Title: Message
Dear Paleonetters,
Michael Garton and I
are pleased to give you all a pdf of the original diagnosis of the trace fossil Skolithos as a holiday
treat.
The pdf was
scanned by Reference Librarian Barbara Graff from the copy in the U.S. Geological
Survey Library in Reston, Virginia. She was pleased to find so much demand (two
requests in a day!) for an item 165 years old. At the time of its discovery, Skolithos linearis
was the earliest North American
trace fossil known (Haldeman's find is
now dated as Early Cambrian). The citation is:
Haldeman, S.S. 1840.
Supplement to number one of "A monograph of the Limniades, and other freshwater
univalve shells of North America," containing descriptions of apparently new
animals in different classes, and the names and characters of the subgenera in
Paludina and Anculosa. Published by author, Philadelphia, 3 pp.
A few words of
explanation: Haldeman named the trace fossil Fucoides? (Skolithos) linearis,
that is, with Skolithos as a subgenus probably of Fucoides. He referred to
naming it three years previously, but as best as anyone can tell, this did not
occur in print. His book on freshwater snails was published by subscription in
parts, and most copies of the book do not contain this supplement. Michael
ascertained that no complete copies of the book exist in British libraries. The diagnosis is at the end of the
supplement.
Thanks to SKOLITHOS List Manager Jordi de Gibert for
making the gift available at http://www.ub.edu/taphos05/haldeman.pdf, where
it can be downloaded for a few weeks. So don't let this holiday treat get
cold!
Best wishes for the
New Year,
Andy
Andrew K.
Rindsberg
Geological Survey of
Alabama
--
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.1.371 / Virus Database: 267.13.12/193 - Release Date: 12/6/2005