REVIEW SEMINAR

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PALAEONTOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION REVIEW SEMINAR

Exceptional preservation of fossils: processes and perspectives
University of Portsmouth, UK
Wednesday 20 March 1996

The most spectacular fossils are those in which soft tissues are preserved in 
addition to mineralized hard parts. Such fossils provide considerably more 
palaeobiological data than do conventional preservational modes. For many organisms 
known by hard parts alone, their evolutionary relationships, indeed, even their 
basic shape, has been an enigma. However, throughout the Phanerozoic, rare 
preservational windows in which fossils with soft tissues occur, allow us to
evaluate more accurately the nature of extinct biotas.

The last ten years have seen marked advances in studies on the preservation of 
fossil soft tissues, with such studies concentrated in three main areas: 1) the 
taphonomic processes leading to the burial of intact carcasses; 2) the diagenetic 
processes that ultimately preserve non-mineralized tissue in the long term; and 3) 
actualistic studies on fresh materials to determine rates of decay and processes of 
fossilization. In parallel with these studies others have concentrated their 
efforts on the palaeobiology, physiology and evolutionary relationships of ancient 
organisms as revealed by the preserved soft tissues. This seminar aims to bring 
together these distinct, but nevertheless related strands in a one-day forum for 
all palaeontologists. Topics include the preservation of soft tissues by mineral 
replacement and replication, the in-situ preservation of organic molecules, rates 
of fossilization, and the palaeobiology of extinct organisms revealed by soft 
tissues.

Organizers: Dave Martill & Mike Barker, Department of Geology, University of 
Portsmouth, Burnaby Road, Portsmouth PO1 3QL
Tel: 01705 842256 or 842245, Fax: 01705 842244
e-mail: Martilld@geol.port.ac.uk or Barkerm@geol.port.ac.uk

Venue: Department of Geology, University of Portsmouth, Burnaby Road, Portsmouth 
PO1 3QL (maps available from the organizsers on request)

Programme

10.00 Coffee
10.30 Welcome by Steve Donovan (Visiting Professor)
10.35 Introduction by Dave Martill

Theme 1. Preservation of soft tissues

11.00 Dr Peter Allison Soft and Dead
11.30 Prof Derek Briggs Actualistic approaches to soft tissue preservation
12.00 Dr Phil Wilby Phosphatization of soft tissues
12.30 Ms Sarah Gabbott Soft tissue preservation by clay minerals

1.00 Lunch

Theme 2. Exceptional preservation of extinct organisms

2.30 Dr Richard J. Aldridge Soft tissue evidence: the conodont detective story
3.00 Dr David Unwin The soft tissue preservation in pterosaurs
3.30 Dr Dave Martill Exceptional preservation of ichthyosaurs
4.00 Dr Mike Barker Closing remarks
  ______________________________________________________________
 *                                                              *
 *  This seminar is free.                                       *
 *  All Palaeontological Association Meetings are open to all,  *
 *  including non-members of the Palaeontological Association.  *
 *                                                              *
 *  Details of forthcoming meetings are available on the        *
 *  Palaeontological Association www pages at                   *
 *  http://www.nhm.ac.uk/paleonet/PalAss/PalAss.html            *
 *______________________________________________________________*