Report on Insect Phylogeny and Evolution Workshop Göttingen, Germany, 21-22 September 1998. 

Present: 

Prof. R. Willmann (Workshop organiser, Germany), Mrs. Joanne Dalton (ESF), Dr. Bruno David (France), Prof. Jean-Claude Gall (chairman, France), Dr. Ed. Jarzembowski (secretary, UK), Prof. Ole Heie (Denmark), Dr. Xavier Martínez-Delclòs (Spain), Dr. André Nel (France) and Vladimir Zherikhin (Russia). Invited persons: Dr. Vladimir A. Blagoderov (Russia), Dr. Carsten Brauckmann (Germany), Dr. Thomas Hörnschemeyer (Germany), Prof. Niels P. Kristensen (Denmark), Dr. Niels Möller Anderson (Denmark), Dr Michael Ohl (Germany), Dr. Francine Papier (France), Mr. Enrique Peñalver (Spain), Dr Alexander Rasnitsyn (Russia), Mr. Andrew Ross (UK), Dr. Jes Rust (Germany), Dr Dimitri E. Shcherbakov (Russia), Prof. Pavel Stys (Czech Republic); Visitors: Dr. Jorg Ansorge (Germany), Dr. Günter Bechly (Germany), Dr. Herbert Lutz (Germany) and Mr. Julián Petrulevicius (Argentina). 
 

By R. Willmann (Göttingen, Germany) 

The second workshop of the ESF Network on Fossil Insects was held in the Institute of Zoology and Anthropology of the University of Göttingen, Germany. This time, a conference on one of the major topics of palaeontological research on insects was held under the title "Insect Phylogeny and Evolution". Palaeoentomologists and Entomologists from the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Russia, Spain, and the United Kingdom participated in a lecture programme followed by controversial and fruitful discussions in a very personal and cooperative atmosphere. 

The first day of the meeting was used by the members of the Coordination Committee of the ESF network to discuss the progress in establishing the fossil insect database, while most of the invited guests took their time for looking through various fossil insect collections deposited in the Zoological Institute. 

The first day of the lecture programme started with talks about deficits in our knowledge of insect phylogeny and systematics and about the position certain insect groups might have in the system of the Insecta (N.P. Kristensen, A. Rasnitsyn, and V. Zherichin). Both the lectures and discussions have shown that a wide range of different opinions about the theoretical and methodological fundamentals in insect phylogeny and systematics exists, especially between the more traditional systematic school in Russia and the cladistic school which was mainly supported by scientists from Copenhagen and Göttingen. In many cases the different points of view resulted in different theories about the history, evolution, and phylogenetic relationships of the main insect groups. 

The following sessions dealt with controversies about the origin of insects (D. Shcherbakov). Two presentations, one about the biology and fate the Palaeodictyoptera (C. Brauckmann) and another one about the phylogeny and evolution of the Gerromorpha (N. Moller Andersen), discussed the possibilities and limits of palaeoentomology. Again they substantiated the need of palaeoentomological investigations for the systematics of Recent insects. In the subsequent general discussion about phylogeny reconstruction in palaeoentomology the results of the former controversies were summarized and intensified. 

The second day of the lecture programme dealt with different topics of insect ecology, evolution, and faunal crises. The session started with an introduction to ecological aspects of phylogenetic reconstructions (M. Ohl). The following lectures gave an overview on the impact of faunal crises on insect evolution at the Permian/ Triassic boundary (J.-C. Gall, F. Papier, A. Nel), in the Mesozoic (E. Jarzembowski), and at the Cretaceous/ Tertiary boundary (R. Willmann, J. Rust). Finally, A. Ross presented a documentation about fossil insects in amber, and D. Shcherbakov informed the participants about important fossil insect sites in Russia. 

During the meeting some of the participants visited the famous Göttingen collection of Baltic amber (the major part of the former Königsberg collection) and of Pliocene insects from Lower Saxony in the Geological Institute. Many colleagues took the chance for planning joint projects. Thus the meeting was considered as being very successful also with respect to future activities in palaeoentomology. 
 
 
Portsmouth Workshop - Report 

Report on Palaeoecology and Preservation Workshop Portsmouth, United Kingdom, 6-8 November 1999. 

Present: 

Dr- David Martill (Workshop organiser, UK), Prof.Jean-Claude Gall (chairman, France), Dr. Ed. Jarzembowski (secretary, UK), Prof. Rainer Willmann (vice chairman, Germany), Prof. Ole Heie (Denmark) and Dr. Xavier Martínez-Delclòs (Spain), Dr. Mikhail Movstovski (substitute Dr. Vladimir Zherikhin). Invited persons: Prof. Derek Briggs (UK), Dr. Thomas Hörnschemeyer (Germany), Dr. Jes Rust (Germany), Dr. Antonio Arillo (Spain), Dr. Jörg Ansorge (Germany), Mr. Dany Azar (France), Mr. Andrew Ross (UK), Mr. Robert Coram (UK), Mr. Martin Munt (field excursion leader). 
 

By D. M. Martill (Portsmouth, UK) 

The workshop was organised by Dr. David M. Martill and was attended by eighteen delegates from Denmark, France, Germany, Russia, Spain and the United Kingdom. 

Facilities at the University of Portsmouth were made available by the Palaeobiology Group of the School of Earth, Environmental and Physical Sciences; SEEPS). Thanks go to Drs. David Hughes and Mike Barker for use of facilities and to Mr. Robert Loveridge and Ms Lorna Steel for assisting the smooth running of the meeting. Grateful thanks are extended to Joanne Dalton for her support in organising travel arrangements. 

The Portsmouth meeting of the ESF workshop on fossil insects addressed issues of fossil insect preservation and palaeoenvironmental analysis. The first day (Saturday 6^th Nov.) was devoted to scientific presentations; there ran over to the Sunday morning (7^th). A talk from Dr Lea Grauvogel-Stamm and plant insect interactions in the Triassic was delivered by Professor Gall. Andrew Ross, Natural History Museum London talked about new discoveries of Burmese amber followed by Professor Briggs (University of Bristol) who presented results of his work on the nature of fossil insect cuticle. Dr Dave Martill discussed the nature of the Crato Formation entomofauna and considered their taphonomy and preservation. 

Mikhail Movstovski (Moscow) discussed the insect fauna from the Baissa deposits of Russia and showed a video presentation outlining the nature of the outcrops, the lithologies present and the stratigraphy. Robert Coram made a short presentation on the insect bearing beds of the English Early Cretaceous at Durlston Bay Dorset, supported by a small exhibition of material. Dr Jes Rust discussed the preservation of the Mo Clay of Denmark and the palaeoenvironment. He particularly addressed issues relating to distance from shoreline of the deposit. Dr. Jorg Ansorge talked about Upper Liassic insects from Germany. 

Unfortunately Dr André Nel was unable to attend the meeting due to family illness. 

A display of insects from the Brazilian Early Cretaceous fossil lagerstatte of Crato was exhibited by the University of Portsmouth. 

 

Demonstration of the data base 

The second day of the meeting addressed the progress of the data base. A copy of a supported "revised" version of the Linnaeus data base was deliberated to the Ibis Hotel just in time for it to be shown on the Sunday morning. Unfortunately this data base did not have a revision of sufficient depth for the use of palaeontologists, and it was considered by Dr Thomas Hörnschmeyer that there was nothing added that he could not have done himself. 

In short, he was of the opinion the Dutch group had in fact done very little and this raised concern that the Workshop might have failed to have produced a data base within the lifetime of the project. 

Dr. Andrew Ross (Nat. Hist. Mus. Lond.) noted that a database developed by his museum would probably serve the network aims rather well, and that it was indeed to be made available commercially. 

Dr Ross was invited to investigate further the availability of this database and to report as a matter of some urgency. 
 

General Discussion 

Meganeura to go online. Dr X. Martínez-Delclòs asked that the network direct founds to pay for one of his staff to establish the online version of Meganeura. This proposal was greeted with overall support and it was proposed that Joanne Dalton be consulted as to how this might be brought into effect. 

Thanks were expressed to Dr X. Martínez-Delclòs for production of Meganeura. 
 
 
Monday 8^th November 

A field excursion to the Insect bearing deposits of the Isle of Wight was led jointly by Dr Andrew Ross and Mr Martin Munt to the Sandown Museum, Isle of Wight. The weather was fair, with slight rain around midday. As this was mainly over the lunch period it was not a problem. 

Final Coordination Committee Meeting 
Strasbourg, 10 December 1999 

Present:  

Ms. Joanne Dalton (ESF), Prof. Jean-Claude Gall (Chairman, France), Professor Ole E. Heie (Denmark), Mr. Thomas Hornschmeyer (Observer, Germany). Dr. Ed Jarzembowski (Secretary, UK), Dr. Dave Martill (UK), Dr. Xavier Martínez-Delclòs (Spain), Dr. Annette Moth-Wiklund (ESF), Dr. André Nel (France), Mr. Adrian Rissoné (Observer, UK), Dr. Andrew Ross (Observer, UK) Prof. Rainer Willmann (Vice Chairman, Germany), Prof. Vladimir Zherikhin (Russia).  

The draft minutes of this meeting will be published in Meganeura no. 6 before the approval by the Committee.