Ostracod Group. The Micropalaeontological Society

The meeting was organised and hosted by David Siveter and Mark Williams in the Department of Geology, University of Leicester. Our thanks go to David and Mark for this and to the university for allowing us to use its facilities. With over twenty people and ten talks this meeting, following on from the well-attended meeting in October 2010, marks a sustained resurgence in activity. Matt Wakefield (BG Group) has kindly provided a concise summary of the talks:

Alan Lord & Maria Cabral (University of Lisbon) presented "Ostracod evidence and the Neolithic environment of Rio Sizandro, western Portugal". The work was based on borehole material from around Benfica that penetrated river valley deposits, dated at c. 6500-6100yrs BP, which cut into Upper Jurassic strata. The area was originally flooded with sea-water but following a sea-level fall (6-7ky BP) the valley began to fill with sediment, some of which may have been agriculturally mediated. Brackish water ostracods were present in the base of the succession including Cyprideis torosa (un-noded) and Leptocythere porcellanea with occasional Callistocythere murrayi. Rare, poorly preserved freshwater ostracods (Ilyocypris bradyi, Ilyocypris inermis - a first record in Portugal, Limnocythere inopinata and Darwinula stevensoni) were also present.

Dinah Smith (University of Leicester) discussed some of her doctoral work in the English fens; "Once upon a time...there was a roddon". So, what is a roddon? You may indeed ask. Basically it is the dried raised bed of a river or tidal-creek. They can be seen from aerial photographs or better still, from IFSAR satellite images and are visible due to seventeenth century draining leading to the peats drying, shrinking and compacting thus allowing the sands/silts/gravels of channels to appear in bas-relief. To date Dinah has been working on describing the sedimentology of the roddon at the Mist Farm site that was exposed during quarrying. She has recovered fossil material of foraminifera, ostracods, fish scales and teeth but hasn?t described them yet. The work is part of a multi-disciplinary approach with much attention focused on the archaeology with eel-traps having been found along with woven nettle material and pots containing food.

Ray Bate (Global Exploration Services) discussed his Oil Industry related ostracod work: "Early Cretaceous Pre-Salt basins of the South Atlantic" Ray described the current two-phase opening of the South Atlantic and how this is reflected in the stratigraphy of the basins along the West African and South American margins. The first phase is early Neocomian while the Barremian Atlantic-Hinge second phase of rifting is of particular interest as it broke up the large-scale non-marine lacustrine systems that were contiguous between the now separate continents. The salinity of there lakes was not controlled by any marine connection. Ray described the basic ostracod biozonation from the Kwanza Basin and how it reflects sequence stratigraphy and/or climate forcing. The ostracod fauna was generally of low diversity but contained high specimen numbers.

Ian Boomer & Chris Nash (University of Birmingham) talked about Chris' final year undergraduate project entitled "An early post-glacial multiproxy record from lowland NE England and a new post-Hoxnian record for the UK" . (Good look with your 'finals' Chris!). This work looked at sediments inland from Bamburgh Castle, the peaty upper portion of which have previously been investigated palynologically. Ostracods were recovered from the lowermost laminated clays and silts dated at 15-20ky that overlay glacial sediments. Candona candida dominates the fauna along with the cool-water Cytherissa lacustris and Limnocythere sussenbornensis. Application of the MOTR method indicates January & July temperatures of -8 to +3oC and 12 to 23oC respectively.

David Siveter (University of Leicester) talked about "Exceptionally preserved myodocope ostracods from the Herefordshire (Silurian) Lagerstatte: implications for the systematic affinity of palaeocopes' and illustrated with computer 3-D animations the latest two ostracods to be discovered: Nasunaris flata and an as yet unpublished species, informally called 'wingy' due to its posterero-dorsal ?alae that make it look like a 1950's Cadillac. These are both Cylindroleberid myodocopes with preserved softparts including eyes, gill structures and well developed second antennae suggesting a nektobenthic life mode. Both are huge ostracods 10-12mm in length. What is of particular interest is that the hard-part morphology indicates that these species ought to be palaeocopes but the soft-parts clearly show this not be the case, suggesting our understanding of Palaeozoic ostracod taxonomy may be erroneous. For further information on Cylindroleberid ostracods you should check out Anna Syme's 2007 Ph.D. thesis "A systematic revision of the Cylindroleberididae (Crustacea: Ostracoda: Myodocopa)", which can be downloaded here.

Robin Whatley (Aberystwyth University), following on from David Siveter's theme of the hard parts can't always be trusted taxonomically, discussed in his inimitable fashion "An unusual ostracod from down under". The Australian ostracod in question has many features that are taxonomically confusing. It was originally thought to be a lancellate shaped Trachyleberid without an eye tubercle. However, its lateral flattening and large well-defined marginal areas with numerous normal pores are also at odds with this. In addition it has a pectodont rather than an amphidont hinge suggesting it may be an indo-pacific Pectocytherid. Eventually Robin decided that the presence of five adductor muscle scars was the defining taxonomic character i.e. the species is a Bythocytherid, a fact that was agreed upon by many in the audience. However, work to solve this taxonomic conundrum is set to continue as Bythocytherids are not known to possess sieve pores. It was particularly nice to see Robin back in harness after his long illness and recuperation.

Mike Ayress (Ichron Ltd), using data from Statoil Well 35/a-F-1H defined "A new record of Aratrocypris from the Early Cretaceous of the North Sea: a range extension for the genus". This strange looking genus has a 'plough-like' extension to its anterior margin that is considered to have been used when feeding across the sediment. It occurs at two horizons within the well succession; firstly as part of a reworked Maastrictian assemblage within the Lower Palaeocene and secondly within the Valhall Formation. The range can now be extended back from the Coniacian into the Lower Barremian/Hauterivian.

Mohib Khan (University of Leicester) described his doctoral work that asked the question "Do ostracods define patterns of Ordovician climate change". The end-Ordovician extinction accounted for 5-10% of all species known at that time, although ostracods appear not to have been affected. Mohib was able to show that the late Orovician to early Silurian ostracods from Iran were similar to those from the US, i.e. ostracods from Gondwana, Laurentia and Baltica were similar. Recent isotopic data suggests that for much of Ordovician times the earth experienced a 'greenhouse' climate, although a glaciation is known from the end of that period. Chitinozoan data suggest movement of an oceanic 'polar front' from 60oS to 40oS during this late Ordovician interval. Using ordination analysis of ostracod data, Mohib separated out two ostracod biotopes within data from six Laurentian localities of Carodocian age. These are believed to represent tropical and subtropical settings.

Dave Horne (Queen Mary University of London) talked about his recent sabbatical in Gatineau and Ottawa, Canada, where he worked on "The Delorme Collection and database of Canadian non-marine ostracods". Denis Delorme's collection amounts to some 30,000 ostracod records from 5,000 separate locations. The database records locations, species identifications and highly detailed environmental information both chemical and physical. The sampling was often based on a systematic grid (selecting the nearest water body to the grid point) or along major highways. Dave is trying to harmonise North American and European non-marine ostracod taxonomy. He suggested that Candona acutula Delorme 1967 may be synonymous with Fabaeformiscandona levanderi (Hirschman 1912) although further work is required. Dave has also chased down the actual location of all the type-material and this will be documented in a forthcoming publication. Finally, Dave showed us some images that suggested his sojourn in Canada was not all work-oriented, including a striking photograph of him wearing a hat we had not seen before.

Ian Boomer, Sarah Hawkes & Phil Copestake talked about "Early Jurassic Microfossils and the Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event (TOAE) in SW England". A new section at Hurcott, near Ilminster in Somerset has become available that has alternating muds, silts and friable limestones of latest Pleinsbachian through Toarcian age. The ostracods recovered by Sarah in her final year undergraduate project from this shallow-water succession can easily fit into the existing ostracod zonation for this time period. The foraminiferal fauna recovered was more diverse than the ostracod fauna, though the former were all long- ranging so could not help refine the age dating. C isotopic work on the Hurcott section and that at Mochras reveal the position of the OAE but the former is shelfal, not basinal. Further work is planned in Gloucestershire, at Thorncome in Dorset and from the Kerr-McGee 97/12-1 well in Lyme Bay to understand the development of the TOAE in shelfal settings.

And later ... John Whittaker (NHM) writes: After the scientific meeting most of the party stayed on into the Saturday evening and, accompanied in many cases by our wives, proceeded to the "White Horse", Leire, quite near to the Siveters' country residence. Like the famous Monsieur Rick of the film Casablanca, the proprietor, also called Rik, did us proud. It was hoped, with a well-known and successful entrepreneur in our presence, that the wine might be sponsored, but even though this was not to be, a most pleasant dinner was enjoyed by all. David and Pauline Siveter are also to be gratefully thanked for their personal hospitality to several members of the group.

The meeting was organised and hosted by Alan Lord and chaired by John Whittaker in the Arthur Holmes Room of the Geological Society of London, Burlington House, Piccadilly.

John Whittaker gave a short update on the latest TMS Special Publications available via the Geological Society Publishing House. Initial reviews of "Ostracods in British Stratigraphy" have praised its presentation and quality of its plates, thoroughly recommending its purchase. John also described the official launch of the "Curry Volume" in Chichester on October 2nd attended by Dennis' family.

Giles Miller (Natural History Museum) started off proceedings by showing us a series of beautiful 3-D plastic models (c.15cm long) of Pattersoncypris micropapillosa Bate 1972, created from the 3-D computer scans taken at the ESRF synchrotron at Grenoble. Apparently the models are created using two lasers focussed in to a bath of liquid resin that hardens where the beams cross. Ray Bate, who is donating them to the NHM, kindly paid for the models. Other models of such scans now form a display at the NHM based on recent research published in Science suggesting that ostracods were reproducing using giant sperm as far back as the Cretaceous (see TMS Newsletter No. 80, p.19 and search for ostracod on www.esrf.eu).

Ian Boomer (University of Birmingham) has just started work on some Miocene (probably Burdigallian) ostracods from sediments around Lake Victoria (Kenya). Samples were provided by Laura Basell (University of Southampton) as part of a palaeoarchaeological study sponsored by a NERC URGENCY grant. The sediments are full of vertebrate fossils (turtles, crocs, lizards, rhino and even the tusk of a proto-elephant). Large numbers of worked stones by early hominins are also common in the study area. The freshwater ostracods are dominated by Limnocythere with Illycypris, Heterocypris, Potamocypris and Darwinula but few if any Candonids. Preservation was variable from good to clearly recrystralised.

Dave Horne (Queen Mary, University of London) described the history behind finds of Terrestricythere in the UK, the genus first being described from the Far East. The genus lives in brackish waters but is able to crawl around in damp vegetation free of water. A new record of Terrestricythere from Tollesbury in Essex, was studied by Lauradana Day and Toyah Parker as part of their undergraduate degrees. Lauradana examined cores from Tollesbury to ascertain if there was a fossil record of the ostracod or whether it was a recent 'invader'. To date, although common on the ?surface?, none has been seen from the core. However as agglutinating foraminifera, but no calcareous foraminifera, are present it suggests that decalcification may be an issue.

Ginny Benardout has just started her doctoral work at Queen Mary, University of London (supervised by Dave Horne and Steve Brooks), initially looking at Hoxnian interglacial sediments (MIS11) at Beeches Pit, West Stow in Suffolk. Ginny is utilising the Mutual Ostracod Temperature Range (MOTR) methodology developed by Dave Horne, in conjunction with chironomid temperature data. Initial results suggest a mean temperature in winter (Jan) of -8oC (range -10 to -2oC) and in summer (June) of +20oC (range 16-22oC). Work will continue to refine the MOTR database/methodology.

Jonathan Holmes (UCL) discussed Holocene ostracods from a core provided by Matthew Jones (University of Nottingham) from Lake Pareshan in SW Iran. The ostracod assemblages are dominated by Cypideis torosa (lower succession) and Limnocythere inopinata (upper succession) with a switch over at c.2ky. Non-marine ostracods are sensitive to solute chemistry (rather than salinity per se) with C. torosa preferring a Na/Cl brine with an alkalinity/Ca ratio <1 and L. spinosa favouring a ?Na-CO3 brine with an alkalinity/Ca ratio >1. However, there is no know solute pathway to explain the switch in the middle of the core (also seen briefly in the lower part of the core; c.4ky) in terms of evaporation alone, suggesting a switch in water source and the hinterland geology it flowed from, though this requires further investigation.

Lee Bradley (University of Liverpool) described his doctoral work on Holocene deposits form the south-western Black Sea. Lee is working in conjunction with another doctoral student, Lorna Williams, who is at Memorial University, Newfoundland, each looking at different cores. Having already examined the dinocysts Lee has only recently started looking at the ostracods (pollen and geochemistry studies still to come). Lee has documented a switch from brackish to marine conditions at c.7.5ka using both dinocysts and ostracods. However, this switch, marking the reconnection of the Black and Mediterranean seas was gradual rather than sharp.

Steve Sweetman (University of Portsmouth) and Dave Horne described the sediments and ostracods, respectively, from the Wessex Formation (Barremian) on the Isle of White. Most of the formation is heavily influenced by Cretaceous pedogenesis with few fossils evident. The ostracods were only found in a small number of "plant debris beds" (6 out of the 27 that had vertebrate finds). These are thought to form as flood debris beds following post lightening induced wild fires and subsequent heavy rains. The ostracod fauna is dominated by Cypridea (4 spp) and the oldest known member of the Notodromadinae. A short video of modern Notodromas monacha illustrated their unique lifestyle attached upside down to the underside of the water surface on a distinctive ovate flattened area on their ventral surface, where they feed on the hyponeuston.

Adrian Wood (University of Coventry) continued his discourse on the temporal biogeographical distribution of North Atlantic and Arctic cold-water shallow marine ostracod species from previous meetings. Adrian described the fauna from early Pliocene (OIS Si4 and/or Si6; c.4.6-4.9Ma) sediments from the West Netherlands Basin. The section studied was 125m think, marine at the base and showing freshwater (riverine?) influence at the top, though the talk concentrated on the basal marine succession. Using Mutual Climate Change indicators, assisted by having ten extant species, the basal marine section was shown to have experienced summer water temperatures of less that 10oC (today?s range is 5-15oC). However, winter temperatures were little different indicating either deep stable waters or stratification of the water column at that time. That the opening of the Bering Strait is dated as c.4.91Ma indicates migration of cold water ostracods into the Southern North Sea was rapid.

With sixteen people and eight talks this was the largest attendance of an TMS Ostracod Group meeting for many years. It was encouraging to meet several 'new blood' young ostracodologists just starting off on their respective doctoral studies. With the doom and gloom surrounding the micropalaeontology staff at the NHM this was indeed welcome news.

All in all this was an excellent meeting, as much for the gathering of friends as for the quality of the individual presentations. Thanks go to Alan Lord for organising the room and abstracts pamphlet.

Report compiled by Matt Wakefield (BG Group)

Day 1 started with a visit to an estuary at Kyleakin to collect living brackish ostracods before visiting the coastal SSSI at Ob Lusa. Here Torridonian sandstones unconformably underlie Hettangian - early Sinemurian strata, which contain the classic Ob Lusa Coral Bed. The group motored across Skye to the south west coast bay at Elgol, sampling en route Toarcian Portree Shale claystones at a roadside cutting beside Loch Slapin and encountering the island?s vicious predators, Culicoides impunctatus - Highland Midges. We were able to offset much of their attack with a "So Soft Skin" spray, but beware chaps, because one member remarked, "Oh, it makes you smell lovely!". Death by a million midge bites sounds almost preferable! Most of the afternoon was taken up in the west coast bay at Elgol, where splendid foreshore exposures of Bajocian - Bathonian (Great Estuarine Group) deltaic and lagoonal clastics were viewed in gloriously sunny weather. Here abundant specimens of conchostracans, darwinulids (alicenulids) and even stromatolites could be seen in the Lealt Shale Formation, a locality featured in Matt Wakefield?s studies.

Here we see the group at Elgol. Back row Nikky Johnson, Ginny Benardout, Dave Horne and Colin Harris and front row, Minoo Lord, Nikky's dog Tia and Alan Lord (photo courtesy of Sarah Horne).

Such was the interest in the palaeontology and geology of this bay, that the group agreed unanimously to remain there rather than visit Skye's Talisker Distillery. Now, a decision like that must be a first for any ostracod field trip! We took in spectacular Torridonian fluvial sandstone sedimentary structures on the delightful single track road which leads to the old ferry at Kylerhea. This winding road puts you in mind of the one travelled by Richard Hannay (Robert Donat) in Hitchcock?s 1935 version of "The Thirty-Nine Steps".

On Day 2, we journeyed to the north of the island to collect from Robin Whatley's now classic Staffin Bay location, where material from the marine Callovian - Oxfordian Staffin Shale Formation is exposed in cliffs and across the rocky foreshore. We visited Kilmaluag Bay, where brackish lagoonal clastics of the late Bathonian Kilmaluag Formation yielded specimens of (amongst others) Theriosynoecum spp., clearly visible on bedding surfaces. The final highlight of the day was at an idyllic setting on a coastal meadow bedecked with Ragged Robins and Northern Marsh Orchids beneath the ruins of Duntulm Castle, erstwhile home of the Macdonalds. Here a freshwater seepage yielded up specimens of the living endemic British ostracod Psychrodromus robertsoni.

Mention must also be made of the leaders' restaurant choice. On Kyle Railway Station is "The Seafood Restaurant", where excellent fresh produce is served. This location provided the perfect finale to both days.

It is hoped that Alan and Dave will run this trip again as it maintains the Society's high standards, and is of interest not only to ostracod workers for the abundance of its microfaunas but also to explorationists for its range of Hebridean Basin Jurassic strata of marine, deltaic, lagoonal and fluvial origin.

And finally, for those old enough to remember, the Rent-A-Wreck Award for crashing a car (amongst previous winners are Eric Robinson and Tom Kilenyi) remains in abeyance as no damage to vehicles was reported, despite the narrow switchback roads we encountered on Skye.

Report by Colin Harris (RPS Energy)

Report on the 16th International Symposium on Ostracoda (ISO 16): Biostratigraphy and Applied Ecology

The Sixteenth International Symposium on Ostracoda (ISO 16), organized in Brasilia on 'Biostratigraphy and Applied Ecology " by Professor Dermeval A Do Carmo University of Brasilia was held from July 26 to 30. This Congress was sponsored by the IRGO (International Research Group on Ostracoda), PETROBRAS and the Brazilian Paleontological Society. About a hundred experts attended the meeting, from 23 countries: Argentina, Austria, Australia, Belorussia, Belgium, Brazil, China, France, Germany, Great-Britain, India, Italia, Japan, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United States.

ISO16 group photo

Presentations and posters, numbering 101, including 4 invited conferences were divided in 8 sessions! Biology, Morphology and Morphogenesis (8), Biogeography and Paleobiogeography (18), Biostratigraphy (7), Freshwater Ecology and Environmental Reconstructions (174), Marine Ecology and Environmental Reconstructions (7), Paleolimnology and Paleoclimates (6), Paleoceanography and Paleoclimates (6), Systematics and Evolution (32).

The 4 invited lectures were presented by K. Martens, Belgium (Zoogeography on non-marine Ostracoda), R. Matzke-Karasz, Germany (Synchrotron holotomography ostracods in research - an assessment of prospects and limits), J.-P. Colin, France (Marine ostracods at the K / T boundary: state of knowledge) and J. Salas, Argentina (Diversity Patterns of Ordovician ostracods from Argentina). The prize for best oral delivery for students (Sylvester-Bradley award) went to Laurent Decrouy Lawrence (University of Lausanne, Switzerland) for his brilliant presentation "Controlling factors valve geochemistry of ostracods: insights from analysis of live species in Lake Geneva (Switzerland). It must however be noted that although the year 2009 be the Year of France in Brazil, only 2 representatives of our countries attended this international event (including one whose travel and subsistence was paid by Brazil ? guess who!, the other an unemployed enthusiastic post-doc who paid from his own pocket!).

Oral presentations will be published after approval in a special issue of the journal Hydrobiologia In addition to the oral sessions and poster presentations, participants have visited the city of Brasilia, capital of Brazil, the work of architect Oscar Niemeyer and urban planner Lucio Costa, which will turn 50 in 2010. A workshop entitled "Procedures in micropaleontologic curatorship" was also organized by G. Miller the Natural History Museum in London. In replacement of Koen Martens whose term expired, Renate Matzke-Karasz was elected new president until the next Congress IRGO (ISO 17) to be held in Rome in 2013 and is organized by Elsa Gliozzi University of Rome (Italy).

Jean-Paul Colin

Sunday 26th April:

Field trip to Lower Thames interglacial sites, with a focus on the theme of "Ostracods and Human Evolution", considering the occupation of Britain by hominids (Homo heidelbergensis, H. neanderthalensis and H. sapiens) and what ostracods tell us about the environments and climates in which they lived. The main site will be the SSSI in Greenlands Pit at Purfleet (MIS 9), featured in a new multi-proxy study (Bridgland et al. in press) but may include visits to other key sites such as Swanscombe (MIS 11) and Aveley (MIS 7).

Accommodation will be arranged at a convenient location, with the option of (1) Friday and Saturday night or (2) Saturday night only; further details will be circulated to those who have expressed interest in the meeting and will also be posted on TMS website.

Archive meeting reports
Reports from previous Ostracod Group meetings and International Ostracod meetings. More >>

The Ostracod Group