Pander Society Newsletter - University of Leicester

Symposia
Pander's legacy, 150 years on. 2006 marks the Sesquicentennial of Pander's monograph in which
conodonts were described for the first time. This symposium will consider Pander and his scientific
contribution, including his work on conodonts, other fossil vertebrates, and developmental biology.
Keynote speakers in this symposium will include Dick Aldridge who will be speaking on Pander and the
phylogenetic position of the conodonts - then and now; Simon Knell (Museum Studies, Leicester), on
Pander's contributions in their historical context and subsequent work; Anthony Graham (Developmental
Biology, King's College, London) on Pander's seminal work in developmental biology; Peter Forey
(Palaeontology, Natural History Museum) on Pander 1856 and ostracoderm vertebrates - from bits of scale
to living fishes
Conodont phylogenies - alternative approaches, implications, and applications. Hypotheses of conodont
phylogeny underpin many areas of conodont research, including taxonomy, biostratigraphic zonation,
evolutionary palaeobiology, and analysis of the quality of the fossil record. This session will explore
alternative approaches to reconstructing conodont phylogeny, their assumptions, implications and
applications. Keynote: Philip Donoghue.
Conodonts, Palaeobiogeography and Palaeoceanography. Convened by Dick Aldridge, this session will
cover all aspects of global influences on conodont distribution and the uses of conodonts in the
investigation of palaeocontinental configurations, eustatic sea-level changes, climate models and the
ocean/atmosphere system. Topics will include conodont biogeography, conodont geochemistry and the
relationship between conodont distribution and sequence stratigraphy. Investigations of major patterns of
extinction, radiation and faunal turnover will also be relevant. Keynote: Chris Barnes.
Triassic Conodonts: Taxonomy and Time Scales. Convened by Mike Orchard. Conodonts play a primary
role in Triassic biochronology and yet the taxonomic framework in which they are applied remains largely
based on form taxonomic concepts. This symposium will explore both the variability of taxonomic
approaches currently in use in the study of Triassic conodonts, including their Permian forebears, and their
application in biostratigraphy and time scales. Keynote: Mike Orchard
'Coniform' Conodont Apparatuses and Architecture - Whence and Whither? Convened by Paul Smith
and John Repetski. The last two decades have seen a major leap forward in the interpretation of more
derived conodonts, with the elucidation of apparatus architectures using natural assemblages and the use of
these architectural models as templates for apparatus reconstruction in taxa unrepresented by natural
assemblages. In contrast, primitive conodonts with apparatuses composed of coniform elements are poorly
represented by natural assemblages and it is clear that the record is replete with partial reconstructions, and
limitations created by the unknown extent of morphologically similar elements within the apparatuses of
individual conodonts. Even simple questions regarding the apparatuses of these taxa have uncertain
answers. How many elements were there in conodonts with apparatuses of this type? How similar was the
architecture to that of primitive prioniodontid conodonts? How much variation in architecture is there
within primitive conodonts? Can consistent architectural models be developed with the available
assemblage data? If so, can these be used to guide apparatus reconstruction in taxa represented only by
collections of isolated elements? If the phylogeny of primitive conodonts, and other aspects of their
palaeobiology, are to be investigated in a secure, reproducible and testable manner, then better constrained
apparatus models are essential.
Devonian Conodont Biostratigraphy Convened by Pierre Bultynck. The Devonian standard conodont
zonation, mostly based on successions in deeper-water deposits, is widely used among conodont workers.
However, some zones are not always easily accepted. This symposium will focus on the following topics:
constraints on the Devonian standard conodont zonation; alternative zonations in deeper-water facies;
alternative zonations/faunas in shallower-water facies; graphic correlation. Kenote: Sophie Gouwy
Workshops and Day excursions
Wednesday, July 19
Short Field Excursion: Lower Carboniferous, North Staffordshire. Leaders: Patrick Cossey (University
of Staffordshire) and Mark Purnell. This trip will visit two or three localities which expose Lower
Carboniferous sections on the margins of the beautiful Peak District National Park. Localities to be visited
will include Brown End Quarry, of early Visean age, and Cauldon Railway Cutting, of Serpukhovian age.
Both localities yield some rich conodont faunas; the Cauldon fauna (which also includes abundant micro-
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