Correspondent: Alwine Bertels

Sara C. Ballent Papers in press: (1) Ballent, S.C. and Whatley, R.C., Ostracodos del Albiano de la perforacion S.C.-1 (Santa Cruz-1), Provincia de Santa Cruz, Argentina: Ameghiana (Palaeontological Note); (2) Whatley, R.C. and Ballent, S.C., A review of the genus Progonocythere Sylvester-Bradley and its close allies: Palaeontology; (3) Ballent, S.C. and Ronchi, D.Y., El genero Majungaella Grekoff (Ostracoda) en el Cretacico de Argentina: Communication).

Bertels, Alwine continues directing several doctoral theses: (1) Laura Ferrero, Micropaleontologia y paleoecologia (ostracodos y foraminiferos) del Cuaternario del sudeste de la provincia de Buenos Aires; (2) Cecilia Laprida, Micropaleontologia (Foraminiferos y Ostracodos) del Holoceno del nordeste de la provincia de Buenos Aires; consideraciones paleoambientales; (3) Dina E. Martinez, Ostracodos marinos y no marinos del Cuaternario del Sur de la provincia de Buenos Aires, consideraciones paleoambientales. In these theses, the research compresses the study of fossil Foraminifera and marine and nonmarine Ostracoda, the last being compared with some recent taxa collected in the regions.

Current work includes: (1) Bertels, A. and Cusminsky, G.C., Micropaleontologia del Grupo Nahuel Huapi, area de San Carlos de Bariloche; (2) Bertels, A. and Martinez, D.E., Ostracodos no marinos del Holoceno del arroyo Naposta Grande.

Papers in press: (1) Bertels, A. and Martinez, D.E., Ostracodos holocenos de la desembocadura del arroyo Naposta Grande, sur de la provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina: Rev. Espana. Micropaleont.; (2) Bertels-Psotka, A. and Laprida, C., Ostracodos (Arthropoda, Crustacea) del Miembro Cerro de la Gloria, Formacion las Escobas (Holoceno), provincia de Buenos Aires, Republica Argentina: Rev. Espana. Micropalaeont.; (3) Bertels-Pstoka, A. and Laprida, C., Ostracoda (Arthropoda, Crustacea) holocenos del Miembro Canal 18 (Formacion Las Escobas), provincia de Buenos Aires, Republica Argentina: Rev. Espana. Micropaleont.; (4) Bertels-Psotka, A. and laprida, C., Ostracodos (Arthropoda, Crustacea) de la Formacion las Escobas (Holoceno), Cuenca del Salado, provincia de Buenos Aires, Republica Argentina: Ameghiniana.

Gabriela C. Cusminsky Current work, besides the study of non-marine Ostracoda of the San Carlos de Bariloche area, includes the research of Ostracoda from western Argentina lakes and the non-marine Holcoene Ostracoda from north Patagonia.

Alicia E. Echevarria Current work: (1) marine Ostracoda of the Centinela Formation (Oligocene) of Santa Cruz Province, Argentina.

Papers in press: (1) Echevarria, A.E., Ostracodos marinos del Paleogeno del sud-sudeste del Lago Cardiel, Santa Cruz, Argentina: Simposio del Paleogeno de America del Sur, Actas; (2) Ostracodos de la Formacion Centinela (Oligoceno), del sudeste del lago Cardiel, Santa Cruz, Argentina: inferencias paleoambientales: Simposio del Paleogeno del America del Sur, Actas.

Laura Ferrero Work in progress: Palaeoenvironmental evolution during the last 20,000 years in the Quequen Grande river basin based on the sedimentology and the relationships of ostracods and diatomites.

Correspondent: Stephen Eagar

Michael Ayress is continuing work mainly on Poseidonamicus and Krithe off Australia and New Zealand. It is anticipated that other projects will also be completed this year. These include: (1) Recent ostracods and water mass structure off Kerguelen; (2) the use of ostracods in recognizing downslope transport off SE Australia; (3) ostracod distribution and ecology in Prydz Bay, Antarctica. Collaboration with New Zealand researchers Kerry Swanson (Christchurch Univ.), Helen Neil (NIWA) and Penny Cooke (Waikato Univ.) Also continues this year. This work includes a study of Cytheropteron testudo and allied species, ostracods from the Chatham Rise, and high resolution Plio-Miocene faunal changes at ODP site 593, respectively.

Papers in press: (1) Ayress, M.A., Neil, H., Passlow, V., and Swanson, K., Benthonic ostracods and deep water masses; a qualitative comparison of SW Pacific, Southern and Atlantic Oceans: Proc. Palaeoceanographic Conference (November 1994, Canberra, Australia), Palaeogeogr., Palaeoclim., Palaeoecol; (2) Rathburn, A.E., Pichon, J.-J.., Ayress, M.A., and DeDeckker, P., Microfossil and stable-isotope evidence for changes in Late Holocene paleoproductivity and paleoceanographic conditions in the Prydz Bay region of Antarctica: Proc. Palaeoceanographic Conference (November 1994, Canberra, Australia), Palaeogeogr., Palaeoclimat., Palaeoecol.

Patrick DeDeckker The study of the Quaternary evolution of the eastern Indian Ocean continued from 1995 with a second cruise on board the Australian National Facility RV Franklin in February-March. Several researchers and students from the Geology Department participated in this very successful cruise that helped bring back numerous water and plankton samples, and many deep-sea cores. Dr. C. Hass from University College London/GEOMAR Kiel, and Mr. K. Takahashi from Hokkaido University also participated on the cruise as part of an international collaboration engendered by P. De Deckker. Many of the cores have already been processed by Dr. Martinez, Mrs. J. Shelley, and Dr. T. Munson in collaboration with P. De Deckker and numerous stable isotope analyses have been conducted on foraminifers extracted from key cores. Faunal analyzes have been performed by Dr. Martinez on several cores also. Material has been given to Hokkaido University for analysis of nannoplankton during P. De Deckker’s visit there in July. A student from that institution will come to ANU to collaborate on the investigations of the cores taken during the Franklin cruises. Ostracods will be extracted from selected cores and the taxa will help identify changes in bottom water conditions through time in the eastern Indian Ocean, and in particular for the last 30,000 years. The use of ostracods will also be applied to determine the presence/absence of reworked ‘elements’, so often ignored by geochemists who work on deep-sea cores.

Lynda Taylor is in the final stages of her Ph.D. and is now able to define the interactions through time between surface and ground water systems in western Victoria near Horsham. She is able to convincingly demonstrate the use of ostracods to define (modern and past) chemical pathways of the lake systems in which ostracods live(d). For Patrick, collaboration with Dr. G. Wansard from the University of Louvain in Belgium on ostracod shell chemistry is near completion.

Ken McKenzie has had so far and expects a somewhat hectic year in 1997. It began with a trip to India, which was meant to be a nostalgic return to places where he grew up, but included a seminar and an afternoon’s regard of Indian freshwater ostracodes from the Deccan hilly country lakes.

The Parma group’s joint paper for the Bierville-Paris 3rd European Ostracodologists’s Meeting was well liked by the referees and will appear in the Proceedings volume. Another offering was presented at a 1996 Naples conference. The book on South Atlantic taxa will appear this year, published by Springer Verlag. In the Mediterranean/Tyrrhenian Sea, the Parma team has doubled the known planktonic ostracode faunule and Ken expects that several more species will be added from recently collected Ligurian offshore material.

The Shallow Tethys conference series continues, with the next meeting in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in February, 1999. Ken remains the ST Newsletter editor.

Finally, there will be more work at Parma during May-July; and, during March, Ken will give a talk on Shallow Tethys at Adana University, Turkey. He is on the Organizing Committee for the 4th EO Meeting at Adana in May, 1999.

John Neil continues research on the faunas of southeastern Australia, with current emphasis on intra- and interspecific variation. My position as Honorary Visiting Research Fellow at La Trobe University, Bendigo, has been extended for another year.

Current work in progress--two papers on intraspecific variation in southeastern Australian Tertiary faunas, one for the 13th ISO in July at Greenwich (in absentia) and one for the AAP conference at Wollongong in December this year. A taxonomic paper on further genera from the Muddy Creek Marl of southwestern Australia from my thesis work.

Papers in press: Neil, J., A Late Palaeocene ostracode fauna from the Pebble Point Formation, southwestern Victoria.

Andrew Parker In January, 1997 I began a three-year grant on the systematics and biogeography of scavenging myodocopids from the east Australian coast (Cairns to Hobart); there are about 88 new species, including 4 new genera. The ecological results suggest that myodocopids are the most abundant macro-invertebrates on the east Australian shelf; before this study, only a few species and no abundance data were known! I am completing work with Akira Tsukagoshi on segmentation in Ostracoda. Akira will be presenting our paper on podocopids at the Greenwich conference this year. I have in press papers on mating and feeding in myodocopids, which include some new anatomical nomenclature and discoveries. I have submitted papers on new sensory structures in myodocopids; one new type of sensilla probably detects vibrations (sound?) and is very unusual in ultrastructure. I am continuing my work on iridescence, now moving on to halocyprids after working with Martin Angel. I have also studied structural colors in other animals for comparisons, and recently presented a summary as "The Australian Institute of Physics lecture". Following the discovery of diffraction gratings similar to those on ostracods in Burgess Shale fossils, I am writing a book called "The Cambrian Light Switch". Last year I spent time working in Poland (University of Lodz and National Academy of Sciences, Warsaw) and England (Cambridge University).

Mark Warne has continued his work on Bass Strait Tertiary faunas, Otway Basin Cretaceous faunas and Lachlan Fold Belt Devonian faunas. He also has continued a major development program of educational multimedia for geology courses at La Trobe University. Al-Amin Idris (M.S. candidate) continues with his studies on the Tertiary ostracod faunas of the Gippsland Basin, Victoria, Australia. Michelle Guzel (Ph.D. candidate) continues with her ostracod studies as part of her work on the Cretaceous micropalaeontology and stratigraphy of the Carnarvon Basin, western Australia.

Iradji Yassini As my professional activities mainly relate to local environmental issues, in 1996 I spent little time on ostracods or forams. This year I will be continuing to work on Lord Howe Island ostracods and forams. In 1996 I resampled the intertidal zone around the island. Hopefully, by the end of 1997 the manuscript should be ready.

Correspondent: Dan L. Danielopol

Dan L. Danielopol worked on ostracods within a new project of ground ecology (Do widely distributed groundwater dwelling crustacean species behave ecologically alike? The adaptation of interstitial Cyclopoida and Ostracoda to contrasting habitats of an alluvial aquifer of the Danube.) With Pierre Marmonier, various populations of Cryptocandona kieferi were analyzed and the comparative morphology studied. Within this project work, also Frederike Mosslacher and Peter Pospisil (see below). During the summer, Dan worked in Bordeaux with Pierre Carbonel and Jean Paul Colin on the Timiriaseviinae (cladistics and biogeography) and the data were discussed during a workshop in Bierville; the other members of the Timiriaseviinae working group (Dave Horne, Koen Martens) as well as various colleagues attending the European Meeting on Ostracoda also participated. With Angel Baltanas and Bill Humphreys, a study on Thaumatocyprididae, with the description of a new species, was completed and presented as communication in Bierville. With Koen Martens, he sampled darvinulids in southern France and investigated a fascinating subsurface habitat reach in ostracods (details will be presented in a special publication). Teaching and administrative activities filled the rest of the time during the past year.

Walter Geiger spent only a short period of time in Mondsee. He worked mainly on his project " Clonal ecology of Limnocythere inopinata", cooperating in Mondsee with Yu Yin, F. Mosslacher, and G.M. Paris (a guest visitor from Univ. of Parma, working on food ingestion and metabolic efficiency of L. inopinata). The other part of the year was spent by Walter in Madrid in the Department of Ecology, UAM, working with A. Baltanas and N. Johnson. Results of his research were presented in Bierville and Parma.

S.F. Zubovicz The Scientific students laboratory of the Faculty of Natural Sciences at the Belarusian State University of Education is the only establishment in our Republic which carries on ostracodologic research. On the whole, the ostracodes of the Cenozoic times are studied here. In 1996 the research finished scientific work on the methods to identify the monitoring for discovering changes in the quality of water based on ostracodologic research. The sediments of different interglacials to the Pleistocene time have been studied lately. The following new species of ostracodes from the lake sediments of the Shclov interglacial were published in 1007: Cypridopsis roslavliensis Zubowicz sp. nov., Cypria trapeciaformica Zubowicz sp. nov., Candona subovala Zubowicz sp. nov., Candona dementevi Zubowicz sp. nov., Candona woroshilovae Zubowicz sp. nov., Cytherissa sklovica Zubowicz sp. nov.

Correspondent: Karel Wouters

Jean-Georges Casier is continuing research on Devonian ostracods from the world, particularly in relation with the Late Devonian Mass Extinction. He is currently working on ostracods from the Eifelian/Givetian boundary of Morocco and from the Frasnian/Famennian boundary of Belgium, Germany, southern France, China, and Nevada.

Michel Coen was the editor, together with Luc Hance and Hiou Hongfei, of a dozen papers on the Devonian-Carboniferous transition beds of central Hunan, South China. Anybody who was an editor, especially those who faced moving through languages and cultural barriers, will understand that ostracods represent only a small chapter in this book. He had the opportunity, however, to go to China again, where he is now focusing on Tournasian ostracods of Guangxi. Extension into Vietnam is also considered.

Koen Martens Research topics in 1996: (1) continuing studies on taxonomy, morphology, and ecology of African non-marine ostracods, with special reference to southern and eastern Africa; finalizing a fauna on the non-marine ostracods of southern Africa; (2) taxonomy, morphology and ecology of non-marine Israeli ostracods; (3) comparative and evolutionary ecology of zoobenthos in large and ancient lakes (Baikal, Tanganyika, Nyasa/Malawi, and Titicaca), partim ostracods. Taxonomy of Tanganyikan Cytheracea is conducted together with Karel Wouters, of Lake Baikal ostracods together with Galina Mazepova, of Lake Titicaca together with Philioppe Mourguiart. (4) For Treatise: post-Cretaceous non-marine Cypridacea and Limnotheridae; (5) Coordinator of the EEC-network on "Evolutionary ecology of reproductive modes in non-marine ostracods", which runs from January 1, 1994 to December 31, 1996.

Research topics in 1997: as in 1996, with two additions: (1) writing up results of the EU network in the form of a book on reproductive ecology of non-marine ostracods; (2) in collaboration with Isa Schoen and Erik Verheyen, Comparisons between morphological and molecular evolution in the Cytherissa species flock in Lake Baikal.

Papers in press: (1) Martens, K., Wurdig, N.L., and Behen, F., 1997, Non-marine Ostracoda, in Young, P.S., ed., Catalogue of Crustacea from Brasil: Museum Nacional, Serie Livros 6; (2) Martens, K., Ostracoda, in Day, J.A., Stewart, B. and Louw, E., eds., A guide to the freshwater crustaceans of southern Africa; (3) Martens, K. and Wouters, K., De Ostracoda (Crustacea) van de Blankaart, in De Cleer, K., ed., Het Natuurreservaat ‘De Blankaart’ (Woumen, West-Vlaanderen), een ekologische inventarisatie: Studiedokumenten Instituut voor Natuurbehous, Hasselt, p. 1-8; (4) Martens, K., Diversity and endemicity of Recent non-marine ostracods (Crustacea, Ostracoda) from Africa and South America: a faunal comparison: Verh. Internat. Verein. Limnol., 26; (5) Martens, K., On two new crenobiont ostracod genera (Crustacea, Ostracoda, Herpetocypridinae) from Africa and Asia Minor, with the description of a new species from dolomitic springs in South Africa: South African Journal of Science, Festschrift for P.H. Greenwood; (6) Rossui, V., Gentile, V., Geiger, W., Martens, K., and Menozzi, P., Low genetic variability and Hardy Weinberg equilibrium in European all female populations of Darwinula stevensoni (Crustacea, Ostracoda); (7) Alin, S., Cohen, A.S., Bills, R., Gashagazxa, M.M., Michel, E., Tiercelin, J.J., Martens, K., Coveliers, P., Mboko, S.K., West, K., Soreghan, M., Kimbadi, S., and Ntakimazi, G., Evaluation of Rapid Assessment technique for monitoring biodiversity in large tropical lakes: a case study from Lake Tanganyika: Biological Conservation; (8) Griffiths, H.I., Pietrzeniuk, E., Fuhrmann, R., Lennon, J.L., Martens, K., and Evans, J.G., Tonnacypris glacialis comb. nov. (Ostracoda, Cyprididae): taxonomic position, (palaeo-)ecology and palaeo distribution: J. Biogeography; (9) Rossetti, G. and Martens, K., On Darwinula stevensoni Brady and Robertson: A Stereo Atlas of Ostracod Shells; (10) Martens, K., Speciation in Ancient lakes (review): Trends in Ecology and Evolution 12; (11).

Isabelle Schoen is continuing genetic work on non-marine ostracods. After her time in England, where she studied genetic consequences of asexual reproduction as part of the European network "The evolutionary ecology of reproductive modes in non-marine ostracods", she now moved on to Belgium. Together with Koen Martens, Erik Verheyen and Galina Mazepova, she has started a new project on the Cytherissa-flock from Lake Baikal in January 1997.

Papers in press: Schoen, I., Di Maso, E., Gandolfi, A., Griffiths, H.I., Verheyen, E., and Butlin, R.K., The application of molecular techniques to the study of ostracods, in Crasquin, S., Braccini, E., and Lethiers, F., eds., Proceedings of the 3rd European Ostracodologists Meeting, Bulletin des Centres de Recherches Exploration-Production Elf-Aquitaine.

Guy Wansard is continuing research on (1) the incorporation of trace-elements in lacustrine ostracod valves, from laboratory cultures and field collections (in collaboration with J.R. Roca, Barcelona and F. Mezquita, Valencia) and (2) paleoclimate and paleoenvironmental reconstructions based on lacustrine ostracods (assemblages and valve geochemistry) from Quaternary sequences in Spain (with the team of R. Julia, Barcelona) and France.

Papers in press: Wansard, G., Reconstruction paleoenvironnementale des derniers 30,000 and la sequence de La Draga (Banyoles, Espagne), d’duite des rapports (Sr/Ca) et (Mg/Ca) des valves d’ostracodes lacustres: Societe belge de Geologie.

Karel Wouters is continuing research on marine and brackish Cypridacea, and on marine interstitial ostracods, from the Indo-Pacific, mainly from Papua New Guinea. He is preparing a paper on a remarkable new genus of the Family Pontocyprididae, and on the taxonomic position of the Family Saididae. Together with Koen Martens, he is studying the Cyprideis species flock from Lake Tanganyika.

Correspondent: Joao Carlos Coimbra

Joao Carlos Coimbra I am teaching invertebrate palaeontology for undergraduate students. I am teaching some micropalaeontological topics for graduate students. Current work in progress includes: (1) Cretaceous marine and nonmarine Brazilian ostracode palaeoecology, biostratigraphy, and taxonomy; (2) Brazilian marine shallow water ostracodes--taxonomy and zoogeography; (3) ostracodes from Pelotas Basin, southern Brazil; and (4) ostracodes from Sepetiba Bay, Rio de Janeiro State--taxonomy and ecology.

Papers in press: (1) Carreno, A.L., Coimbra, J.C., and Sanguinetti, Y.T., Biostratigraphy of Late Neogene and Quaternary ostracodes from Pelotas Basin, southern Brazil, Gaia, Lisboa; (2) Ramos, M.I.F., Coimbra, J.C., Whatley, R., and Moguilevsky, A., Taxonomy and ecology of the Family Cytheruridae (Ostracoda) in Recent sediments from the northern Rio de Janeiro Coast, Brazil: Journal of Micropalaeontology, London.

I am supervising a M.Sc. Thesis about ostracodes from mangroves localized in the southern Sao Paol State, around the Canaeia littoral region. The student is named Eduardo Geraque and is developing his thesis at Oceanographical Institute at Sao Paulo University.

Luis Carlos da Silva Freitas This current year we held a short workshop (January 27-31) in our laboratory, due to the visit of Mr. Galm to Natal (RN), a specialist on ostracods and calcareous nannoplankton, who also works for Petrobras S.A., but in the Sergipe-Alagoas Basin. During this quick week it was possible to discuss the main groups of lacustrine ostracods found in the rift sequences of Sergipe-Alagoas and Potiguar basins. One of the most interesting aspects was correlation of genus and species of the Jiquia Local Stage (Barremian-Aptian in age) in between the two basins studied, since the discovery of such association in the Potiguar Basin has been very recent and the occurrence of ostracodes very scarce. We intend to write a report about the main conclusions of these correlations as soon as possible.

A current work in progress is a report about a new positioning of the Biostratigraphic units used in the Potiguar Basin, since I intend to insert a Lower Buracica Stage (in discussion) and a Jiquia Stage (both local stages) into the Biochronostratigraphic chart still in use.

I have also been involved with the training of a new specialist into the ostracod method. His name is Carlos Jose de Souza and he will be responsible from May 1997 on, to the readings and studies of the ostracod association in the Ceara and Potiguar Basins supporting biochronostratigraphic information to future exploratory locations.

From July on, I will be back to the Organic Geochemistry Laboratory located in the Center of Research of Petrobras, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, working mainly with the correlation of hydrocarbon source rocks and the main oil fields of certain continental Brazilian basins.

Jarbas V.P. Guzzo finished his M.Sc. thesis on paleolimnology of a Cretaceous lacustrine sequence of the Reconcavo Basin (NE Brazil) at the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. I am now working with biostratigraphy and paleoecology of nonmarine ostracodes of eastern Brazilian marginal basins, mainly with Campos Basin data.

Paulo da Silva Milhomem is currently working on his M.Sc. thesis at Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. The thesis focuses on high resolution stratigraphy of the fluvial-deltaic-lacustrine cycles which characterize the Aratu local Stage (Hauterivian?-Barremian) in Reconcavo Basin, Northeastern Brazil.

Iraja Damiani Pinto Although he is retired since 1992, he has a very fruitful production in Paleozoic insects and macro crustaceans from Brazil, Argentina, and South Africa. He has one Ph.D student working on marine shallow water southern Brazilian ostracodes, Maria Ines Feijo Ramos

Yvonne T. Sanguinetti She is retired, but has the last Ph.D student, Dermeval Aparecido do Carmo, whose dissertation deals with the taxonomy, biostratigraphy, and paleoecology of the continental ostracodes from Alagamar Formation (Portiguar Basin, Lower Cretaceous), northeastern Brazil.

Norma L. Wurdig She is studying benthos (including some ostracodes) from lagoons and lakes from Rio Grando do Sul State, southern Brazil.

Pierre Ascoli has continued his biostratigraphic studies on Mesozoic Ostracoda from offshore wells of the Canadian Atlantic Shelf.

Willi K. Braun After three years of "retirement", I am still fully engaged in finalizing my Devonian (Eifelian to Frasnian) and Jurassic (Middle to Upper Jurassic) ostracode studies of western Canada--a task more time consuming that originally estimated. Presently I am "going over" all my collections that have accumulated over 40 years, computerize all worthwhile information, and integrate them with those I "inherited" from Shell Canada Ltd. and from former graduate studies. My aim is to hand them over, in due time and good standing, to the Geological Survey of Canada, for the micropaleontological studies at this University ceased with my retirement.

At hand are a number of drafts about the stratigraphic results and geologic implications of our studies, to be published as soon as I have finished my review of the exact ranges of the species and their spatial distribution. Preliminary results were published earlier, as were the outlines of zonal schemes which will be formalized as "sequences" because they represent faunal divisions bounded by unconformities. The taxonomic monographs of the diverse and abundant ostracode faunas (about 800 species of Devonian and 100 species of Jurassic ostracodes) have been assigned secondary importance and urgency for the time being and until the new Treatise volume is published which, hopefully, will clarify the uncertainties and confusion on the generic level and stabilize the taxonomy of the Paleozoic ostracodes.

Geoffrey W. Davis hopes to publish his Honours thesis on microfossil evidence of Holocene salinities and sea levels in Notre Dame Bay, Newfoundland.

Ursula Grigg is revising the checklist of local living ostracods and filling gaps in the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History’s collection. I am still interested in the genus Perissocytheridea.

Paul D.N. Hebert Our investigations during 1996 continue to focus upon the analysis of breeding system evolution in ostracodes. We are currently engaged in the development of a CD-ROM describing the ostracod fauna of the Great Lakes.

Papers in press: (1) Chaplin, J.A. and Hebert, P.D.N., Cyprinotus incongruens (Ostracoda): an ancient asexual: Mol. Ecol. 6; (2) Little, T.J. and Hebert, P.D.N., Clonal diversity in high arctic ostracodes: J. Evol. Biol.

Student thesis: T.J. Little, On the consequences of restricted gene flow: reproduction and speciation in freshwater ostracodes.

Qadeer Siddiqui is continuing to work on the Early Tertiary marine ostracods of the Sulaiman and Sor Ranges of Pakistan. He is still interested in the ostracods of the Canadian east coast. He attended the 3rd European Ostracod meeting in Bierville, France, and spoke on the genus Neocyprideis in the Early Tertiary of the Sulaiman and Sor Ranges.

Correspondent: Peng Jin-Lan

Cao Mei-Zhen continues work on the Jurassic Ostracoda from North China.

Feng Xiao-Jie is involved in the research on Recent, Quaternary, and Tertiary saline lake Ostracoda in NW China. It is hoped that, with further work, a reasonable explanation for the extinction of Cypridea, Austrocypris, and Hemicyprinotus will be gained.

Gou Yun-Xian is working on the late Cenozoic Ostracoda from the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, China.

Guan Shao-Zheng In 1996 I was engaged in work on the appearance, evolution, extinction , and ecological character of ostracod genus Cypridea. I visited the Tertiary section in the Pingyi Basin, Shandong; measured the Jurassic section in Sanxihe of Zigui, Hubei; identified and collected the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous ostracods in some areas of Sichuan Province, such as Huili, Yibin, Yenshou, Zhongjiang, etc.

Hou You-Tang and Gou Yun-Xian continue their revision of Ostracoda of China, Part 2.

Jiang Fei-Hu is working on (1) palaeontology and stratigraphy of Carboniferous-Quaternary (mainly Jurassic-Tertiary) in Yili Basin, western Xinjiang; (2) Cretaceous Ostracoda from the Baiyingchagan Seg, Erlian Basin, Inner Mongolia, and their applications in the Stratigraphic Classification and Correlation. In 1997 I will work on stratigraphy, classification, and correlation of the lower Cretaceous-Quaternary in the Muglad Basin, Sudan, middle eastern Africa.

Peng Jin-Lan is in the second year of his Ph.D. thesis entitled "Ostracod fauna and their environmental significance during past 200,000 in Yunnan-Gui Plateau, China"

Sun Zhen-Cheng is working on Recent and Quaternary Ostracoda, Foraminifera, and calcareous nannofossils from saline lakes in NW China. Together with Yang Fan and others, I am continuing work on "Cenozoic lake Sedimentary Environment and Petroleum Origin" and Cenozoic Ostracod fauna and stratigraphy from Qaidam Basin and Tarim Basin, NW China.

Wang Shang-Qi continues work on the origin, evolution and extinction of the Sinoleperditiini (Leperditiidae) from the Devonian of south China. Three papers on palaeocopids, platycopids, and podocopids respectively from the Devonian of Dacaozhi, Yunnan, China were finished in 1996 and will be published this year. I will visit France this year and do cooperative research with Dr. J. Vannier on the functional morphology of the Palaeozoic Leperditidopes.

Zhao Quan-Hong is working on (1) Cenozoic deep-sea Ostracoda of the West Pacific and their paleoceanographic implications, (2) Late Quaternary deep sea Ostracoda of the South and East China Seas, (3) paleolimnological study of Paleogene oil-bearing basins off the Pear River estuary, (4) Quaternary stratigraphy and environment of continental shelf of China Seas, (5) compiling paleogeographic map of last glacial maximum of West Pacific, (6) database of modern marine ostracods of China Seas (with Dr. Zhou Bao-Cun).

Correspondent: Jaromir Zelenka

Jan Kantorek continues in his study of Recent freshwater Ostracoda.

Jirka Kopecky is a first year Ph.D student of hydrobiology at the Department of Zoology and Ecology at the Masaryk University, Brno. I have started studying living ostracods in different types of pools in the inundation area of lower parts of the Morava and Dyje Rivers in our republic. My supervisor is Dr. Jan Kantorek. I have been working with ostracods for a short time (during my Master’s program), I was interested in ecology of zooplankton in temporary and permanent pools, so I am still looking for basic references and learning to determine this group of animals. I will take part in the 13^th ISO in Chatham. I am preparing a poster where I will compile all earlier findings of ostracod species in the Czech Republic. The poster will contain my first preliminary results as well.

Jaroslav Riha is preparing a new paper, together with S.K. Khalef and I.Y. Al-Shareefi from Iraq on Paleozoogeography of Recent Ostracoda from North West Arabian Gulf.

I created my web pages in December, 1996. There is some information about the 12^th ISO in Prague, Czech Republic (in English only) and a list of Czech and Slovak ostracodologists in these pages.

Jaromir Zelenka is working as editor of geology and paleontology on the long-time project of Czech Encyclopedia. I am hard at work on that, so I am continuing my study of Neogene ostracodes part time.

Ashraf M.T. Elewa Current studies: (1) fournier biometrics, a case study of two species of the genus Bairdoppilata from the Middle Eocene of Egypt and (2) the effect of allochthonous components in the accuracy of results, an examplefrom the Eocene ostracodes of Wadi El Rayan, Fayoum, Egypt.

Papers in press: Elewa, A.M.T., Ostracod assemblages from the area between Samalut and Beni Mazar on the western bank of the Nile Valley, Upper Egypt: N. Jb. Geol. Palaont. Abh., Stuttgart; (2) Elewa, A.M.T., Omar, A.A., and Dakrory, A.M., Biostratigraphical and palaeoenvironmental studies on some Eocene ostracods and foraminifers from the Fayoum depression, Western Desert, Egypt: The 1^st Scientific Conference (The Role of Science in the Development of the Egyptian Society and Environment), Benha, Egypt.

Tonu Meidla is continuing work on the following topics: (1) the Lower Ordovician ostracods and the formation of the Ordovician ostracode fauna in Baltoscandia, (2) the mid-Caradocian event and the related faunal changes, (3) the latest Ordovician ostracodes, the stable isotope record of the shell material inclusive, and (4) Ordovician stratigraphy and the ostracode biostratigraphy.

Lembit Sarv continued on the completion of the data bank of the Silurian ostracodes of Estonia.

Correspondent: J.F. Babinot

Bernard Andreu is working on (1) Lias and Dogger from the "Grands Causses", France; (2) Callovian to Oxfordian from Portugal; (3) Callovian-Oxfordian and Cretaceous from High Atlas, Morocco; (4) Cretaceous from Pyrenees, France.

Projects: (1) synthesis on ostracode assemblages from the late Cretaceous of Agadir and Essaouira Basins, Morocco; (2) ostracode assemblages from the Lias-Dogger and Cretaceous of Pyrenees, France.

Long-term project: Synthesis on ostracode assemblages from the Cretaceous of Morocco: biostratigraphy, paleoecology, paleobiogeography.

Thesis supervision: (1) M. El Attachfini, Cenomanian-Turonian Moroccan Series-lithology, micropalaeontology and sequence stratigraphy; (2) E. Lara Corona, Comparisons between Neo Cretaceous Series from the Sierra Madre (Mexico) and Pyrenees (France); (3) O. Nzaba Macaya, Ostracode assemblages from the Carixian-Domerian of Quercy and Grands Causses, South France: systematics, biostratigraphy, sequence analysis, palaeoecology and palaeobiogeography; (4) M.A. Rossi, Lower Cretaceous ostracodes from the Agadir and Essaouira regions, Morocco.

Jean-Francois Babinot is working on (1) Berriasian to Early Valanginian from southeastern France (Provence) with J.P. Masse and A. Virgone, Marseille; (2) Maastrichtian to Danian ostracode assemblages (Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary) from Mahajunga Basin, Malagasy Republic (with J.P. Colin); (3) ostracodes around the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary, with Y. Tambareau, J.P. Colin, J. Rodriguez-Lazaro); (4) Messinian basinal and carbonate platform deposits from western Algeria, eastern Morocco, and southeastern Spain; (5) Neogene to Quaternary of Corsica (with M. Ferrandini, Corte Univ.)

Thesis supervision: Soraya Boukly-Hacene: Messinian microfaunas from western Orania, Algeria: biostratigraphic and paleoenvironmental implications, Comparisons with Messinian series of southeastern Spain.

Papers in press: (1) Babinot, J.F., Rodriguez-Lazaro, J., Floquet, M., and Jolet, P., Les associations d’ostracodes du domaine tethysien soulignent que les evenements relatifs a la "crise de la limite Cenomanien-Turonien" se situent dans le Cenomanien superieur: Proc. 3rd European Ostr. Meeting (Paris, Bierville), Crasquin-Soleau, S., Braccini, E., and Lethiers, F., eds.: Bull. Centres Rech. Explor.-Prod. Elf-Aquitaine.

Anne-Marie Bodergat is working on (1) distribution and chemical composition of ostracode carapaces in Kagoshima Bay (Japan), collaboration with K. Oki, K. Tomita (Kagoshima Univ., Japan), K. Ishizaki (Sendai Univ., Japan), G. Carbonnel, M. Rio, G. Vidal (Lyon Univ., France); (2) palaeoecology and biostratigraphy of Jurassic ostracodes in southeastern France and Morocco.

Thesis supervision: (1) Mohamed Hajjaji, Ostracods from the Plio-Pleistocene of Rhode (Greece): palaeoecological significance of assemblages; (2) L. Picot, Oligocene lacustrine and marine environments in Limagne (France): palaeobiology and geochemistry of ostracode populations.

Papers in press: (1) Bodergat, A.M., Rio, M., and Ikeya, N., Tide versus eutrophication: impact on ostracods populations structure of Mikawa Bay (Japan): Rev. Micropal., 40(1): 3-13; (2) Rio, M., Bodergat, A.M., Carbonnel, G., and Keyser, D., Heterogeneity in the distribution of elements in the carapace of Ostracoda: the example of Leptocythere psammophyla, in Proc. 3rd European Ostr. Meeting, Paris Bierville, Crasquin-Soleau, S., Braccini, E., and Lethiers, F., eds., Abstracts; (3) Rio, M., Bodergat, A.M., Carbonnel, G., and Keyser, D., Anisotropie chimique de la carapace des ostracodes, exemple de Leptocythere psammophyla (Crustacea, Ostracoda): C.R. Acad. Sci.

Eric Braccini is working on petroleum routine analyses and thin sections (all geological settings and worldwide areas). He is also working on (1) Early Cretaceous (Pre-salt) of Cabinda; (2) Early Cretaceous from the Netherlands; (3) Senonian from southern France; (4) graphic correlation applied to exploration, using ostracode assemblages from Senonian of Peru.

Papers in press: (1) Braccini, E., Denison, C. Orsolini, P., Scheevel, J.R., Jeronimo, P., and Barletta, V., A revised stratigraphic framework for the pre-salt in Cabinda, Angola: Bull. Centres Rech. Explor.-Prod. Elf-Aquitaine.

Giles Carbonnel is working on taxonomic report of Neogene ostracodes from Algeria (30 years of sampling collected by various authors) in a palinspastic frame. Current research in progress involves developing software for taxonomic determination of ostracods (with dynamic describers used in a relational approach).

Jean-Paul Colin is working on: (1) Albo-Aptian ostracodes from Brazilian and West African intra-cratonic lakes; (2) Maastrichtian to Paleocene ostracodes from Mali and Pakistan (with Y. Tambareau); (3) Intra-Trappean limnic ostracodes from India (with A. Bandhari, Dehar Dun, India); (4) Aptian non-marine ostracodes from Portugal (with M.C. Cabral, Lisboa).

Papers in press: (1) Colin, J.P., Tambareau, Y., Krasheninnikov, V., An early record of the genus Cytheridella Daday, 1905 (Ostracoda, Limnocytheridae, Timiriaseviinae) from the Upper Cretaceous of Mail, West Africa: palaeogiogeographical and palaeoecological considerations: Jour. Micropal.; (2) Colin, J., Tambareau, Y., and Kracheninnikov, V., Maastrichtian and Paleocene ostracode assemblages of Mali (western Africa): Dela Opera SAZU, Ljubijana, Slovenia.

Sylvie Crasquin-Soleau is working on (1) Permian and Triassic ostracodes from Tethys (Greece); (2) Peri Tethyan realms (Russia, Romania, North Africa, Oman).

Papers in press: (1) Atudorei, V. Baud, A., Crasquin-Soleau, S., Galbrun, B., Gradinaru, E., Mirauta, E., Renard, M., and Zerrari, S., Extended scientific report of project 95-32, The Triassic of North Dobrogea, Peri-Tethys programm, p. 1-60.

Papers in press: (1) Crasquin-Soleau, S., First Upper Paleozoic ostracodes from British Columbia (Canada): Harper Rande Group: Palaeontographica; (2) Crasquin-Soleau, S., Braccini, E., and Lethiers, F., eds., What about Ostracoda?: Proc. 3rd European Ostracodologists Meeting, Bierville, Paris, Special volume, Elf-Aquitaine; (3) Crasquin-Soleau, S. and Barrier, E., eds., Peri-Tethys: Mem. 3, Mem. Mus. Hist. Nat.; (4) Crasquin-Soleau, S. and Lethiers, F., Dissemination des ostracodes neritiques par les courants de surface au Carbonifere superieur-Permien: Rev. Inst. Geol. et Geophysique, Bucarest; (5) Crasquin-Soleau, S., Rakus, M., Oujidi, M., courell, L., El Touhami, M., and Benaquiss, N., Decouverte d’une faune d’ostracodes dans le Trias de Monts d’Oujda (Maroc): relations paleogeographiques entree les plates-formes nord et sud de la Tethys: C.R. Acad. Sc. Paris; (6) Crasquin-Soleau, S. Rakus, M., Oijjidi, M., Courel, L., El Touhami, M., and Menaquiss, N., Decouverte d’une faune d’ostracodes dans le Trias des Mnonts d’oujda (Maroc): relations paleogeographiques entre les plates-formes nord et sud de la Tethys: C.R. Acad. Sc. Paris; (7) Crasquin-Soleau, S. and De Weaver, P., eds., Stratigraphic correlations in Peri-Tethys realm: Tethys Contribution 2, Geodiversitas, Mus. Hist. Nat. Mu.s.; (8) Crasquin-Soleau, S. and De Weaver, P., eds., Stratigraphic correlations in Peri-Tethys realms: Tethys Contribution 2, Geodiversitas, Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris; (9) Molotovsky, E., Molotovskaya, I.I., and Crasquin-Soleau, S., Depositional conditions in southern Cis-Urals Basin during the Late Permian (biostratigraphy, lithologic facial and petromagnetic data), in Stratigraphic Correlations in peri-Tethys realms, Crasquin-Soleau, S. and De Weaver, P., eds., Peri-Tethys Contribution 1, Geodiversitas, Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris; (10) Said-Benzarti, R. and Crasquin-Soleau, S., Les ostracodes du Permien superieur de Tunisie reconnu en subsurface: Proc. 3rd European Ostr. Meeting, Paris-Bierville, Crasquin-soleau, S., Braccini, E., and Lethiers, F., eds.: Bull. Centres Rech. Explor.-Prod. Elf-Aquitaine.

Renee Damotte is working on (1) non-marine Permian ostracodes (with F. Lethiers); (2) Mid-Cretaceous ostracodes from Tunisia (with I. Zghal). In preparation: Cretaceous to Paleocene ostracodes from Syria (with F. Igel, Cl. Guernet).

Papers in press: (1) Zghal, I. and Damotte, R., Les Ostracodes du Vraconien du Jebel Mhrila (Tunisie Centrale): Cahiers Micropal., N. Ser. 10(1): 5-17; (2) Zghal, I., Damotte, R., and Bismuth, H., Les ostracodes de l’Albien du Koudiat El Beida (J. Mhrila, Tunisie Centrale): Rev. Micropal., 39(1): 67-90.

Renee will retire on July 1997, We wish to our friend a merry new life and good health!

Pierre Donze is working on stratigraphy, mainly in Tunisia.

Claude Guernet is working on (1) bathyal ostracodes from Paleocene to Recent in the Atlantic Ocean (ODP sites from the Guinea Gulf and Black Nose), and (2) Paleogene ostracodes from the Tethyan area.

Thesis supervision: Rafika Chait, Bathymetry of ostracodes and foraminifers on the Atlantic or Mediterranean borderland in France, Iberian Peninsula, and Morocco (Management--Guernet and Renard, Paris).

Papers in press: (1) Guernet, C., Neogene and Pleistocene ostracodes of Sites 959 and 960, Gulf of Guinea: Proc. Init. Report ODP, Part B; (2) Guernet, C., Bioevenements et ostracodes du Maestrichtien au Repelien dans les bassins du Nord-Ouest de l’Europe: Sonder. Des Geol. Inst. Univ. Koln.; (3) Guernet, C. and Molina, E., Les ostracodes et le passage Paleocene-Eocene dans les Cordilleres Betiques (coupe de Caracava, Espagne): Geobios.

Francis Lethiers is working on: (1) Devonian to Permian ostracode faunas; biostratigraphy, palaeogeography, and palaeoecology; (2) Upper Devonian and Permian-Triassic events with reference to ostracode faunas; (3) Permian freshwater ostracodes.

Papers in press: (1) Lethiers, F., Damotte, R., and Whatley, R., Evidence of brooding behaviour in Permian non marine Ostracoda (Crustacea): Lethaia.

Pierre Marmonier is working on: (1) variation of morphological characteristics in Cryptocandona kieferi from the Rhone, Rhine, and Danube Rivers (with D. Danielopol, Mondsee, Austria); (2) ecology and systematics of interstitial ostracodes from interstitial ostracods from active and dead channels of the Rhone River (with C. Claret, M.J. Dole-Ollivier, M. Creuze Des Chatelliers).

Papers in press: (1) Marmonier, P., Creuze Des Chatelliers, M., Dole-Ollivier, M.J., Plenet, S., and Gilbert, J., Rhone groundwater systems, in Ecosystems of the world, subterranean biota, Wilkens, Culver, and Humphreys, eds., Elsevier.

Philippe Mourguiart working on (1) taxonomy and ecology of Bolivian ostracodes (with Koen Martens), and (2) paleoclimatology of the Central Andes during the last 50,000 years.

Thesis supervision: Maria Eugenia Montenegro--On Recent and Quaternary ostracods of Lake Titicaca and their use as palaeoecological indicators.

Papers in press: (1) Argollo, J. and Mourguiart, Ph., Escenarios paleohigrologicos y paleoclimaticos de los ultimos 30,000 anos en los Andes Bolivianos, in K. Garless, ed., Bamberger Geographische Shriften.

Henri J. Oertli continued abstracting of papers on Post-Paleozoic ostracodes for the "Zentralblatt fur Geologie und Palaontologie" (approx. 100 papers analysed in 1996).

Thesis supervision: Jacques Sauvagnat (Geneva Univ., Switzerland) on Aptian-Albian ostracodes of the Swiss and Franch Jura Mountains and their worldwide position.

Papers in press: (1) Martin, L., Bertaux, J., Correge, T., Ledru, M.P., Mourguiart, Ph., Siffedine, A., Soubies, F., Wirrmann, D., Suguio, K., and Turcq, B., Astronomical forcing of contrasting rainfall changes in tropical South America between 12,400 and 8800 early BP: Quaternary Research, 47: 117-122; (2) Mourguiart, Ph. and Correge, T., Ecologie et paleoecologie des ostracodes actuels et holocenes de l’Altiplano bolivien: Bull. Centres Rech. Explor.-Prod. Elf-Aquitaine; (3) Siffedine, A., Bertaux, J., Mourguiart, Ph., Martin, L., Disnar, J.R., and Laggoun-Defarge, F., Etude de la sedimentation lacustre d’un site de foret d’altitude des Andes centrales: implications paleoclimatiques: Bull. Soc. Geol. France.

Jacques Sauvagnat is working on Aptian to Albian ostracodes from the Jura Mountains (France, Switzerland) under the supervision of H.J. Oertli. Dissertation in progress, with hope to finish in the near future.

Yvette Tambareau is working on (1) continental to deep marine ostracode assemblages around the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary (with J. Rodriguez-Lazaro, E. Gracia-Zarraga, J.F. Babinot, J.P. Colin); (2) Early Paleogene marine ostracodes from Pakistan (with J.P. Colin); (3) Pyrenean ostracodes around the middle/upper Eocene boundary.

Papers in press: Tambareau, Y., Hottinger, L., Rodriguez-Lazaro, J., Villatte, J., Babinot, J.F., Colin, J.P., Garcia-Zarraga, E., Rocchia, R., and Guerrero, N., Communautes fossiles benthiques aux alentours de la limite Cretace/Tertiaire dans les Pyrenees: Bull. Soc. Geol. France.

Jean Vannier Current work in progress includes: (1) physiological processes (respiration, circulation, nutrition) in crustaceans, including living and fossil ostracods, phyllocarids, and bradoriids (with D.J. Siveter, M. Williams, and K. Abe); (2) biomechanics of feeding in ostracodes and phyllocarids (with K. Abe); (3) role of ostracods in Recent and ancient marine food webs (with K. Abe); (4) planktonic faunas (crustaceans and other arthropods) in the Palaeozoic; (5) carapace ultrastructure (SEM, TEM) and hydrodynamics in ostracods; (5) conservatism in marine crustaceans exemplified by phosphatized myodocopids from Spitzbergen (with W. Weitschat); (6) Palaeozoic (Ordovician to Siluro-Devonian) ostracodes from Argentina and Bolivia; (7) contributions to the Treatise (Leiocopa, Leperditicopa, Paraparchitocopa); (8) editor of Europal, the newsletter of the European Palaeontological Association.

I will visit K. Abe (Shizuoka University, Japan) in May, 1997.

Papers in press: (1) Vannier, J. Williams, M., and Siveter, D.J., The Cambrian ancestry of circulation in crustaceans: Lethaia; (2) Vannier, J., Boissy, Ph., and Racheboeuf, P., Locomotion in Nebalia bipes: a model for Palaeozoic crustaceans: Lethaia.

Students and thesis topics: Christophe Croquelois (postgraduate student): Functional morphology of Recent halocyprid ostracodes from Japan: Application to planktonic faunas in the Palaeozoic; Maria Jose Salas (Crodoba, Argentina) is doing her Ph.D. on Ordovician ostracodes from Argentina (systematics, biostratigraphy, palaeobiogeography) (co-supervised with Prof. Benedetto).

Correspondent: Dietmar Keyser

Guenther Arlt is working in a BMBF-Project about the significance of the meiofauna of the pelagial and benthal connections. Ostracods are playing an important role for they are changing constantly the structure and combination of the sediment surface and influence in this way the disposition for resuspension of material into the water column. He is studying the species diversity, abundance, and seasonal variability of ostracods in the coastline of the Baltic Sea. Ostracods are especially useful in the artificially designed sulfidic mud-sand-surfaces and in the studies about the microbial mats formed in shallow areas.

Gerhardt Becker continued (1) the revision of the Treatise (Superfamilies Kirkbyacea, Nodellacea, Bairdiocypridacea and (Paleozoic) Bairdiacea), (2) the studies on pelagic ostracods along the Devonian/Carboniferous boundary in Central and West Europe, and (3) the documentation of Devonian ostracods occurring in the neritic facies realm of the Cantabrian Mountains (N Spain). And, although retired, a lecture in palaeontology (preparation techniques) was given.

H. Blumenstengel is working on palynology and the Tertiary. He also will continue his work at home just for fun with the Devonian and lower Carboniferous ostracods especially connected to the Thueringer Oekotyp and also shallow water faunas.

Gerson Fauth is studying the palaeoenvironmental, palaeogeographic, and biostratigraphic distribution of marine ostracodes of the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary in the Pernambuco-Paraiba Basin, northeastern Brazil. The research is being done as a Ph.D. project at the Institute of Geology and Palaeontology of the University of Heidelberg, under the supervision of Peter Bengston and Eduardo A.M. Koutsoukos.

Peter Frenzel is continuing his work about Holocene and Recent ostracods of the Greifswalder Bodden (Baltic Sea) and adjacent areas.

Roland Fuhrmann The Recent and Quaternary freshwater ostracods are still the subject of his scientific interest.

Wolfgang Hansch Due to my responsibility for the reconstruction of the Heilbronn Museum of Natural History, ostracod research is at present not even a hobby. Furthermore, I had to change my research field more to the Triassic. Nevertheless, a paper about the Thuringian ostracods of the Silurian is still in progress.

Joachim Harloff remains interested in Triassic to Jurassic and Recent ostracods with respect to stratigraphy, taxonomy, ecology, oceanography, and computerized shape analysis. He will be glad to see communications or reprints of recent papers on related research. Currently he is interested in ostracods by private means, trying to keep in touch with Ostracodologists.

A paper on Recent his benthic foraminiferal assemblages and ecology of the southwest Atlantic Ocean is in press (06 to 07, 1997, Marine Micropal.)

Ekkehard Herrig is continuing his work on taxonomy, biostratigraphy, palaeobiology, and paleoecology of Upper Cretaceous ostracods, especially from Pleistocene erratics.

Ingelore Hinz-Schallreuter Current research projects: (1) monographic study of the ostracod fauna of the Middle Cambrian Borregard Member of the Exsulans Limestone (Middle Cambrian) of Bornholm, (2) phylogenetic relationships within the Ostracoda, and (3) continuation of the Treatise work.

Horst Janz was in the last year mainly busy with investigations of the Miocene Steinheimer Kratersee and found unexpectedly 44 different species. This will be published this year. Also, another publication with two species of Strandesia will be published in the Kempf Festschrift. He plans a cooperation with Dr. Abe in Japan.

Thomas Jellinek Together with Noriyuki Ikeya and Akira Tsukagoshi,, a paper on Cythere pumila Brady, 1866 from southern Australia has been worked out and will be published in 1997. Also in 1997, cooperation on two new projects will be established: (1) ostracodes from Tertiary sediments along the Turkish Dardanelles, and (2) as part of an IMAGES-Programm: Ostracods from deep-sea sediments of the Tasman Sea.

Eugen K. Kempf is continuing his work on the "Cologne Database of Ostracoda". In 1996, with over 1200 references to taxonomic papers, he published Bibliography C as volume 9 of the series "Index and Bibliography of Marine Ostracoda". The three published bibliographies dealing with marine Ostracoda are covering now nearly 8000 references to relevant publications.

Volumes 6 to 9 of "Index and Bibliography of Nonmarine Ostracoda" are approaching their final state and shall be published in 1997. Work is also in progress on other parts of the database (Strati graphical Index, Geographical Index). It would be of great help if all Ostracodologists would send reprints of their ostracod papers immediately after publication. Cordial thanks to all those who did so in the past. Unpublished parts of the database are sent in exchange for reprints, as far or as soon as those are available.

Dietmar Keyser continues his work of the Aral Sea Project and, together with Dr. Nagorskaja (Minsk) on a project about ostracods of Belorussia.

Karina Kussius continued her doctoral thesis on ostracods of the Upper Jurassic of the eastern Ibarian Basin.

Alexander Liebau returned for a short time to his material from the Upper Jurassic material of NW Germany. Besides that, he continues with homologizing sculpture studies of A-6 and smaller instars. His paper on this matter, which he presented at the Bierville meeting last year, did not achieve the quality level to be published in the proceedings, but now there are chances to include in the Kempf volume (Cologne).

Wolf Gerth starts a dissertation under Alexander’s supervision; he wants to study the sculptural evolution of genera like Hemicytherura and/or Callistocythere. The topics of his research are the (phylo- and onto-) morphogeny of trachyleberid ostracods.

Renate Matzke-Karasz published her Ph.D thesis on new microstructural and biochemical characteristics of species of Scottia, Psychodromus, Cyclocypris, and Mesocypris.

Nasser Mostafawi continues to work on the ecology, stratigraphy, and systematics of Neogene ostracods from the Aegean Islands. Some paper are in press. The study will be transferred to the Dardanelles and the Thracia area.

Erika Pietrzeniuk is working on Pleistocene freshwater ostracods.

Roger Schallreuter Current research: (1) continuation of Treatise work, (2) Ordovician ostracods of Novaya Zemlya (in cooperation with A.V. Kanygin, Novosibirsk).

Burkhard Scharf continues his work on the living ostracods of the River Elbe and Oder. He has finished a paper on the ostracods of the Mueritz National Park in Germany. Until now he has worked on lake restoration, paleolimnology, and paleoclimatology.

Carol Schoening continues her work on Holocene ostracods of dried lakes in Sudan and in Asia. She is now starting work on the ostracods of Bermuda, together with Ruediger Volbrecht and Dietmar Keyser.

Michael Schudack continues his research on ostracods, charophytes, and foraminifers. Main focus is on biogeography, biostratigraphy, and paleoclimatology (using different approaches, with growing emphasis on stable isotope geochemistry). Current research activities include studies of ostracods from (1) Late Jurassic in Europe and North America (with F. Peterson, Denver, and K. Kussius and U. Schudack, Berlin); (2) Holocene of Satonda Crater Lake (with J. Reitner, Gottingen); (3) Holocene lakes of the Gobi Desert (with H.-J. Pachur and M. Walter, Berlin).

Future projects (depending on the success of grants we have applied for) may focus on ostracods from the (1) Rhaetian (latest Triassic) of central Europe (with G. Bachman, G. Beutler, and E. Dreyer, Halle); (2) Late Jurassic Tendaguru Formation, Tanzania (with H. Heinrich, Berlin); (3) Late Tertiary of the Altai Mountains (with F. Riedel and K. Oppermann, Berlin).

Thesis supervision: Late Jurassic ostracods from eastern Spain (K. Kussius). Details of present research are available on the WWW page http://www.geologic.uni-halle.de/igw/pal/o12/o121.html.

Papers in press: (1) Biostratigraphy, paleoecology, and biogeography of charophytes and ostracodes from the Late Jurassic Morrison Formation, Western Interior, USA: Geol. Soc. Amer. Spec. Pap. (With C. Turner and F. Peterson); (2) Biostratigraphical and biogeographical relationships of the Late Jurassic ostracods from southern Germany: Geol. Blaetter Nordostbayern.

Ula Schudack has finished research on Late Jurassic ostracods from several boreholes in northeastern Germany. She will publish these results as well as her last years revision of the ostracods from the Upper Jurassic of southern Germany in two monographic papers. This year she will start to work on marine and nonmarine ostracods from the Upper Jurassic of northern Spain.

Papers in press: (1) Das Niedersaechsische Oberjura-Becken: Ergebnisse interdisziplaerer Zusammenarbeit: Z. Dt. Geol. Ges. (with F. Gramann, C. Heunisch, C. Hinze, H. Klassen, H. Kockel, F. Katschorek, T. Dulce, D. Thies, M. Weiss); (2) Palaeocytheridea groisii n. sp. (Ostracoda) aus den Moernsheimer Schichten (Tithonium) von Oberhartheim bei Vohburg (Donau): Geol. Blaetter Nordostbayern.

Antje Schwalb My main activities in 1996 were hunting for funding and the transfer from the USA back to Germany, so that my ostracode research has transformed into some sort of side project right now. I continue to work on stable oxygen and carbon isotope stratigraphy from lacustrine ostracodes from lakes in the Midwest, USA, and the Chilean Altiplano. I also participate in ongoing research in Guatemala and the Near East. A compilation of my data is under way and will be subject of the German "super-thesis" (Habilitation) financed by another fellowship (2 years) starting this spring.

Papers in press: Schwalb, A., Hadorn, P., Thew, N., and Straub, F., Evidence for Late-Glacial and Holocene environmental changes from subfossil assemblages and sediments of Lake Neuchatel, Switzerland: Palaeogeogr., Palaeoclimat., Palaeoecol.

Joerg Schwarzkopf continues his work on the ostracods and foraminifers of Cenozoic and Mesozoic times of northwestern Germany, especially about their value for the applied micropalaeontology (stratigraphy and evaluation of palaeobathymetry).

Henning Uffenorde continues his work on Tertiary Ostracoda from northern Germany. He is currently compiling biostratigraphic and palaeoecologic results as potential tools for sequence stratigraphic interpretations. Papers in press: (1) Die Ostracoden der Forschungsbohrung Nieder Ochtenhausen (Miozaen, Nord-Niedersachsen, Deutschland), Bio- und Oekostratigraphie: Geol. Jb.; (2) Ueber Meeresspiegelschwankungen im Tertiaer Norddeutschlands: Ostrakoden als Indikatoren: Sonderveroeff. Geol. Inst. Univ. Koeln.

Agnes Viehofen The shell morphology of limnocytherids from the Miocene of the Steinheimer Becken is still the topic of her research.

R.H. Weiss are continuing their biostratigraphical and paleoecological research of the Paleozoic (especially Devon) of Ruegen and NE Germany, and are very interested in works of paleoecological colleagues.

D. Zissler works on the ultrastructure of the reproductive system of Crustacea and Insecta. His special interest is with ostracods.

Nigel Richard Ainsworth My main activity concerns my consultancy work on the litho- and biostratigraphy of the Mesozoic basins of Northwest Europe. Current research activities include (1) Statistical analyzes using Ostracoda, in conjunction with wireline logs, with co-worker David Melnyk, (2) ostracod and foraminiferid color change by thermal alteration in both the offshore and onshore sections, (3) Lower Jurassic Ostracoda from the western margins of Scotland, co-worker Ian Boomer.

Papers in press: (1) Boomer, I., Ainsworth, N.R., and Exton, J., A re-examination of the Pliensbachian and Toarcian Ostracoda of Zambujal, west-central Portugal: Journal of Micropalaeontology; (2) Coles, G.P., Ainsworth, N.R., Whatley, R.C., and Jones, R.W., Foraminifera and Ostracoda from Quaternary carbonate mounds associated with gas seepage in the Porcupine Basin, offshore western Ireland: Revista Espanola de Micropaleontologia; (3) Ainsworth, N.R., Braham, W., Gregory, F.J., Johnson, B., and King, C., The stratigraphy of the latest Triassic to earliest Cretaceous of the English Channel and its adjacent areas: Geological Society of London, Special Publication; (4) Ainsworth, N.R., Braham, W., Gregory, F.J., Johnson, B., and King, C., A proposed latest Triassic to earliest Cretaceous microfossil biozonation for the English Channel and its adjacent areas: Geological Society of London, Special Publication.

John Athersuch continues as Managing Director of StrataData, whose core business is the development of StrataBugs, our biostratigraphy data base management system for PC and Unix platforms. I have little time for research. I am completing the Carboniferous chapter for the "Biostratigraphical Atlas of Ostracods".

Ian Boomer Currently coming to the end of LOIS (Land-Ocean Interaction Study) contract looking at micropalaeontology of Holocene sediments on the North Norfolk Coast of East Anglia as indices of sea-level change.

Steven Galoukas I have spent the last 15 months in military service, so I do not have a lot of time available. My activities were actually restricted to the literature search and comparison of fossil ostracod faunas from different areas of eastern Mediterranean. Unfortunately, I do not have any access on a computer network, and if Cypris is published only electronically, it will become practically impossible for me to get a copy. So, I would ask you to send me a printed paper copy if there is such a possibility.

Correspondent: M. Monostori

A. Korecz is working on Neogene marine, marine brackish, and limno-brackish faunas from Hungary.

H. Kozur is working on Carboniferous to Liassic ostracods of the Tethys and on soft parts of Triassic ostracods.

M. Monostori is working on (1) Eocene ostracods and their paleoecology in Hungary; (2) Oligocene ostracods from Hungary and their paleoecology; (3) Cretaceous marine and nonmarine ostracods from Hungary; (4) Jurassic marine ostracods from Hungary; (5) Triassic marine and nonmarine ostracods from Hungary.

S.K. Battish Though taxonomic studies of freshwater organisms, including Ostracoda, remains the main interest, I am concentrating currently on the biology of freshwater Ostracoda. Investigations carried out on the food and feeding habits of Heterocypris arorai Battish, 1981 revealed it to be an omnivorous feeder, taking living plants, animals, as well as dead and decaying matter along with debris; to some extent this taxon acts as a scavenger and cleans the standing waters. The quality and quantity of its food intake differed during different months.

Anil Bhandari Summary of activities: (1) Atlas of Paleogene ostracodes of Rajasthan basins has been completed and published in 1996 in Paleontographica Indica IV, Geoscience Research Group, KDM Institute of Petroleum Exploration, ONDG, Dehradun, India; (2) organized XV Indian Colloquium on Micropaleontology and Stratigraphy at Dehradun, India and was co-editor of proceedings volume; (3) finalized a paper on Early Paleocene ostracodes of Bengal Basin, India.

Current work in progress: (1) preparation of Lower and Middle Miocene Ostracoda atlas of western basins of India; (2) a paper "Limnic ostracodes from Anjar Intratrappean Beds, Gujurat, Kachcch, India, and a note on their paleoecology and paleobiogeographic affinities" is under finalization.

Papers in press: Non-marine Ostracoda from the subsurface of the Cambay Shale (Eocene) of Gujarat, India, and their paleoecological significance: Revista Espanola de Micropaleontologia, 30(2), 1998.

Rajesh Chopra A student of Prof. Battish is working for his M.Sc. Thesis. Apart from other observations, gemetogenic processes in selected syngamic ostracod taxa is being worked out in detail by him. The investigations will include all the cytological and karyological transformations during gamete formation.

Sunny George was awarded a Ph.D degree on the topic "Studies on freshwater ostracods of Kerala", and joined as scientist in the laboratory of Nelliyampathy Hills Conservation Society (NHCS). Apart from the research on ostracods, my mission in this lab is to develop a freshwater biology reference centre, which will be most useful for future research in this field in India. For this we have already made a network of scientists from the State of Kerala who have received adequate training on the taxonomy and ecology of various freshwater groups in the prestigious institutions of the United States and Europe. Due to the lack of proper initiatives, these trained young scientists are at present confined to their own watertight compartments. I dare hope that this new venture by NHCS laboratory is an extremely important step as far as future limnological research of this part of the world is concerned.

My current work on ostracods includes: (1) the use of non-disarticulated sub-fossil valves of ostracods buried in eroded soil as possible markers of the history of soil erosion of some areas in the mountain ranges of southern western Ghats; (2) the torpidity shown by ostracods among the vanishing swamps of Chalakudy River basin; (3) the presence of large resting egg banks of micro-crustaceans and rotifers buried in mud among the disappearing water bodies of western Ghat; (4) impact of fish introduction on the ostracod fauna of a small artificial lake in a coffee estate; (5) a new project has been started with the assistance of the Indian Spice Board to examine pesticide toxicity in the tea, coffee, cardemon, and paper plantations of the nellayampathy Hills. In this project I am using ostracods as indicators of water and sediment quality among the lakes of the area.

S.M. Hussain has supervised part of the Ph.D research work carried out by Dr. S.G.D. Sridhar and Ms. A. Minikumari. Dr. S.M. Hussain and Mr. N. Rajeshwara Rao have started a collaborative research work on various aspects of Recent marine Ostracoda of the samples collected from the Bay of Bengal, off Karikattukuppam, near Madras.

Papers in press: (1) Raghunath, R., Sreedhara Murthy, T.R., and Hussain, S.M., Ostracode distribution in the inner shelf off Kasargod, west coast of India: Jr. Geol. Soc. India; (2) Sridhar, S.G.D., Hussain, S.M., Periakali, P., and Kumari, V., Ecology of Recent benthic Ostracoda from the Palk Bay, off Rameswaram, southeast coast of India; (3) Minikumari, A., Hussain, S.M., and Mohan, S.P., Recent benthic Ostracoda in the bottom sediments of Bay of Bengal, off Mahabalipuram, Madras: their affinity and zoogeographic distribution.

S.R. Jakhar Besides working with Dr. Khosla, has taken up studies of ostracodes from (1) Jurassic beds of Gora Dongar, Pachchham Island, Kachchh, and (2) early Tertiary beds of Biril Lignite Mine, Barmer.

S.C. Khosla worked on ostracode assemblages from (1) the Siwalik beds of Nepal, (2) Intratrappean beds of East Coast of India, and (3) Jurassic beds of Jumara Dome, Kachchh. In the last study he was associated by Dr. S.R. Jakhar. All the three ostracode assemblages have been identified. Papers pertaining to their taxonomy, age, paleoecology, and paleozoogeography are under preparation and would shortly be submitted for publication.

Dr. Khosla, together with Dr. Jakhar and Dr. Maki H. Mohammed, in a paper published in Micropaleontology on the Ostracods from the Jurassic beds of Habo Hill, Kachchh, Gujarat, has described 49 species. Two genera, Batella and Habocythere, 20 species, Batella clavata, B. depressa, Cytherella kalajarensis, Cytherelloidea bhujensis, C. dhrangensis, C. langijarensis, C. paradifficila, Cytheropteron devai, C. pandeyi, C. saijaniae, Habocythere diluta, H. centrisulcata, Majungaella rasilia, Mandelstamia depechae, Mesocytheridea mathuri, Nophrecythere whatleyi, Procytheridea kachchhensis, Progonocythere haboensis, Schuleridea (Eoschuleridea) soodani, and Trichrodis (Trichordis) gujaratensis, and a subspecies, Majungaella perforata kachchhensis, are new. On the basis of the ostracodes, three assemblage zones have been proposed in this work for the beds of Chari Formation. These are, in ascending order, Zone 1-Progonocythere laeviscula Zone, Zone 2-Poorly fossiliferous Zone, and Zone 3-Pirileberis remota Zone. Late Bathonian-Callovian age is assigned for the beds of Zone 1 and Callovian age for the beds of Zone 2 and 3 of the Chari Formation. The ostracode fauna of the Jurassic beds of the Kachchh shows strongest affinity, besides Rajasthan, with those of the Majunga Basin, Madagascar, and to a lesser extent with Tanzania and central Saudi Arabia. The paleozoogeographic implications of the ostracodes are also discussed in the paper.

M.A. Malik is still continuing his research in Quaternary freshwater ostracodes of Jammu region. Mr. Amarjit Singh Sodhi has been awarded his Ph.D degree on the topic "Distribution and ecology of Quaternary and Recent ostracodes from Jammu" under the supervision of Dr. M.A. Malik. Wherein 28 ostracod taxa have been recorded. The ecology of these taxa has also been discussed in addition to 11 gastropod and 8 charophyte taxa.

U.B. Mallikarjuna ia a Young Scientist Awardee working on ostracod fauna and charophyte flora-based biostratigtraphy and paleoenvironmental analysis of the Gondwana Formations of the Peninsular India under "Young Scientist" project of the Department of Science and Technology, New delhi, India.

A. Minikumari is working on Recent marine Ostracoda of the samples collected from the inner shelf of Bay of Bengal. She has collected 48 sediment and bottom water samples from off Mahabalipuram (near Madras) up to a depth of 45 m, to study the morphology, taxonomy, and ecological aspects of these tiny crustaceans. She has identified 50 taxa, estimated the sediment and water parameters, and correlated these parameters to evaluate the congenial conditions for better thriving of these microorganisms. She submitted the synopsis of her Ph.D thesis to the University of Madras, entitled "Systematics, distribution and ecology of Recent Ostracoda from off Mahabalipuram, near Madras, Tamilnadu, South India" under the supervision of Prof. S.P. Mohan, Department of Geology, University of Madras, and will be shortly submitting her Ph.D thesis.

H.M. Nagaraja Work is under progress on the project titled "Ostracodes from the Cretaceous-Tertiary succession of the Cauvery Basin, South India". One of the students, Mr. S. Sugumaran, has prepared a thesis for submission for the award of Ph.D degree with the title "Geologic studies of the Cretaceous-Tertiary succession of Vridhachalam area, Tamil Nadu, South India". We are currently engaged on ostracodes of the Lower Cretaceous (Parur Formation) of Vridhachalam area and Upper Cretaceous of Thanjavur areas in Tamil Nadu, South India.

I and my students Mr. S. Sugumaran and U.B. Mallikarjuna participated and presented research papers at the following conferences: (1) XV Indian Colloquium on Micropaleontology and Stratigraphy, Dehra Dun, July 1996; (2) Golden Jubilee Conference on Physical and Biological Changes across the Major Geological Boundaries, Lucknow, November, 1996; (3) Indian Science Congress, Geology Section, New Delhi, January 1997.

Papers in press: (1) Suguwaran, S., Nagaraja, H.M., and Mallikarjuna, U.B., Ostracode fauna of the Patti Formation (late Cretaceous) from the Vridhachalam area, southern India: Paleobotanist; (2) Suguwaran, S. and Nagaraja, H.M., Statistical study of ostracode fauna from the Late Cretaceous (Maestrichtian) of Vridhachalam area, Tamil Nadu, South India: Everyman’s Science.

M.L. Nagori is continuing his research on the lower ostracodes of Lakhapat region, Kachchh. Presently he is finalizing a paper on the genus Semicytherura and paleoecology.

Pratap Singh worked out in detail ostracods of Eocene and Cretaceous strata of Jaisalmer Basin, Rajasthan. The paper entitled "Ostracoda from the subsurface Khuiala Formation of Manhera Tibba well-1, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India" is being sent to the press. The paper deals with the thirty-two species of ostracods belonging to twenty-two genera of ten families. Of the thirty two species, nine species are new.

Worked in detail freshwater and marine ostracods of the Paleogene sequence of Cambay Basin. The paper, entitled "Paleogene Ostracoda and their significance in depositional history in subsurface sequence of Broach-Jambusar Block, Cambay Basin, Gujarat, India" is under preparation. It deals with twenty six species of Ostracoda. Out of 26 species, 14 belong to fresh-brackish water ostracodes and the rest of the species are marine. Biostratigraphic zones based on ostracods are identified and correlated with the ostracod zone of the other wells.

A paper entitled "Ostracoda from the subsurface Cretaceous strata of Manhera Tibba well-I and Shahgarh well-B, Jaisalmer Basin, Rajasthan, India, with special remarks on foraminiferids" is submitted to the press for publication. The paper deals with 28 species of Ostracoda. Out of 28 species, 25 are new. A new genus, Harionella, has been identified and two ostracod zones: Cytherelloidea ghotaruensis Range zone (995-1115 m) and Majungaella rajendrai Range zone (Albian-Cenomanian) and in the lower part (Turonian) of the Parh Formation (Turonian-Coniacian).

At present, I am engaged in the study of Paleogene Ostracoda of Cambay Basin, Kachchh Basin, Rajasthan Basin, and Subathu Basin.

S.G.D. Sridhar has been awarded Ph.D degree for his doctoral thesis entitled "Ecology, distribution and systematics of Recent Ostracoda from the Palk Bay, off Rameswaram, Tamilnadu" on 06.12.1996. He carried out his research work under the supervision of Late Prof. V. Ragothaman and co-supervision of Prof. P. Periakali. After the demise of Prof. V. Ragothaman, the remaining part of the research was supervised by Prof. P. Periakali, Department of Applied Geology, University of Madras.

Correspondent: Saleh K. Khalaf

J,M.T. Al-Bashir is investigating Cretaceous and Tertiary Ostracoda from different localities in Iraq.

Sanad A. Al-Khashab I completed my M.Sc. Thesis, entitled "Ostracoda of Tanuma Formation in Borehole EB-12 Northeast Baghdad City, Iraq" in early 1996. I would like to thank all colleagues who sent me papers during my M.Sc. research. I am now continuing my Ph.D. thesis (starting in October, 1996) on Cenozoic Ostracoda from Middle West and North Iraq.

Papers in press: Papers on taxonomy, biostratigraphy, paleoecology, and paleozoogeography of Tanuma Formation (Coniacian Age) will be done in late 1997.

S.S. Al-Sheikhly is continuing his work on Recent and Cretaceous Ostracoda from Iraq. His Ph.D student, Wajih A.K. Al-Jumaily has completed his thesis on Quaternary Ostracoda from southern Iraq.

S.K. Khalaf is continuing work on Recent, Tertiary, and Cretacous Ostracoda from northern and southern Iraq. Work in progress: The ostracode family Trachyleberidae from the Tertiary of northern Iraq.

Papers in press: (1) S.K. Kahlaf and R. Jaroslav, Palaeozoogeography of Recent Ostracoda from NW Arabian Gulf; (2) S.K. Khalaf and I.Y. Al-Shareefi, Ecology of Recent Ostracoda from Khor Al-Zubair channel, southern Iraq.

Students and thesis topics: (1) Mrs. N.M. Aziz, Ph.D. student, is writing her thesis on Palaeocene-Eocene Ostracoda from north and northwest Iraq; (2) W.Y. Abdullah, Ph.D student, is investigating middle Cretaceous Ostracoda from southern Iraq; (3) S. Al-Khashab, started his first year for a Ph.D degree.

Amnon Rosenfeld and Avraham Honigstein are continuing to work mainly on Mesozoic and Early Cenozoic (Eocene) ostracode assemblages from the Middle East area. A paper on Kimmeridgian ostracodes, found in outcrops and subsurface of Israel, was submitted. Currently we work on the taxonomy and paleoecology of Eocene faunas from southern Israel; a joint study with C. Banjamini, Ben Gurion University, Beer Sheva, who will take care of the foraminifers. A. Rosenfeld and A. Honigstein participated in the 30th International Geological Congress in Beijing and intend to attend the ISO 97, where a talk on Pleistocene ostracodes from paleolakes will be presented.

Correspondent: Gioacchino Bonaduce

Giuseppe Aiello, Diana Barra, Gioacchino Bonaduce are presently working on the bathyal Pliocene of southern Sicily (Punta di Maiata and Monte S. Nicola). The two successions integrated represent all of the Mediterranean Pliocene for a complex of about 250 m. The quantitative analyses will allow the paleoecological interpretation and evolution of the Mediterranean Basin in this time range.

Diana Barra completed the paper on the Tunisian coast ostracods, which has been submitted for publication (Rev. Esp. Micropal.). She is working also on the Holocene evolution of the coastal plains of southern Italy, utilizing ostracods for the identification of coastal marine, brackish, and freshwater environments.’

Giuseppe Aiello is completing his Ph.D on the Turonian-Early Messinian ostracods of southern Italy.

Papers in press: (1) Barra, D., The shallow-water marine ostracods of Tripoli (Libya) and their geographical distribution in the Mediterranean: Rev. Esp. Micropal.; (2) Barra, D., and others, Holocene paleoenvironments and Magna Grecia settlements at the mouth of the River Sele (Campania, southern Italy): Consorzio Catania Ricerche; (3) Barra, D., and others, The Versilian transgression in the Volturno River plain (Campania, southern Italy): palaeoenvironmental evolution and chronological data: Atti Convegno AIQUA-MTSN, Modificazion Climatiche ed Ambientali tra il Tardiglaciale e l’Olocene antico in Italia; (4) Bonaduce, G., Barra, D., and Aiello, G., The areal and bathymetrical distribution of the genus Henryhowella Puri (Ostracoda) in the Gulf of Naples: 3^rd European Ostr. Meeting.

Claudio Belis has recently finished his Ph.D work on Quaternary ostracods from central Italy. I am now searching for a postdoctoral position.

Papers in press: (1) Belis, A., Palaeoenvironmental reconstruction of Lago di Albano during the Late Pleistocene using fossil ostracod assemblages: Proceed. 7^th Internat. Symposium "The interactions between sediments and water": Weater, Air, and Soil Pollution; (2) Lami, A., Guilizzoni, P., Ryves, D.B., Jones, V.J., Marchetto, A., Battarbee, R.W., Belis, C.A., Bettinetti, R., Manca, M., Comoli, P., Nocentini, A., and Langone, L., A late Glacial and Holocene record of biological and environmental changes from the crater Lake Albano, central Italy: An interdisciplinary European project (PALICLAS), Proceedings of the 7^th International Symposium "The interactions between sediments and water": Water, Air and Soil Pollution; (3) Manca, M., Nocentini, A.M., Belis, C.A., Comoli, P., and Corbella, L., Invertebrate fossil remains as indicators of late Quaternary environmental changes in Latium crater lakes (T. Albana and L. Nemi), in P. Guilizzoni and F. Oldfield, eds., Palaeoenvironmental Analysis of Italian Crater Lake and Adriatic Sediments: Mem. 1^st Ital. Idrobiol, 55.

Giorgio Benassi, Valeria Rossi Benassi is working on the ecology and taxonomy of planktic ostracods with Irene Ferrari, Sandra Sel, and Ken McKenzie in different projects: National Project P.N.R.A. in Antarctica (Ross Sea); International Project P.N.R.A. in the Magellan Straits; National Project EOCUMM95 (CoNISMa) in the Mediterranean Sea (off Eolian Islands). Valeria Rossi, Pacic Menozzi, Giorgio Benassi, Gentile Giovanni, Andree Gandolfi, Giampacic Rossetti continue their activities on Eucypris virens and Darwinula stevensoni.

Papers in press: (1) McKenzie, K.G., Benassi, G., and Ferrari, I., Amphipods, mysids, euphauelids, chaetognaths, ostracods, in Guglielmo, L. and Ianora, A., eds., Zooplankton of the Straits of Magellan, Cariboo Cruise, Austral Summer 1991, vol. 2: Springer Verlag; (2) Benassi, G., Ferrari, I., Rossi, V., Sei, S., Angel, M.V., and McKenzie, K.G., Planktonic ostracods off the Eolian Islands (Mediterranean Sea): Seme Congree Europeen des Ostracodologisies, Paris-Bierville, 8-12 Julio; (3) Ferrari, I., Benassi, G., Sei, S., McKenzie, K.G., Planktonic ostracods in the Ross Sea: CoNISMa Workshop Internat. Ecologie del Mare di Ross (Antarctic), Taomina; (4) Moroni, A. and Benassi, G., Ostracoda of the Italian ricefields ecosystem 1960-1986: Cartograf. Parma.

Students and thesis topics:

Andrea Gandolfi, doctoral student, DNA markers in the population genetics of E. virens, D. stevensoni, H. incongruens

Silvia Zandonati, undergraduate student, Population genetics of E. virens

Roberta Zendonati, undergraduate student, Population ecology of bisexual populations of E. virens

Antonella Tommasi, undergraduate student, Population ecology of D. stevensoni

Eletta Todeschi, undergraduate student, Population genetics of D. stevensoni

Anita Notaro, undergraduate student, Population ecology of E. virens

Chiara M. Magnani, undergraduate student, Planktonic ostracods off the Magellan Straits

Maria Luisa Colalongo, Giancarlo Pasini are working on reconstructing eustatic events which took place in the Emilia-Romagna region during the late Quaternary. Current work in progress: The Emilia-Romagna region is sponsoring geological research on the Po River plain with the aim of producing surface and subsurface geological maps at the scale of 1:50,000. This program will last some years. For this purpose, continuous core boreholes, till 200 m depth, are being taken in the plain. M. Colalongo and G. Pasini are studying the foraminifers and ostracods of these boreholes to reconstruct the transgressions and regressions which took place in the region in the late Quaternary. C¹⁴ and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr dating provide the basis to establish a sequence stratigraphic framework.

Papers in press: Amorosi, A., Colalongo, M.L., Pasini, G., and Preti, D., Sedimentary response to Late Quaternary sea-level changes in the Romagna coastal plain (northern Italy): Sedimentology.

Alessandro Bossio, Barbara Dell Antonia Alessandro is continuing his studies on the Neogene Ostracoda of Tuscany and of the Salentina Peninsula (Apulia). Barbara is currently in her second year of a Ph.D entitled "Contribution to the taxonomy, biostratigraphy, and palaeoecology of the Miocene ostracofaunas of the Apulian-Iblean Foreland and of the Maltese Archipelago with palaeogeographic considerations", supervised by Bossio.

Papers in preparation: (1) Bossio, A., Ciampo, G., Mazzei, R., and Salvatorini, G., The Plio-Pleistocene succession of Pisticii (southern Italy); (2) Bossio, A. and Dell Antonia, B., The Miocene Ostracoda of the Island of Lampedusa (Sicily Strait).

Elsa Gliozzi studies Italian Neogene-Quaternary freshwater and brackish ostracodes as biochronological and palaeoenvironmental indicators of different sites in central and southern Italy. At present she is involved in the study of Late Miocene brackish water assemblages coming from several localities of northern and central Italy (Velona and Baccinello basins, Tuscany; Tortonian-early Messinian; Cura di Vetralla (Latium), Monticino quarry (Emilia Romagna), and Perticara (Marche), uppermost Messinian). In collaboration with Ilaria Mazzini, she is studying the palaeoenvironmental evolution of the Tyrrhenian coastal sector near Orbetello (Tuscany, Late Pleistocene-Holocene) and of the Rieti Plain (Lazio, middle Pleistocene-Holocene). These two research efforts are carried out on sediment core samples.

Papers in press: (1) Gliozzi, E. and Mazzini, I., Palaeoenvironmental analysis of early Pleistocene brackish marshes in the Rieti and Tiberino intrapenninic basins (Latium and Umbria, Italy) using ostracods: Palaeogeogr., Palaeoclim., Palaeoecol.; (2) Calderini, G., Calderoni, G., Cavinato, G.P., Gliozzi, E., and Paccara, P., The upper Quaternary sedimentary sequence at the Rieti Basin (central Italy): a record of sedimentary response to environmental changes: Palaeogeog., Palaeoclim., Palaeoecol.; (3) Cipollari, P., Cosentino, D., Esu, D., Girotti, O., Gliozzi, E., and Praturlon, A., Central Apennines (Italy) accretionary wedge: recognition of lacustrine environment in a Late Messinian thrust-top basin: Palaeogeogr., Palaeoclim., Palaeoecol.; (4) Gliozzi, E., Late Messinian brackish ostracod assemblage of Paratethyan aspect from Le Vicenne (Abruzzi, central Italy): Palaeogeog., Palaeoclim., Palaeoecol.; (5) Gliozzi, E. and Mazzini, I., Palaeoenvironmental analysis of the 250,000 year Quaternary sediment core of Valle di Castigiione (Latium, Italy) using ostracods: Bull. Rech. Pau; (6) Taliana, D., Alessio, L., Allegri, I., Capasso Barbato, C., De Angelis, C., Girotti, O., Gliozzi, E., Improta, S., Mazzini, I., and Sardella, R., Preliminary report on Holocene deposits of Grotta del Lago near Triponzo River Neva Valley, Umbria: Il Quaternario.

Mario Masoli, Romana Melis, Nevio Pugliese, Gianguido Silvi The team of Trieste is constituted of Mario Masoli, Romana Melis, Nevio Pugliese (coordinator), and Gianguido Salvi. The main activity concerns the systematics, ecology and palaeoecology of the recent and late Quaternary ostracods coming from Mediterranean area (shelf, brackish and fresh water settings), Magellan Strait, and Ross Sea. Works in progress concern the ostracod distribution of some Italian shelf areas (Golfo di Noto, Sicily; central Adriatic Sea) and the Magellan Strait, the palaeoecological and palaeoclimatic meaning of the Ross Sea ostracods coming from core samples, the ostracod palaeoecology applied to the archaeology, and the ecology of the system of the Mantova Lakes.

Papers in press: Montenegro, M.E., Pugliese, N., and Bonaduce, G., Shelf ostracods distribution in the Italian Seas.

Students and thesis topics: Five students are preparing their theses. The topics are: Recent Ostracods of the Bonifacio Strait (Sardinia, Italy); ostracod distribution in the Pacific sector of the Magellan Strait; freshwater ostracods coming from Mantova area

Giuliano Ruggieri, Carolina D’Arpa are continuing their study on the shelf ostracods of the Pliocene of Altaville Milicia (Palermo, Sicily).

Papers in press: Ruggieri, G. and D’Arpa, C., Ostracodi marini del Pliocene Superiore di Altavilla (Palermo): Secondo Contributo, Naturalista Sicil.

Pietro Miculan is continuing his research on Miocene marine ostracods of the Mediterranean area. Presently he is working on Middle Miocene, deep-marine ostracods from southeastern Sicily (southern Italy).

Correspondent: Katsumi Abe

Katsumi Abe (and his students) is working on the natural history of