The Palaeontology Newsletter Contents 52 Association Business 2 AGM 14 News 16 Association Meetings 20 From our own correspondents Conceptual fossils 24 Sutures joining Ontogeny and Fossils 29 Correspondence 33 Big Gamble for a Big Dead Fish 40 The Mystery Fossil 43 Obituary: Frank Hodson 46 Future meetings of other bodies 48 Meeting Reports 56 Book Reviews 68 Palaeontology vol 46 parts 1, 2, 3 99–101 Special Papers in Palaeontology no. 68 102 Reminder: The deadline for copy for Issue no 53 is 27th June 2003 On the Web: http://www.palass.org/ Newsletter 52 2 Newsletter 52 3 Meetings. Four meetings were held in 2002, and the Association extends its thanks to the Association Business organisers and host institutions of these meetings. a. Lyell Meeting. “Approaches to Reconstructing Phylogeny”, was convened on behalf of the Annual Report for 2002 Association by Prof. Gale (University of Greenwich) and Dr P.C.J. Donoghue (Lapworth Museum, University of Birmingham). Nature of the Association. The Palaeontological Association is a Charity registered in England, b. Forty-fifth Annual General Meeting and Address. 8th May. The address, entitled “Life and Charity Number 276369. Its Governing Instrument is the Constitution adopted on 27 February work of S.S. Buckmann (1860-1929) Geobiochronologist and the problems of assessing the work of 1957, amended on subsequent occasions as recorded in the Council Minutes. Trustees (Council past palaeontologists,” was given by Prof. Hugh Torrens and attended by 40 people. The meeting Members) are elected by vote of the Membership at the Annual General Meeting. The contact was held at the University of Birmingham and organised by Dr M.P. Smith and Dr T.J. Palmer. address of the Association is c/o The Executive Officer, Dr T.J. Palmer, Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences, University of Wales, Aberystwyth, SY23 3DB, Wales, UK. c. Progressive Palaeontology. 12th–13th June. The annual open meeting for presentations by research students was organised by David Gelsthorpe at the University of Leicester. Membership & subscriptions. Individual membership totalled 1,218 on 31 December 2002, an overall increase of 82 over the 2001 figure. There were 751 Ordinary Members, an increase d. 45th Annual Meeting. 15th–18th December. The Annual Meeting was held in the Department of 12; 132 Retired Members, an increase of 2; and 335 Student Members, an increase of 68. of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge. Dr Nick Butterfield, Dr Jenny Clack and Dr Rachel Wood There were 164 Institutional Members in 2002, a decrease of 6 from last year. Total Individual with much local support organised the meeting. President’s Awards were made to Jodie Howe and Institutional subscriptions to Palaeontology through Blackwell’s agency numbered 395, a (University of Leeds) and Liam Herringshaw (University of Birmingham). Council Poster Prizes decrease of 1. Subscriptions to Special Papers in Palaeontology numbered 120 individuals, a were presented to Nicole Fraser (University of Southern California, Los Angeles) and Marc Jones decrease of 20 on last year, and 127 institutions, an increase of 20. Sales to individuals and (University College London). On the final day a field trip was undertaken to examine the Upper institutions through the Executive Officer of current and back numbers of Special Papers in Jurassic section at Upware. The meeting was attended by 330 delegates. Palaeontology yielded £11,823. Awards. Sylvester-Bradley Awards were made to David Allen, Colin Barras, Simon Braddy, John Income (after costs) from sales of Field Guides to Fossils amounted to £13,289. Field Guides sold Cunningham, Heather Jamniczky, Kathy Keefe, Hannah O’Regan, James Renshaw, Sally Reynolds, as follows: Fossil Plants of the London Clay – 61; Fossils of the Chalk (2nd edition) – 195; Zechstein Blair Steel, Sebastian Steyer, Mikhail Surkov, Oive Tinn, Lauren Tucker, David Waterhouse and James Reef Fossils and their Palaeoecology 49; Fossils of the Oxford Clay – 108; Fossils of the Santana and Wheeley. Mary Anning Awards, to a person not employed in palaeontology who had made an Crato Formations of North East Brazil – 87; Plant Fossils of the British Coal Measures – 77; Fossils outstanding contribution, were made to Fred Hotchkiss for his work on echinoderms and Michael J. of the Upper Ordovician – 71; The Jurassic Flora of Yorkshire – 109; Fossils of the Rhaetian Penarth Newman for his work on fossil fish. Hodson Fund awards, for palaeontologists under the age of 35 Group – 87; Dinosaurs of the Isle of Wight – 367. who have made an outstanding achievement in contributing to the science through a portfolio of original published research, were awarded to Dr Graham Budd and Dr Matthew Wills. The Lapworth Finance. Production of Palaeontology and Special Papers in Palaeontology is managed by Medal, for a person who has made a significant contribution to the science by means of a substantial Blackwell, who also make sales and manage distribution on behalf of the Association. In body of research, was awarded to Sir Alwyn Williams for his outstanding work on brachiopods. addition to the fee that they take directly from the subscribers, the Association paid them a further fee of £4,629. The Association gratefully acknowledges a bequest to the Sylvester-Bradley Council. The following members were elected to serve on Council at the AGM on 8th May 2002: Fund of £1,000 from the will of Mrs Joan Sylvester-Bradley, and donations from Members to the Prof. D.E.G. Briggs (President), Prof. D.A.T. Harper (Vice President), Prof. S K. Donovan (editor), Dr P.J. Sylvester-Bradley Fund, which amounted to £233. Orr (editor), Dr M.A. Purnell (Website Officer), Dr P. Manning (Publicity), Dr Graham Budd (Newsletter Reporter), Dr Jason Hilton (Ordinary) and Dr Maggie Cusack (Ordinary). Dr Thomas Servais, Prof. Grants from general funds to external organisations, for the support of palaeontological projects, E.N.K. Clarkson (editor) and Dr D. Polly (editor) would stand as co-opted members for 2002-3. totalled £10,139. At the AGM on 8th May 2002 the following members stepped down from Council: Prof. Paul, Publications. Volume 45 of Palaeontology, comprising 1,235 pages in total, was published Dr Barker, Dr Wood and Dr Pearson. and distributed at a cost of £90,543. Special Papers in Palaeontology 67, Studies in Palaeozoic palaeontology and biostratigraphy in honour of Charles Hepworth Holland (ed. by P.N. Wyse Dr T.J. Palmer continued to serve as the Executive Officer of the Association, and Prof. D.J. Batten Jackson, M.A. Parkes, and R.A. Wood; 260pp) was published at a cost of £8,740, and Special (University of Wales, Aberystwyth) as the Editor-in-Chief. Papers in Palaeontology 68, Life and environments in Purbeck times (ed. by A.R. Milner and Council is indebted to the Natural History Museum, the Lapworth Museum University of D.J. Batten; 268pp) was published at a cost of £8,732. Birmingham, University of Leicester and the University of Cambridge for providing meeting venues The Association is grateful to the National Museum of Wales and the Lapworth Museum, through the year. University of Birmingham for providing storage facilities for publication back-stock and archives. Professional Services. The Association’s Bankers are NatWest Bank, 42 High Street, Sheffield. The Council is indebted to Meg and Nick Stroud for assistance with the publication and distribution Association’s Independent Examiner is G.R. Powell BSc FCA, Nether House, Great Bowden, Market of Palaeontology Newsletter. Harborough, Leicestershire. Newsletter 52 4 Newsletter 52 5 Reserves. The Association holds reserves of £368,597 (2001: £381,883) in General Funds. These Reserves enable the Association to generate additional revenue through investments, and thus Nominations for election to Council to keep subscriptions to individuals at a low level, whilst still permitting a full programme of meetings to be held and publications to be produced. They also act as a buffer to enable the 2003-2004 normal programme to be followed in years in which expenditure exceeds income, and new Vice-President initiatives to be pursued, without increasing subscription costs. Dr Mark A. Purnell Council Activities. It was with sad regret that the Association noted the passing of Mrs Joan Proposed: Dr H.A. Armstrong Sylvester-Bradley, Prof. Frank Hodson and Prof. Michael House. All had made substantial contributions to the activities of the Association over many years. The Association continues to Seconded: Prof. S.K. Donovan improve its administration with further improvements to the Newsletter and the implementation Editor of secure online membership renewal and sales. Following declining attendances at the Annual Dr Per Ahlberg General Meeting, Council has agreed that the award of the Hodson Fund, Mary Anning Award Proposed: Prof. D.J. Batten and Lapworth Medal be moved to the Annual Meeting. From 2003 the Annual Address will also take place at the Annual Meeting. It is hoped these changes will make these events more Seconded: Dr C.H. Wellman accessible to the wider membership and increase the profile of the Association’s major awards. Dr Jason Hilton will become Web Officer, co-opted members Dr L.I. Anderson, The Association sponsored the International Trilobite Symposium, Eighth European Conodont Prof. E.N.K. Clarkson and Dr P.D. Polly will become editors. Symposium, the British Association Symposium “Sex, violence and death in the history of life,” and a symposium on the “Environmental and Biological impact of the end Ordovician glaciation” at the EGS-AGU-EUG Joint Assembly. The Association continues as a Tier 1 sponsor to Palaeontologica Electronica and has rejoined the International Palaeontological Association. The Association is Awards and Prizes also generating more publicity for palaeontology with major press initiatives and a continued high Nominations are now being sought for the Hodson Fund and Mary Anning Award.