CURRENT
RESEARCH
Aceńolaza,
Guillermo F. (Argentina). During the last year I was deeply involved in the 9th ISOS. Now
that the meeting is over, I am back full time studing Cambro-Ordovician trace
fossil assemblages in NW Argentina. Impressive Cruziana pavements
have been recently found, and are the main focus of a multi-approach
project.
Ainsaar,
Leho (Estonia). I continue working on sedimentology and stable isotope geology of
Ordovician carbonates in Baltoscandia (with Tőnu Meidla, Andrei Dronov, Tőnu
Martma and Oive Tinn). Together with Mark T. Harris, Peter Sheehan, Linda
Hints, Jaak Nőlvak, Peep Männik and Madis Rubel we continue a comparative study
on Baltoscandian and Great Basin Upper Ordovician-Silurian carbonate platform
sequence stratigraphy.
Albanesi, Guillermo L. (Argentina).
I am working on diverse projects dealing with Lower Paleozoic conodont
faunas from the Argentine Precordillera, Famatina System, and NW Argentine
basins. We continue assembling an integrated biostratigraphic chart for the Ordovician
and Silurian Systems of Argentina. Other projects include the participation of
colleagues from different universities of Argentina, Spain, USA, and Canada,
who are devoted to related topics of historical geology of the Lower Paleozoic.
Current year we will submit to the SOS the final proposal of a global
stratotype for the base of the Middle Ordovician Series in the Argentine
Precordillera. During past year I have been heavily involved in the
organization of the international event “9th
International Symposium on the Ordovician System, International Graptolite
Conference, and Field Meeting of the International Subcommission on Silurian
Stratigraphy” and related field trips that were held in San Juan,
Argentina, August 18-21 2003 (see web site: http://www.cricyt.edu.ar/
2003.htm). On December 2003, a post-graduate course on conodont-graptolite
paleobiology and geological applications was given at the National University
of Córdoba, Argentina (http://www.efn.unc.edu.ar/ escuelas/4to/dcg/).
Aldridge, Richard J. (United Kingdom). For the first time in many years, I
didn't visit the Soom Shale Lagerstätte (Upper Ordovician, South Africa) in
2003, but I did manange to make some progress on two manuscripts on Soom Shale
fossils: one on a 'naked agnathan' and one on coprolites (both with Sarah
Gabbott, Hannes Theron and other colleagues). A paper on the myodocope
ostracods of the Soom appeared. I shall be back in South Africa for
fieldwork in 2004, accompanied by a new research student, Rowan Whittle, who
has begun work on some of the enigmatic taxa from the Soom Shale.
Alvaro,
José Javier (France). My present work is focused in two topics: the
Cambrian-Ordovician transition, both in siliciclastic and mixed platforms, and
the Hirnantian glacigenic processes recorded in the western Mediterranean area.
Several papers are in progress trying to illustrate the relationships between
sedimentary processes and benthic community replacements preserved as in-situ
bryozoan echinoderm reefs and bioaccumulations, and trilobite assemblages.
Other contributions are related to litho- and biostratigraphic revisions in the
Iberian Chains (NE Spain), southern Montagne Noire (southern France), and
Moroccan Anti-Atlas, in collaboration with J. Destombes, F. Tortello, E.
Vennin, E. Villas, and D. Vizcaďno.
Armstrong,
Howard A. (United Kingdom). I´m actively working on Ordovician conodonts
from the islands of the Iapetus Ocean, with a view to testing palaeogeographical
hypotheses. Work continues n the Upper Ordovician glaciation in Southern
Jordan, particularly focussing on insolation forcing of deglaciation. Papers
recently submitted to Geology and Palaeo cubed. Work has just started on stable carbon isotope analysis of Upper
Ordovician biomarkers with geoff Abbott at Newcastle University.
Astini,
Ricardo A. (Argentina). I am continuing research on sedimentolgy,
integrated stratigraphy and basin dynamics in all three Ordovician basins of
the Southern Central Andes and particularly devoting time to students and
various related projects.
Bagnoli,
Gabriella (Italy). I am working on conodont, acritarch, and
chitinozoan associations from Ordovician section in North Spain in cooperation
with J.C. Gutierrez-Marco and G.N. Sarmiento
Batchelor,
Richard A. (United Kingdom). I have recently published geochemical data for
biotites extracted from Ordovician (Caradocian) and Silurian metabentonites collected from Sweden and Norway. The
biotites from the Caradocian metabentonites show a distinctive signature which
separates them from the Silurian samples. Their higher aluminium and lower
magnesium concentrations support an origin from crustally-derived magmas. Sr
isotope ratios (0.710-0.712) from cognate apatite crystals from the same metabentonites
support an origin from crustally-contaminated mantle melts. Collaboration with
Tarmo Kiipli (Estonia) on the geochemistry of Ordovician metabentonites
continues.
Bednarczyk,
Wieslaw Stanislaw (Poland).
I am actively working on the Ordovician stratigraphy and palaeogeography of
Poland (especially of the Holy Cross Ordovician) on the basis on microfossils (microscopical
Lingulata, conodonts and palynomorf). At present I have prepared to publication
my last work on the stratigraphy and tectonic of the one section of Ordovician
deposits in the northeastern (Lysogory) part of the Holy Cross Mountans.
Because of the presence of Lower Ordovician beds are unknow from the other
parts of the Lysogory region this profile is of primary importance for palaeogeography
and tectonics.
Benedetto,
Juan L. (Argentina). I recently completed the edition of the book
Ordovician Fossils of Argentina, which was presented in the 9th ISOS
at San Juan, Argentina (see ‘books and journals’, this issue of Odovician
News). Currently I am studying the Llanvirn brachiopods from the top of the San
Juan Formation, which contains a varied open-shelf fauna including new and well
preserved plectambonitoids. I am also continuing the study of the latest
Cambrian-Tremadoc ‘articulate’ brachiopods from the Cordillera Oriental of
northwestern Argentina basin in order to decipher the origin and early
evolution of orthoids, plectorthoids and dalmanellidines. Work continues with
T.M. Sánchez, B.Waisfeld and M. Carrera on the Ordovician radiation in the
cold-water siliciclastic platforms of western Gondwana.
Beresi,
Matilde Sylvia (Argentina). I am currently working on
Ordovician biostratigraphy from Mendoza (Argentina) with Susana Heredia (conodonts)
in the Ponón Trehue area, San Rafael block and in the olistostromic and
siliciclastic sequences of San Isidro locality; At present I
collaborate in stratigraphy, sedimentary environments and precise correlation
of the Llanvirn deposits from the San Isidro area with Gladys Ortega
and Guillermo Albanesi. I go on working with B. Frey on the
Ordovician nautiloid fauna from the Argentine Precordillera. Of particular
importance and relevance for my professional activity were the successful
scientific sessions of the 9th International Symposium on the Ordovician
System and the 7th International Graptolite Conference and Field Meeting of the
International Subcommission on Silurian Stratigraphy, held in conjunction
in San Juan City. Together with my Argentinian Ordovician colleagues and
as the Secretary of the 9 ISOS and one of the editors of the Proceedings of the
9th Isos, we were devoted workers for these productive meetings.
Blieck, Alain (France) and Turner, Susan (Australia). After a collaboration
which begun under the auspices of IGCP 328 (1991-1996), we decided to re-open
the record of earliest vertebrates. For this topic we collaborated with IGCP
410 (1997-2001) and colleagues Godfrey Nowlan and Gavin Young in producing a
critical review of Ordovician mineralized vertebrates and other reports of problematic
Ordovician vertebrates. During the course of this work, new localities of
Cambrian vertebrates and supposed vertebrates have been published. All these
data are presented in three different papers. In the first one (Blieck and
Turner 2003) we analyze the palaeobiogeographical distribution of Ordovician
vertebrates which are presently known from the four major Ordovician
landmasses, viz., Gondwana, Laurentia, Baltica, and Siberia, plus a
problematical record from South China. We define a Gondwana Endemic Assemblage,
late Early to early Late Ordovician in age, and a Laurentia-Baltica-Siberia
Assemblage, which is Late Ordovician in age. However, the very rare and
dispersed distribution of this group of organisms as well as its strong
endemism do not yet allow us to test confidently the various palaeocontinental
reconstructions that have been produced for the Ordovician. In the second paper
[Turner S., Blieck A. and Nowlan G.S. in press - Vertebrates (Agnathans and
Gnathostomes) - In: Webby B.D., Droser M.L., Paris F. and Percival I.G. (eds),
The Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event (IGCP 410 volume). Columbia
University Press, "Critical moments and perspectives in Earth history and
paleobiology"; New York] we have investigated the stratigraphical record
of the group, and its biostratigraphic correlation to the standard scales of
the Ordovician (based upon conodonts, graptolites and chitinozoans). We also
make a rough biodiversity analysis, even if we consider that the fossil record
is still much too poor to allow pertinent conclusions to be made on this point.
In the third paper [Turner, S., Blieck, A. and Nowlan, G.S. (in progress) -
Cambrian-Ordovician vertebrate database - Ann. Soc. Géol. Nord;
Villeneuve d'Ascq] we aim to present as complete a review as possible of the
Cambrian-Ordovician localities with confirmed and supposed vertebrates. In this
paper we also briefly present our opinions on some still hotly debated problems
such as the phylogenetic relationships of conodonts and "carpoid"
echinoderms with vertebrates. A review of basal chordates such as tunicates,
cephalochordates and some problematic Precambrian and Early Palaeozoic fossils
is also provided.
Brabcová,
Zdeňka Vyhlasová (Czech Republic). I am actively working on the macro-morphological
and micromorphological anylysis of the Palaeozoic conulariids. The main subject of my study are
conulariids from the Barrandian area (Czech Republic) with stratigraphical
range from Arenigian to Pragian and from the Upper Silesian Basin with the
stratigraphical range Viséan to Namurian.
I struggle to evaluate macro- and micro- characteristics of conulariids
exoskeletons and use them better for the systematics of this group. I also
correlate some taxons with their equivalents from Palaeozoic of France,
Sweden, Morroco.
Brussa,
Edsel Daniel (Argentina). I continue working with the
Ordovician and Silurian graptolites from the Precordillera and Northwestern
Argentina. Last year I had the opportunity to make a field trip to Bolivia
(Moxos and Tuichi River areas) with Chuck Mitchell in the collaborative
research project related to the evolution of the diplograptids. The collection
will also help to paleobiogeographic analysis. I am finishing with Blanca Toro
the re-examination of the Rusconi collection of the Empozada Formation from the
museum of Mendoza and I am also involved with Patrick Racheboeuf in the study
of the Ordovician phyllocarids from Argentina and Bolivia.
Buatois,
Luis Alberto (Argentina). I mostly working on the sedimentology and
sequence stratigraphy of the Cambrian-Ordovician deposits of northwest
Argentina. A paper on sedimentary facies and sequence stratigraphy of the Late
Cambrian-Tremadocian Santa Rosita Formation has been recently published in Journal of South American Earth Sciences.
Although the Cambrian-Ordovician boundary has been the topic of many
biostratigraphic papers, there is a remarkable absence of detailed
stratigraphic sections and only a few studies deal with the associated
sedimentary facies and paleoenvironmental aspects of the Cambrian-Ordovician
successions. The results of a study on this topic were presented during the
last Symposium of the Ordovician System. Additionally, I am helping Gabriela
Mángano in her studies of lower Paleozoic ichnofaunas.
Carrera,
Marcelo G. (Argentina). I
continue working on the Ordovician sponges and bryozoans from Western
Argentina. Global diversification of sponges was the most important project in
the last two years and a forthcoming contribution will be published in the
Columbia University Press volume related to the Ordovician Radiation. I’m
also interested in the paleoecological aspects of the Ordovician biota from the
Argentine Precordillera, including reef related organisms.
Catalani,
John A. (USA). At the end of this school year, I will be
retiring. Hopefully, this will provide additional time to continue and
expand the collecting of Platteville (Turinian which is lower Caradocian
equivalent) nautiloids from mid-west USA. This year, a “new” site (old
locality but new formation) was excavated providing another example of the
Cowen Member (lower Grand Detour Formation) fauna. This is significant
since, prior to this site, I had only two other productive Cowen exposures
which are both currently unavailable. The extra time should also
facilitate the completion of one or more papers on the diverse Platteville
nautiloid fauna with Bob Frey.
Choi,
Duck K. (Korea). I am mainly working on the Cambrian-Ordovician
trilobites of Korea, but have made little progress on the Ordovician trilobites
in 2003. The study on new material from the Cambrian-Ordovician boundary
intervals is still in progress and I hope to prepare a manuscript on the
systematic paleontology of the trilobites in 2004. Aside from the
trilobites, two manuscripts on the Tremadocian stylophorans from the
Tumugol Formation are planned for publication: one has been accepted to
Geobios, and the other is now in final stage of preparation.
Cocks,
L. Robin M. (England). 2003 was another busy year, with visits to
Stockholm to look at the Ashgill Boda Limestone collections, to Trondheim twice
to continue work on global Palaeozoic palaeogeography with Trond Torsvik, to
Argentina for the Ordovician Congress and elsewhere. Work was nearly completed
on the brachiopods, communities and stratigraphy of the Caradoc Dulankara
Formation of Kazakhstan (with Leonid Popov). Processing and photography of the
strophomenoids and plectambonitoids of the Boda Limestone started in earnest,
with more than 30 species already segregated. The paper on 400 to 250 Ma global
terrane positions with Trond Torsvik was finished and has now been accepted by
The Geological Society of London. A review of the Lower Palaeozoic
biostratigraphy of northern Malaysia and southern Thailand, with Richard Fortey
and C.P. Lee, was submitted to the Journal of Asian Earth Sciences.
Cooper,
Roger (New Zealand). With Pete Sadler I am completing or
have in press various papers on the Ordovician timescale, including a
description of the constrained optimisation method as applied to timescale
development. The same method and database are being used to develop a running
graptolite biodiversity curve through Ordovician and Silurian time. In effect, species
diversity is measured at about 2000 levels between latest Cambrian and early
Devonian. With Robyn Cocks I have in press a paper describing the first
reported Hirnantian Fauna from New Zealand.
Cope,
John C. W. (United Kingdom). I have recently retired from Cardiff University
but have only moved a short distance to the National Museum of Wales where I
join an active group of Ordovician researchers. I have just finished
describing some gorgoniids from the Arenig Series of Wales; those from the
Early Arenig are the earliest examples of these fossils yet known. Steve
Donovan and I believe we have identidied parablastoid holdfasts from the South
Wales locality that has yielded common parablastoid remains (described by Paul and
Cope, Palaeontology 1992); the description of these is to be published shortly.
Di
Cunzolo, Sonia (Argentina). I have recently started my Doctoral
Thesis dealing with the Cambro-Ordovician biostratigraphic succession of NW Argentina.
Work will also search after zircons within sandstones, trying to provide new
data on these widely developed sucessions. During the year I was involved as
well, in the Organizing Commitee of the last ISOS held during August in San
Juan (W Argentina).
Dronov, Andrei V.
(Russia). I am continuing the study of Ordovician sea-level changes, sequence
stratigraphy, sedimentary environments and facies. Currently I am working on
following: 1) preparation of manuscript and volume arising from 5 years
investigation of different aspects of Mishina Gora section. This unique section
belongs to transitional zone between North Estonian and Central
Baltoscandian Confacies belts (with S.
Rozhnov, V.Kushlina, A Madison, P.Fedorov, E. Raevskaya, T.Tolmacheva,
L.Melnikova, E. Iskul, A.Buslovich and A.Krylov); 2) preparation of manuscript on Ordovician eustasy; 3) detailed
investigation of the “Glauconite sandstone” (Varangu, Hunneberg and Billingen
stages) along the Baltic-Ladoga Glint line (with P. Fedorov, V. Ershova,
T.Meidla, L.Ainsaar, O.Tinn and T.Saadre); 4) description of trace fossils and
ichnofabrics in the Ordovician of St. Petersburg region (with R. Mikulás and M.
Logvinova); 5) data analyses for the Ordovician of Pamirs (Tajikistan).
Droser,
Mary (USA). I continue to work on the paleoecology of the
Ordovician of the Great Basin. My Ph.D. student, Seth Finnegan, is
examining trends in paleocommunity structure across the Ibex-Whiterock boundary
in the Great Basin in order to delineate the ecological context of the
Ordovician radiation.
Elias,
Bob (Canada). I'm studying various aspects of corals and
environmental change during the Ordovician radiation, mass extinction, and
Early Silurian recovery. Research with Graham Young focuses on the diversity,
paleoecology, and community structure of coral faunas. A collaborative project
is underway with Graham, Godfrey Nowlan, Dave Rudkin and others on a
spectacular Late Ordovician-Early Silurian archipelago with rocky shorelines,
exposed in the Churchill area of northern Manitoba. Dong-Jin Lee (Korea) and I
are examining the paleobiology of tabulate corals from the Middle Ordovician of
Tennessee and Late Ordovician of southern Manitoba. Research with Xu Shaochun
(recent Postdoctoral Fellow) on the latest Ordovician solitary rugosans of
South China is nearing completion. Adam Melzak (Ph.D. student) has almost
finished a dissertation on the Late Ordovician to earliest Silurian rugose
corals of Anticosti Island, Quebec. Raegan Porter (M.Sc. student) completed a
B.Sc. thesis on biometric analysis of an Ordovician colonial rugosan. M.Sc. and
Ph.D. projects are available on Ordovician corals, paleoecology and
stratigraphy (please see http://www.umanitoba.ca/ geoscience/faculty/elias/eli
as.html)!
Ershova,
Victoria B. (Russia). I am undergraduate student on stratigraphy at geological faculty of St.
Petersburg State University. In 2003 I start the study of lithofacies and
sequence stratigraphy of the Latorp Regional Stage along the Baltic-Ladoga
Glint (NW Russia). The supervisors of my studies are A.V. Dronov and P.V.
Fedorov.
Fatka,
Oldrich (Czech Republic). In the year 2003 we described the first
naraoid trilobite from the Barrandian Middle Ordovician (cooperation with P.
Budil and J. Slavickova-Bruthansova, both Praha) and I documented an assemblage
of organic walled microfossils from the Middle Ordovician Sarka Formation. We
have analysed palaeogeographical and palaeoecological aspects of the early
Ordovician echinoderms of peri-Gondwanan Europe (cooperation with B. Lefebvre,
Dijon). We go on in the evaluation of skeletal fauna from the Griffelschiefer
Formation of Thuringia (Germany, cooperation with K. Drost and U. Linnemann,
Dresden). I started study of changes in acritarch and prasinophycean
assemblages during Middle Ordovician to Middle Devonian transgressive pulses
(cooperation with R. Brocke, Frankfurt).
Fedorov,
Petr V. (Russia). I am continuing my work on the detailed stratigraphy and fauna of the
Ordovician of Baltic-Ladoga Glint with my colleagues A. Dronov, S. Rozhnov, V.
Kushlina, V. Rodionov, E. Gourevich, E. Rajevskaja, N. Lubnina, S. Shipunov.
Also, I guide a practical field work for students from the St.Petersburg State
University who interesting for the Ordovician deposits of NW Russia. In 2003 I
defended a thesis on the clay-calcareous mudmounds (called Hecker-type mud
mounds) from the Lower Ordovician of Baltoscandia.
Feng,
Hongzhen (China). In cooperation with Erdtmann B. D. at Technical
University Berlin and Zhang Yuandong at Nanjing Institute of Geology and
Palaeontology, I continue to study the paleontology and biostratigraphy of
Tremadoc graptolites from South China. Some papers have been published or
revised. The most recent progress is that, under the Tetragraptus approximatus Zone in a section from the Jiangnan
slope, we have identified a relatively complete zonal sequence of Late Tremadoc
graptolites, which in descending order includes the Hunnegraptus copiosus Zone, Araneograptus murrayi Zone, Aorograptus
victoriae Zone and Adelograptus
tenellus Zone. More specimens is to be collected bed by bed in 2004. In
South China, it may be possible to propose a Late Tremadoc graptolite-zonal
scheme similar to that in Sweden.
Ferretti,
Annalisa (Italy). My works on Late Ordovician conodont faunas
from several European sections is continuing. A paper with E. Serpagli on Early
Ordovician conodonts from Montagne Noire will soon be published.
Finney,
Stan (USA). My duties as chair of the Ordovician
Subcommission and vice-chair of ICS consume much of the time presently.
Current research projects are 1) Provenance of Cambrian and Ordovician sandstones
in the Argentine Precordillera, 2) Late Ordovician graptolite extinction based
on sections in Nevada, and stratigraphy and structure of the Vinini Formation
in the Roberts Mountains allochthon of north-central Nevada.
Fortey,
Richard (United Kingdom). Following a sojourn in Bristol as Collier
Professor of Public Understanding of Science and Technology I am now back in
the Natural History Museum and picking up some projects which have been laid
aside. Among these are the revision of F R C Reed's Ordovician trilobites of
Burma and Yunnan, having taken casts from the type specimens several years
ago.Nearer home, Adrian Rushton and I recently described an aglaspidid from the
type Tremadoc collected by an amateur Mr Tom Unite. The surprise was that after
a century of more of collecting from this locality, the type for Angelina sedgwickii, which is known from
hundreds of specimens, he has now found five specimens of a distinctive species
that had escaped detection before (it proves that no locality is ever collected
out). I have also been advising on a project on Iranian late Ordovician
trilobites carried out by Talia Karim, who is currently ensconced in Iowa
pursuing a PhD on the Cow head trilobites. I intend to look at trilobites of
the type Llandeilan substage as revised in the recent Correlation Chart of the
Ordovician of the British Isles, in conjunction with Derek Siveter. Bob Owens
and I are looking at some silicified trilobites originally collected by Nansen
from Novaya Zemlya.
Gutiérrez-Marco,
Juan Carlos (Spain). On the road again, I combine a frenetic
bureaucracy as head of an institute of the Spanish Council for Scientific
Research (CSIC), integrated by more than 140 scientists, with the development
of some Ordovician research. Along 2003 I have published one book and more than
10 papers dealing with Ordovician regional geology and paleontological topics,
after having finished in the year before a general and actualised synthesis of
the Spanish Ordovician published in a book of the Geological Society of London
(UK). As revealer of Ordovician geology in Spain, my achievements for 2003 are:
a) the construction of a geologic sight seeing parking over a giant recumbent
fold in NW Spain, outlined by Lower and Middle Ordovician quartzites and shales
(Caurel-Peńalba syncline, province of Lugo); b) the inauguration of a big
exhibition with the rocks and fossils obtained during the excavation of a
tunnel for a free superhighway in N Spain (renamed officially as “Túnel
Ordovícico del Fabar”, Asturian Princedom), and c) the consolidation of the
annual excursion to the Cambrian-Ordovician sequence cropping out within the
territory of a national park in Central Spain (north of Castille-La Mancha
region), as part of the commemorative activities of the Science’ week of the
European Union. Research in 2004 will continue on the parameters of my official
research projects in Spain, Bulgaria and South America, as well as trying to
finish several papers started years ago. Other than bureaucracy, scientific
policy and science divulgation, my diverse time-consuming activities include
the direction of two Ordovician and one Silurian PhD students, as well as some
third-cycle teaching at the Complutense University of Madrid.
Harris,
Mark T. (USA). I am currently working on several
projects. (1) Peter Sheehan (Milwaukee Public Museum) and I have been
working with Leho Ainsaar and Madis Rubel of Tartu University, and Linda Hints,
Peep Männik and Jaak Nőlvak (Geological Institute, Tallinn) on the sequences
and communities of the Upper Ordovician and Lower Silurian section of
Estonia. One paper on the Ordovician (upper Nabala to Porkuni Stages) is
in press, and another in preparation. (2) Peter and I are also in the
planning stages of a project with Mary Droser (University of California-Riverside)
and Rob Ripperdan (University of Puerto Rico) on the middle Ordovician of the
Great Basin. (3) Peter, Mike Pope (Washington State University) and I
have been comparing our sequence interpretations from around the margins of
Laurentia to see if we can identify eustatic versus tectonic sea-level signals.
(4) Mike and I have finished editing a set of fourteen papers for Paleo3 on the
Late Ordovician. We expect that the papers will appear in 2004.
Heredia,
Susana (Argentina). I am continuing on Ordovician stratigraphy from
Mendoza (Argentina) especially on Ponón Trehue area with Matilde Beresi;
re-studying conodonts from alochthonous deposits from San Isidro area; Llanvirn
deposits from the same area with Gladys Ortega, Guillermo Albanesi and Matilde
Beresi. Finally I am, also, studying Lower Ordovician conodonts from selected
localities from Cordillera Oriental (Argentina) with Guillermo Aceńolaza.
Herrmann,
Achim D. (USA). I
recently defended my Ph.D. thesis at the Pennsylvania State University
(thesis title "Late Ordovician ocean-climate system and
paleobiogeography"). I am currently working as a visiting instructor for
invertebrate paleontology at the George Washington University.
Hints,
Linda (Estonia). I´m working on Ordovicin brachiopods
(taxonomy, distribution) in the frame of a project "Ordovician-Silurian
stratigraphical schemes: analyse and improvement of global and Baltic regional
units based on high-resolution biostratigraphy, isotope geology and sequence
stratigraphy." (2003-2004). In collaboration with David Harper we have
almost finished the description of the Baltic Grorudiids. The taxonomic
revision of genus Cyrtonotella is in
progress with special attention on the morphology of cardinalia. In
collaboration with P. Sheehan, M. Harris and my Estonian colleagues J. Nőlvak,
P. Männik, L. Ainsaar and M. Rubel the
comparison of the sequences and faunas of the Baltic Basin and Great Basin will
be continued.
Hints,
Olle (Estonia). I'm continuing studies on Ordovician-Silurian
jawed polychaetes (scolecodonts) In 2003 some new Ordovician material came up
from the Baltic Lower Ordovician. Description of these few primitive taxa is in
progress and I'm also seeking for some additional material, particularly from
the Tremadocian. Together with Mats Eriksson (Lund) we have an ongoing project
related to global diversification of Ordovician jawed polychaetes, the emphasis
being on Laurentian and Baltic material. A review of this study will be
published in the IGCP 410 volume. I'm also concerned about the Ordovician
stratigraphy, especially what is related to the Baltic region. Together with
several colleagues we are making efforts to provide an updated generic
stratigraphic chart for the Estonia. It will be presented in 8th
WOGOGOB meeting in May 2004. In addition, I'm also developing collections
management database at the Institute of Geology at TTU, which holds data on a
great deal of Ordovician fossils and Estonian geological sites as well.
Högström,
Anette (Sweden). One of my primary Ordovician working areas
this year is the Upper Ordovician Fjäcka Shale of Baltoscandia with an emphasis
on faunal and environmental analysis, later work will also include a fine scale
stratigraphic division and correlations. The Fjäcka project is lead by myself and
Jan Ove R. Ebbestad (Uppsala). Other Ordovician interests include machaeridians
from for example North America together with Mary L. Droser (Riverside).
Key,
Marcus (USA). I just received a three year grant from the American Chemical Society's
Petroleum Research Fund entitled: Bryozoan colony growth rates: a proxy for
carbonate production in cool-water limestones. This will include work on
the oxygen isotopes of Ordovician mid-paleolatitude bryozoans from Ireland and
Estonia. This summer Patrick Wyse Jackson (Trinity College Dublin) and I
will be doing some collecting in Estonia with the help of Linda Hints.
Kraft,
Jaroslav (Czech Republic). I continue studies on Ordovician graptolites and stratigraphy,
especially in the Bohemian Ordovician. I assemble databases of the Bohemian
Ordovician localities (a project of the Ministry of Culture of the Czech
Republic) and finished a study of extraordinary uppermost Arenigian/lowermost
Llanvirnian graptolite assemblage from Prague together with my son Petr Kraft.
I participate in the project supported by Grant Agency of the Czech Republic on
comprehensive study of the Klabava Formation (?Tremadocian Arenigian).
Kraft,
Petr (Czech Republic). I study Ordovician stratigraphy,
graptolites and other fossils, especially from Bohemian Ordovician. I continue
to coordinate the project supported by Grant Agency of the Czech Republic on
comprehensive study of the Klabava Formation (?Tremadocian-Arenigian). Together
with my father Jaroslav I finished an assembling database of the Bohemian
Ordovician localities (a project of the Ministry of Culture of the Czech
Republic) and finished a study of extraordinary uppermost Arenigian/lowermost
Llanvirnian graptolite assemblage from Prague. I participate on project
phosphatic tubular fossils from the Prague Basin together with Zdenka
Vyhlasova-Brabcova; I study Sphenothallus and similar forms in this
project. I continue a study on palaeoscolecidans and chaetognaths together with
Oli Lehnert.
Legrand,
Philippe (France). I continue to work on Lower Ordovician
graptolites of Algerian Sahara, Caradocian fauna of Algerian Sahara with
Algerian colleague and Late Ordovician glaciation.
Le
Herisse, Alain (France). CNRS Researcher, Université de
Bretagne Occidentale, Brest, France: I
am continuing working on Ordovician and more recent series on the
climatic/oceanographic interpretation of the occurrence and distribution of
palynomorphs (particularly acritarchs and other resting stages of microlgae).
With Marco Vecoli we completed this year a paper on the evolution of
biodiversity of acritarchs from the Ordovician of the North Gondwana (submitted
to Earth Sciences Review). Another manuscript is quite completed on the
palynological signals in relation to glaciation-deglaciation in the late
Ordovician, in collaboration with Ahmed Bourharouh, Marco Vecoli, Florentin
Paris, Axel Munnecke and Mansour Al-Ruwaili. The results of that have been
presented at the AAPG meeting of Algiers, Algeria, and EUG of Nice, France in
2003.
Lehnert,
Oliver (Germany). At the moment I am mainly focussing on
conodonts, associated faunas and several other aspects like hydrothermal vent
communities from the Cambro-Ordocician of the Barrandian area together with
Petr Kraft and Olda Fatka (Charles Univ. Prague). The stratigraphic work in the
Silurian there is combined with isotopic studies (Jiri Kriz, Jiri Fryda, and
Stepan Manda; Czech Geol. Surv.). With Michel Vanguestine and Pierre Breuer
(Univ. Ličge) Early Ordovician conodonts from
greywackes in the Salm Group of Belgium will be described. I didn’t stop
working on Cambro-Ordovician conodonts and associated microfossils from
“forgotten dolomites” of the southwestern Great Basin. There are also other
older projects and unfinished manuscripts with some of our friends which hopefully
will be submitted this year. The papers with with Godfrey Nowlan and Sandy
McCracken on allochthonous conodont faunas from Cambrian-Devonian sections as
well as with Carmen Lee and Godfrey on allochthonous faunas from carbonate
pebbles in the Tertiary of Ellesmere Island (Canadian Arctic) will hopefully be
published early this year. He is still looking for microfossils associated to
conodonts together with collegues and friends from different countries. The
project with Werner Buggisch and Michael Joachimski (Univ. Erlangen) has been
delayed for a little while due to the prologation of his Humboldt fellowship in
Prague and his struggle to survive on grants. However, together they are
starting to work on oxygen isotopes from conodont phosphate combined with
C-isotope studies from several levels in the Early Palaeozoic and from
locations in different palaeolatitudes.
Lenz,
Alfred (Canada). Dennis Jackson (England) and I recently
completed and published our final study on the Tremadoc graptolites of northern
Yukon. Beginning some time in 2004, our focus will turn to the overlying Arenig
graptolites from the same region, beginning with the approximatus Biozone.
Löfgren, Anita (Sweden). I am just now working
on a number of smaller projects, with numerous coworkers, concerning Ordovician
conodonts in Sweden and am also contributing to a combined sedimentological and
conodont biostratigraphical study with Viive Viira and Kaisa Mens in
Estonia. I also continue my stratigraphical and taxonomical studies based on conodonts,
now well into the Middle Ordovician.
Maletz,
Jörg (Germany). I am currently working on a number of projects
in the Ordovician and Silurian. A biostratigraphic paper on the graptolite
faunas of the Middle Ordovician of the Elnes Formation of Norway is in
preparation including considerable new findings. I am also working on a
taxonomic revision of the graptolites of the Lower Ordovician Toyen Shale
Formation of Scandinavia. Together with
Aicha Achab, Tammy Dunlavey, Charles E. Mitchell, Michael J. Melchin and Svend
S. Stouge I am working on a proposal for a GSSP at the base of the Middle
Ordovician in the Cow Head Group of western Newfoundland, based on diverse
faunas of graptolites, conodonts and chitinozoans. A new project on the graptolite biostratigraphy and biogeography
in the Whiterockian of the Basin and Ranges Province, western North America has
been submitted to NSF.
Mángano,
Maria Gabriela (Argentina). My work is focused on the ichnology
of Cambrian-Ordovician clastic successions of northwest Argentina. In
particular, I am trying to explore paleoenvironmental, paleoecological and
paleobiological aspects of these ichnofaunas. A review on the Ordovician
ichnofaunas of Argentina has been just published in a book on Ordovician
Fossils of Argentina edited by the University of Córdoba. In this chapter we
present detailed descriptions and discussions of the different ichnotaxa
together with an evaluation of the importance of Ordovician trace fossils in
facies reconstruction, paleoecology, sequence stratigraphy, biostratigraphy and
macroevolution. A paper with Mary Droser on ichnological aspects of the
Ordovician radiation is included as part of the book on the Ordovician
Biodiversification Event (IGCP-410) to be published by Columbia University Press.
Männik,
Peep (Estonia). I continue to work on the evolution, ecology
and taxonomy of Ordovician and Silurian conodonts from Baltic, Arctic regions
and Siberia, and on conodont- based high-resolution stratigraphy. Joint studies
of evolution and high- resolution stratigraphy of the Early Palaeozoic
sedimentary basins in northern Baltica, Siberia and Laurentia palaeocontinents
(with colleagues from Lund, Vilnius, StPetersburg, Syktyvkar, Ukhta,
Ekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Lubbock and Milwaukee) are going on.
McCracken,
Sandy (A.D.) (Canada). I continue to work on Middle to
Upper Ordovician, Silurian, and Devonian conodonts from various locations in
Canada. Much of my time is now assigned to outreach and paleontological
databases.
Meisel,
Sören (Germany). I continue my work started in 2002 which
comprises primarily sedimentological evaluation and facies analyses of rock
profiles preferably logged from Himalayan and central European Formations being
Ashgillian in age. The investigation of Late Ordovician Formations in N-Africa
not yet realised in 2002/03 will probably (hopefully!) become made up leeway at
the end of this year. Besides that, stable isotope measures will play an
increasing role this year in my examinations of samples taken from deposits
related to the 'Hirnantian glaciation'. Further works actually concentrate on
the Silurian.
Mikulas, Radek (Czech Republic). In 2003, my ichnologic fieldwork was focused mostly off the
Ordovician, except some occasional outcrops in the Barrandian area. However, I
have obtained a grant for the study of trace fossils and ichnofabrics across
the Volkhov depositional sequence (Ordovician, Arenig of St. Petersburg Region,
Russia). I am working on a systematic evaluation of the alredy documented trace
fossils and I am planning a fieldwork with Andrei Dronov to have as much data
as possible of potential use for environmental and sequence stratigraphy
studies of the region.
Miller,
James F. (USA). Because of conflicts with my son's
wedding and the start of classes at my University, I was unable to attend the
Ordovician Symposium this summer. I am working on Cambrian and Ordovician
conodonts and sequence stratigraphy in the Ibex Area of western Utah (with
Kevin Evans and Ben Dattilo), in Minnesota (with Tony Runkel), and in Wyoming
and Montana (with Paul Myrow, John Taylor, and Ray Ethington). My work on
sequence stratigraphy of the Sauk Sequence (Cambrian and Ordovician) continues,
although I recently published a summary of 37 years of research on
lithostratigraphy, biostratigraphy (trilobites, brachiopods, conodonts),
sequence stratigraphy, and paleotectonics in the Ibex Area and Central Texas
(see first reference below). This paper has a discussion on correlation
of these strata to the Green Point section in Newfoundland. Lars Holmer, Leonid
Popov, and I continue to study Lower Ordovician organophosphatic brachiopods
found in my conodont samples from the Ibex Area. Evens, Dattilo, and I
led a field trip in October to study the sequence stratigraphy of the Sauk Sequence
in the Ibex Area in Utah. The published guidebook (second reference
below) contains an interpretation of the sequence stratigraphy of the middle
and upper Cambrian and the Ordovician parts of the Sauk Sequence, which is ca.
10 km thick in this area. This field trip was followed by a symposium on
sequence stratigraphy of the Sauk Sequence in North America; abstracts are in
GSA Abstracts with Programs: 35(6):543-545. In November I was installed as a
Fellow of the Geological Society of America.
Modzalevskaya,
Tatiana L'vovna (Russia). I'm actively working on infill of
the electronic base by Ordovician and Silurian local and Regional stratones of
European and Asian Arctic Russia.
Ortega, Gladys (Argentina). I am working on Early Ordovician
graptolite fauna from Eastern Cordillera and the Famatina System of NW
Argentina, and I continue studying Early, Middle and Late Ordovician
graptolites from the Argentine Precordillera. I also continue studies together
with Guillermo Albanesi on a long term project trying to assemble a
conodont-graptolite biostratigraphic scheme for the Ordovician System of
Argentina. Currently, together with
several Argentine colleagues I am involved in the organization of the 7th
International Graptolite Conference, to be held in San Juan City, Argentina, in
August 2003 (see the web site for further information: http://www.cricyt.edu.ar/
2003.htm).
Owen, Alan (United Kingdom). I am continuing my work
on the Ordovician palaebiogeography and terrane evolution of the Caledonides of
Britain and Ireland (with Howard Armstrong) which includes the description of
trilobite faunas from terranes in the Iapetus Suture Zone (with Mike
Romano). This year I hope to complete my work on the geochemistry and
provenance of cherts in the Scottish Highland Border Complex (with Howard
Armstrong and Geoff Tanner) and after many years, I have returned to studying
faunal changes across the Ordovician-Silurian boundary in the Oslo Region,
Norway (with Dave Harper and Rachel Hardie). As for my research students: Alison
Bowdler-Hicks has been awarded her PhD and will be writing up her work on the
trinucleid trilobite family Marrolithinae for publication over the next year or
so, Sarah Stewart is completing her investigatations of a wide range of obscure
and neglected components in the Ordovician faunas of the Girvan district, S.W.
Scotland and Kathy Keefe has submitted her MSc thesis on aspects of the
taxonomy and palaeogeographical origins of the Ashgill trilobites from Girvan.
Pachut,
Joseph F. (USA). Bob Anstey
and I continue work on analyzing how best to identifying species in the fossil
record. We are also currently conducting a detailed analysis of the tempo
and mode of speciation, the calculation of selection coefficients (+ their
meaning), and the match of cladistic patterns with stratigraphic occurrences in
species of the Upper Ordovician bryozoan genus Peronopora.
Palma, Miguel A. (Argentina). I am actively working on consulting geology.
Paris, Florentin (France). I am working on the development
(geographic extension, timing) and on the effects (erosion, faunal crisis) of
the Late Ordovician glaciation in northern Gondwana regions. One of my main
goals is to depict the impact of the glaciation on the biodiversification of
marine microfossils (chitinozoans). Sections, and /or samples are investigated
in Algeria, Morocco, France, Libya, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Oman.
Pärnaste,
Helje (Estonia). This is the last year of my PhD studies at
University of Tartu dealing with systematics and biozonation of the Arenigian
trilobites of northern East Baltic supervised by Professor Tőnu Meidla. The Billingen trilobites are of the highest
priority. My second interest is the
systematics of superfamily Cheirurina. Two cyrtometopinine genera Krattaspis
and Reraspis are revised (one is published, the other in press), and the paper
about the earliest encrinurid is in final stage of preparation. I am also taking part in two projects at
Institute of Geology in Tallinn: (1) "Ordovician-Silurian stratigraphical
schemes: analyse and improvement of global and Baltic regional units based on
high-resolution biostratigraphy, isotope geology and sequence
stratigraphy" led by Dr. Linda Hints; (2) "Correlation criteria and
environmental changes at the boundaries of the global Ordovician stages in the
East Baltic" led by Dr. Jaak Nőlvak.
Percival, Ian (Australia). Ordovician conodonts
continue to occupy almost all my research time, with focus on both carbonate
residues and chert thick-sections from New South Wales. Papers I presented at
the 9th ISOS (where I attended both the pre- and post-conference field trips)
concentrated on biostratigraphic correlations using Early Ordovician conodonts,
and their potential for use in constraining tectonic reconstructions. During
the year I continued a productive collaboration with Yongyi Zhen (Australian
Museum) and Barry Webby (Macquarie University), involving four
publications during 2003, and a further three scheduled for publication this
current year. Also to appear in early 2004 is the Columbia University Press
book on the Great Ordovician Biodiversification, which I have assisted in
editing over the past year. Current projects include contributions to Late
Cambrian to Darriwilian conodont biostratigraphy for a paper with Richard Glen
and Ian Stewart on the exotic Narooma Terrane on the south coast of New South
Wales (accepted for Australian Journal of Earth Sciences), further study
of Ordovician conodonts from cherts in the Lachlan Orogen of central New
South Wales, co-authoring a paper on Cambro-Ordovician biostratigraphy of
the Koonenberry Belt in the far-western part of the state, and describing
faunas from Late Ordovician (Bolindian) limestones and graptolitic sediments
with various colleagues.
Podhalańska,
Teresa (Poland). I am
actively working on biostratigraphy, graptolites, facial development and
chemostratigraphy related to change in climate, sea level and paleogeography in
the Late Ordovician and Early Silurian in Poland. Recently I deal with the
interpretation of the oxygen and carbon isotope data from the
Ordovician/Silurian boundary in Poland.
Popov, Leonid (Russia). I am continuing my work
on a number of projects related to the Ordovician brachiopods, biogeography and biostratigraphy of
Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Iran and St. Petersburg Region in Russia.
Repetski, John E. (USA). I am still working chiefly on biostratigraphy,
CAI, biogeography, and systematics of Ordovician and Cambrian conodont faunas,
with some work on other phosphatic problematica and some faunas of other ages.
In the Appalachian basin, I am preparing Ordovician and Devonian thermal
maturation (CAI and %Ro) maps for states in the basin; studying Late Cambrian
through Ibexian shelf to slope faunas across Virginia, Maryland, and
Pennsylvania (with J. Taylor, and D. Brezinski); trying to unravel the history
of the Hamburg “klippe” terrane in E. Penna. (w/Bob Ganis); and age-dating
metamorphosed sedimentary units in Vermont to support mapping there. I am still
working on Ibexian faunas in western US (w/J. Taylor, J. Loch, R. Ethington, R.
Ripperdan, and P. Myrow) and in Sonora, Mexico, and southwestern US (w/A.
Harris). I continue providing age-dating support for projects in the US
Midcontinent, Alaska, and elsewhere. Finally, I am working on several taxonomic
projects, mostly on Upper Cambrian to Middle Ordovician conodonts, mostly with
various colleagues.
Rubinstein, Claudia Viviana (Argentina).
I
continue working on Paleozoic palynomorphs (acritarchs, chitinozoans,
cryptospores and spores) from Argentina and South America. Current
projects involve: The Cambrian, Ordovician and Silurian from Puna,
Eastern Cordillera, Subandean Ranges and Famatina, in northwestern Argentina,
with special emphasis in the Cambrian- Ordovician boundary, the
Tremadoc-Arenig boundary and the Ordovician- Silurian boundary. The
Ordovician/Silurian boundary in the Precordillera Basin, Argentina, in
collaboration with Philippe Steemans (Liege, Belgium).
Saltzman,
Matthew (USA). I'm currently pursuing stratigraphic study of
stable (C, S) and radiogenic (Sr, Nd) isotopes in the Ordovician.
Currently, I am focused on the interval corresponding the undatus-tenuis conodont zones in Laurentia and equivalents
elsewhere, in collaboration with Stig Bergstrom and students here at Ohio
State. I am also collaborating with Bill Ausich and Paul Copper in
chemostratigraphic study of the Ordovician stratigraphy on Anticosti
Island. Other collaborative projects are also underway in the Ordovician
of Argentina (Guillermo Albanesi), China (Chen Xu and Rong Jia-yu) and
Nevada.
Sánchez, Teresa M. (Argentina). I am continuing research on Tremadoc and Arenig
bivalves and rostroconchs from western Argentina. The aim of the studies on
bivalves is help to understand the early stages of their evolution in the
context of the early Ordovician radiation on the Gondwana shelves. Together
with B. Waisfeld, M. Carrera, and J. Benedetto I am working on Gondwana
diversification patterns compared with global Ordovician trends.
Sarmiento, Graciela N. (Spain). I continue working on several
projects involving Ordovician and Silurian conodonts with a number of
colleagues.
Servais, Thomas (France). Investigations on Lower Palaeozoic
organic-walled micro-phytoplankton continues with ongoing research on the
Ordovician of China (with Li Jun and Yan Kui, Nanjing), the Cambrian-Ordovician
boundary (with Elena Raevskaya, St. Petersburg), Marco Vecoli (currently
post-doc at Lille) and an MSc student (Mathilde Blanchon). A paper on
acritarchs of the "Tremadoc-Arenig" (global stages 1 and 2) boundary
will be finalised with Stewart G. Molyneux (BGS, Keyworth UK) and Elena. A
paper on the inshore-offshore distribution of acritarchs at the Early-Middle
Ordovician boundary of the Yangtze Platform will be published soon (Rev.
Palaeobot. Palyn.), as well as a paper on the ecophenotypism of galeate
acritarchs (Palaeontology). The revision of distinctive acritarchs of the
interval Late Cambrian - Early Ordovician (with Ludovic Stricanne, Tübingen,
and Elena) includes the review of Nellia, Vulcanisphaera and other taxa.
Another ongoing project is the comparison of the global distribution of the
acritarchs in the Ordovician with other planktonic and nectonic groups,
including fish (Alain Blieck, Lille), graptolites (Chen Xu, Nanjing),
chitinozoa (Florentin PARIS) and "planktonic" trilobites (Franco
Tortello, La Plata). A revision of the trilobites of the Darriwilian of Belgium
is also in progress (with Robert Owens, Cardiff).
Sennikov, Nikolay V.
(Russia). I am
actively working on a) Ordovician graptolite, conodont and chitinozoan zonal
scales; b) paleogeography of Altai-Salair and Tuva Ordovician paleobasins; c) Ordovician
bio- and sedimentary events.
Smith,
Paul (UK). I have recently
started a project to document the sedimentology, palaeontology and sequence
stratigraphy of the Cambro-Ordovician Durness Group of NW Scotland, in
collaboration with the British Geological Survey. The work will be carried out by myself and a PhD student, Rob
Raine, and the first phase will concentrate on the sedimentology and conodont
faunas.
Toro,
Blanca (Argentina). Taxonomic, biostratigraphic and
paleobiogeographic aspects of the Ordovician and Silurian graptolite fauna from
northwestern Argentina and the southern Precordillera are still the major goals
of my research activities. An update of the systematic descriptions and the
biozonation schemes of the Argentine Ordovician graptolites were presented
together with Edsel Brussa in two chapters of the book “Ordovician fossils of
Argentina” during the ISOS 2003. In addition, new taxonomic and
biostratigraphic graptolite data from the Puna region and the Precordillera
were exposed at that Symposium. Currently, I am involved on a number of large
projects together with Argentine colleagues: 1) to obtain a high-resolution
biostratigraphic scheme calibrated with different groups of fossils for the
Ordovician from northwestern Argentina. 2) to deal mainly with the analysis of
the zonal succession, international correlation and the paleobiogeographic
affinities of the graptolite fauna from Argentine Precordillera. 3) I am still
working on the Ordovician graptolites from Mendoza Province with previous
Rusconi Collection and new material collected by myself.
Trotter,
Julie A. (Australia). I am continuing PhD research on conodont
geochemistry as potential recorders of palaeocean chemistry and proxies of
environmental change during the Ordovician
and Early Silurian, principally
using high-resolution, in-situ,
micro-analytical techniques (eg. laser ablation ICPMS).
Vandenbroucke,
Thijs (Belgium). This year, I mainly focussed on the rich
and diverse chitinozoan fauna of the
Type Ashgill area (Howgill Fells, UK),
which has already been presented on the ISOS meeting in Argentina (A
big "thank you" to the Argentine
colleagues for a very nice meeting
indeed!). A paper on these Type Ashgill chitinozoans will hopefully be
published in the near future. Next year, I am continuing to work on my PhD
project (third year), which will include work on several British sections through the Upper Ordovician, a.o.
the Cardigan coast section, Whitland section, the Pus Gill section, the Onny
Valley and the Hart Fell section. I am
also co operating with Chen Xu (Nanjing), focussing on the chitinozoan
biostratigraphy of some selected Chinese Ordovician sections such as the
Wangjiawan and the Dawangou sections.
Vanmeirhaeghe,
Jan (Belgium). In 2003, I have completed the first year of my
Ph. D. project on the mid-Ordovician to Silurian basin development at the
northern edge of the Midlands Microcraton (Condroz – Brabant – East Anglia)
under the supervision of Dr. Jacques Verniers. This year, the work focussed on
the central part of the Condroz Inlier, one of the least investigated lower
Palaeozoic areas of Belgium. A section in Faulx-les-Tombes, comprising Caradoc
and Ashgill formations, was lithostratigraphically studied in detail.
Furthermore, the chitinozoans of this section were studied from more than
twenty samples, allowing correlation with international chitinozoan biozonation
and accurate dating. Together with Dr. Verniers, I recently finished a paper
(in press) that deals with the litho- and biostratigraphy (with chitinozoans)
of two Ashgill formations in the western part of the Condroz Inlier, in the
Puagne area. Two conglomeratic levels in the upper formation may be associated
with the sea-level drop, caused by the Hirnantian glaciation. In the same
paper, two new chitinozoan species are defined. Next year, other Upper
Ordovician formations will be studied in the central part of the Condroz Inlier
and I will tackle the Silurian of the eastern part of the Condroz Inlier.
Verniers,
Jacques (Belgium). This year, I will study the chitinozoans from
the Ashgill-Llandovery transition in a borehole from Scania, in collaboration with
A. Nielsen (Kopenhagen), where the detailed graptolite biozonation was recently
well established by T. Koren. I also want to mention that five Master students
are writing their dissertation on chitinozoan biostratigraphy within our
research unit. Two of them focus on Belgian chitinozoan biostratigrapy in the
Upper Ordovician Ittre and Bornival Formations of the Brabant Massif, while the
other three are studying the Ordovician chitinozoans from the Dobs Linn, Hart Fell
and Greenscoe sections, the former two in the Southern Uplands, Scotland, and
the latter in the Lake District (UK).
Su,
Wenbo (China). Since 1997, when I finished my doctoral degree
program, I have been teaching in the China University of Geosciences
(Beijing)(CUGB). Now I am an Associate Professor of the Group of Stratigraphy
& Paleontology, School of Earth Sciences & Resources, CUGB. So far,
besides the teaching work, I have been studying mainly on the Ordovician
sequence stratigraphy and the sea-level changes in South China based on the integrated
stratigraphic approach. Meanwhile, I have taken part in some projects for
paleogeography and basin analysis respectively in Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia
of China.
From 1999 to 2001, I had been in charge of a
project from our National Nature Science Foundation Committee (NSFC). It was
named ‘ On the Drowning-unconformities of the Upper Yangtze carbonate platform
and the fauna responses during Cambrian and Ordovician’. The main core of this
project is to probe the relationship between the sea-level changes and the
evolution of the faunas during Ordovician Period based on the sequence
stratigraphy and other integrated study. In fact, it was the extending of my
doctoral degree program. Some papers and one monograph have been published when
the project finished.
At the same time while the above-mentioned
program, I had discovered many K-bentonite beds in many Ordovician- Silurian
boundary sections in South China. Most recently, my colleagues and I have
preliminarily explored the high-resolution correlatability of the volcanic
deposits and their tectonomagmatic significances. Two papers have been
published. And hence, last year, my new proposal to our NSFC, which named ‘On
the high-resolution correlatability of the K-bentonite beds and their coupling
with the geo-spheres during the Ordovician– Silurian transition in South
China’, has been granted again and it will be lasted from 2004 to 2006 for
another three years.
Nowadays, I am preparing a presentation about
the K-bentonites research in S. China for the relevant Ordovician session of
the coming 32nd IGC in Italy. Most honored and helpful to me, Profs.
Warren D. Huff (University of Cincinnati, K-bentonites) and Gerald R. Baum
(Maryland Geological Survey, sequence stratigraphy) are the oversea co-authors.
Waisfeld,
Beatriz G. (Argentina). My research continues on Ordovician trilobites
from Argentina. Extensive
collections in several localities of the Northwestern of Argentina
yielded new trilobite forms. The taxonomic study of this fauna is in progress
with my colleague Emilio Vaccari. As well, we are revising stratigraphical
and geographical distributions of most taxa in order to achieve a more
comprehensive biostratigraphical scheme based on trilobites for the Late
Cambrian-Early Ordovician successions of the Northwestern
basin. I am also involved in other projects concerning
paleoecology and diversification in Early Ordovician assemblages from the west
of Argentina together with my coworkers from the University of Córdoba.
Our main focus is to understand the significance of the faunal
changes during the Ordovician Radiation in the Southwest of Gondwana.
Additionally, a study of Early Ordovician trilobites from classical
sections of South Bolivia is in progress in collaboration with Emilio
Vaccari and LeGrand Smith.
Wheeley,
James R. (UK). I continue my PhD research with Lesley Cherns
and Paul Wright (Cardiff University) on the taphonomy and sedimentology of the
Ordovician cephalopod limestones of Sweden. Summer 2003 was spent in Jämtland
with Lars Karis, Linda Wickström (Geological Survey of Sweden) and Lesley
Cherns collecting material for analysis. I am using field, petrographic and
geochemical studies to investigate the early diagenesis of these limestones.
From initial results a diagenetic model is being developed that links early
remobilisation of biogenic carbonate with the formation of the distinctive
'beds' in these sequences. External (environmental) controls on 'bed' and
decimetre cycle formation are also being considered. The trace fossils of these
limestones are also being deciphered. Further fieldwork is planned for 2004.
Wicander,
Reed (USA). I am continuing my acritarch work on various
Ordovician formations. Dr.
Geoffrey Playford, University of Queensland, Australia spent six months in my department
and we completed a manuscript on the acritarchs and
prasinophytes of the Upper Ordovician Sylvan Shale, Oklahoma, USA. I plan
on presenting the results of that research at the XI International Palynologic
Congress in Granada, Spain this summer.
Wilson,
Mark A. (USA). My work has lately concentrated on the
radiation of bioeroders in the Middle and Late Ordovician (the "Ordovician
Bioerosion Revolution"). I have an ACS-PRF grant for three years to work
out the patterns of Ordovician bioerosion history. So far my work has been in
the Upper Midwest of the USA (Iowa and Minnesota) and the Cincinnati area
(Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky). I hope to soon expand this fieldwork to Utah and
Nevada and maybe even to Argentina. I have also been studying museum collections
of Ordovician borings from around the world.
I continue to maintain bibliographies (on
hardgrounds and bioerosion), an introductory website on bioerosion and other
items accessible at: http://www.wooster.edu/geology/MWilson.html
Young, Graham (Canada).
I’m continuing to work on Paleozoic paleoecology, and on coral diversity
and distribution before and after the Late Ordovician extinction event. Collaborations with Bob Elias examine
diversity, community structure, and morphology of coral faunas; a section on
corals of Laurentia is in press in the book on Ordovician Biodiversification,
IGCP Project 410. A large field project
with Bob, Dave Rudkin, Godfrey Nowlan, and others assesses paleoenvironments
around a unique Late Ordovician-Early Silurian archipelago in the Churchill
area, northern Manitoba. Drillcore was
recovered from five sites in 2003; this will permit three-dimensional
reconstructions. Recently completed work with Steve Kershaw (Brunel University
England) establishes a classification system for growth banding and related
features in Paleozoic corals and stromatoporoids, through a comparison of
Ordovician material from Manitoba and Silurian fossils from Gotland, Sweden.
Yochelson,
Ellis (USA). I
published a short paper in 2003 in the "Archives of Natural History"
on the trilobite with legs from the Upper Ordovician of Cincinnati. I have
submitted to Donald Mikulic a longer piece on Walcott's discovery of Middle
Ordovician trilobite appendages from Trenton Falls, New York. It is uncertain
when this will appear.
I am currently working on the
Ordovician brachiopod radiation of South China that is a part of the giant
project led by Prof. Rong Jia-yu (Academician): Biotic origination, radiation,
extinction and recovery in major geological time intervals. During the past a
few years, we had investigated more than 10 Lower to Middle Ordovician sections
in South China and collected thousands and thousands of specimens of fossils,
mostly brachiopods. A thorough revision on the Early to Middle Ordovician
brachiopods of South China is being finished in a couple of years. My main
publications in 2003 are as follows:
Zhan, Renbin (China). I am currently working
on the Ordovician brachiopod radiation of South China that is a part of the
giant project led by Prof. Rong Jia-yu (Academician): Biotic origination,
radiation, extinction and recovery in major geological time intervals. During
the past a few years, we had investigated more than 10 Lower to Middle
Ordovician sections in South China and collected thousands and thousands of
specimens of fossils, mostly brachiopods. A thorough revision on the Early to
Middle Ordovician brachiopods of South China is being finished in a couple of
years.
Zhang,
Shunxin (Canada). My research is still focused on the Ordovician
and Silurian conodont paleoecology and reconstruction of the sea level history
based on the conodont community changes through time. Currently, my active
projects include works on the Appalachians, Cordillera, and Arctic.
Zhang,
Yuandong (China). I am working on the following aspects: 1) the
middle Ordovician biotic-radiation. After the 2001 field excursion to Upper
Yangtze Platform, eg., northern Guizhou, southern Sichuan, together with some
of my colleagues in Nanjing, and Prof. Liu Jianbo from Beijing University, last
year (2003) Renbin and I finished the field work on the early to middle
Ordovician Dawan Fm. in the Yangtze Gorges area of China. The preliminary
results of this work turned out to be interesting. The formation shows a
comparatively low biodiversity of early-middle Ordovician (both pelagic
graptolites and benthic brachiopods), even in the northern margin of the
Yangtze platform (e.g. Nanzhang and Jingshan of Hubei) where was previously
believed to represent a relatively deep-water environment. The detailed work
including the identification and analysis is yet to be finished. 2) Tremadocian
biostratigraphy and graptolites of China. I continue to cooperate with Prof.
B.-D. Erdtmann in Technical University Berlin and Prof. Feng Hongzhen of
Nanjing University, China, to study the late Tremadocian graptolite and
biostratigraphy in North China and South China, and the correlation with
Baltica, Newfoundland and Bolivia etc. On the basis of this cooperation in the
past years, we have been able to deliver several manuscripts for publishing. 3)
Cladistic study on the origins of the three major groups of Ordovician and
Silurian graptolites: dichograptids, diplograptids and monograptids, based
mainly on data from South China (with Prof. Chen Xu, Dr. Fan Juanxuan and Prof.
R.A. Fortey etc.). The study on the origin and early evolution of biserial
graptolites have been conducted in collaboration with Richard Fortey, and
turned out some interesting results which are to be published soon. The other
studies are on the way. The work is financially supported by the Natural
Science Foundation of China.
Zhen,
Yong Yi (Australia). I am continue working on the Ordovician
conodonts from New South Wales and China in association with Ian Percival,
Barry Webby, and Jianbo Liu.
Zhou,
Zhiyi (China). Work continues on the Ordovician trilobite
biofacies and biodiversity changes of the Yangtze Block. Relative researches
involve a review of the previously established Chinese trilobite genera and
faunal sequences, and a stratigraphic correlation of trilobite-bearing beds
between different facies belts. A few papers on the terminal Ordovician
extinction and early Middle Ordovician radiation of the South China trilobites
are almost ready to submit. Other work includes studies on the Llanvirn-early
Ashgill trilobite faunas of Pagoda facies from the Yangtze region (with Zhou,
Zhiqiang) and on the ontogeny of Arenig trilobites from Anhui (with Yuan,
Wenwei). I was able to join the 9th ISOS held in San Juan, Argentina
in August. It was well organized and I felt rewarding and profitable. I was
pleased to have the chance to meet friends and colleagues old and new, and to
see for the first time the Ordovician of South America.