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FRIEND, P. F. & DABRIO, C. J. (eds) 1996. Tertiary Basins of Spain. The Stratigraphic Record of Crustal Kinematics. World and Regional Geology Series Volume 6. xvii + 400 pp. Cambridge, New York, Port Chester, Melbourne, Sydney: Cambridge University Press. Price 120.00, US $200.00 (hard covers). ISBN 0 521 46171 5. This book is a compilation of over fty papers by nearly ninety authors, over three-quarters of whom are Spanish. It undoubtedly provides the most extensive coverage of the Tertiary geology of Spain published in English (or Spanish, as far as I know) and is therefore essential reference material for anybody interested in the sedimentology, stratigraphy and tectonics of the region. The book is divided into ve sections, the rst a series of papers on general topics, the other four made up of papers grouped into regions of the country: East, including the Pyrenean, Catalan and Iberian range basins; West, principally the Duero Basin; Central, the Madrid and Loranca basins; and South, the Betic basins. In some cases these are simply reviews of previous work, although a lot of the information has not been published in English before, whereas some of the material is published for the rst time in this volume. The references provided for each chapter are a route to further information about each topic, although some of the reference lists seem rather short. The index can best be described as minimalist but adequate for most purposes. The editors have managed to ensure a generally good standard of writing and presentation, although there are the inevitable examples of diagrams which are of indifferent quality or have those very irritating keys which have numbers against the symbols and the explanation of the symbols in the caption. All the individual contributions are short and, whilst concise papers are to be welcomed, it becomes somewhat frustrating after a while to only read summaries of topics and little detailed information. This means that this book falls between being a collection of papers and a comprehensive review of the Tertiary basins of Spain. The limited coverage of each aspect was probably inevitable given the massive scope of the book but the editors have not quite made it into a comprehensive and inclusive synthesis of all the basins. There is duplication of information from different authors in some instances including a repetition of maps and introductory information about some basins. This is particularly evident in three consecutive papers about the Loranca Basin which could have been more usefully integrated into a single chapter. It seems that there was limited communication between authors writing different but closely related sections in some instances. On the other hand, some topics have not really been covered adequately as they have slipped through the gap between the interests of different authors. For example, the southeastern Betic basins have been extensively studied by French and Dutch geologists but these basins receive only a passing mention in the section on this area. These shortcomings are really only very minor in the context of a remarkable attempt to pull together so much diverse data about a large area in a single volume. This book is a must for anybody requiring an introduction to the Tertiary basins of Spain but, given the cover price, it is unlikely to be bought as a general reference by many libraries and even fewer individuals. This is a pity because compilation volumes of this type are valuable contributions to scientic literature. Gary Nichols
RANALLI, G. 1995. Rheology of the Earth, 2nd ed. xv + 413 pp. London, Glasgow, Weinheim, New York, Tokyo, Melbourne, Madras: Chapman & Hall. Price 29.95 (paperback). ISBN 0 412 54670 1. Despite its rather uninspiring title Rheology of the Earth is an invaluable text. The second edition (1995) incorporates many revisions, although the basic layout is the same as in the rst edition (1987). The book comprises three main sections: Part I contains the fundamentals of continuum mechanics and uid dynamics; Parts II and III are overviews of Earth rheology from the macroscopic and microscopic viewpoints respectively. The book is well laid out: explanations are clear, and derivations are generally concise. Each chapter is introduced by way of a short, comprehensive summary of the material to be covered. Throughout the book the physical implications of the ideas being presented are emphasized, this being particularly noticeable in Part I. Part II of the book provides an excellent complement to other graduate-level basic geophysics texts. Whilst more specialized, Part III clearly describes the concepts central to the microphysics of Earth rheology, a subject usually covered in only more advanced texts. Chapter 1 sets the tone for the book, providing an introduction to the notation to be used and to the Eulerian versus Lagrangian descriptions of motion. Chapters 2 and 3 deal with stress deformation and strain and elastic deformation of materials. The material is common to many other texts on continuum mechanics; however, the advantage of this presentation is that the physical implications of the equations and the application of the important concepts to problems in geophysics is constantly emphasized. Chapter 4 deals with uid dynamics. Again this is material presented elsewhere in the literature and referencing of other basic texts is excellent (e.g. Fung, 1977, Lamb, 1945; Bachelor, 1967). The subject matter here is clearly presented: derivations are easily followed, but sufciently advanced to be able to infer their applicability to problems in Earth rheology. Unlike in many other texts and papers the analogy between the derivations of the basic equations governing the deformation of solids (Ch. 3) and uids (Ch. 4) is clear. As in Chapters 2 and 3, terrestrial values for important parameters are quoted, and references given as to how these values are inferred from both laboratory and larger scale deformation processes. Also pertinent to deformation of Earth materials is the plastic and brittle failure of crustal and upper mantle rocks; some of the fundamentals of these types of behaviour and relevant laboratory measurements are discussed in Chapter 5. These issues are revisited in Part III of the book from the microphysical perspective. Part II covers our knowledge of mantle and crustal rheology of the Earth based on geophysical observables such as seismology, the geoid, heat ow and surface elevation. The importance of rheological parameters both in terms of elastic/anelastic deformation (short timescales e.g. seismic deformation) and uid ow (long timescales e.g. mantle convection) is emphasized. A vast amount of materials is covered in just 150 pages. Although some references have already been superseded (up-todate to the end of 1993), the underlying concepts are clear. In other texts, the interrelation between different disciplines within geophysics is often opaque; here rheology is used to provide a clear link between inferences of whole Earth structure and
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deformation processes based on different geophysical observables. The mathematics and derivations in this section are minimal. It would be possible to read Part II of the book without having read Part I; however, Part I provides a solid understanding of the physics behind equations and ideas presented in Part II. The level of mathematics throughout the book is sufcient to enable the reader to follow more detailed research papers on most of the topics covered, whilst not being so advanced as to prevent an understanding of the concepts. A good example is the section on mantle convection in which parameters such as viscosity, thermal diffusivity, the Reynolds number, etc., pertinent to the Earth are given, along with the temperature and momentum equations to be solved. Combined with information from other sections on, for example, phase transitions, the reader is provided with enough information to evaluate research papers on models for mantle convection, a subject often intractable to those not directly involved in the eld. Finally Part III of the book deals with deformation on an atomic level. The importance of different deformation mechanisms at different temperatures and pressures is discussed. This part of the book deals with topics with which I am not that familiar, and so am unable to evaluate it in detail. However, in keeping with the rest of the book the phenomenology is clearly explained, and other reference sources are given. Overall I would rank this book as a clear and concise presentation of the physical basis of, and geophysical evidence for, parameters and deformation mechanics important in terrestrial rheology. Excellent referencing of other texts, and both old and new research papers, on the various topics presented is given. A well-written overview of whole Earth geophysics is provided, under the umbrella of Rheology of the Earth. Catherine Johnson
References BACHELOR, G. K. 1967. An Introduction to Fluid Dynamics. Cambridge University Press. FUNG, Y. C. 1977. A First Course in Continuum Mechanics, 2nd ed. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall. LAMB, H. 1945. Hydrodynamics, 6th ed. New York: Dover.
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Mesozoic alkaline igneous rocks of northeast USA. The following two papers focus on the mineralization of alkaline intrusions in New Mexico and Quebec. The next group of papers is concerned with the genesis of carbonatites and their spatial and temporal association with silicate magmas. These are based on samples collected from west Eifel and the Kola Peninsula, together with the results of experimental studies and previously published data. The issue concludes with a set of papers on the mineralogy of alkaline rocks. These discuss the composition of pyroxenes in nephelinites and nepheline syenites from East Africa (Malawi and Uganda), carbonate minerals from the Kola Peninsula and phlogopites in Ugandan carbonatites. The nal paper is concerned with niobium and rare-earth minerals from Quebec. There are several papers in the book which will be useful references for researchers and postgraduates. Some, such as those which discuss the petrogenesis of the Kola Peninsula, are not readily available elsewhere, and are a welcome contribution to the international literature. In summary, Alkaline Rocks: Petrology and Mineralogy provides an interesting reference for current views on the classication and petrogenesis of alkaline rocks. As such, I recommend the inclusion of this special thematic issue of The Canadian Mineralogist in any library collection. S. A. Gibson
ONCKEN, O. & JANSSEN, C. (eds) 1996. Basement Tectonics 11. Europe and Other Regions. Proceedings of the Eleventh International Conference on Basement Tectonics, Potsdam, Germany, July 1994. xii + 179 pp. Dordrecht, Boston, London: Kluwer. Price D. 150.00, US $98.00, 66.00 (hard covers). ISBN 0 7923 3797 2. Basement Tectonics 11. Europe and Other Regions is dedicated to present the Proceedings of the Eleventh International Conference on Basement Tectonics, held in Potsdam, Germany, in July 1994. As such, this volume represents the continuation of a series of volumes, all related to basement tectonics and apparently the outcome of previous conferences on a similar topic. The foreword by O. Oncken addresses the uniqueness of this conference, focussing for the rst time on the structure and history of the entire European continent, possibly as a result of the recent political changes in eastern Europe and happening at Potsdam, Germany, a locality of great historical importance. Editing a proceedings volume frequently turns out to become a major and time-consuming effort, often resulting in a much delayed publication several years after the actual conference and the deadline for manuscript submission. Oncken & Janssen have managed this aspect quite well with publication only two years after the Potsdam meeting. The selection of papers presented addresses aspects of the entire spectrum of geotectonic research from geology to geophysics, from eld-based observations to modelling approaches. Most articles are concise and well illustrated, averaging about 13 pages in length. The layout appears to reect submission of camera-ready manuscripts, something that has not resulted in quality loss and has certainly minimized the delay in publication. Part I of this volume presents 12 articles announced as selected proceedings papers, followed by Part II, listing titles and authors of the 54 oral and 54 poster presentations given at the conference. From a comparison of both parts, the selection criteria are difcult to comprehend and it remains disputable whether the selected contributions really reect the essence of this conference. Judged by the arrangement of oral and poster presentations in the four main themes listed, selected proceedings
MITCHELL, R. H., EBY, G. N. & MARTIN, R. F. (eds) 1996. Alkaline Rocks: Petrology and Mineralogy. Special issue of The Canadian Mineralogist 34 (2), pp. 173484. Ottawa: Mineralogical Association of Canada. Price not stated. ISSN 00084476. This special thematic issue of The Canadian Mineralogist on Alkaline Rocks: Petrology and Mineralogy contains contributions from participants who attended the 1994 symposium in Canada. This was held in order to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of Sorensens classic book The Alkaline Rocks. This special issue contains 20 papers that cover the petrogenesis of these diverse and often highly controversial rock types. The rst paper in the volume is a long overdue IUGS classication of mac potassic igneous rocks. This contribution has been compiled by leading experts on the petrology and geochemistry of alkaline igneous rocks and provides useful guidelines for their classication. This is followed by a discussion on the signicance of metasomatism in: (i) the mantle source regions of alkaline igneous rocks, using evidence from mantle xenoliths in west Eifel; and (ii) the country rocks into which the magmas were emplaced, i.e. fenitization. The next set of papers deals with the petrogenesis of silicate alkaline rocks (from the southwest USA, northeast Russia, west Africa and Quebec) and the role of mantle plumes is discussed with reference to the
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Professor Augustithiss magnum opus a book in which he has distilled the experience of over forty years of research on ore petrology, and I am not sure that all the ideas he presents are currently in favour with the ore petrology community. I found Professor Augustithiss writing style rather difcult, particularly when he is discussing theoretical matters. He tends to write in long, complex sentences; for example, I quote the rst sentence of Chapter 1: The understanding of the concentration of elements into paragenetic associations, which might be genetically related or superimposed and reactive paragenetic associations, is possible by examining the interrelationships of elements which segregate under the operation of complex processes. Fortunately his descriptions of mineral textures are in general quite clear. The book is not without errors; for example, on page 26 he talks about the replacement of tennantite by chalcocite and discusses the leaching of the Sb from tennantite, but tennantite is the arsenic end-member of the tennantitetetrahedrite series. In addition the stoichiometry he gives (Cu3SbS3) is incorrect, it is Cu12Sb4S13. The publisher has done a very good job in production, they have used high quality stock, the type face is clear, the images are on the whole clear and sharp, and the binding is strong. Overall I am not sure this book will attract a wide readership. It is a specialist reference work for ore petrologists. It is the sort of book that you would need to have sitting on your shelf next to your microscope rather than in the main library. The price will deter all but the specialist from buying a personal copy. Allan Pring
papers are imbalanced towards the General Themes session. However, most contributions indeed focus on aspects related to the European basement and, thus, reect the objective of this conference. In summary, this volume is designed for specialists rather than for the broad earth science audience. Only conference participants can fully assess whether the selected contributions really live up to the announced reection of the proceedings of this Potsdam conference. Harald Strauss
AUGUSTITHIS, S. S. 1995. Atlas of the Textural Patterns of Ore Minerals and Metallogenic Processes. xi + 659 pp. Berlin, New York: Walter De Gruyter. Price DM 485.00 (hard covers). ISBN 3 11 013639 2 Augustithiss Atlas of the Textural Patterns of Ore Minerals and Metallogenic Processes is a big book, in the tradition of Paul Ramdohrs The Ore Minerals and their Intergrowths, and in fact the rst part of the current volume is dedicated to Ramdohr. However, in content the two books are quite different; while Ramdohrs book is primarily a descriptive mineralogy of ore minerals, the current treatise is concerned with the interpretation of ore textures and there are no detailed descriptions of the individual minerals. The volume consists of a series of 63 short chapters on topics related to ore petrology, which have been grouped into three parts, and an atlas of 926 gures, mainly black-and-white photomicrographs of textures. The rst part of the book is entitled The textural patterns of ore minerals and their genetic signicance and contains 17 chapters; the longest three chapters are devoted to replacement patterns and processes, replacement versus exsolution, and symplectites. Professor Augustithis is a proponent of the dominances of replacement textures in ore mineralogy, but he does adopt a very broad denition of what constitutes a replacement texture. Part Two of the volume contains 29 chapters under the heading Consideration of hypotheses and theories on metallogeny (study cases) and deals with the various geological processes involved in ore deposits. Various counter theories put forward to describe the origins of ore deposits are discussed. There are short, two-page, discussions (chapters) on each of the controversies regarding the origins of Witwatersrand, Mount Isa and Broken Hill. This section also contains chapters on uid inclusions, skarnspyrometasomatic metallogeny, and mass-replacement of rocks by ores and palaeokarst-type deposits to give but a few examples. The third part is entitled On the distribution of elements and ore parageneses. The empirical laws of element segregationconcentration in ores and gives an account of the relationship between geochemistry and paragenesis for various elemental groups. The back half of the volume is devoted to the atlas illustrations of ore textures and is a detailed catalogue of mineralography. The illustrations, which are reproduced in black-and-white, are discussed in the main text but are also accompanied by gure captions, often fairly detailed, so the atlas section can be used independently of the rst part of the book. Not all of the samples photographed were perfectly prepared and a number show deep scratching from sample polishing. The volume also contains an extensive bibliography and is well indexed. There is an author index and there are subject indices to both the text and the illustrations. For this reviewer this book has both strengths and weaknesses. The strengths are the large catalogue of ore textures which are shown in detail and which allow the reader to interpret them independently. One gets the impression that this is
GAYER, R. & HARRIS, I. (eds) 1996. Coalbed Methane and Coal Geology. Geological Society Special Publication no. 109. viii + 344 pp. London, Bath: Geological Society of London. Price 69.00, US $115.00 (members price 34.00, US $56.00); hard covers. ISBN 1 897799 56 X. There is considerable current interest in coalbed methane so this volume is timely. It results from a meeting but there has been an attempt to present a broad coverage. The twenty-four papers are divided into three sections, but unfortunately there are no summary sections or introductory or nal chapter. This would have been particularly useful for a research area which is of such commercial interest. The rst section on coalbed methane resources in the USA and Europe comprises seven contributions. There is one general paper on the USA but unfortunately nothing on Canada. There are two papers on Germany, two on the UK and one on Russia and the Ukraine. The largest selection relates to coal as a reservoir (10 papers). These papers are variable in their quality and in their topic. Gayer et al. present an interesting study of coal clasts in sandstones and their implications for coalbed methane exploration, but it is a pity that out-of-date stratigraphy is presented! Tectonics features heavily in many contributions and useful papers are presented by Pattison et al. and by Faraj et al. on the Australian Bowen Basin Coals. Some papers are concerned with coal microstructure and methane recovery (Gamson et al., Levine) and other coal surface properties (Davidson et al.), but there are no papers on the origin of coalbed methane nor on relationships to coal facies and hydrocarbon generation. The coal geological section (7 papers) is the most disappointing. The paper by Lester et al. on image analysis of microlithotypes appears out of place in this volume as do several of the other papers in this section. Several of these might have easily been left out of the volume.
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Overall there are a number of useful papers here and I would hope most libraries would buy a copy, but I am not so sure that it will have the same appeal for individuals. Andrew C. Scott
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MIALL, A. D. 1996. The Geology of Fluvial Deposits. Sedimentary Facies, Basin Analysis, and Petroleum Geology. xvi + 582 pp. Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, London, Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong: Springer-Verlag. Price DM 118.00 s 861.40, SFr 113.50 (hard covers). ISBN 3 540 59186 9. The author of this book was responsible for rst bringing together those members of the geological sediment community who believe that uvial deposits are of special interest. He did this by organizing the First International Conference on Fluvial Sedimentology that was held in Calgary in 1977. This conference has been followed by others, and the sixth in the series will be held in Cape Town in September 1997. Andrew Miall has continued to be a central gure in uvial studies, and his 600 page, one author, text is very much to be welcomed because it reviews, in a much more coherent way than any conference proceedings, much of the work published over the last twenty years in the English-speaking literature. The forty pages of references, covering material up to 1994, and totalling about 1500 titles, will be extremely useful for researchers. The book also contains over ve hundred gures, and these in themselves provide a very useful reference. Most of the gures are linedrawings redrawn or reproduced from the original publications, but they also include reproductions of many black-and-white photographs that are almost always of high enough quality to fully justify their presence. The full title of the book is The Geology of Fluvial Deposits: Sedimentary Facies, Basin Analysis and Petroleum Geology, and this title gives a very fair impression of the approach and coverage of the book. The author has not been ambitious to advance general understanding of sediment transport or river catchment hydraulics. Rather he has compiled material on the analysis and description of the deposits, and the progress that has been made in relating variations in the deposits qualitatively to tectonics and climate, with particular attention to the concerns of the hydrocarbon geologist. There is one particular approach to the analysis of the deposits that the author has developed in a number of earlier publications, and returns to, at length, in one section of this book. The approach involves the construction of formalized tables that classify various attributes of the deposits, or the river systems. One of the earliest of the tabular classications that Miall advocated was that of facies classication (Table 4.1 in this book), and this has been widely picked up and used by other workers. It basically formalizes a simple classication of grainsize and predominant sedimentary structure, using a two letter code for labelling (e.g. St, sandstone with trough cross-bedding). This provides a labelling scheme for diagrams that has been extremely useful. Miall has made important contributions in other publications to developing maturity in the application of sequence stratigraphy, and some of the approaches of this work are incorporated in his tabular classication of bounding surfaces (p. 81 in this book). This reviewer has reservations about the general desirability of this tabular classication approach, and these reservations are at two different levels. At my lower level, I do nd it a pity that Miall tends to number his classes, and then simply refer to them by number in later discussion which means that
the reader has to have the table in front of him to follow. Apart from indicating relative position in the classication, numbers impart no information, whereas simple labels using words can do so much more. Miall cites a classication by Bridge for bounding surfaces, that uses the micro-, meso- and macro-set distinction to good effect. At my higher level of reservation, I tend to question the value of some of the more elaborate classications that Miall proposes. For example (Table 4.2, this book), Miall develops a classication of depositional units (separated by different orders of bounding surface up to 8th order, in this case), and involving groups, numbered 1 to 10. I think there is a danger that workers will tend to push their material into complex schemes of this sort, without necessarily going back to the basic ideas, and they will also be in danger of failing to communicate their results readily to other workers. These points concern only one aspect of the text of this book. In more general terms it is a very valuable major compilation that will be much used and appreciated. Peter F. Friend
STROGEN, P., SOMERVILLE, I. D. & JONES, G. LL. (eds) 1996. Recent Advances in Lower Carboniferous Geology. Geological Society Special Publication no. 107. ix + 463 pp. London, Bath: Geological Society of London. Price 72.00, US $120.00 (members price 35.00, US $58.00); hard covers. ISBN 1 897799 58 6. The rst European Dinantian Environments (EDE) Conference held in Manchester in 1984 generated a highly useful volume; many of the papers are still well cited. This current volume is a result of the second conference held in Dublin in 1994. Large areas of Ireland are covered by Dinantian sediments and this is reected in the coverage of the volume. The volume comprises twenty-nine papers divided into six sections. Unfortunately there are no scene-setting keynote chapters which might have put the papers into a broader context, but the editors use a two-page preface to pull out highlights. The rst section of four papers deals with mineralization, hydrocarbons and diagenesis. The papers deal predominantly with British and Irish deposits. The paper by Johnson et al. examines basement structural controls, those by Shearley et al. and Hollis & Walkden examine the relationships between mineralization and carbonate diagenesis, and both Shearley et al. and Veale & Parnell look at aspects of hydrocarbon migration and replacement. I regret that some colour images were not used, especially with the cathodoluminescence studies. The next four sections deal with aspects of sedimentology, with carbonate buildups and Waulsortian mudmounds (6 papers), siliclastic rocks (3 papers), carbonate platforms and ramps (6 papers) and basinal facies (4 papers). Papers on British and Irish deposits gure strongly but other areas are represented (USA 3 papers, Spain 1 paper, Poland 1 paper and Germany 1 paper). Most of the papers concern marine sequences; most of these papers are well illustrated and present new data. Using the index to nd topics sometimes proves difcult as pagination must have changed at some stage (for example coal is mentioned on p. 172 but as 173 in the index). I found the paper by Graham particularly interesting on Dinantian river systems. This paper is well illustrated with new data and reminds us of the excellent exposures in the west of Ireland. The nal section comprises seven papers concerning faunas, oras and biostratigraphy. Despite my own interests I found this section the weakest although the paper by Jones & Somerville provides a useful summary of some practical biostratigraphical
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book are lavishly illustrated with many colour photographs, diagrams and many fold-out pages which effectively deal with the problems of presenting elongate correlation panels in a book. The production is good and the editorial standard high. It is worth mentioning the introduction to this book by one of the editors, Van Wagoner, in which the use and abuse of sequence stratigraphy is discussed. Apparently the concept of using a sea level curve to dene the systems tracts stratigraphic packages (as opposed to describing the strata objectively and then considering possible implications for relative sea level changes) has come about because the rest of the world misunderstood the early Exxon literature, and the genetic link between parasequences and sea level cycles was never really intended. An interesting way of back-tracking from the dogmatic dictums of the early papers but encouraging to see that a more exible approach to the analysis of strata in terms of relative sea level change and sediment supply is now being used by the practitioners of sequence stratigraphy. Gary Nichols
applications, and the two sh papers have useful illustrations of sh teeth and scales from Russia. I was disappointed that the only plant paper on palynofacies contained numerous errors and omissions I would be pleased to know of the evidence for Asbian tree ferns for example! In summary whilst this volume adds to our knowledge of the Lower Carboniferous I did not feel particularly excited. Where were all the papers on the varied volcanogenic systems (only one paper on volcanics), on terrestrial ecosystems (only one paper on uvial sediments) and where were the integration papers? It may be that none of these topics was offered to the conference organizers but that is where such volumes fall down a few additional solicited papers might not have gone amiss. Overall, however, this is a useful volume with some interesting papers and I would expect libraries to buy a copy. As for individuals, if you are interested in Lower Carboniferous marine sediments then it may be worth purchasing; if not, why not borrow a copy? Andrew C. Scott
VAN WAGONER, J. C. & BERTRAM, G. T. (eds) 1996. Sequence Stratigraphy of Foreland Basin Deposits. Outcrop and Subsurface Examples from the Cretaceous of North America. AAPG Memoir no. 64. xxi + 487 pp. Tulsa: American Association of Petroleum Geologists. Price US $134.00 (US $89.00 for AAPG members); hard covers. ISBN 0 89181 343 8. It is important to note the subtitle of this book. This is not a collection of papers about foreland basin stratigraphy in a general sense and anybody hoping that it might be would be disappointed. Thirteen of the fourteen papers in this volume deal exclusively with Cretaceous uvial and shallow marine siliciclastic strata from North America. The one exception is the rst, a conceptual paper which considers the distribution of sandy facies in the topset component of an aggradationalprogradational package of strata. It would also be fair to say that most of the papers are more concerned with the sequence stratigraphic approach to the analysis of the successions rather than the foreland basin tectonic setting in which they occur. Reference to the exural subsidence controls on foreland basin stratigraphy is made in a paper by Schwans and another by Shanley & McCabe, but most of the papers concentrate on the details of facies by architecture in depositional systems tracts. These case studies are mainly based on very detailed studies of exceptional eld exposures in places such as the Book Cliffs in Utah (3 papers) and the Tocito Sandstone in New Mexico (2 papers). As a documentary record of the sedimentology and stratigraphy of these and other exposures of the Cretaceous of North America this book is excellent. The chapters are much longer than is usually permitted in a journal allowing for much more comprehensive descriptions and stratigraphic logs than are normally published. One paper by Van Wagoner is almost a book in itself at 88 pages long plus six multiple-panel fold-outs. Exceptions to the eld data emphasis are two papers on the Powder River Basin (Wyoming) which are based on subsurface wireline log data. One paper (the last) really stands out from the others as being of more general interest than the rest. Pemberton & MacEacherns paper on the application of ichnology to sequence stratigraphy is a very clear exposition of a case study documenting the relationship between trace fossil assemblages and relative changes in sea level. Moreover, the ichnofauna determinations have all been carried out on core with many examples of the trace fossils illustrated in core photographs. Many other papers in the
GEE, H. 1996. Before the Backbone. Views on the Origin of the Vertebrates. xx + 346 pp. London, Weinheim, New York, Tokyo, Melbourne, Madras: Chapman & Hall. Price 35.00 (hard covers). ISBN 0 412 48300 9. The origin of vertebrates is a subject which is quickly disposed of in textbooks on vertebrate evolution. The rather supercial coverage this topic receives represents a sleight-of-hand: by quickly mentioning that vertebrates are the neotenous descendants of a tunicate tadpole-like creature, a view which is more or less dogmatic, the author subconsciously assures the reader that the problems of vertebrate origins are more or less solved, and that the subject is not really worthy of a protracted discussion. Other theories may be mentioned as historical asides or oddball suggestions without discussion of their potential value. Such discourses also tend to confuse the origin of vertebrates (or more properly craniates) with the origin of chordates. Though these two origins are of course related (if youll pardon the pun), they represent two distinct biological events which occurred at different times. This mixing and matching of ideas can lead to a great deal of confusion. Henry Gees book goes a long way to redressing the balance. His aim is not to give us a new theory to explain the origin of chordates and vertebrates, but to discuss the various hypotheses that already exist, a valuable contribution in itself. The rst chapter sets the stage for his discussion of vertebrate, and chordate, origins by introducing the reader to the deuterostome phyla (Hemichordata, Echinodermata, Chordata) and the fundamental differences between the deuterostomes and other metazoans. He provides the reader with a wealth of morphological and embryological data, concentrating on those features which are likely to be important in discussions of vertebrate origins and in deducing deuterostome phylogeny. The rst chapter also includes a brief introduction to cladistic methodology and outlines the problems faced by students of chordate and vertebrate origins. The book as a whole is commendable for setting these questions within a cladistic framework, something which has been avoided by almost all workers in this eld (with one notable exception). The rest of the book gives an historical account of the various hypotheses of vertebrate origins, starting with the late nineteenth century suggestions that either annelids, insects, crustaceans or nemerteans were ancestral to vertebrates, and then moving onto more modern ideas involving origins from hemichordates
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or tunicate larvae. This historical perspective has several consequences. It is possible to see how ideas on vertebrate and chordate origins have changed through time. These changes are not only brought about by different authors having different opinions, but also by changes in technique, which allowed new investigations to be made, discovery of new anatomical and embryological features of the groups under consideration and, perhaps just as important, changes in the intellectual climate prevailing when the theory was proposed. Hence, we see the inuence of theories of recapitulation, adaptational and functional arguments and, most recently, of cladistics. This makes fascinating reading for those interested in the philosophies behind biological thought as well as for the reader interested in the animals. This historical account is brought up to date with the contribution made by molecular biologists. Phylogenies based on molecular data and new insights into the processes which control the formation of body-plans (such as the discovery of hox genes) may, ultimately, provide answers to these problems. Interestingly, many of these results can be combined with morphological data to build some convincing scenarios for the origins of chordates. Further work in this area is likely to be illuminating. Gee also gives the reader a manageable introduction to R. P. S. Jefferies calcichordate theory, summarizing Jefferies three decades of work in an extremely readable and thought-provoking way. To my knowledge, this is the best summary of the strengths and weaknesses of the theory. Refreshingly, Gee does not start with the assumption that this theory is fatally awed but gives a very even-handed treatment, providing enough detail for the readers to make up their own mind and to decide which theory, of the many presented, might be the closest to what actually happened. This is not a book for the uninitiated. Indeed, it is described by the publisher as a text for advanced undergraduates upward. The style is usually clear and uent, though some passages of anatomical or embryological description can be a little dense. This does not detract from its overall usefulness, both as a synthesis that includes a vast amount of information, and as an introduction to the vast body of literature that the book rests upon. Also, the fact that Gee is not a worker in the eld has allowed him the objectivity to discuss the various hypotheses he presents without being unduly biased by his own favourite theory. Before the Backbone is certainly a valuable addition to my bookshelf, and I commend it to all of those interested in vertebrates in particular or in metazoan phylogeny as a whole. Paul M. Barrett
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BROMLEY, R. G. 1996. Trace Fossils. Biology, Taphonomy and Applications, 2nd ed. xvi + 361 pp. London, Glasgow, Weinheim, New York, Tokyo, Melbourne, Madras: Chapman & Hall. Price 24.99 (paperback). ISBN 0 412 61480 4. This is the second edition of a book rst published as Trace Fossils. Biology and Taphonomy in 1990. Compared to the earlier edition there is an added chapter on applications of trace fossils, as reected by the expanded subtitle. The text has been brought up to date and the extensive reference list includes entries up to the rst half of 1995. The rst ve chapters outline the principles of ichnology and examine animalsubstrate relations by looking at the behaviour of selected Recent invertebrates. Incidentally, this book almost exclusively deals with traces and trace fossils of invertebrates. The second half of the book presents fossil examples and details
what happens in the transition between trace and trace fossil. Included are discussions of associations of trace fossils and their description, quantication and interpretation. But the discussion is not restricted to discrete trace fossils. Also dealt with is the important concept of ichnofabrics, where all aspects of the sediment resulting from bioturbation are considered. New to this edition is a chapter titled Solving problems with trace fossils. This gives examples of the wider use of trace fossils, including short overviews of the use of trace fossils to infer relative changes in oxygen levels in or near the sedimentwater boundary, and rates and modes of sedimentation. This latter topic even includes application of trace fossils to sequence stratigraphy. The text is richly illustrated with high-quality photographs (although I have to observe that the quality of reproduction in my copy is inferior to that in the rst edition published by Unwin Hyman) and drawings. There is a useful glossary and index. Considering the contents of the book its title may be a bit unfortunate, in as much as it does not fully reect the topics covered. I do not mean this as a criticism of the contents; trace fossils cannot be studied without a sound grasp of Recent animalsubstrate relations. My point is that to a considerable degree the opposite is also true. Is it possible that the title of the book leads to it being overlooked by the zoologists? The authors fondness of the subject shows in the engaging text, but so does his frustration and amusement at some of the soft spots and excesses in ichnology. One such is the naming of trace fossils, which is dealt with here in some detail. There is an overview of the principles of ichnotaxonomy with examples of problematic forms. Some form of nomenclature is needed for communication, but it is clear that in the case of trace fossils this must be based as much on gentlemens agreements as on logic. Some would go so far as to advocate the abolition of the present scheme of ichnotaxonomy, or in the rare cases where the producer is known, then to apply either this name to the trace or even to erect new biological taxa for traces from which morphological features of the animal can be seen or inferred. Bromleys book gives a sound basis for features that should or should not be considered in naming traces. In the end, however, we are faced with the difcult task of classifying objects which are inherently not subject to a hierarchical scheme of classication. For the practitioner it is indeed difcult to decide whether that scratch-mark, or that branching, or that spreite is the more important. Throughout the text, the author is careful to point out the importance of the fossilization barrier which leads to a highly selective record of animal activity surviving into the fossil record. This is not a new observation, but one that cannot be too often repeated. The traces most likely to survive into the fossil record are those made (deep) within the sediment away from physical and biological disturbances. Surface traces, such as those frequently seen on tidal mud ats, make for fascinating and convenient observation but are ephemeral structures with almost no fossil record. A comparison of the two editions give some idea of new and fast-moving elds in ichnology. Besides the subjects raised in the problem-solving chapter one other deserves particular mention. The increasing recognition of the importance to metazoans of symbiotic micro-organisms is reected also in the interpretation of trace fossils. A range of ichnotaxa, such as Chondrites, Thalassinoides, Scolicia and Psammichnites have recently been interpreted as being associated with processes of chemosymbiosis. For example Chondrites shows a regular branching which leaves large volumes of untouched sediment between the shafts, and it has therefore been argued that it does not correspond well to paradigms based on deposit-feeding. Nevertheless, the
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Galloway & Hobday book is a more of a textbook that provides a measured, though more supercial, survey. The two books are also complementary, moreover, when it comes to the choice of system examples cited. Many of the examples in the book under review are from the US Gulf coast or inland Texas, and not fully published in the international scientic press. There is very valuable material here because of the remarkable quantity of sub-surface data available, reecting the maturity of hydrocarbon exploration in these areas. Peter F. Friend
Reference READING, H. G. (ed.) 1996. Sedimentary Environments: Processes, Facies and Stratigraphy, 3rd ed. Oxford: Blackwell, 688 pp.
question remains how completely do we understand depositfeeding. As is vividly demonstrated in the rst half of the book there are still large uncertainties about the food-sources of many invertebrates and how this food is acquired. Several examples are presented of the versatility of animals apparently switching between deposit-feeding and suspension-feeding depending on circumstances. Clearly the interpretation of ancient traces involves a fair degree of educated guessing. Nevertheless, the realization that chemosymbiosis may be an important and widespread way of metazoan life, and not only near thermal vents, means that we may have to look at a number of trace fossils with new eyes. My only critique, and a minor one, is that the time axis of trace fossils is barely mentioned. In conjunction with animal evolution bioturbation has changed through time with great consequences for the preservation and behaviour of sediments. I would have liked to have seen more discussion on the evolution of animalsediment relations, such as the changes in trace fossil morphology at the VendianCambrian interval. This splendid book is indispensable for anyone interested in the ecology and interpretation of sediments and sedimentary rocks palaeontologist, geologist and, dare I suggest, zoologist. Sren Jensen
FRANKEL, C. 1996. Volcanoes of the Solar System. xiii + 232 pp. Cambridge, New York, Port Chester, Melbourne, Sydney: Cambridge University Press. Price 40.00 (hard covers), 14.95 (paperback). ISBN 0 521 47201 6; 0 521 47770 0 (pb). Volcanism is the principal process that acts to renew the surfaces of planetary bodies in the Solar System. On Earth, this process is sufciently effective that, although generally unseen and until recent decades unnoticed, one percent of the Earths surface is replenished every million years. Magmatism is also a major player in the removal of heat from planetary interiors. The common processes involved modied by local inuences such as the nature of the atmosphere and gravitational acceleration provide a linking thread, adorned by the extraordinary diversity of rock compositions involved, ranging from the familiar silicate magmatism on Earth and the rocky planets, to the sulphur and methanewaterammonia magmatism of our distant, glacial neighbours. Frankel provides a detailed introductory account to the causes and effects of planetary volcanism; his touch is generally light, and the production crisp, so the net result is pleasing. The intention was to provide a review for a lay audience, with oddnumbered chapters written at a simpler level than even numbered chapters. Early chapters provide an elegant and impressive introduction to the theory of magma generation and eruption on Earth, followed by a couple of chapters on lunar volcanism. These are both liberally illustrated with Apollo snapshots, and scattered with personal anecdotes and mission stories, making for a captivating read. Later chapters spin further out into the Solar System, passing by Mars and Venus including a perspective from the Magellan mission and then to the icy moons of our distant neighbours and asteroids. There is a brief but relevant bibliography, and a detailed index. As a model for how to write and presence a science book, this stands apart from the crowd, and it deserves to nd its way onto many a rst-year reading list, if only to whet the appetites of future generations of Earth and planetary scientists. David Pyle
GALLOWAY, W. E. & HOBDAY, D. K. 1996. Terrigenous Clastic Depositional Systems. Applications to Fossil Fuel and Groundwater Resources, 2nd ed. xvi + 489 pp. Berlin, Heidelberg, London, Paris, New York, Tokyo, Hong Kong: Springer-Verlag. Price DM 128.00, s 934.00, SFr 113.00 (hard covers). ISBN 3 540 60232 1. The title of this book provides a good indication of its approach and special aims. The main theme is the spatial, generally threedimensional, study of depositional systems. These are taken to be associations or patterns of bodies of distinctive sediment that extend over areas kilometres to hundreds of kilometres across. The systems are reviewed one chapter at a time, under the following eight main headings: alluvial fan, uvial, delta, shorezone, terrigenous shelf, slope and base of slope, lacustrine and aeolian. Chapters on hydrology, coal and coal-bed methane, sedimentary uranium, petroleum, reservoirs and aquifers not only point to the importance of this spatial system approach for the economic use of sedimentary resources, but demonstrate how many uniquely valuable datasets, often using sub-surface data, are available from commercial studies. The book is fully and attractively illustrated with diagrams, usually redrawn from earlier publications, and with photographs, and the great majority of these illustrations are of good enough quality to provide useful teaching material. Throughout there is a concern with threedimensional modelling and prediction. Sequence stratigraphy has contributed critically to the understanding of three-dimensional stratigraphies of depositional systems, and the rst author of this book has made an important contribution to placing much of this work on a rm logical base. This contribution is neatly summarized in two of the chapters of the book. For almost twenty years, many sedimentary workers have used, as a source, one of the three editions of the book edited by Harold Reading (1996, 3rd ed.), so it may be useful to compare the two approaches. Because there are only two authors, Galloway & Hobday have a uniformity of approach and a ow to their narrative that is not there in Readings multi-author work. The Reading book is a series of scholarly essays, raising many questions, and not necessarily answering all of them. The
DICKEY, J. S., JR. 1996. On The Rocks. Earth Science for Everyone. xix + 252 pp. New York, Chichester, Brisbane, Toronto, Singapore: John Wiley & Sons. Price 12.99 (paperback). ISBN 0 471 13234 9. It takes a rare skill to write an effective introductory-level text. On the one hand it must aim to capture the imagination of the
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reader, while on the other satisfying the critical whims of the professional pedagogues. A glance at the shelves of the geology (or, more likely environmental science) sections of an academic bookshop reveals numerous increasingly glossy and weighty tomes competing for a foothold in the lucrative introductory earth science market. Yet, there are few of these that one could, with a conscience, recommend as a bait to a student already moderately well versed in physics and chemistry who is planning to turn their attention to rocks. This is in contrast to those with biological leanings who are well catered for, with the polemical, the (pseudo)historical and the pedagogical approaches satised in equal measure. Into the breach steps John Dickey with On the Rocks. This is a modestly priced and engaging volume that was written to be read and enjoyed. This is not a textbook, by any means, nor is it intended to be. The illumination is partial, but brilliantly clear, as Dickey takes the reader on a partly historical, partly introductory journey through the physical and chemical realms of nature. After an introduction to the scale of the natural world, he turns rst to the nature of crystalline materials, through melting and metamorphism to plate tectonics. Later chapters cover ores and waste products, diamonds and their histories and the nature of the planetary bodies of the solar system. The style is highly individual, and written for the intelligent and receptive reader who emerges from each self-contained chapter enriched by the amalgam of historical perspective, anecdote and current theory. The picture that is painted of the Earth is both vibrant and dynamic, even brushing the dust off such traditionally desiccated topics as crystallography. The personal interludes include both the entertaining and the embarrassing, but serve to avour the text, to the extent that, emerging from reading it, a student may feel enlightened and entertained without perhaps realising quite how much they had learned. The design and content make this an ideal text to be read to accompany an introductory course for example, to introduce the earth to scientists. I would also expect it to feature widely on pre-university reading lists for intending natural scientists. The few slender failings some numerical, other geographical that will hopefully be corrected in later reprint, reduce but a little the desirability of this volume. Earth Science for Everyone is a hopeful but entirely appropriate subtitle. David Pyle
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GILL, R. 1995. Chemical Fundamentals of Geology, 2nd ed. xiv + 298 pp. London, Glasgow, Weinheim, New York, Tokyo, Melbourne, Madras: Chapman & Hall. Price 17.50 (paperback). ISBN 0 412 54930 1. A fair number of geologists have crushed up rocks and put samples in a queue for X-ray uorescence and other sorts of chemical analysis. If they have the ear of a friendly or ambitious mass-spectrometrist, and an intriguing project, major and trace element data are added to by stable or radiogenic isotopes. For a growing variety of research elds, geochemical data are necessities, not luxuries. That does not mean that the end users of the data are geochemists, though some of us have masqueraded under that banner. All geologists are competent hands at petrography and mineralogy, and most have some cause to discuss their materials from a petrogenetic standpoint, hard-rock or soft. However, a large proportion come into their subject with only the most rudimentary background in chemistry and physics. What they know they have picked up as they have gone along; eclectic would not be an unkind adjective. So, Robin Gills Chemical Fundamentals of Geology promises a great deal. It is
about chemistry in a geological context and leans heavily towards physical science. The title is slightly inaccurate, but that is not a serious aw. Gills approach emerges out of the general principles of thermodynamics and chemical equilibria in his rst two chapters, and underpins much of the arcane, for some, world of phase diagrams. The emphasis there is on melting and crystallization, probably a wise move since the whiff of a Schreinemakers bundle and delving into the solid-state equilibria of metamorphism might startle a tender reader. What can happen petrogenetically owes much to the rates at which equilibria are achieved, and Chapter 3 goes to the roots of the dynamics of petrogenesis. Diffusion and viscous processes are central controls over rates of process in magmatism and metamorphism. Water mediates the linked chemistry of lithosphere, biosphere, water bodies and the air. It is what makes our planet worthy of study, and the prime reason why someone is here to take a look. Solution chemistry, redox reactions, dissociation and pH, solubility and the special nature of water form the third platform in Chapter 4. But why and how do chemical elements combine and impart properties to matter? Focusing on such things is a daunting prospect for most geologists, but Robin Gill does us a service by tackling quantum theory and Schroedingers wave equation from the base up in Chapter 5. He makes these deep issues clear and short, but without oversimplication, through excellent diagrams and sticking closely to the logic. The bold step pays dividends for the reader in Chapter 6, as foundations for the Periodic Table, electronegativity, valence and the quantum basis of matters interaction with EM radiation: the stuff of matters properties and its participation in change. Thus equipped, we can tackle condently the issues surrounding chemical bonding and so the polymerization that is so characteristic of both rocks and life. Chapters 5, 6 and 7 are the most useful in the book, and form the main reason for buying and reading it. Chapter 8, although titled Silicate Crystals and Melts, is more than a little short on melts, but takes a rigorous stick to minerals, how they form and change. To many geochemists it will seem odd that mineralmelt partition coefcients and using trace elements to model melting and crystallization processes have no place. Instead, Gill has chosen in Chapter 9 to discuss why various major and trace elements have the afnities that they do. I agree, for much geochemistry is of the empirical and cookbook varieties. Useful, indeed part of a cottage industry in some quarters, but detracting from the real way that the Earth works. It would be an odd book on geological chemistry without a peek into the origin of the elements, how that obeys fundamental laws and links us with the fabric of the cosmos. Chapter 10 takes us in twenty pages or so from the evidence, to the processes and then to the outcome of gravitational forces in assembling planets. It puts geology in touch with the Grand Unication Theories of the physicists, and that is no bad thing. Some may carp that the book does not say much about geology and how real things, interlinked cycles and the evolution of our planet emerge through chemical processes. That would have made its author stray from a very useful underpinning for all of that, without which imagination can run riot. Chemical Fundamentals of Geology is not for absolute beginners. They rst have to be excited by the world as it presents itself outwardly, and thereby hooked into asking how and why. This book awaits that curiosity. S. A. Drury
COLEMAN, R. G. 1994. Geologic Evolution of the Red Sea. Oxford Monographs on Geology & Geophysics no. 24. x + 186 pp. New York, Oxford: Oxford University Press. Price 45.00 (hard covers). ISBN 0 19 507048 8.
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most famous began to chart the worlds faunas and oras. And nally, because if there ever was life on Mars, then its closest approximation may have been what we presently nd in the existing hydrothermal systems. This book, therefore, is a contribution which no thoughtful earth scientist can afford to ignore. It consists of a series of authoritative chapters separated by near-verbatim discussions, the latter of decidedly variable usefulness. In the opening chapter Stetter reviews the remarkable bacteria known as hyperthermophiles. These microbes ourish in the near-boiling water of hot springs and other hydrothermal systems. Interestingly, although they are rendered inactive in waters whose temperatures we would still nd too hot for comfort, they can survive at lower temperatures and in this way can be transported very widely. As one of the discussants notes elsewhere in this book (p. 33), a sterile glass of sea-water left in the middle of North America will soon be colonized by marine bacteria. Amongst the hyperthermophiles there are representatives of both the archaebacteria and eubacteria, and it is striking how basal they are in the Tree of Life. The obvious inference is that they are indeed the most primitive forms of life, the direct descendants of the rst cells to gain a metaphorical foothold on or in the hot and unstable Archaean crust. Maybe so, but as Farmer points out in the ensuing discussion (p. 12) the basal nature of the hyperthermophiles may be because they alone could pass through the bottleneck of extinctions imposed by the searing temperatures that enveloped the Earth immediately after a mega-impact, of which there were probably several earlier than about 3800 million years ago. We should be cautious, however, as to how well we yet know the Tree of Life. This is because in the following chapter Barns and co-workers present evidence that the diversity of hot-spring microbial communities is seriously underestimated. By extracting sequences of DNA from otherwise unrecognized cells this research group has shown that in one pool alone (Obsidian Pool in Yellowstone National Park) there are signicant numbers of hitherto unknown bacteria, with the hint that there are representatives of a third kingdom of the Archaea, to add to the presently recognized Crenarchaeota and Euryarchaeota. What is eagerly awaited is the isolation of pure cultures, perhaps via the agency of uorescent oligonucleotide labelling. Not only are hot springs perhaps the last great unexplored zoo on Earth, but many believe that they are our best target for understanding the setting for the origin of life itself. Certainly the conditions that pertain in these environments, including heat sources, nutrients and key metals, all lend support to this, rather than the oft-cited warm, little pond, being the site for lifes origination. For example, the author Shock notes how a number of monomeric compounds needed for life may be synthesized for effectively no energetic cost in such a hydrothermal system. In parallel Henley outlines how vital features such as membrane formation and energy conversion may have been achieved in this milieu. This book also contains much of interest about hot springs per se, ranging from information on stable isotopes (Des Marais), to the detection by remote sensing of the mineral deposits that result from the activity of hydrothermal zones (Huntington), as well as the necessary exploration strategies (Horn). There are two other topics that are crucial to further development of this area. The rst is the historical perspective of hot springs and their communities as provided through the fossil record. Walter emphasizes the potential for future investigations of ancient hydrothermal systems. He reviews our present knowledge, although it must be admitted that the genuinely hydrothermal nature of some deposits remains controversial. In addition, their earlier record is very sparse, but at least some are known from the Archaean. A major stumbling block, however, may be
This monograph is a concentrated summary of primarily geological information about the Red Sea by someone who has worked in the region for at least 25 years. It is a strongly focused expert view that is comprehensive and will be very useful for those who already study the area or who want to nd a way into the literature of the region. The book contains chapters on Geomorphology, Stratigraphy, Volcanic history, Age relationships, Red Sea structure, Geophysical outline, Red Sea plate tectonics, and Economic aspects of the Red Sea. Each chapter has a useful short summary at the end listing its principal conclusions (the author calls them constraints), which to some extent are woven together into a general picture of evolution of the Red Sea in the chapter on plate tectonics, though this is not done explicitly. The book has a pleasingly old-fashioned feel to it, along the lines of a lifes work condensed into an account of heres all I know about this area. Although the scope of the work is broad in its coverage of different aspects of Red Sea geology it is extremely narrow in its geographical focus, very seldom using any general lessons learnt elsewhere to help interpret the Red Sea. Its condent authority on local matters contrasts with its lack of global perspective: for example there is little attempt to place the Red Seas volcanism in the context of modern understanding of mantle melting and rifting processes, and the discussion on normal fault structure is supercial (faults are either listric or detachments). Monographs that are geographically focussed rather than process focussed are perhaps likely to give the impression that little has been learned from outside the region of interest. In this case I expect it arises from a deliberate choice of style. The author is quite able to express a strong opinion on issues of more general signicance: for example, he is emphatic that plume-related uplift did not precede rifting in the Red SeaAfarGulf of Aden triple junction region. None the less this is a book for those with a specialist interest in the region, for whom it will be a valuable resource. Those interested in how the Red Sea ts into current understanding of tectonic and magmatic processes may nd the relevant data in here, but will have to work hard to extract it. James Jackson
BOCK, G. R. & GOODE, J. A. 1996. Evolution of Hydrothermal Ecosystems on Earth (and Mars?). Ciba Foundation Symposium no. 202. xii + 334 pp. John Wiley & Sons: Chichester, New York, Brisbane, Toronto, Singapore. Price 52.50 (hard covers). ISBN 0 471 96509 X. How well do we really know Life on Earth? Our human perspective encourages us to identify with small furry mammals, birds and at a pinch selected reptiles. The popular conception of other organisms is either that they are slimy and repulsive (worms) or downright dangerous (bacteria). Similarly our seemingly innate sympathies for habitats such as rolling grasslands and forests changes when confronted with the inhospitable environments of hot springs or the crushing pressures of the Earths interior. Yet it is precisely on these environments that perhaps we should focus our efforts, and for at least four reasons. First, here may be the Cradle of Life, and todays hydrothermal systems are our nearest equivalent to the Archaean point of genesis. Second, because the biomass of subterranean bacteria may outweigh that of the rest of the biosphere. Third, because we may only be standing on the threshold of our understanding of microbial phylogeny and ecosystems. This stage may be comparable to the early nineteenth century when a generation of explorers Darwin and Humboldt the
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the propensity for inorganic processes operating within active hydrothermal elds to mimic biological structures. Indeed, some authorities, including Russell who reports in a Discussion section on iron monosulphide membranes (pp. 5758), might argue that this is just the area where the transition from inanimate to living occurred by some sort of take-over. Accordingly the petrography of hydrothermal deposits will require particular scrutiny, and part of this research will be linked to the minor renaissance in the experimental and observational study of microbial fossilization. In an intriguing chapter Cady & Farmer review the complex area of silicication of living microbial communities in Yellowstone, which has been nicely complemented by recent studies from hot springs in Iceland (Schultze-Lam et al. 1995). The limits of palaeontological knowledge from hotspring deposits are succinctly reviewed by Knoll & Walter, and one of the examples they use the celebrated Rhynie Chert is the topic of a fascinating chapter by Trewin. As with so many of the most famous fossil localities the broader setting of the Rhynie Chert has only recently come into focus. Associated with gold mineralization, the Rhynie Chert actually shows a variety of facies and types of preservation. There is, in addition, the prospect of recovering communities from near the vent openings, so that shortly we will have an even more detailed insight into this Lower Devonian ecosystem. The other topic of immense signicance, queried in the title of this book, since headline news and just caught as a stop-press addendum (pp. 320321), is the possibility of life on Mars, at least formerly. At the time of writing this review the initial euphoria has swung into considerable scepticism, and one to which Walter adds his own prescient observations. Nevertheless, the chapters on Martian water (by Carr) and possible hydrothermal systems (Farmer) make intriguing reading, and are a necessary complement to any coherent discussion of this controversial topic. But just as the last chapter is by Davies, so should the last word be given to him. This is because he reviews the possibility of transferring microbes between planets. The hurdles are immense, involving blasting from the parent body by giant impacts, interplanetary travel in a chunk of rock sailing across a vacuum and drenched by intense radiation, and then nally successful landing on an alien world. But it is within the realms of possibility: Martian meteorites are known. It need not be, however, a one-way trafc. When and if the full story of life on Mars is ever told, it may transpire that yes indeed it harboured life, but they are colonists that came from its neighbour, and our present home. S. Conway Morris
Reference SCHULTZE-LAM, S., FERRIS, F. G., KONHAUSER, K. O. & WIESE, R. G. 1995. In situ silicication of an Icelandic hot spring microbial mat: Implications for microfossil formation. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 32, 20216.
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material for future studies. In the USA this role is often fullled by a special volume of the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, which has the merit that it is easy to nd in libraries. These two volumes are published by the Geological Society of India, and complement the welcome re-publication of the important memoirs on the great 1897 Assam, 1905 Kangra, and 1934 Bihar earthquakes by the Geological Survey of India in 1981. The September 1993 Latur earthquake killed 11 000 people in a region of central India within the Deccan volcanic province, away from the main region of Indian seismicity in the Himalayas. Its awful destruction is attributed to the poor building stock rather than the size of the earthquake, which was only moderate (magnitude 6.4). It is an event of considerable interest, partly because it occurred away from an area of obvious seismic activity and partly because it involved ground ruptures of probable tectonic origin at the surface. The October 1991 Uttarkashi earthquake was bigger (magnitude 7.0) but occurred in a more conventional location, in the foothills of the Himalayas. It too was destructive, killing about 2000 people. As the report here points out, it was very much smaller than the great 1905 and 1934 earthquakes that occurred in the same tectonic setting, and whose repetition today would have consequences that are dreadful to contemplate. Both monographs contain a series of papers by different authors, nearly all of them from Indian institutions, ranging quite widely and including macroseismic epicentral effects, local seismology (where available), other geophysical studies, and seismotectonic perspectives. It is indeed encouraging to see such energetic activity at a national level, especially in a country that sooner or later will have to cope with earthquake catastrophies of breathtaking magnitude if (or rather, when) great earthquakes that occurred historically are repeated. These books are certainly useful and are a signicant contribution to understanding the perspective with which Indian earthquakes should be viewed for seismological, tectonic and disaster management purposes. If I have one criticism it is that they could be even more useful if they provided substantial solid accounts of the teleseismic analysis of these earthquakes, in the form of well-determined source parameters (strike, dip, rake, moment, time function, depth) using synthetic seismograms. Such work is now routine and gives basic, reliable, quantitative information about the main-shock that is indispensable. The inclusion of such work may require non-Indian contributions and may require waiting a little longer after the earthquake before publication, but would, in my opinion, be well worth it. As the invaluable memoirs on the 1897, 1905 and 1934 earthquakes show, the production of such volumes is a longterm service for which our grandchildren will thank us: they can wait a year or two for a more rounded and complete perspective. James Jackson
GUPTA, H. K. (ed.) 1994. Latur Earthquake. Memoir 35. xvi + 149 pp. Bangalore: Geological Society of India. Price Rs 250, US $30.00 (paperback). ISBN 81 85867 13 5. GUPTA, H. K. & GUPTA, G. D. (eds) 1995. Uttarkashi Earthquake (20th October 1991). Geological Society of India Memoir 30. xxii + 233 pp. Bangalore: Geological Society of India. Price Rs 250, US 30.00 (paperback). ISBN 01 85867 11 9. These books are monographs on two recent destructive earthquakes in India. There is a useful tradition in seismology that information on an important earthquake is gathered together in one volume to provide an overall perspective and a source of
KEAREY, P. & VINE, F. J. 1996. Global Tectonics, 2nd ed. x + 333 pp. Oxford: Blackwell Science. Price 22.50 (paperback). ISBN 0 86542 924 3. As readers might expect, when one of the co-discoverers of plate tectonics is joint author of a textbook on the subject, very little is left out. Global Tectonics sets out to bridge the gap between the supercial summary and front-edge conference proceedings on this or that specialized aspect of the physical dynamics of our planet. The aim is wide, at senior undergraduates, postgraduates
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and will be. But it is a temporary measure, with contents that need bolder linkage. S. A. Drury
and insight-seeking, yet benighted fellow professionals. But it is course-oriented, with appended review questions (but no guide to good answers!), as any technical text must be to gain adoption these days. It would be a tough course that covered the breadth and depth in here properly! But this is a second edition, following ve impressions of the rst in its 5-year lifetime. It has sold well, and no doubt will retain its following. To me it is a work of reference, and a useful one at that, except perhaps for hardened tectonics researchers. They would no doubt nd plenty at which to cavil, as always. So far as I am able to judge, all the basics of the lithospheres mechanics are here. So too are reviews of most conceivable types of consequence that stem from moving and shufing plates: features of the ocean oors, transcurrent movements, those of subduction, continental collision and extension. There is a wealth of illustrations, all in the line-drawn form that students will meet when they venture into the well-chosen, but not exhausting, references to primary sources. Kearey & Vine do draw back, or were forced to by length considerations, from the geological record of tectonic interactions, with about 30 pages at the end. In that respect Windleys The Evolving Continents has the edge for geologists at a senior level. I should be honest. Neither this, nor its logical companion The Evolving Continents, is the sort of book that I can read from cover to cover. Both maintain the formal style of review papers. I just dipped into Global Tectonics, despite the fact that it builds around a central strand of how the world works. But it is around one thread, not the many that interweave with all sorts of magnitudes, rates and periodicities. That seamless whole makes for excitement these days, for a right, good read. Knowing the worlds workings grows through the dominant ethos of empiricism, in ts and starts. From the obvious to the subtle, hidden and complex; from the t of continents, the magnetic tape recording of the ocean oors recent motions, to the fuzzy signature of deep mantle circulation revealed by seismic tomography. Knowledge progresses to ever ner detail in space, time and sophistication as an interwoven growth in technology extends and expands human senses. That much is clear in Global Tectonics. Dealing with these tagliatelli-like tangles demands continual abstraction to seek order, deeper meaning and more unifying links. Without that sort of reection, often speculative and controversial, we are left with a formless anarchy. It is tempting to rationalize by arbitrarily slicing chunks from the emerging whole. The poor student, in a milieu of departments and compartments: I am reminded of the compositors world, before hotmetal and then desk-top publishing. A chest of drawers, each with hundreds of divisions by typeface, character, style and pitch, a world to read as a mirror image of reality. Strange guardians of the arcane, compositors got by, but have been swept aside by a new world. Global tectonics, then its lesser counterpart, that of linked tectonics locally and at the outcrop, did help unify existing geological knowledge wonderfully. That began but three decades ago. It now seems to have been a harbinger of a surge in understanding and ways of doing things (and teaching) that dwarfs the Renaissance, of which Caxtons press was a vital part. For several years tectonicians have had before them notions of how other planets work, most notably Venus. Have we no concept of some general planetary mechanisms, of which the Earths form one well-known aspect? It is probably premature to expect that a holistic approach to Earths continual motion and change should emerge in advanced textbooks. Authors themselves need a general context in an Earth Sciences that unites its component parts, and that is slow in its coming. Kearey & Vines book deserves to be used,
DAVIES, G. L. H. 1995. North from the Hook. 150 Years of the Geological Survey of Ireland. xi + 342 pp. Dublin: Geological Survey of Ireland. Price not given (hard covers). ISBN 1 899702 00 8. As Gordon Davies reveals in this fascinating book, the history of geological surveying in the Republic of Ireland has tended to reect the troubled history of Ireland and its problematic relationships with Britain. Even before the Geological Survey was ofcially established on April 1st, 1845 as a new organization separate but nominally equal to the Geological Survey of England and Wales and under the control of (Sir) Henry De La Beche as General Director, the scene was already set for a rancorous and contentious start. What was projected to take ten years actually took 42 years, but then surveys of this kind never really nish and the idea that they can or should shows a remarkable lack of understanding of the nature of the game. From around 1808, (Sir) Richard Grifth had been determined to produce the rst geological map of Ireland and had even managed to cobble together a very preliminary draft by as early as 1814. He used his employment as geological surveyor for the Royal Dublin Society and subsequently Commissioner of the General Survey and Valuation of Rateable Property to conduct his unauthorized geological survey of the entire country, using his staff as unofcial eld assistants. That he got away with this diversion of public funds in what was a purely private enterprise, says something for Grifths determination and the climate in which he was operating. His provisional map of the whole country was displayed at the Dublin meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science in 1835, which was attended by virtually everyone who was anyone in the British and Irish geological world from William Smith to Sir Roderick Murchison. Grifths major technical problem was the lack of a suitable base map and it was not until the mid 1830s that he managed to obtain one. And then, it was due to another sleight of hand or perhaps browbeating of fellow members of the Railway Communications Commission and the Ordnance Survey that a new map of Ireland was compiled on the scale of a quarter of an inch to the mile. With this vastly improved base, Grifth was nally able to produce his magnicent six sheet geological map of the entire country in May 1839. It is by any standards a remarkable achievement and a magnicent map which ought to be much better known. But being unappreciated, ignored and generally passed over by the outside world in general and Britain in particular has been part of Irelands lot until very recent times. Anyway, despite this head start, Grifth and his surveyors were not to be legitimized as the new ofcial survey. Nor was Thomas Colby, who had been conducting another ambitious geological survey, which was only slightly more legitimate. Colby had been using his position as Superintendent of the Ordnance Survey in Ireland to collect geological as well as topographical information. This was conated with an idea of Thomas Larcoms into an overambitious scheme to publish maps and descriptive memoirs for every parish in the country all 2400 of them. Needless to say, despite the enlisted energies of surveyors such as Joseph Portlock, George Du Noyer and Thomas Oldham, the only volume to be published was that of the County Londonderry parish of Templemore, which
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appeared in 1835. Portlock was only allowed to complete his full geological report of County Londonderry and this monumental work nally appeared in 1843, by which time he had been posted to the Ionian islands and his geological survey disbanded. Nevertheless, this semi-ofcial survey, which dates back to 1825, was one of the rst of its kind in the world, along with the French Corps des Mines. By comparison with the geological abilities of the likes of Grifth and Portlock, those of the rst director of the ofcial Geological Survey of Ireland, (Sir) Henry James were feeble. James was appointed by De La Beche in 1845 and despite De La Beches hands on involvement and the work of eld assistants such as Frederick MCoy, the surveys initial eld work in the southeast of the country soon ran into problems. They were the rst professional geological survey to use 6 inch to the mile base maps, which as any student of geology knows only too well, take quite a bit of work to ll in properly. James resigned in 1846, having misinformed De La Beche that the survey of County Wexford was complete, and was replaced by Thomas Oldham as director. As Davies shows in considerable detail, much of the responsibility for this inauspicious start must lie with De La Beche. He was certainly an enthusiastic geologist but also seems to have been extremely ambitious and a difculty personality. Two inuential contemporaries even recorded their scathing views of him; Ramsay referred to him as an artful dodger, for ever working on his own interest, heedless of that of others and Murchison did not mince his words either, describing him as a dirty dog I knew him to be a thorough jobber & great intriguer Coming from an empire builder like Murchison, it difcult to know how reliable such epithets are but as Davies points out, since De La Beches wife sought a legal separation on the grounds of cruelty after eight years of marriage, he certainly seems to have been a awed character. However, apart from Sir Archibald Geikie (Director General 18821901), De La Beche was the only Director General of the Geological Survey to take the activities of the Irish Geological Survey seriously. For more details of the British side of the Geological Survey, see Harry Wilsons history (Down to Earth, Scottish Academic Press, 1985). The story Davies reveals is one of constant struggle against neglect, lack of staff, funds and then, post independence, the economic plight of the country until the late 1950s. As all palaeontologists interested in the Palaeozoic know only too well, the sorry tale of the Irish Survey collections is only now being nally sorted out. Davies details the fossil travails around Dublins back alleys and damp basements. There is always the old speculation what if there had been substantial deposits of coal in Ireland? Certainly, the history of the geological survey would have been different. Nevertheless, in recent times the work of survey geologists in the Irish extension of the Southern Uplands and over in the west of Ireland has contributed signicantly to our understanding of Lower Palaeozoic events. Similarly, Devonian, Carboniferous and Quaternary stratigraphy have been greatly enhanced by detailed investigations in Ireland. And the discovery of the Tynagh lead and zinc mine and subsequent offshore exploration for oil and gas radically changed the whole picture and the function of the survey. Davies chronicles these vicissitudes of fame and fortune with loving care and fascination worthy perhaps of Trollope, who, like Grifth and Portlock, was another civil servant to turn his employment in Ireland to another end. Not long ago, a history of the Ordnance Survey in Ireland (A Paper Landscape by John Andrews, Oxford, 1975), albeit somewhat beefed up with guns and sex, inspired Irish playright John Friel to write his internationally acclaimed play
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Translations. However, I doubt the bickering and dusty substance of Gordon Davies geological drama will inspire a similar theatrical success. Unless that is, someone writes an Irish Nostromo, a murky political thriller involving the huge sums of money that have been washing around in recent years associated with mineral exploration and the discovery of oil, gas and gold. But that would have to be pure ction. Douglas Palmer
ANDERSON, K. B. & CRELLING, J. C. (eds) 1995. Amber, Resinite, and Fossil Resins. ACS Symposium Series No. 617. x + 297 pp. Washington, DC: American Chemical Society. Price US $79.95 (hard covers). ISBN 0 8412 3336 5. The age-old fascination with amber its electrical properties, entombed insects, and rich colour, not to mention the nowvanished Amber Room once housed in the Catherine Palace in Zarskoje Selo (now Pushkin) (see Poinar & Poinar, 1994) has met the scientic age, and this book is an important addition to the growing corpus of technical information. It has long been recognized that amber is polymerized tree resin, and it is also clear that there are a wide variety of molecular compositions. In their introduction the editors present a systematics of amber based on ve classes, of which Class I (polymers of labdanoid diterpenes) is the most important. They also note that there is considerable terminological confusion in the terms amber and resinite, not to mention a whole host of specic mineral names. Wisely they decline to become over-engaged in sorting out this semantic morass. There are several intriguing problems concerning amber. One is the curious paradox that in some cases there is no obvious connection between the type of tree as seen in the fossil record of pollen and wood and the type of amber. Most notoriously, as Langenheim notes in her excellent review, the palaeobotany of the famous Baltic amber unequivocally points to various members of the pine group of gymnosperms (Pinaceae). In contrast the chemistry of the amber is more consistent with a source similar to the resins exuded by the Southern Hemisphere gymnosperm Agathis, fossil remains of which are not known in the Baltic amber. In a later chapter Anderson & LePage suggest the need for caution in as much as some methods of analysis, such as spectroscopy, are not necessarily sufcient to pinpoint an amber source. They remind us that relic species of the Pinaceae, living today in restricted areas, may be more reliable guides to the origins of particular ambers. Using resins collected from the extraordinary fossil forests (Eocene) of the Axel Heiberg Islands in the Canadian Arctic archipelago these authors try to resolve the discrepancies between the actual plant fossils and the associated resins. Here there still seems to be a very interesting opportunity for an examination of plant evolution both in terms of the remains of the body fossils as against the chemistry of amber. To date no serious attempt seems to have been made to achieve a congruence of phylogenetic information, using perhaps cladistic analysis. Interestingly, in discussing the sources of amber Anderson & LePage dismiss one hypothesis of relationships on the grounds of convergent evolution of particular labdane diterpenoids. This they regard as very unlikely because of the improbability, as they see it, of the same molecular pathway for biosynthesis evolving twice. This is perfectly reasonable, but the ubiquity of convergence and the relative lack of information about plant biochemistry in an evolutionary context might give us pause for thought. A further intriguing example of the complexities that may await us is the chapter by van Bergen and co-workers. Here they describe resin rodlets from
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Association of Petroleum Geologists. Price US $127.00 (spiral bound, large format 43 28 cm); members price US $94.00 plus shipping and handling. ISBN 0 89181 050 1. The acquisition of three-dimensional seismic data has evolved in recent years from being a selective option to being an integral part of hydrocarbon exploration and development. Technological improvements in all aspects of three-dimensional seismic work have meant that enhanced data quality has been accompanied by decreasing costs with the result that acquisition during exploration is now almost routine. This, in turn, has led to greatly increased success rates in subsequent drilling in many hydrocarbon basins, including those in UK waters. Viewed from an academic perspective, the current generation of three-dimensional seismic data (let alone future generations) is a sleeping giant. The data can reveal from the outset depositional geometries, fault patterns and other aspects of rock relationships that used to be regarded as the end-point of an investigation. Features that used to be a nal, somewhat speculative interpretation of the available data are now observational starting points. Contained in the data are new perspectives on rock relationships that we have not been able to identify previously by other means. The eventual publication and release of images currently being generated by the data will, in a variety of ways, radically change our views on the sedimentation, stratigraphy and structural style of sedimentary strata. This volume is a welcome addition to published threedimensional seismic data, providing a surge to what has so far been a trickle of data release. The case studies are organized into sets which report different depositional systems (uvio-deltaic, aeolian, deep-water turbidite systems, and carbonates) and a small set that focuses on structural styles. Individual cases studies comprise text followed by extremely high quality presentations of the seismic (and related) data, often in colour. There are 30 case studies, mainly from North America though there are also contributions from Colombia, Venezuela, Australia, China Sea, the UK North Sea, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Malaysia. Numerous chapters include descriptions of the nature and use of specic techniques such as amplitude maps, time structure maps, event maps, and instantaneous frequency maps and volume cubes (see particularly Chapters 1, 4 and 12). Interpretation highlights of the volume include the mapping of shallow uvial channel systems in onshore Texas (Chapter 5); structural/sedimentation relationships in the Lake Maracaibo region, Venezuela, revealed by an exhumed chair display of the seismic data (Chapter 7); the mapping of porosity on time structure displays of highly faulted aeolian strata in the southern North Sea (Chapter 11); the relationship of turbidite deposits to the topography of salt withdrawal basins in the Gulf of Mexico (Chapters 12, 14); the identication of discrete carbonate bodies on time slice maps (Chapter 16); and the identication of distinctive compaction-induced polygonal fault systems in Tertiary shales of the northern North Sea (Chapter 25). The value of this volume at present is clear in that it permits geoscientists to view the potential of three-dimensional seismic data. Hydrocarbon geologists will naturally nd it useful, but geoscientists in other areas of application (e.g. engineering geophysics and shallow level uid ow as identied in Chapter 29) and university-based geoscientists should also nd it illuminating. The editors have made a herculean effort in realizing this volume which is destined to become a benchmark contribution in this eld. Hopefully it will be superseded in due course by volumes reporting even better quality data and interpretations as data release is encouraged within companies. T. Elliot
Carboniferous pteridosperms that comprise a unique and hitherto unrecognized type, characterized by the presence of alkylated phenols. Once again plant chemistry and plant evolution need further consideration. The production of modern resins, especially in Agathis and Hymenaea, is also reviewed by Langenheim. In this most helpful survey she emphasizes the ecological importance of resins and the fact that really copious production is largely a feature of a restricted number of tropical species, some abundant and with a very wide distribution. The Hymenaea tree is probably the source of the renowned Dominician amber. Interestingly this tree tends to grow in areas that are conducive to the accumulation of the resin, and in addition this type of exudate shows early polymerization, especially if exposed to sunlight. One area of controversy has been the exact geological age of the various ambers. There has been a curious detachment from the mainstream of stratigraphy, perhaps in part engendered by the treatment of amber as isolated pieces whose main focus of attention has been the superbly preserved fauna. Here Grimaldi provides convincing evidence that the Dominican amber, long thought to be about 40 million years old, is substantially younger and mostly falls within the Miocene. This chapters conclusions are echoed in the more widely available paper by Iturralde-Vinent & MacPhee (1996). The main reason why amber has been so much in the scientic news in the last few years is, of course, the various reports of fossil DNA. Indeed, these nds are mentioned in several of the chapters here. Moreover, the information presented on stable isotopes of carbon, deuterium and oxygen by Nissenbaum & Yakir, and the analysis of amino-acids in amber, would lend strong support to this mineral encapsulating near-pristine conditions in which even DNA might survive. The latter chapter by Wang and co-workers on the amino acids is especially interesting because they demonstrate extraordinarily low rates of racemization and, as with investigators studying the superb soft-part preservation of the enclosed insects, conclude that the strongly desiccating environment within the amber is a crucial factor. Wang et al. note, however, that in comparison with living taxa and we might beware simplistic uniformitarian assumptions the various proportions of amino acids have not remained constant. Still, these data would encourage the continuing search for ancient DNA in amber. So the disturbing news is that the latest research is now yielding negative results, with the suspicion that any DNA recovered is in the form of contamination (Smith et al. 1996). Thus while there are indeed many new avenues of enquiry into amber, including further studies of its polymerization and maturation (on which latter topic several chapters in this book are concerned) the most exciting possibility, that of recovering ancient DNA and so opening a new eld of biomolecular palaeontology, appears to have had its door slammed shut. Simon Conway Morris
References ITTURRALDE, M. A. & MACPHEE, R. D. E. 1996. Age and paleogeographic origin of Dominican amber. Science 273, 18502. POINAR, G. & POINAR, R. 1994. The Quest for Life in Amber. Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley. SMITH, A., THOMAS, R., FORTEY, R., AUSTIN, J. & ROSS, A. 1996. Signals of amber for really ancient DNA. Ancient Biomolecules Initiative (ABI) Newsletter 3, 378.
WEIMER, P. & DAVIS, T. L. (eds) 1996. Applications of 3-D Seismic Data to Exploration and Production. AAPG Studies in Geology Series, no. 42; SEG Geophysical Development Series, no. 5. vi + 270 pp. Tulsa: American
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