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This issue is the first in which I have had to have a co-editor - Dr Andrew Simpson from Macquarie
University joined me in 1999. It has been over 18 months since I produced the last issue - partly
this was necessitated by my 6 months sojourn overseas teaching at the University of Hannover
which took up most of a year in preparation and returning to "normal", and partly from the necessity
for me to concentrate on my own research. Please write if you feel I have "lost" any news you were
hoping to see in this issue AND if you feel that the Issues is still a useful mode of disseminating
information and ideas. Reports, references, and important news about meetings continue to be found
on our website and others. If you do not have access to the internet please contact me if you need
reference lists etc. To save space I have sent the full 1998 and 1999 reports to our web page.
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IGCP 406: Circum Arctic Paleozoic Vertebrates met successfully in late September-early
October 1999 in Latvia hosted by Dr Ervins Luksevics in conjunction with the 4th Baltic
Stratigraphical Conference. Special Publication no. 5 resulted. May 2000 saw the 9thEarly/Lower
Vertebrates Symposium conjoined with IGCP 406 at Flagstaff, Arizona is a most successful event
hosted by Prof. David Elliott and his team at the University of Northern Arizona Geology Department.
The Final IGCP 406 field meeting and symposium will take place in July 2000 at Syktyvkar, Timan-
Pechora Province, Russia. Consult below and the WWW site for information regarding the future
meetings.
The cut-backs and retrenchments continue. In Australia the national survey, A.G.S.O.,
shed more of its former palaeontological unit and apparently intend to employ palaentologists only on
a contract basis. I was dismayed to meet palaeontologists in Germany, young and relatively old
alike, with full professorial qualifications who did not have a permanent job and so were leaving the
profession. Professor H-G. Herbig of University of Cologne, President of the German
Palaeontological Association, was compiling a report on the status of palaeontologists in universities
and other institutions. With such basic information groups can begin lobbying to retain
palaeontological positions especially to counter the pervading "myth" I have heard again and again
that palaeontology is not interesting, "relevant" or useful. At the same time Germany has one of the
most active networks of amateur palaeontologists and dealers/collectors. Some of the latter can
create problems within our field. Because of the past and the often unscrupulous collecting of
specimens, many countries (e.g. Australia and Kenya) now have strong laws preventing the removal
of cultural heritage which can include fossils. Whether we are professional or amateur we have a
duty to make sure when we collect that we have permission and any relevant documentation
(permits etc.) before we remove fossils just as individuals and institutions must make sure they are
not in possession of "stolen goods". Even in recent times there have been blatant lapses of good
practice and private landowners have become disenchanted with the plundering of their land. They in
turn then deny access to key sites to bona fideworkers as is happening at some important Scottish
sites.
Some of you will know that IGCP Secretary-General, Dr Vladislav Babuskacompleted his
term at UNESCO in Paris in 1999. I for one would like to put on record the immense help Dr
Babuska has given to our IGCP project work on fish microfossils over the past 6 years. We wish him
well in his future endeavours back in the Czech Republic.
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