paleonet Annual Address and AGM

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Just a reminder for those of you based in the UK or within striking 
distance.

Palaeontological Association Annual Address and Annual General Meeting
Wednesday, 8th May 2002


Annual Address:
"The life and work of S.S. Buckman (1860-1929) geobiochronologist, and the
problems of assessing the work of past palaeontologists"

Barber Institute of Fine Arts, and Lapworth Museum of Geology, University
of Birmingham

Formal business will begin at 3pm and will be followed by the Annual
Address given by Prof. Hugh Torrens (Keele University). This will
be followed by a wine reception at the Lapworth Museum of Geology (School
of Earth Sciences).


The life and work of S.S. Buckman (1860-1929) geobiochronologist, and the
problems of assessing the work of past palaeontologists

Abstract

Buckman was an English stratigrapher active at the interface of 'amateur'
and 'professional' geoscience over a long, active career spanning 50 years.
In 1889 he published a first 'milestone' paper, demonstrating how extensive
(both geographically and chronologically) diachronism was, within
lithologically similar Jurassic sands in the south of England.  In 1893 he
published another, on the detailed biochronology of Middle Jurassic
sediments there, whereby he demonstrated how highly condensed and episodic
their original deposition was.  By 1901 he was attempting a
biochronological "time table, of worldwide application... [as] a means
whereby Jurassic events over a large part of Europe can be exactly dated
now; and there is good reason to think that the same may be said of a far
wider field in the future".

But the value of all these papers had been immediately questioned by the
'English Geological Establishment' and Buckman came to feel more and more
isolated in his opinions.  After a breakdown in health in 1904 caused by
too much fieldwork on bicycle, Buckman abandoned this, the one element
which had been so vital to his early work.  He now published much of his
work privately away from referees, and started work as a 'consultant
biostratigrapher'.  Since he was paid per genus/species that he determined,
his latest work was understandably characterised by a proliferation of new
names.

Doing "amateur" research to "professional" standards was, before
palaeontology established itself as a profession, fraught with difficulty.
In this Buckman faced exactly the same problem as his father, forced to
resign in 1862 for doing experimental research in botany in support of
Darwinian evolutionary ideas...!  SSB was soon offered a consulting post
with the Canadian Geological Survey, then busy exploring the more
outlandish parts of Canada and Hong Kong, at $2,000 (Canadian), for six
months such work, a year.  But Buckman's invitation was abandoned with the
start of the First World War.  Then in 1923 A.W. Grabau (1870-1946)
announced the discovery of ammonites of supposed Lower Cretaceous age, "a
discovery of exceptional interest and importance in Chinese geology."
Buckman was asked, because of his Canadian link, to identify further Hong
Kong material and in 1926 showed that these ammonites were of Lower
Jurassic age.  His concept of a 'worldwide ammonite time table' was
vindicated by this work alone.

This lecture attempts to re-assess Buckman's work and tries to point out
how vital it is that historical skills are fully used in such attempts.

Further details can be obtained from the Executive Officer
<palass@palass.org>



Dr Mark Purnell
Publicity Officer and Internet Officer
The Palaeontological Association
http://www.palass.org