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Newsletter Number 51 The Palaeontology Newsletter Contents 51 Association Business 3 News 4 Meeting Reports 11 Association Meetings 16, 21, 33, 40 Sylvester-Bradley Award Report 18 Correspondence 22 Future meetings of other bodies 34 Book Reviews 41 Post-graduate opportunities 64 Palaeontology vol 45 parts 6 74 ANNUAL MEETING abstracts 75 Reminder: The deadline for copy for Issue no 52 is 12th February 2003 On the Web: http://www.palass.org/ Newsletter 51 3 Association Business Sylvester-Bradley Awards Awards are made to assist palaeontological research (travel, visits to museums, fi eldwork etc.), with each award having a maximum value of £1,000. Preference is given to applications for a single purpose (rather than top-ups of other grant applications) and no defi nite age limit is applied, although some preference may be given to younger applicants or those at the start of their careers. The award is open to both amateur and professional palaeontologists, but preference will be given to members of the Association. The deadline for applications is the 30th November 2002, with awards announced at the AGM. Applications consist of a CV, one A4 page account of research aims and objectives, and a breakdown of the proposed expenditure. Each application should be accompanied by the names of a personal and scientifi c referee. Successful candidates must produce a report for Palaeontology Newsletter and are asked to consider the Association’s meetings and publications as media for conveying the research results. 2002 Association Awards and Annual Address to be made at the Annual Meeting. 2002 Hodson Fund Award winner Dr Matthew A. Wills Matthew Wills (University of Bath) has thusfar had a short and illustrious career. He was a graduate zoologist who turned to palaeontology. His PhD was to test Gould’s main thesis in Wonderful Life, that life in the Cambrian was much more varied (more disparate) than life since. This resulted in a series of papers, including one in Science, which clearly showed that the range in morphology seen in living arthropods outweighs that seen among their Cambrian ancestors. Post docs at the Smithsonian and Oxford University Natural History Museum followed working on morphometrics and disparity through time. As part of this work he developed a new computer program for assessing the fi t of cladograms to stratigraphy, which is now widely used. Matthew is one of the few palaeontologists to gain a lectureship in a 5* biology department and his publishing career has continued with vigour with highly cited papers in many international journals. 2002 Mary Anning Award winner Michael J. Newman Michael is an amateur collector specialising in fossil fi sh from northern Scotland. He is a research associate at Aberdeen University and has undertaken research collecting with Nigel Trewin, amassing an internationally important collection. A number of his specimens have already been donated to national museums. Michael has already published two papers in Palaeontology, describing unique jawless fi shes from the Achanarras fi sh bed. Newsletter 51 4 Newsletter 51 5 Unveiling the Sedgwick news Sir David Attenborough had the enjoyable task of officially opening the new displays at the Sedgwick Museum on Friday 27th September. A large number of guests attended the event in the splendid surroundings of one of the UK’s finest University Museums. Change in copyright arrangements for The redevelopment of any museum gallery entails a great deal of thought, planning and careful implementation. The staff responsible for the new galleries at the Sedgwick seem to Pal Ass publications have undertaken their task with care and attention to detail. The resultant displays reflect the The more eagle-eyed amongst you will have noticed a subtle though significant change in the diversity, depth and importance of the Sedgwick collections, whilst retaining a narrative that is wording of the copyright policy on Palaeontological Association publications, as stated on the accessible at many levels. This is no easy task and the staff should be more than satisfied with inside cover of Palaeontology. This allows reproduction, in print or through electronic media, of the end result. A museum display that is accessible to researchers, undergraduates, schools and images and text from any Palaeontological Association publication for any not-for-profit research family visitors is a worthy aim for any institution; the Sedgwick displays appear to have achieved or educational enterprise without seeking permission, provided that the exact source, and the this important benchmark. Association (with whom copyright remains), is acknowledged directly. Reproduction of images Dr David Norman, Director of the Sedgwick Museum, said: ‘The Sedgwick is one of the country’s and/or text in for-profit enterprises (including commercial publishing) should proceed through a most important scientific resources, and we are delighted to be able to display our collections and formal request to the Executive Officer <[email protected]> and a fee will be payable. the work that we do in such a beautiful new gallery’. Dr Norman played a key role in raising the The driving force behind the establishment of this copyright waiver was the Copyright Licensing funds for the redevelopment and putting into action the processes that led to the new gallery. Authority’s introduction of a new charging policy for the reproduction of published images The renovation of the galleries began in 2000 and was funded through Resource by the in teaching packs; this had been deemed to introduce new financial problems for education Designation Challenge Fund, supporting increased access to museum collections. The Yorkshire- while providing little benefit to the copyright holder, the Association. The CLA’s charging based design company, Blue, was responsible for interpreting the detailed brief and design policy has subsequently introduced a revised charging policy but it is hoped that the new concepts. These were generated by the Sedgwick Museums Project Redevelopment Manager, copyright permission policy will encourage educators to utilise elements of Palaeontological Liz Hide, with the help of many other Sedgwick staff. The Museums Project Redevelopment Association publications in their teaching, as well as reducing the administration associated with Assistant, Leslie Noe, indicated at the opening that a key component of the gallery re- preparation of new research publications in which image reproduction is necessary. development was the retention of large numbers of specimens on display. At a time when many institutions are preaching ‘less is more’, it is refreshing to find a Museum that has realised that The Jurassic Coast more real material and less interactives does not detract from the overall experience. Following inscription by UNESCO on the list of World Heritage Sites in December 2001 the Dorset/East Devon Coast was officially launched on the 3rd October by H.R.H. Prince Charles. For those lucky enough to be in Lulworth Castle for the event it was a great day and we were all impressed by the genuine interest shown by the Prince. He thanked those responsible for gaining World Heritage status for the coast and ‘instructed’ us to take good care of it for the nation. The site was inscribed by UNESCO on the basis of its geology and geomorphology and it is important that all those with a scientific interest in the Dorset/East Devon Coast join the “Scientific Network” that is now being created. Anyone from the palaeontological community that is interested in joining the network should email me with a copy to Richard Edmonds of Dorset County Council <[email protected]>. Once formed the network will be able to circulate all those interested with information about the coast, details of meetings and conferences, etc. There will clearly be those who will want to become heavily involved in the work of the Network while there are others who may just want to be kept ‘in touch’. My contact is <[email protected]> and it would be useful if you could indicate your area of interest (in case I do not already know what it is!). Professor Malcolm Hart University of Plymouth, UK The two Davids, Norman (left) and Attenborough. Newsletter 51 6 Newsletter 51 7 Sir David Attenborough, in his opening speech, raised issue on the absence of real material in the H.P. Lewis Carboniferous coral specimens were ‘removed’ from Aberystwyth by the notorious some museum displays, suggesting that ‘the objects themselves were often extraordinarily difficult Indian palaeontologist V.J. Gupta, who then re-described them as coming from Kashmir (Wyatt to discover’. He went on to say that ‘in a way, this is an easy way out’ and in his view ‘a philistine 1990). way out’. However, his praise for the new displays at the Sedgwick clearly indicated that the Antony Wyatt, former curator of the collections at Aberystwyth, has previously drawn attention Museum had achieved a unique balance between content and interpretation. He concluded (1974, 1975) to type material then housed there. A full catalogue of all the type, figured and that ‘the displays have retained a historical format, with a serious image, but at the same time cited specimens now housed in Cardiff will be published in a future edition of the Geological making it accessible and exciting through its subtle lighting and superb labelling’. Curator (the journal of the Geological Curators’ Group), together with a summary of the content So far, all that have seen the new displays at the Sedgwick have given positive praise, even of the full collection. if some were a little perturbed by the superb kite-like sculptures of a trilobite, Dunkleosteus, References Hallucigenia, and Volcano that sat upon some of the cases! I look forward to taking a group of Wyatt, A.[R.] 1974. Geological collections at U.C.W. Aberystwyth. Newsletter of the Geological undergraduates to this wonderful new display, but am thankful that I can also bring my young Curators’ Group, 2: 65.
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