mh.,1993 (11): pp. 669-680; Stuttgart.

Delsate D., & Thies D. 1995. Teeth of thefossil shark Annea Thies 1983(Elsamobranchii, Neoselachii) from theToarcian of Belgium. Belgium GeologicalSurvey Professional Paper, Elasmobranchset Stratigraphie, 278, 45-64

Duffin C.J. & Delsate D. 1995. New record ofthe early Jurassic myriacanthidholocephalan Myriacanthus paradoxusAGASSIZ, 1836 from Belgium. BelgianGeological Survey – Professional Paper,278, 1-9

Delsate D. 1996. Une nouvelle dentd’Haramiyidae (Thomasia Woutersi Butler &Macintyre 1994, Mammalia, Allotheria) duRhétien d’Habay-la-vieille (Lorraine Belge).Bulletin van de Belgische Vereniging voorGeologie. Bulletin de la Société belge deGéologie, T. 104 (1-2), 1995, pp. 23-34.

Maubeuge P.L. & Delsate D. 1996.Paleogeographic des bordures ardennaiseset vosgeennes au Rhétien: les terresemergées a la fin de la periode triasiqueNote preliminaire. Bulletin de la Classe desSciences, 7, 249-260.

Delsate D. 1998. L'Ichthyofaune du Toarcienluxembourgeois. Cadre général et cataloguestatistique. Trav. sci. Mus. nat. hist. nat.Lux. 31:1-101.

********************Masatoshi GOTO, Department of Anatomy,School of Dental Medicine, TsurumiUniversity, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama 230,JAPAN

Goto M. 1997. A palaeontological travel toGermany. Solnhofen Plattenkalk and theMesozoic Fish Symposium. Education ofEarth Science and Scientific Movement(Chigaku Kyoiku to Kagaku Undou), no. 28,pp.87 - 96.

Goto M. 1998. Circum-Arctic Palaeozoicvertebrates (1996-2000) in Japan. IGCPActivities in Japan 1997, 25-26, IGCPNational Committee of Japan 1998:25-26.

Goto M., & Hitomi T. 1998. On a tooth ofChlamydoselachus sp. from the HimenouraGroup (Upper Cretaceous) in Amakusa-kamishima, Kyushu Islands, south westJapan. Abstracts of the 1998 AnnualMeeting of the Palaeontological Society ofJapan. p. 24.

Goto M., Omori M., & Uyeno T. 1998. On thetooth plates of the Diodontidae, porcupinefish, from the Miura Group (Late Miocene) in

42

Miura City, Kanagawa Prefecture, centralJapan. Abstracts of the 1998 AnnualMeeting of the Palaeontological Society ofJapan. p. 30.

Goto M., & Okura M. 1998. Palaeozoic fishremains from the Fukuji, Hida Gaien belt,central Japan. Abstracts of the 105th

Annual Meeting of the Geological Society ofJapan. p. 297.

Goto M. 1998. Origin of tooth in vertebrates.Abstracts of the 147th regular meeting ofthe Palaeontological Society of Japan. p.45.

Goto M. 1998. Histological structure of theteeth and denticles of a female megamouthshark, Megachasma pelagious, from hakataBay, Japan. Abstracts of the 52nd AnnualMeeting for the Geological Collaboration inJapan. p. 225.

Goto M. 1997. Origin and evolution of bone.Journal of the Society of Biomechanisms,21 (4). pp. 157 - 162.

Goto M. 1998. Origin and evolution of thehuman tooth. Acta Anatomica Nipponica,Vol. 73, No.1. pp. 59-60.

Goto M., & Kimura, M. 1998. A summary ofelasmobranch remains from Hokkaido,Japan. Jour. Fossil Res., 31 (1). pp. 1-6.

Goto M., Okura M., & Palaeozoic FishResearch Group. 1997. A restoration ofthe Palaeozoic fish remains from Japan.Abstracts of the 51th Annual Meeting forthe Geological Collaboration in Japan. pp.157-158.

Uyeno T., Goto M., & Tanaka T. (editors).1997. Newsletter for Fossil Shark ToothResearch. 4. The Japanese Club for FossilShark Tooth Research.

Uyeno T., Goto M., & Tanaka T. (editors).1998. Newsletter for Fossil Shark ToothResearch. 6. The Japanese Club for FossilShark Tooth Research.

*****************Walter HOFFMAN, 5743 Idar-Oberstein,Kiefernstr. 2 GERMANY.E-mail: WALHOFF@HOTMAIL.COM

I am still collecting fossil shark remains, butalso fossil fishes. Since collecting here inRheinland-Pfalz is very restricted, we spendour holidays at Great Britain (Kent) everyyear for fossil hunting. This summer we wereagain at Great Britain to collect sharks teeth.Most of the time we were searching theLondon Clay at the Is le of Sheppey. Wefound some really nice material and met somenew collectors at the beach.

Because my profession is very timeconsuming, it is not possible for me to attendmeetings like the one at Buckow, even so itwould be very interesting for me. But whoknows, one day I will join you and the othermembers of the Working Group. So I amwaiting for Ichthyolith Issues to read what isgoing on. (The wait is over, Walter-ed.)

*****************¶Armin LEIDNER, Schneidemühler Weg 12,D-30659 Hannover, GERMANY

Phone: 49 (0)511/649 86 70

In 1997 I finished my Master-Thesis on LateJurassic elasmobranchs under the guidanceof Detlev Thies. By his intercession withdifferent institutions I got the chance tosample articulated specimens from thecollections for the scales. I have produced acomprehensive catalogue of sharks and raysdisplaying their scale morphology. Isolatedscales can now be attributed to a certainspecies or genus, avoiding the difficulties ofparataxonomy for the microremains with thesplitting of morphotypes belonging to thesame species. Specimens lacking visibleremains of the oral teeth or even thecomplete head can now be assigned at leastto a particular genus. From this newtaxonomic important tool it follows that thesystematics of Late Jurassic elasmobranchscan be corrected, more or less dubioussynonyms can be confirmed or disproved,and this has consequent effects on highertaxa.

First results of my work were presented in atalk at the Mesozoic Fish Meeting at Buckowin July 1997 and with a poster on theidentification of headless holotypes at theEuropean Workshop of VertebratePalaeontology at Maastricht (May 1998).Currently my fish work has stopped due tothe common difficulties in fund raising, butstill I hope to stay in the business for adoctor’s thesis. The taxonomy of some LateJurassic elasmobranchs needs morecomprehensive work and I hope to resolvethese riddles, so that the isolated scales maybecome a reliable source for palaeoecologicaland even stratigraphic information. Apublication as a comprehensive catalogue isplanned, co-authored with Detlev Thies,comprising information about specimens, oralteeth and placoid scale morphology.

* * * * * * * * *¶Alexander MUDROCH, Inst. f. Geologie u.Palontologie, Universit t HANNOVER,Germany

Papers of interest:Mudroch A. & Thies D. 1996. Stronium-

Isotopie fossiler Fischzäne alsSalinitätsindikator. Terra Nostra Schriftender Alfred-Wegener-Stifung 96/6 66.Jahrestagung der PaläntologischenGesellschaft Vortrags-undPosterkurzfassungen 22-28 September1996, Leipzig, Germany: p64.

Mudroch A., Thies D., and Baumann A. 1997.Sr isotopic evolution of Late Jurassicepeiric seas shown on 87Sr/86Sr analysis offossil fish teeth. Journal of the CzechGeological Society 42(3): p89.

*****************Jan REES, Dept Geology Lund UniversitySolvegata 13, SE-223, 62 LUND, SwedenJan.Rees@geol.lu.se

43

useful terminology from:Rees, J. 1998. Early Jurassic selachiansfrom the Hasle Formation on Bornholm,Denmark. Acta Palaeontological Polonica 43,3, 439-452.

• * * * * * * * * *Rodrigo SOLER-GIJON, Paläontologisch-Geologisches Institut und Museum, fürNaturkunde der Humboldt-Universität,Invalidenstr. 43, D-10115 Berlin, GERMANY

Paper of note:Soler-Gijon, R. & Lopez-Martinez, N. 1998.Sharks and rays (chondrichthyes) from theUpper Cretaceous red beds of the south-central Pyrenees (Lleida, Spain): indices ofan India-Eurasia connection. Palaeogeog.,Palaeoclimatol., Palaeoecol. 141, 1-12.

***************************Charles UNDERWOOD, Department of EarthSciences, University of Liverpool, BrownlowSt, Liverpool L69 3BX, UKE-mail: cju@liv.ac.uk

Underwood, C.J. and Mitchell, S.F. 1999.Albian and Cenomanian (Cretaceous)selachian assemblages from north-eastEngland. Special Papers in Palaeontology,60:9-56, 9pls.

Underwood, C.J., Mitchell, S.F. and Veltkamp,C.J. 1999. Microborings in mid-Cretaceousfish teeth. Proceedings of the

Yorkshire Geological Society, 52(3):269-274.Underwood, C.J., Mitchell, S.F. and Veltkamp,

K.J. 1999. Shark and ray teeth from theHauterivivan (Lower Cretaceous) of north-east England. Palaeontology, 42(2):287-302, 2pls.

*****************Another paper of interest:Borsuk-Bialynicka, M., Cook, E., Evans,S.E., & Marya_ska, T. 1999. Amicrovertebrate assemblage from the EarlyTriassic of Poland. Acta PalaeontologicaPolonica 44(2):167-188.

*****************

TERTIARY TITBITS

Jim BOURDON, Nordica Drive, Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520, USA.

Phone: 01 914-271-6842, e-mail:raja2@idt.netThe Life and Times of Long Dead Sharks:http://www.elasmo.com

Jim sent a message to the VP server:

I could use some help distinguishing fossildasyatid teeth from urolophid teeth." OnlyJacques Herman et al. have published muchon extant batoid teeth, and the dasyatoidsweren't yet covered. Since those earlyattempts I've concentrated my efforts ongetting dentitions from extant species. Thisquest has only been slightly more successful.I'm always interested in conversing withanyone who is directing time tothe study offossil batoids. If you've seen my website, I'vetried to share much of what I've learned. Ifyou come across any collectors interested inbatoids, I love to hear from them.

[NB. DO VISIT JIM'S VERY FINE WEB SITE- ed.]

*****************

RECENT RUMBLINGS

Living fossil gets cousin

In 1938, the first living coelacanth (Latimeriachalumnae) was caught off the east coast ofSouth Africa. This major discovery revealedthe existence of a “living fossil” thought tohave become extinct 70ma and whosemorphology had evolved very little since itappeared in the Devonian, over 400ma.About 200 other coelacanths recorded sincethe late 1930s have mostly been fished offthe Comoros.

To date, all scientific investigation on therare specimens found since have confirmedthe assumption that the population of L.chalumnae was restricted to the MozambiqueStrait or even to just one or two of theComoros islands (Grand Comoros andAnjouan). This long-held hypothesis wasshaken with the discovery in July 1998 of acoelacanth more than 9000 km away, nearMenadotua Island in the Celebes archipelagoof Indonesia (see Geoscientist v8, 12, p18).Like the original specimen of L. chalumnae,the new specimen was found accidentally in afish-market.

To find out if the Indonesian and Comoroscoelacanths belong to distinct populations, ajoint research team from IRD, Institut derescherche pour le développement, LIPI(Division of Zoology Research andDevelopment Centre for Biology, Indonesia)and CRIFI-RIFF (Central Research Institutefor Fisheries, Indoniesia) have performedgenetic sequence analysis and established amorphological description of the newspecimen. The Indonesian specimens showsignificant genetic and morphologicaldifferences from L. chalumnae, whichnormally shows very little morphologicalvariation. The genetic differentiation is at a

44

level appropriate to two distinct, thoughclosely related, species. The researchersconclude that the Indonesian specimen is anew species, and have named it Latimeriamenadoensis after the island where it wasdiscovered.

Using a ‘molecular clock’ (determining therate of ta gene’s evolution by plottingpercentage differences in base sequenceagainst time) they believe the two speciesdiverged about 1.5 million years ago. This isa relatively recent event, consideringcoelacanths’ long history.

The Indonesian coelacanth was takenfrom the submarine slopes of a geologicallyyoung volcanic island, a similar environmentto the habitat of the Comorean species.Crevices in the lava make ideal refuges forthe nocturnal fish. Recent studies haveshown that although coelacanths can moveseveral dozens of kilometres between caves,as semi-sedentary fish, they are unlikely tohave migrated nearly 10,000km, negotiatingthe abyssal troughs on that way from theComoros to the Indonesian coast. Speciationprobably occurred as a result of longgeographical isolation.

Latimeria menadoensis may not be limitedto the area to the north of Celebes.Coelacanth sightings have been reported fromelsewhere in the Indonesian archipelago.

Erdmann M.V., Caldwell R.L. & Kasim MoosaM. 1998. Indonesian “king of the sea”discovered. Nature 395, p. 335.

Forey P. 1998. A home from home forcoelacanths. Nature 395, p. 319-320.

Pouyaud, L., S. Wirjoatmodjo, I. Rachmatika,A. Tjakrawidjaja, R. Hadiaty, W. Hadiaty,W. Hadie; A new species of coelacanth.C. Combes; Coelacanths : metapopulationor clade? Both in Comptes Rendus del’Académie des Sciences, 4 April 1999.The Times 25.3.99, p13

Weinburg, Samantha 1999. A fish Caught inTime. The Search for the Coelacanth.Fourth estate, Lond 239pp [St 13.99

[see also Final reflections below]

*****************CONODONT CORNER

CON-NEXUSIn August 1998 the Pander Societysponsored the launch of an international e-mail discussion group dedicated to conodontsand all conodont-related matters. As well asproviding a forum for discussion betweenconodont workers, con-nexus is used tocirculate Pander Society information rapidly toconodont specialists.

Anyone wishing to subscribe to con-nexusshould simply send the message: subscribecon-nexus xxxx@xxxx.xx.xx (wherexxxx@xxxx.xx.xx is your e-mail address) tolistserv@le.ac.uk.

THE PANDER SOCIETY (for peopleinterested in conodonts) IS ON THE WEBAND CONTACT VIA

'pandersoc@le.ac.uk'

*****************Anne Kemp, Centre for Microscopy andMicroanalysis, University of Queensland,St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, AUSTRALIA.

Ichthyolith Issues 20: A Refined Methodfor the Staining of Organic Remnants inConodont Elements

Attempts to demonstrate that conodontsare or are not vertebrates have appliedmany different techniques, including theuse of histochemical dyes that arespecific for certain components ofmammalian tissues (Kemp & Nicoll 1996,Savage et al. 1990). Detailed biochemicalanalyses have confirmed that amino acidsfound in collagen are present in thehyaline tissue of conodont elements, butattempts to isolate peptide fragments fromwell preserved conodonts have not beensuccessful. This has prompted amodification of the techniques used todemonstrate the presence in conodontelements of remnants of molecules suchas collagen, as well as a reanalysis of theresults. In addition, a method for makingpermanent preparations of stainedconodonts has been designed, to improvehistological analysis of elements.

Clean, unaltered conodonts areplaced on a glass slide and decalcifiedwith 0.1M HCl in 10% formalin for 10-20minutes, depending on the specimen. Thedecalcification process is monitored undera microscope. When the conodont elementbegins to show evidence of decalcificationaround the edges, the formalin acidmixture is carefully drawn off and theelement is covered with stain, without firstwashing the element. Stain is applied tothe decalcified element at a concentrationof 0.1% in a suitable buffer for up to 20minutes to detect residues of organicmatter. Contamination with extraneousmaterial during handling is prevented byusing clean containers and slides and byfiltering solut ions before use.

Staining must be monitored under amicroscope because of the acidic natureof many of the chemicals used. Thoroughwashing in distilled water follows staining,until all free stain is removed. Stainedelements are dehydrated in a gradedseries of alcohols, cleared in xylene andmounted in DePeX. These preparationsare permanent, and the stain is stable.The most effective stain is Sirius red,dissolved in saturated picric acid. This isconsidered specific for collagen inmammalian material. Alcian blue, a stainfor chondroitin sulphate found in cartilage,

45

and Gram's stain, which can detectkeratin, are also useful.

Positive controls may include hardtissues from vertebrate and invertebratefossils from the same localities, as well asskeletal material from fish and amphioxus.Additional controls could involveconodonts that are subjected to lightetching instead of decalcification, and thestaining of undecalcified elements. Themethod does not work well on elementsthat are still embedded in matrix.

This technique makes it possible tolocalise organic residues to definedtissues in the conodont that are still in anatural position. The stain is not a surfacedeposit, but soaks into the hyaline tissueand leaves the albid tissue that isexposed on the surface unstained.

Although molecules such as collagenare widespread in the Animal Kingdom, itis unlikely that any of the stains are infact specific for particular protein residuesin the fossil material. They are simplydeposited in regions of high organiccontent. Nevertheless, the presence ofhydroxyproline in many species ofunaltered conodont element is an effectivedemonstration that hyaline tissue is highin collagen in the original unfossilisedstate, and therefore unlikely to be a formof vertebrate enamel. No organic residuesappear to be present in the albid tissue,and this is therefore unlikely to be a formof vertebrate bone.

Kemp, A. & Nicoll, R.S. 1996. Ahistochemical analysis of biologicalresidues in conodont elements. ModernGeology 20. 287-302 [reprinted in MG21, 197-213 with 2 colour plates].

Savage, N.M., Lindorfer, A. & MacMillen,G.E. 1990. Amino acids from Ordovicianconodonts. Courier ForschungsinstitutSenckenbverg 118, 267-275.

*****************Richard J. ALDRIDGE, Professor ofPalaeontology, Head of Department,Department of Geology, The University,Leicester LE1 7RH, U.K.Phone: 0116 252 3610Fax: 0116 252 3918E-mail: ra12@leicester.ac.uk

Palaeobiology in the UK does pretty well atthe moment. Ivan Sansom and PhilDonoghue have both just been givenLectureships at Birmingham, and we haveappointed Sarah Gabbott to a Lectureship inLeicester. Derek Briggs was elected FRS. Asfar as my current students go, Kim Freedmanis in the very final stages of writing up (lookout for her taphonomic study of Jamoytius inPalaeontology) and Steph Barrett is gettingsome interesting new results out of sectioningconodonts. I have a new student starting inSeptember, but he will be working onacritarchs.

*****************Phil DONOGHUE, School of Earth Sciences,University of Birmingham, Edgbaston,Birmingham B15 2TT, UKp.jc.donoghue@bhan.ac.uk

Papers of interest:Donoghue P.C.J. & Chauffe, K.M. 1998.

Conchodontus , Mitrellataxis andFungulodus: Conodonts, fish or both?Lethaia 31: 283-292.

Donoghue P.C.J., Purnell, M.A. & Aldridge,R.J. 1998. Conodont anatomy, chordatephylogeny and vertebrate classification.Lethaia. 31:211-219.

Donoghue P.C.J.,Forey, P.L. & Aldridge, R.J.2000. Conodont affinity and chordatephylogeny. Biol. Rev. 75, 191-251.

Fascinating stuff! - ed.

*********Mark PURNELL, Department of Geology, TheUniversity, Leicester LE1 7RH, U.K.

Is now on the permanent staff at Leicester.

Purnell M.A. 1999. Scenarios, selection, andthe ecology of early vertebrates. In MajorEvents in Early Vertebrate Evolution:Palaeontology, Phylogeny and Development.A joint Systematics Association / NaturalHistory Museum meeting 8-9 April 1999, p.25.

******************

MORE NEWS* * * *

BOOKS

Barbara J STAHL

Handbook of Paleoichthology Volume 4.Chondrichtyes III Holocephali

Where to order

Verlag Dr Friedrich PfielWolfratshauser Str. 27. D-81879Ph: 49 89 7428270, fax: 49 89 7242772.E-mail: 100417.1722@compuserve.com

****************************

The Encyclopedia ofPaleontology.

edited by Dr Ron SINGERPublished by Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers. 2

volumes; 1700 p. Chicago.ISBN 1-884964-96-6

includes papers on fossil fish by several ofour group - e.g., Burrow, Gagnier, Janvier,

Kemp, Long, Sansom, Turner, Young

***********************

46

David L. Dineley and Sarah J. Metcalf 1999.

Fossil Fishes of Great Britain

Geological Conservation Review Series no.16. Joint Nature Conservation Committee.675pp. Great Britain.

***********I.U.G.S.

Mike Murphy & Amos Salvador edsInternational Stratigraphic GuideAn Abridged VersionEpisodes vol. 22, no. 4, Dec. 1999US$5.00 incl. P & P. Prepayment required.Major credit cards accepted.

order fromEpisodes, PO Box 823, 26 BaiwangzhuangRoad100037 BeijingChinaepisodes@public2.bta.net.cn

********and finally out:

Boucot.A.J, Lawson.J.D, (eds) 1999.Paleocommunities: A case study from the

Silurian and Lower Devonian.Cambridge University Press, 895pp.

*************************

AND PAPERS OF NOTE

John E.A. Marshall, T.R Astin & Jenny A.Clack 1999. East Greenland tetrapods areDevonian in age. Geology 27, 7, 637-640.

Spore data confirms Famennian date forAcanthostega, Ichthyostega etc. contra Hartzet al. 1997.

* * * * * *METHODS

Important for phosphtic microfossilsJeppsson L. & Anehus R. 1999. A newtechnique to separate conodont elementsfrom heavier minerals. Alcheringa 23, 57-62.

Papers of interest:Gale J.W., Gall L.E., Hlavin W.J. 1998.

Preparation techniques of a completespecimen of the Famennian ArthrodireDunkleosteus Terrelli from the ClevelandShale. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology,Abstract Papers, 58th Annual MeetingSociety of Vertebrate Paleontology. p44A.

Lamm E.T. 1998. New methods for thepreparation and systematic organization ofhistological sections. Journal of VertebratePaleontology, Abstract Papers, 58th Annual

Meeting Society of VertebratePaleontology. .p58A.

*****************Recent thesesBertrand B. 1998. Microfossiles phosphatésdu Paléozoïque de la Zone Sud-Portugaise:microrestes de Vertébrés du Dévoniensupérieur et Conodontes du Carbonifèreinférieur.- Mém. Maîtrise Sci. Terre, U.S.T.L.,22 Juin 1998: 27 p., 9 fig., 1 pl. [ronéotypé].

Duncan, Mags 1999. Irish LowerCarboniferous microvertebrates. UnpublishedPh.D., Dept of Geology, Trinity College.Dublin.Contact:magsduncan@eircom.net

Trinajstic, Kate 1999. Microvertebratebiostratigraphy of the Gneudna Formation,Upper Devonian, southern Carnarvon Basin,Western Australia. Unpublished Ph.D.University of Western Australia Nedlands.

Blom, Henning 2000. Siluro-Devonianvertebrates from the Northern Hemisphere.Uppsala University Dept of Earth SciencesHistorical Geology & Palaeontology, Doctoraldissertation.

• * * * * * * * * *

INTERNET NEWS

ICHTHYOLITH ISSUES ONTHE WORLD WIDE WEB

Paleozoic Microvertebratesand Mesozoic Fish HomePagesWho We Are, UNESCO IGCP projects,Links, Meetings, Field Work,Publications, Membership, and Find OutMore.[NB. -Send interesting photos to Mark forinclusion on the Web - ed.]

http://gause.biology.ualberta.ca/wilson.hp/mesofish.html

http://gause.biology.ualberta.ca/wilson.hp/Paleozoic.html

************

MEETINGS

60th Ann. SVP, Mexico City, Oct. 25-28th2000with trips to Mesozoic localities includingthe Mexican Solenhofen and associatedsymposia including Palaeontology ofLower Vertebrates in the 20th Century:National and International run by Shelton

47

P. Applegate and Victor Hugo ReynosoRosales.Contactwww.museum.state.il.us/svp/ oralnus.uel.ac.uk/svp

* * * * * * * * * *ELE 2001

Evolution of Life on the EarthTomsk State University

Siberian Paleontological ScientificCenter, Nov. 12-15 2001

1st Circular

Papers on the following problemsare invited [NB titles to be sent ASAP]:1. Problems on evolution andsystematization of superior taxa.2. Environmental changes and biotaevolution.3. Genetic and molecular essentials ofevolution.4. Ancient life — Precambrian and EarlyCambrian.5. Organic life of the marine Paleozoic.6. Organic life of the marine Mesozoic.7. Organic life of the marine Cenozoic.8. Phanerozoic flora and continentalpaleolandscapes.9. Cenozoic verterbrates. Quatemarypaleoecosystems and Early man.10. Biosphere development in the exhibitsof paleontological museums.

The Proceedings of the Symposium will bepublished. Authors who wish to contributea paper must submit a preliminaryapplication with a title of a report to theOrganizing Committee by June 30, 2000(or ASAP). Paper in final form (three pagemanuscripts, DINA4, line spacing 1.0)should be submitted by December 31,2000. An electronic variant of the textprocessed in MSWord 6.0-8.0 should alsobe presented (Times New Roman Font 14,single line spacing, indented lines, allmargins 2 cm, justify. The title must be in

bold capitals, throughout double linespacing — the author’s surname andinitials, lower — the name of aninstitution, town, country). The officiallanguages of the Symposium are Russianand English. The registration fee forparticipants is US $100.

Contact: MM. Podobina or S.A. Rodygin,Geology-Geographical Faculty, TomskState University, Lenin Ave. 36, Tomsk634050 Russia. Telephone: (7-3822) 426-191. Fax: (7-3822) 426-195.E-mail: <palcenter@i~gf tsu.ru>Internet site: www.ggf.tsu.ru

*********************10th. International Meeting on

Early Vertebrates / LowerVertebrates

Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil, 5th.-9th. May 2003Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio

Grande do SulMuseu de Ciências e Tecnologia

Laboratório de Paleontologia

Intercontinental and interhemisphericalstratigraphical correlations based onLower/Early vertebrates;palaeoenvironments/geochronological datingbased on early vertebrate faunas; correlationsof marine/non-marine fish-bearing strata;Systematics and evolution of fossil andextant agnathans and fishes, especially theSouth American and other Gondwananfaunas. IGCP business meetings; pre-Meetingfield trip to vertebrate localities of the ParanáBasin Abstracts volume plus SpecialMeeting’s volume with complete papers.

First Circular and Instructions for Authorsdue soon at:

www.mct.pucrs.br (Laboratório dePaleontologia)

***************

TRANSLATION SERVICE

There are several translations already on theWeb site. Please let me know what you haveand in which language. The translations aremostly TO English from German, Russian,Japanese, Chinese or French. Othercombinations (e.g. Lithuanian to French etc)will be gratefully received. Send copies ofany Palaeozoic fossil fish translations to DrS. Turner, Queensland Museum, and if youwant translations try the web site. See pastIchthyolith Issues for more information.PLEASE SEND COPIES OF YOURTRANSLATIONS TO MAKE THISWORK, FOR NEW STUDENTSESPECIALLY.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

48

FINAL REFLECTIONSAnd finally:-

Please keep sending news, letters, and

emails - Sue Turner

Suet@qm.qld.gov.au

Or s.turner@mailbox.uq.edu.au

Or paleodeadfish@yahoo.com

* * * * * * * * *

OUR HISTORY

The editor measuring a fishy friend at the HancockMuseum, Newcastle upon Tyne in c. 1974 - male

coelacanth fished out from the Comoros courtesy of TheRoyal Society

.

Middle and Upper Devonian correlation of the Baltic area and Scotland using psammosteid agnthans, placoderms, andsarcopterygians by Per Ahlberg, Sasha Ivanov, Ervins Luksevics and Mark-Kurik, E. 1999. from: The 4th BalticStratigraphical Conference. Abstracts. Riga, p. 7.

IMPORTANT FOR DEVONIAN CORRELATION - JOINT WORK OF BALTICSTATES LATVIA AND ESTONIA, RUSSIA AND UK.