Applications of Palaeontology: Techniques and Case Studies Robert Wynn Jones Frontmatter More Information

Cambridge University Press 978-1-107-00523-5 - Applications of Palaeontology: Techniques and Case Studies Robert Wynn Jones Frontmatter More information

Applications of Palaeontology Techniques and Case Studies

Palaeontology, the scientific study of fossils, has developed from a descriptive science to an analytical science used to interpret relationships between Earth and life history. This book provides a comprehensive and thematic treatment of applied palaeontology, covering the use of fossils in the ordering of rocks in time and in space, in biostratigraphy, palaeobiology and sequence stratigraphy. In this new book, Robert Wynn Jones presents a practical workflow for applied palaeontology, including sample acquisition, preparation and analysis, and interpretation and integration. He then The author, struggling somewhat to come to terms presents numerous case studies that demonstrate with the equestrian demands of fieldwork in the Zagros the applicability and value of the subject to areas such mountains of Iran, April 2002. Photo courtesy of the as petroleum, mineral and coal exploration and author. exploitation, engineering geology and environmental science. Specialist applications outside the robert wynn jones gained his B.Sc. in geosciences (including archaeology, forensic science, geological sciences at the University of medical palynology, entomopalynology and Birmingham in 1979 and his Ph.D. at the melissopalynology) are also addressed. University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, in Abundantly illustrated and referenced, 1982. Since then, he has worked as a Applications of Palaeontology provides a user-friendly micropalaeontologist and biostratigrapher in reference for academic researchers and the petroleum industry, and has been a professionals across a range of disciplines and Principal Consultant Biostratigrapher at BG industry settings. Group since 2009. His industrial work

© in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 978-1-107-00523-5 - Applications of Palaeontology: Techniques and Case Studies Robert Wynn Jones Frontmatter More information

involves analysis of micropalaeontological research, especially in the study of foraminiferal samples; interpretation of micro- and taxonomy, palaeobiology, biostratigraphy and macropalaeontological data; and integration historical micropalaeontology. He has over 100 of palaeontological interpretations into scientific publications to his name, including six geological models for petroleum exploration books. He is a Scientific Associate in the and reservoir exploitation. He has worked on Department of Palaeontology at the Natural History petroliferous sedimentary basins from all around Museum in London. the world, and on rocks and fossils from wide ranges of ages and facies. Outside work, Dr Jones Cover image: # Jan Hinsch / Science Photo Library, also maintains an active interest in academic www.sciencephoto.com.

Applications of Palaeontology Techniques and Case Studies

Robert Wynn Jones The Natural History Museum, London

cambridge university press Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, Sa˜oPaulo, Delhi, Tokyo, Mexico City Cambridge University Press The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 8RU, UK

Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York

www.cambridge.org Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9781107005235

# Robert Wynn Jones 2011

This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press.

First published 2011

Printed in the United Kingdom at the University Press, Cambridge

A catalogue record for this publication is available from the British Library

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Jones, Robert Wynn. Case studies in applied palaeontology / Robert Wynn Jones. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-107-00523-5 1. Paleontology–Research–Case studies. 2. Earth sciences–Research–Case studies. 3. Engineering geology–Research–Case studies. I. Title. QE711.3.J665 2011 560.72–dc22 2011001069

ISBN 978-1-107-00523-5 Hardback

Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this publication, and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.

Dedicated to the memory of my late colleague and friend, Garry D. Jones, a great exponent and proponent of applied palaeontology.

Contents

Preface page ix 4 Sequence stratigraphy 200 Acknowledgements xiii 4.1 Definitions 200 4.2 General and clastic sequence 1 Work-flows in applied palaeontology 1 stratigraphy 201 1.1 Project specification and 4.3 Carbonate sequence stratigraphy 201 management 1 4.4 Mixed sequence stratigraphy 205 1.2 Sample acquisition 1 4.5 Seismic facies analysis 205 1.3 Sample processing 6 4.6 Integration of palaeontological 1.4 Sample analysis 7 data 205 1.5 Analytical data acquisition 7 4.7 Chronostratigraphic diagrams 212 2 Biostratigraphy and allied disciplines, 5 Petroleum geology 213 and stratigraphic time-scales 8 5.1 Petroleum source-rocks and 2.1 Summary of biostratigraphic systems, reservoir-rocks, and significance and usefulness of cap-rocks and traps 213 principal fossil groups 8 5.2 Applications and case studies in 2.2 Biostratigraphy 59 petroleum exploration 224 2.3 Proterozoic 62 5.3 Applications and case studies in 2.4 Palaeozoic 62 reservoir exploitation 278 2.5 Mesozoic 62 5.4 Applications and case studies in 2.6 Cenozoic 62 well-site operations 289 2.7 Biostratigraphic technologies 62 5.5 Unconventional petroleum geology 294 2.8 Allied disciplines 66 2.9 Stratigraphic time-scales 68 6 Mineral exploration and exploitation 295 6.1 Application and case study in 3 Palaeobiology 90 mineral exploration 295 3.1 Summary of palaeobiological 6.2 Applications and case studies in significance and usefulness of mineral exploitation 295 principal fossil groups 90 3.2 Palaeobiological, palaeoecological 7 Coal geology and mining 299 or palaeoenvironmental 7.1 Introduction to coal geology and interpretation 122 mining 299 3.3 Palaeobathymetry 126 7.2 Applications and case studies in 3.4 Palaeobiogeography 143 coal geology and mining 300 3.5 Palaeoclimatology 150 8 3.6 Palaeo-oceanography 153 Engineering geology 308 8.1 3.7 Quantitative and other techniques Applications and case studies in palaeobiology 153 in site investigation 308 8.2 3.8 Key biological events in Earth Applications and case studies history 155 in seismic hazard assessment 311

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viii Contents

9 Environmental science 312 10 Other applications and case 9.1 Applications and case studies studies 316 in environmental impact 10.1 Applications and case studies in assessment 312 archaeology 316 9.2 Applications and case studies in 10.2 Applications and case studies in environmental monitoring 312 forensic science 340 9.3 Applications and case studies in 10.3 Miscellaneous other bioremediation 314 applications 341 9.4 Applications and case studies in References 342 anthropogenically mediated global Index 392 change 315

Preface

Humankind has always been fascinated by fossils, superstition, but the fossilised equivalents of the by their beauty and their mystery, their charm and sharks’ teeth he was familiar with from his dissec- their strangeness, their mute testimony to lives and tion work. Elsewhere in his writings, Steno estab- worlds lost unimaginably long ago. In prehistoric lished three important principles of stratigraphy, times, our forebears not only collected fossils, but namely the ‘principle of superposition’, the evidently treated them as valued artefacts, as evi- ‘principle of original horizontality’ and the denced, for example, by the discovery of an ammon- ‘principle of lateral continuity’, such that he is ite at an Upper Palaeolithic burial site in Aveline’s regarded by many as the true founder of that sci- Hole in Burrington in the West Country in Britain, ence. Incidentally, in later life, he renounced sci- and numerous different types of fossil at Cro ence for religion, and was recently made a saint by Magnon sites in the Vezere valley in the Perigord John Paul II. region of France, truly the birthplace of European There may be said to have been three, partially civilisation (many of which are now displayed in overlapping, areas or phases of subsequent palae- the magnificent ‘Museum of Prehistory’ in Les ontological study: the descriptive; the synoptic; Eyzies). The habit persisted both in so-called primi- and the interpretive. The emphasis through the tive and so-called advanced societies through histor- three phases has shifted from the documentation ical times. of fossils to their application in establishing the Palaeontology, that is, the scientific study of ordering of containing rocks in time and in space; fossils, may be said to have originated at least as from pure to applied. The pure descriptive phase long ago as the sixteenth century, and, obviously, began with the first descriptions of fossil species continues to be practised in the present day. The earli- conforming to modern standards, made following est written observations on fossils were made by the the introduction of the binomial system for the German Bauer, or Agricola, in his book ‘De natura naming of species by Linne, or Linnaeus, in the late fossilum’, and the earliest illustrations by the Swiss eighteenth century. The synoptic phase has con- Gesner in his book ‘De rerum fossilium lapidum et tinued into the twenty-first century, with the estab- gemmarum’, both of which date from the sixteenth lishment of higher-level taxonomic classification century. The usage by these and other early obser- systems based on morphology and phylogeny, vers of the term ‘fossil’, from the Latin fodere, mean- made following the publication of ‘On the Origin of ing ‘to dig’, pertained to literally anything dug up Species ...’ by Darwin in the late nineteenth century, from the ground or mined, including what we and the advances in cladistics and molecular biol- would now classify as minerals, crystals and gem- ogy in the twentieth. The applied interpretive stones. The earliest interpretations as to the nature phase, ultimately resulting in the development of, of what we would now accept as fossils were made and advances in, the applied sub-disciplines of bios- by the Danish anatomist Stensen, or Steno, working tratigraphy and palaeobiology, began with the in the Medici court in Florence, in his publications establishment of the ‘Law of Superposition’ and dating from the latter part of the seventeenth cen- the ‘Law of Strata identified by organised Fossils’ by tury. Steno applied Descartes’ ‘method of doubt’ the Briton William (‘Strata’) Smith in the late eight- and his own deductive logic to demonstrate that eenth and early nineteenth centuries; and by the the so-called glossopetrae or ‘tongue stones’ much publication also by Smith of the first geological valued in medieval Europe for their supposed medi- map, of Great Britain, ‘the map that changed the cinal properties were in fact not the tongues of world’. The first application of biostratigraphy snakes turned to stone by St Paul, as was the in the petroleum industry was by the Pole Josef

x Preface

Grzybowski in the late nineteenth and early twenti- optimisation (CONOP); on ranking and scaling eth centuries. At a time when (micro)palaeontology (RASC); and on cluster analysis. The section on was essentially in a stage of synthesis, it was he who allied disciplines includes sub-sections on chemos- first used the discipline in an analytical fashion to tratigraphy; on cyclostratigraphy; on heavy min- solve geological problems encountered in the oil- erals; on magnetostratigraphy; on radiometric fields of the eastern Carpathians, those around the dating; and on Quaternary dating methods. The village of Potok being the oldest still in production section on stratigraphic time-scales includes a sub- anywhere in the world. His contribution to biostra- section on global stratotype sections and points tigraphy and also to palaeobiology has long been (GSSPs). recognised and justly acclaimed in his own country, Chapter 3 deals with palaeobiology, and includes but is sadly seldom acknowledged in the west. In sections on the palaeobiological significance the future, applied palaeontology will continue to and usefulness of the principal fossil groups; play a vital role in exploiting the world’s discovered on palaeobiological, palaeoecological or palaeoen- petroleum and other mineral resources, and in vironmental interpretation; on palaeobathymetry; exploring for undiscovered reserves. In view of the on palaeobiogeography; on palaeoclimatology; on growing concern about the environment, applica- palaeo-oceanography; on quantitative and other tions in environmental science, and outwith the interpretive techniques in palaeobiology; and on exploitative industries, are also likely to come to key biological events in Earth history. The section the fore. on palaeobiological, palaeoecological or palaeoen- Unlike its immediate predecessor (Jones, 2006), vironmental interpretation includes sub-sections this book deals essentially only with applied palaeon palaeoenvironmental interpretation on the ontology, and contains many more case studies of basis of analogy; and palaeoenvironmental inter- applications. It will be of value to professionals in pretation on the basis of functional morphology. industry and elsewhere; including not only applied The section on palaeobathymetry includes sub- palaeontologists, palaeobiologists and biostratigra- sections on non-marine environments; on marine phers, but also petroleum, minerals, mining and environments; on marginal marine environments; engineering geologists, and environmental scien- on shallow marine environments; and on deep tists, and, to a lesser extent, archaeologists, forensic marine environments. The sub-section on marginal scientists and others. marine environments covers deltas; and, in some The first part, comprising Chapters 1–4, deals with detail, the palaeontological characterisation of general applications of palaeontology in the inter- marginal marine, peri-reefal sub-environments. pretation of Earth and life history and environments. The sub-section on shallow marine environments Chapter 1 deals with work-flows in applied palaeon- covers reefs, and covers, in some detail, the palae- tology, and includes sections on project specification ontological characterisation of peri-deltaic sub- and management; on sample acquisition, process- environments. The sub-section on deep marine ing and analysis; and on analytical data acquisition. environments covers oxygen minimum zones, sub- Chapter 2 deals with biostratigraphy and allied marine fans, and deep marine hydrothermal vents, disciplines, and stratigraphic time-scales, and includes ‘nekton falls’ and ‘cold (hydrocarbon) seeps’; and, in sections on the biostratigraphic significance and some detail, deep-water agglutinated foraminifera, usefulness of the principal fossil groups; on biostra- the palaeontological characterisation of submarine tigraphy; on Proterozoic, on Palaeozoic, on Mesozoic fan sub-environments, and benthic foraminifera and on Cenozoic biostratigraphy; on biostrati- and ostracods associated with cold (hydrocarbon) graphic technologies; on allied disciplines; and on seeps. The section on palaeobiogeography includes stratigraphic time-scales. The section on biostrati- sub-sections on Palaeozoic, on Mesozoic and on graphy includes sub-sections on biostratigraphic Cenozoic palaeobiogeography. The section on palaeo- zonation or biozonation, and on correlation. The climatology includes sub-sections on Palaeozoic, on section on biostratigraphic technologies includes Mesozoic and on Cenozoic palaeoclimatology. The sub-sections on graphic correlation; on constrained section on quantitative and other interpretive

Preface xi

techniques in palaeobiology includes sub-sections applications in reservoir exploitation includes case on palaeobathymetric interpretation techniques; studies on reservoir characterisation in shallow palaeobiogeographic and palaeoclimatological marine, peri-reefal carbonate reservoir (Al Huwai- interpretation techniques; cluster analysis and sah, Dhulaima, Lekhwair and Yibal fields in Oman, ‘fuzzy C means’ (FCM) cluster analysis; and ‘fuzzy and Shaybah field in Saudi Arabia); in marginal to logic’. The section on key biological events in Earth shallow marine, peri-deltaic clastic reservoirs (Gull- history includes sub-sections on the Proterozoic, faks, Snorre and Statfjord fields in the Norwegian on the Palaeozoic, on the Mesozoic and on the sector, and Ninian and Thistle fields in the UK Cenozoic. It also covers in detail foraminiferal diver- sector, in the North Sea; and Pedernales field in sity trends through time, new evidence for land Venezuela); and in a deep marine, submarine fan, mammal dispersal across the North Atlantic in the clastic reservoir (Forties field, UK sector, North Sea). Early Eocene, and aspects of the palaeogeography The section on applications in well-site operations and palaeoclimate of the Oligocene–Holocene of includes case studies in ‘biosteering’ in a shallow the Old World, and consequences for land mammal marine carbonate reservoir (Sajaa field, United evolution and dispersal. Arab Emirates); in a deep marine carbonate reser- Chapter 4 deals with sequence stratigraphy,and voir (Valhall field, Norwegian sector, North Sea); in includes sections on definitions; on general and clas- a shallow marine clastic reservoir (Cusiana field, tic sequence stratigraphy; on carbonate sequence Colombia); and in a deep marine, submarine fan, stratigraphy; on mixed sequence stratigraphy; on clastic reservoir (Andrew field, UK sector, North seismic facies analysis; on integration of palaeonto- Sea). The section on unconventional petroleum logical data; and on chronostratigraphic diagrams. It geology covers coal-bed methane (CBM) or coal-seam also covers, in some detail, palaeontological inputs gas (CSG), shale gas, and gas or methane hydrate. into the characterisation of systems tracts. Chapter 6 deals with mineral exploration and exploit- The second part, comprising Chapters 5–10, ation, and includes sections on applications and case deals with specific applications of palaeontology studies in mineral exploration and exploitation. in industry and elsewhere, and with case studies The section on applications in mineral exploration of applications. includes a case study on La Troya mine, Spain. The Chapter 5 deals with petroleum geology, and section on applications in mineral exploitation includes sections on petroleum source-rocks and includes case studies on Pitstone quarry, Hertford- systems, reservoir-rocks, and cap-rocks and traps; shire, UK, and on East Grimstead quarry, Wiltshire, UK. applications and case studies in petroleum explor- Chapter 7 deals with coal geology and mining, and ation, in reservoir exploitation, and in well-site includes sections on applications and case studies operations; and unconventional petroleum geol- in coal geology and mining, in Great Britain, and in ogy. It also covers, in some detail, palaeontology South Africa. and health, safety and environmental issues in the Chapter 8 deals with engineering geology, and petroleum industry. The section on petroleum includes sections on applications and case studies source-rocks and systems, reservoir-rocks, and cap- in site investigation, and in seismic hazard assess- rocks and traps covers, in some detail, palaeonto- ment. The section on applications in site investiga- logical inputs into petroleum systems analysis, tion includes case studies on the Channel tunnel, nummulite banks and reservoirs, rudist reefs and UK; on the Thames barrier, UK; on ‘Project Orwell’, reservoirs, the palaeontological characterisation of UK, and on site investigation in the petroleum cap-rocks, and stratigraphic and palaeobiological industry, in Azerbaijan and Egypt. The section on controls on source-, reservoir- and cap-rock dis- applications in seismic hazard assessment includes tributions. The section on applications in petrol- case studies on the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Vancou- eum exploration includes case studies on the ver Island, Canada; on Iyo-nada Bay, Japan; on Middle East; on the North Sea; on northern South Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand; on the Cabo de Gata America and the Caribbean; on the South Atlantic; lagoon, Almeria, Spain; on Lake Sapanca, Turkey; and on the Indian subcontinent. The section on and on western Crete.

xii Preface

Chapter 9 deals with environmental science, and section on applications in archaeology includes includes sections on applications and case studies case studies on Westbury Cave, Somerset, UK (Early in environmental impact assessment (EIA), in envir- Palaeolithic); on Boxgrove, Sussex, UK (Early Palaeo- onmental monitoring, in bioremediation, and in lithic); on Massawa, Eritrea (Middle Palaeolithic); on anthropogenically mediated global change. The Goat’s Hole, Paviland, Gower, UK (Middle Palaeo- section on applications in EIA includes case studies lithic); on ‘Doggerland’, North Sea (Mesolithic); on on the North Slope of Alaska, and on Wytch Farm, Mount Sandel, Coleraine, Co. Derry, Northern Dorset, UK. The section on applications in environ- Ireland (Mesolithic); on Fayum, Egypt (‘Epipalaeo- mental monitoring includes case studies on environ- lithic’–Neolithic); on Littleton, Co. Tipperary, mental monitoring of natural and anthropogenic Ireland (Neolithic to Medieval); on Skara Brae, effects on water quality, including domestic and Orkney, UK (Neolithic); on the Tyrolean Alps industrial pollution, and environmental monitor- (Chalcolithic or Copper Age); and on the City of ing of coral reef vitality. The section on applications London (Medieval). It also covers, in some detail, in bioremediation includes case studies on bioreme- the palaeoenvironmental interpretation of the diation of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, and bioremedia- Pleistocene–Holocene of the British Isles, using tion in the aftermath of Operation Desert Storm. The proxy Recent benthic foraminiferal distribution section on applications in anthropogenically medi- data. The section on applications in forensic science ated global change includes case studies on ocean includes case studies on the use of calcareous nan- acidification and carbon dioxide sequestration. nofossils, of diatoms, of spores and pollen, and of Chapter 10 deals with other applications and case insects, in forensic science. The section on miscel- studies, and includes sections on applications and laneous other applications contains sub-sections on case studies in archaeology, and in forensic science; medical palynology; on entomopalynology; and on and on miscellaneous other applications. The melissopalynology.

Acknowledgements

Firstly, I would like to acknowledge the American Jim Pindell, Pratul Saraswati, Dave Shaw, Mike Sim- Association for the Advancement of Science, Black- mons and Brent Wilson. well, Cambridge University Press, the Canadian Lastly, and on a more a more personal note, Society of Petroleum Geologists, the Cushman I would also like to acknowledge the usual suspects, Foundation for Foraminiferal Research, the Geo- plus Air, the Alabama 3, Allegri, the American logical Society of London, the Geological Survey Music Club, And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of of South Africa, the Geologischen Bundesantalt Dead, Antony and the Johnsons, Any Trouble, (Wien), the Grzybowski Foundation, Gulf Petro- Arcade Fire, Archer, the Arctic Monkeys, Richard Link, Longman, the Micropalaeontological Society, Ashcroft, Asobi Seksu, Dan Auerbach, Babysham- Katharina von Salis Perch-Nielsen, Poyser, the Soci- bles, Shirley Bassey, Bat for Lashes, Beck, Belle and ety of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists, Sebastian, Ben’s Brother, the Blind Boys of Alabama, the Smithsonian Institution Press, Springer and Bloc Party, the Bombay Bicycle Club, The Boy Who Wiley, for providing permission to reproduce copy- Trapped the Sun, British Sea Power, The Broken right figures (and especially Wiley, for generously Family Band, Jeff Buckley, Byrd, The Chemical waiving their customary fee). Brothers, Tony Christie, The Cinematic Orchestra, I would also like to acknowledge Susan Francis, Jarvis Cocker (‘I met her in the Museum of Palaeon- Chris Hudson, Chris Miller and Lindsay Nightingale tology, and I make no bones about it ...’), The Coral, at Cambridge University Press for their help and Cousteau, Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse, Ray support in seeing the project through to production; Davies, de Machault, Desmond Dekker, the Detroit and, for their various contributions to the work, Social Club, Dinosaur Jr, Nick Drake, Dufay, Duffy, Tony Barwise, Paul Batey, Andrei Belopolsky, Jon Richard Durand, the Editors, the Eels, Ludovico Bennett, Jaewan Bhajan, Scott Carmichael, Bruno Einaudi, Mark Eitzel, Elbow, Electrelane, The Fall, David, Alison Davies, Richard Dixon, Helen Doran, the Fleet Foxes, Renee Fleming, Florence and the Dan Finucane, Karize Hosein, Jake Hossack, Nev Jones, Machine, Brandon Flowers, the Foo Fighters, The Mike Larby, Steve Lowe, Steve Matthews, Joaquin Fray, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Jan Garbarek, The Gas- Naar, Mark Osborne, Simon Payne, Julian Penge, light Anthem, Mary Gauthier, Gesualdo, God Help Neil Piggott, Dave Pocknall, Pat Randell, Johan the Girl, Howard Goodall, Ellie Gouldring, Grinder- Sydow, Aubrey Thomas and the late Shakeel Akhter man, Grizzly Bear, Charlotte Hatherley, Richard at BP; John Argent, Andrew Barnett, Jason Canning, Hawley, Levon Helm, The Horrors, Hanne Hukkel- Nigel Cross, James Derry, Laurent de Verteuil, berg, I Am Kloot, Tom Jones, Janis Joplin, Josquin, Moumita Doubey, John Fisher, Dave Freemantle, Mark the Kenyan Boys Choir, Angelique Kidjo, The Killers, Houchen, Nick Lee, Mike Martin, Israel Polonio, Andy Diana Krall, Alison Krauss, Kremerata Baltica, Jon Racey, Sandip Roy, Shouvik Roy, Adriana del Pino Legend and the Roots, the Libertines, Lord Tanamo, Sanchez, Matt Wakefield and Paul Wright at BG Los Lobos, Lotti, The Low Anthem, Laura Marling, Group; Paul Barrett, Andy Currant, Jerry Hooker, Noel Cecilia McDowall, Maximo Park, The Ministry of Morris, Simon Parfitt, Brian Rosen, Andrew Smith, Jon Sound, Janelle Monae, Matt Monro, the Morriston Todd and John Whittaker at the Natural History Orpheus Male Voice Choir, the Mull Historical Soci- Museum, London; and Elisabeth Alve, Christine ety, Mumford and Sons, The Mystery Jets, Nirvana, Barras, Martin Bates, Erica Bicchi, Barry Carr-Brown, Palestrini, Paolo Nutini, Roy Orbison, Orbital, John Eric Deville, Flavia Fiorini, John Frampton, David Haig, Otway, Parry, Passion Pit, The Phantom Band, Wyn Hughes, Frans Jorissen, Sev Kender, Tony King, Placebo, Quatuor Ebene, Razorlight, Lou Reed, Jim John Murray, Jan Pawlowski, Cesare Pappazoni, Reeves, the Rhymney Silurian (!) Male Choir,

xiii

xiv Acknowledgements

Alasdair Roberts, Rumer, Nitin Sawnhey, Seasick Vangelis, The View, Rufus Wainwright, White Steve, Schutz, Scroobious Pip, Bob Seger, Sigur Denim, Eric Whitacre, the White Stripes, The Who, Ros, Sleater-Kinney, Soft Cell, Sophie Solomon, Patrick Wolf, and Wolf People, for their musical Regina Spektor, Starsailor, Status Quo, the Stone inspiration; and my wife Heather, and my sons Roses, Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros, The Wynn and Gethin, now grown-up, for their continu- Tallest Man on Earth, They Might Be Giants (‘I am ing love and support (and in Gethin’s case also for a palaeontologist ...’), Tindersticks, Toots and the continuing technological assistance). I will walk the Maytals, Vieux Farka Toure, the Undertones, dog now.