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Re: paleonet Optocentrism alert: 'Fossils of the Chalk' published today



Hm-m-m-m. Can't let you out of it that easily. ;-> A good look
through a 20x hand lens will show that you can easily identify
foraminifera in the field--and do excellent field biostrat. with
them. Indeed, back when I was a graduate student (just after people
stopped living in caves) we used to identify Mesozoic radiolarians in
the field! [Note: just be sure you keep the stopper in that HF
flask.] Identification of coccoliths might be pushing it a bit,
'cause humping those petrographic microscopes up the hogbacks can
ruin your entire day. But yes, microfossils are fossils and they do
occur in the Chalk. Perhaps the title should have been 'Macrofossils
of the Chalk'.

Norm MacLeod




>This was not meant as a serious criticism of the volume, I am sure,
>but the key to this apparent omission lies in the title of the
>series:
>'Field Guides to Fossils'
>
>I can't speak for all micropalaeontologists, but I don't usually
>identify them in the field.
>
>Mark
>
>--On Thursday, August 22, 2002 9:51 am -0700 John Van Couvering
><vanc@amnh.org> wrote:
>
>>Interesting that a volume on Fossils of the Chalk should blandly overlook
>>the coccoliths, of which the Chalk is essentially composed.  Surely a
>>mention, a few images.. ?  Maurice Black so soon forgotten?  We only
>>considered fossils visible to the human eye, you explain.  Optocentric
>>bias, I calls it.
>>
>>John Van Couvering
>>nothing to do of course with Editor, Micropaleontology Press
>>
>>At 11:10 AM 8/22/2002 +0100, you wrote:
>>>The Palaeontological Association's latest volume in the 'Field Guides to
>>>Fossils' series is a revised and enlarged edition of the 'Fossils of the
>>>Chalk.  There are separate chapters on: sponges, corals, serpulids,
>>>bryozoans, brachiopods, bivalves, gastropods, ammonites, nautiloids,
>>>arthropods, echinoderms, fishes, and reptiles.
>>>
>>>Full reference details are:
>>>
>>>Fossils of the Chalk; 2nd ed., revised and enlarged.  Edited by AB Smith
>>>and DJ Batten.  374 pp; 66 pls; 33 text-figs.  ISBN 0-901702-78-1; ISSN
>>>0962-5321.  Published by The Palaeontological Association; price £14.00,
>>>$28.00, ?28.00.  Available from <palass@palass.org> and:
>>>
>>>Tim Palmer
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Dr Tim Palmer C.Geol., F.G.S.
>>>Executive Officer, The Palaeontological Association
>>>I.G.E.S., University of Wales
>>>Aberystwyth SY23 3DB
>>>Wales, U.K.
>>>
>>>Phone/Answerphone: +44 (0) 1970 627107
>>>Fax: +44 (0) 1970 622659
>>>Secretary: +44 (0) 1970 622643
>>>E-mail: palass@palass.org
>>>Web: www.palass.org
>>
>>
>
>
>
>Dr Mark A. Purnell
>Department of Geology
>University of Leicester
>Leicester LE1 7RH
>Tel: +44 116 252 3645 Fax: +44 116 252 3918
>http://www.le.ac.uk/geology/map2/map2.html


--


___________________________________________________________________

Dr. Norman MacLeod
Keeper of Palaeontology
The Natural History Museum,
Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD

(0)20-7942-5204 (Office)
(0)20-7942-5546 (Fax)

Web Page: http://www.nhm.ac.uk/palaeontology/a&ss/nm/nm.html

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