Darwin's Lost World: in search of the hidden history of animal life

By Martin Brasier of Oxford University

Lecture to the Hull Geological Society on Thursday 19th November 2009 at 7-30pm in the Department of Geography, Cohen Building, University of Hull.

Abstract -

"The case at present must remain inexplicable…" Darwin wrote in The Origin of Species.

The rocks below the trilobite-laden Cambrian seemed to be barren. Where were the fossil ancestors to all those amazing early animals? This talk is about the quest to solve Darwin's Dilemma. Since Charles Darwin in 1859, palaeontologists have been seeking the hidden history of animals. And sure enough, they have found fossils, all over the world, going back far into the past; fossils that would have thrilled Darwin - large, enigmatic marine forms, and a veritable feast of tiny single cells. But the relatively sudden (geologically speaking) dawn of the modern world of animals - the "Cambrian Explosion" - has remained a puzzle. Was it really an "explosion" of new forms? Or was it simply an explosion of fossils, once animals acquired hard parts which could be well preserved?

Martin Brasier, Professor of Palaeobiology at Oxford, sets out to recount the nature and challenges of the quest, which has taken scientists to the remotest locations. He argues that the Cambrian explosion was real - a genuine and profound change affecting the whole Earth system. And the cause may have been intrinsic to life itself…

Biography:-

Martin Brasier is currently the Professor of Palaeobiology at Oxford. He studied as an undergraduate at Chelsea College from 1966-9, and at University College from 1969-1972, serving a year during his doctorate as Ship's Scientist aboard the Caribbean Hydrographic Survey Cruise of HMS Fox and Fawn in 1970. After obtaining his PhD on the ecology of foraminifera living in recent reefs and lagoons, he spent a year with the British Geological Survey, and another with the Sedimentology group at Reading, followed by 14 years at Hull and then 21 years at Oxford. During this time, he has acted as Chairman of the Cambrian Subcomission - overseeing the placement of the Precambrian-Cambrian boundary, and as a voting member for the new Ediacaran System. He is a past Chairman of Earth Sciences at Oxford and a Dean of Degrees at St Edmund Hall.

In his research, he has sought to help establish criteria for the elucidation of the earliest fossil record. The intention here has been to open up debate for the scientific community, so that it is free to come to better judgements about the many accepted dogmas, and hopefully become more informed about the conclusions which can be reached about the biogenicity, validity and age of the claimant earliest fossils. As shown in his recent book Darwin's Lost World, the focus of his research has shifted gradually from the living world towards the origins of life itself. His firm view is that research into early life is impossible without a thorough understanding of marine biology and the way in which it translates into the fossil record.

His Oxford Palaeobiology research group now works on the ecology and evolution of the early biosphere, from the origins of life, through the modelling of growth and morphospace in simple and primitive organisms, to the early colonization of the land (from BIF to amber). The aim throughout has been to combine high resolution contextural analysis in both field and lab (mapping at all scales from kilometers to nanometres) coupled to robust and innovative questioning. Some recent research from his group includes field and laboratory re-analysis of the context and evidence for Earth's oldest microfossil assemblage in the 3.46 Ga Apex chert; and laser mapping of the growth, morphospace and evolutionary significance of the Ediacara biota.

Whyte about the Gills - Soft Tissue Preservation in Bivalves

By Dr Martin A. Whyte of the University of Sheffield.

Lecture to the Hull Geological Society on Thursday 15th October 2009 at 7-30pm in the Department of Geography, Cohen Building, University of Hull.

Abstract -

The old story of soft tissue preservation in Portlandian trigonioid bivalves has been amply demonstrated by recent discoveries. Most commonly this consists of preservation of the firm tissue of the gill supports, which in life are mineralized with phosphate. Other body tissues may also be preserved and are phosphatised rather than silicified, as was originally suggested. The decay and collapse of tissues and gill supports leads to some taphonomically interesting specimens with unusual geopetal structures.

Gill supports have also been found in trigonioid bivalves of other ages from Lower Carboniferous (Mississippian) to Cretaceous. One other group of extant bivalves, the unionoid bivalves, also has gill support structures in life and these have also been found preserved in some fossil specimens. The fossil evidence appears to support the derivation of the more advanced eulamellibranch gill of the unionoids from the more primitive filibranch gill of the trigonioids.

Brief Biography -

Geology took me under its spell while I was an undergraduate at St Andrews and I went on to do a Ph.D. in Edinburgh on the palaeoecology of a Carboniferous marine mudstone. Following this I had the great good fortune to be appointed by Professor Michael House to work with him in Hull on shell growth in bivalves. From the outset when I spent 24 hours collecting cockles from a small boat in Poole Harbour, working for him was both challenging and interesting. Thanks to his encouragement and support the three years that I spent in Hull were very formative ones. Though the work recounted in the lecture post-dates my period in Hull it is heavily dependent on knowledge gained while I was there. From Hull I moved to a post in Sheffield University, where I still work and continue my research in palaeoecology, trace fossils and biomineralization.

HULL GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. JOINT MEETING WITH THE YORKSHIRE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. THE LAST GLACIAL MAXIMUM

“The North Sea: A treasure trove for Pleistocene vertebrate palaeontology and archaeology” by Dick Mol, Natural History Museum, Rotterdam.

Abstract -

Although the woolly mammoth is certainly the most well known icon from the Ice Age, he was not the only inhabitant of that era. The woolly rhino and the saber-toothed cat roamed Northern Europe as well, in the shade of their mammoth companions. These species lived in the lowlands between the British Isles and the Netherlands, and their fossil remains are uncovered on a daily basis. During the Ice Age, the bottom of the North Sea used to be a vast plain, a delta of the River Meuse and the Thames, which we recognize today as the Mammoth Steppe.

Over the last few decades, close collaboration between the fishermen of the North Sea and scientists has resulted in a complete overview of what used to be the vast plains of the Ice Age. The flora and fauna of that time are now fully mapped and still educate us today.

Apart from the animal remains, it is evidently clear that man used to be part of the Mammoth Steppe. Until about 8,000 years ago, when the North Sea reached its current sea-level, man lived in these lowlands. In this report I will not only discuss the paleontological facts, but will also deal with the archeological value of this part of Northern Europe, in which man was an important player. Middle-Paleolithic artifacts from several sites of the plains of the North Sea, such as remarkable axes, will be on display for the first time in history. These sites can now be identified for certain as the home of the Neanderthals.

Furthermore, this account will not only deal with the Middle-Paleolithic component of the North Sea. Artifacts from the Mesolithic Age will also be discussed, as well as Mesolithic human remains. Moreover, several Neolithic axes provide proof of transport routes between Great Britain and the European mainland during the Ice Age.

"The Last Glacial Maximum: Raised Beaches And Glacial Deposits At South Landing And Danes Dyke, Near Flamborough" by I. E. Heppenstall, Hull Geological Society.

Abstract -

The raised beach and glacial deposits adjacent to the Sewerby Buried Cliff and those at Hessle are well documented but there are few mentions of deposits at the two major inlets on the coast to the south of Flamborough Head, namely the South Sea Landing and Danes Dyke. They are both documented as stream cut ravines in the glacial deposits of boulder clay filling former valleys in the chalk but there seem to have been few investigations of the nature of the two valleys or of any other deposits associated with them.

In 2002 when attending a course entitled "A second look at the Landscape of Bridlington and its Coastline" a field trip was made to South Landing and the course tutor, Richard Myerscough asked if there was anything unusual about the cliffs on the west side of the landing. It was immediately apparent that a. wave cut platform higher in part by about 1 metre than the present day platform and at right angles to the beach could be seen disappearing beneath the glacial deposits and associated with this there is a raised beach made of sea washed, flattened chalk boulders similar to but above those of the modern beach. Other layers are were also noticeable and the line of an old cliff also disappeared beneath the glacial deposits. With this in mind and remembering something similar at Danes Dyke I returned to Flamborough on 22nd. May 2002 and made drawings, took photographs and made notes of the west side of South Landing and both sides of Danes Dyke. The east side of and adjacent to South Landing was then covered by slumped boulder clay and nothing of any notable nature was recorded.

Having written my report entitle 'The Ipswichian Buried Cliff, are there more Exposures" I contacted Mike Home and advised him of my findings and conclusions and on visiting South Landing with Richard himself and examining the deposits on both sides of the Landing he called back and told me that there we were looking at a whole series of deposits covering a distance of over 1/8 of a mile (230 metres approx.). Following this a Quaternary Research Group was establish and frequent visits have been made to South Landing, Danes Dyke and Sewerby since then, measuring and recording the measurements of the layers as they are slowly eroded back.

At South Landing there is either a bay or a truncated valley which has previously been invaded by the sea\ leaving an old shore line with cliffs, wave cut platforms and raised beach layers and subsequently filled by interglacial or glacial deposits including rolled, rounded boulders, chalk wash, head or gravels and then covered by glacial tills or boulder clays. Between the raised beach and covering deposits is a layer of calcrete with numerous large and small chalk and various erratic inclusions plus, in some detached calcrete slabs, solidified sand lenses. A similar situation can be found at Danes Dyke but on a smaller scale as there a narrower, round bottomed valley has been invaded by the sea and then infilled by glacial deposits which have since been eroded out by the present day stream.

The only noteworthy references which I have found are:-

Dakyns, J.R.,1879, in Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological society, Vol. VI11878-1881 pp246-252: "Glacial Deposits North of Bridlington"

Whitham, F., 2000, in Rawson, P. F. and Wright, J. K.; "The Yorkshire Coast": "Itinerary 13, South Landing to Sewerby Steps". London, The Geologists' Association, guide No. 14

Young, Stephen, 1978; "Geology of the Yorkshire Coast, Whitby to Bridlington". Clapham, North Yorkshire, Dalesman Books (now available only in libraries or second hand).

"After the Ice: the recolonisation of Holderness" by Jane Bunting of the University of Hull.

Abstract -

When the ice sheets retreated, the landscape of Holderness was open for colonisation by plants and animals. In the late- and early post-glacial periods, lower sea-levels mean that Holderness was an area of higher land on the edge of a river plain connecting mainland Britain to Europe, so studying events in Holderness provides some insight into the drowned landscapes of the southern North Sea, as well as the dynamics of Holderness itself. Climate oscillations, the recolonisation of Britain by trees migrating back from their glacial refugia and the arrival of human settlers all contribute to the landscape signals preserved in the sediments of the many former meres and bogs scattered across the landscape. This talk will briefly review the evidence for landscape, environment and human communities in Holderness from the late-glacial period to the onset of farming.

"Evolution of the Humber drainage system in response to Devensian deglaciation: data from the Swale–Ure Washlands and the Trent Palaeolithic Aggregates Levy projects " by David Bridgland of the University of Durham.

Abstract -

The Humber estuary currently carries eastern Pennine drainage via the Yorkshire Ouse system as well as Britain’s third largest river, the Trent, which joins from the south, almost as though it were a tributary. In fact, prior to the Devensian the Trent flowed via Lincoln to the Wash, only joining the Humber, it would seem, as the ice disappeared and Lake Humber emptied. These two halves of the Humber system allow a unique comparison to be made between the areas inside and outside of the last glacial limit, since the Trent was largely unglaciated during the Devensian. Thus the Trent has a river-terrace record going back to the Middle Pleistocene, whereas the Ure, Swale and other Ouse-system records begin with Devensian deglaciation. Nevertheless, these rivers also have notable terrace systems, superficially, at least, similar to those from beyond the Devensian limit. Importantly, however, there is considerable difference in the disposition of the post-LGM fluvial deposits in these two subsystems. In the Ure and Swale there are modest terrace staircases, commencing with full glacial deposits that stand up to 30m above the modern floodplain. In the Trent, in contrast, last glacial gravels form the floor of the modern floodplain, with Holocene sediments emplaced directly above them. Thus there is little or no post-LGM incision in the Trent, whereas in the Ure and Swale several incision events are recorded, continuing into the later stages of the Holocene. Wider comparison reveals that the Ure is an exemplar for other sequences within the MIS 2 limit, whereas systems beyond this glaciation typically have last glacial sediments beneath their modern floodplains and show little evidence of post-Devensian incision. The various possible explanations of these differences will be discussed, with emphasis placed on glacio-isostatic uplift of areas glaciated during MIS 2 as the main reason for the significant post-glacial incision that typifies valleys in such regions.

Displays -

Display of bones and shells from the Kelsey Hill and Keyingham Gravel Pits by Stephen Whittaker.

Display of research carried out at Flamborough Head by the Flamborough Quaternary Research Group of the Hull Geological Society.

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Field trip Sunday 25th October

led by Ian Heppenstall

The raised beaches of South Landing and Danes Dyke - viewing the pre and post-glacial rock layers.

Meet at outside Hull University on Cottingham Road at 0900, leaving at 0930, arriving at South landing car park 1030. for people from other areas please allow sufficient time to arrive so that the visit can start at 1045. (Please note that the cafe, toilets and parking meter were recently burnt down or vandalised and facilties may not be available. There are some trees and bushes.)

On the beach we will head for East Nook and after having a brief look at the mediaeval harbour will walk along the cliff side in order to take in the various layer formations eventually reaching the raised beach layer. As there are continual seasonal boulder clay slumps along this cliff it is not possible to predict its condition. After passing the South Landing ravine more layers, including the raised beach, calcrete layer and chalk wash layers become easier to view along with an ancient wave cut platfarm and cliff line receding into the cliff. The section ends at West Nook. In the vicinity of the ravine it is possible, under some conditions, to pick out the line of a probable fault in the rocks crossing the beach.

Following an hour for lunch we will the proceed to Danes Dyke where another section of raised beach and associated layers are also visible. As the section in the cliff is much narrower it is easier to stand back on the beach and view the section as a whole. Once again the condition of the cliff is influential in the visibility of layers but the raised beach, Danes Dyke fault and other features should be easy to see. If the beach has been swept clean of sand by the sea then the fault may be visible in the rocks crossing the beach.

After Danes Dyke, providing that there is sufficient time, it may be possible to fit in a brief visit to the Sewerby Buried Cliff for comparison; otherwise the visit will end at the Danes Dyke car park so that people may make their way home.

Members should be equipped with safety helmet, waterproof, walking boots, warm clothing, packed lunch and drink. Hammering is not permitted but loose material may be collected. There are steep footpaths to and from the beach. Some sections of the beach may be stony or rocky or rocks may be covered in seaweed so care must be taken when crossing these areas and a walking stick may be handy.

The Speeton Clay

by Peter F Rawson

Centre for Environmental and Marine Sciences, University of Hull (Scarborough Campus) and Dept of Earth Sciences, University College London

The type, and only visible, section of the Speeton Clay Formation (Lower Cretaceous) is in Filey Bay, North Yorkshire. Lying at the western margin of the North Sea Basin, it provides a fascinating glimpse of the mudrocks of Early Cretaceous age that were deposited over so much of the basin. It also provides a basic challenge to the field geologist, that of unravelling the lithostratigraphical sequence in a section that was described so graphically by J. F. Blake in 1891 as a 'wild and tumbled slope of clay in which at first sight it is hopeless to make out any order'. But G. W. Lamplugh had just (1889) published his seminal paper deciphering the succession in this ever-changing section. He also stressed that the Speeton section 'is impossible to exhaust'. Despite the wealth of information that has been obtained since, that statement remains as true today is it was in 1889. The transient nature of the exposures, especially of the higher beds, and the occasional sweeping clean of parts of the section means that it is continuously changing and we may still make new discoveries. We can also look at it afresh in the light of geological techniques and ideas developed since Lamplugh's time, such as isotope analysis and the effects of Milankovicz astronomical cycles on sedimentation.

The Speeton Clays yield rich and varied macrofossils; ammonites, belemnites, bivalves, shrimps and lobsters are among the most interesting and sought-after forms. Overall, the Speeton faunas and floras are most closely related to those of the North German Basin and are characteristic of the Boreal (northern) palaeobiogeographical realm. However, at some levels taxa appear that are identical with or closely related to forms living further south, in the Tethyan Realm, and particularly in the Mediterranean area. These provide invaluable clues for correlation between the Boreal and Tethyan realms. They also provide some of the rarities - one of the joys of Speeton is that we can still find new forms there.

This talk will highlight some of these aspects, but will also draw attention to the history of mining at Speeton. Both the basal Coprolite Bed and the Cement beds were mined in Victorian times, and concretions from the latter were sent to Hull to be ground for cement. Can we find out more about these little known industrial aspects?

Lynden Emery remembered.

by Mike Horne.

Lynden Emery was born on 2nd January 1940 in Southport, Lancashire, and died on Sunday 27th January 2008 in Castle Cary, Somerset. He was suffering from a brain tumour, osteoporosis and Alzheimers.

Lynden came to Hull to study Biology and Zoology at the University. He met his wife Ann at the start of his second year at University; they married in 1962. After graduating Lynden went on to train as a teacher. He taught Biology at Hull Grammar School for two years, starting in 1962, and then became Head of Biology at Kingston High School. Following a reorganisation of education in Hull he became a Professional Tutor at Wilberforce 6th Form College from 1988 until his early retirement in 1992. For a couple of years he taught University Foundation Award classes in Geology for the Centre for Lifelong Learning at the University of Hull and the Workers' Education Association.

Lynden joined the Hull Geological Society in 1969 and the Yorkshire Geological Society in 1973. He was a Committee member of the HGS for many years and also served on the Council of the YGS. He was President of the HGS in 1974 to 1977 and 1987 to 1990. He was Vice-President of the Society in 1986 to 1987. He was also an editor of East Yorkshire Field Studies and Humberside Geologist. In 1979 he wrote a 448 page thesis about the palaeoecology of the Speeton Clay under the supervision of John Neale, and received a MSc from the University of Hull. He donated his carefully curated collection of Speeton Clay fossils to Hull Museums.

He was also interested in railways - both model ones and full size. He built several models of narrow gauge railways and helped on the Ffestiniog preserved steam railway in Wales for over 50 years. He was a member of the Scale Four Society and edited their newsletter for four years. He was a regular attendee of the weekly club meetings of the Hull Miniature Railway Society and a contributor to their annual exhibitions.

He and his wife Ann moved from Cottingham to Castle Cary in 2002 to be closer to their two daughters and their families.