Spiders: the ultimate predators - 400 million years of evolution
Abstract: Given their geological longevity and numerical abundance in terms of
both described species and numbers of individuals, spiders probably
represent the most successful group of predators ever to have existed.
This lecture explores important events in the spider fossil record,
including origins, diversification, mass extinctions and co-radiation
with their insect prey. It also examines how data derived from fossil
spiders can be used to address interesting palaeobiological problems such as biases associated with amber preservation, biogeography, etc.
Finally, new imaging techniques employed on fossil spiders will be
illustrated. These now permit digital dissection of specimens trapped
in amber to the point where they can be incorporated into cladistic
analyses alongside their extant relatives to produce an accurate evolutionary tree of the order.
View pdf of powerpoint presentation.
Fossils in amber: techniques, taphonomy and palaeoecology
Abstract: Amber is famous for preserving fossil inclusions with life-like fidelity. Following a brief introduction to amber, this lecture reports on recent advances in imaging techniques, including the remarkable results of micro-computed tomography. Biodiversity of fossil inclusions is illustrated, primarily from Baltic amber. Amber occurs in a diverse range of settings and different examples are given, including Dominican, Baltic and Lebanese ambers. Quantitative ecological studies can reaveal biases of amber entrapment and determine whether or not different ambers sample faunas in the same way. Amber fossil data can be combined with non-amber data to examine long-term trends over time, such as effects of mass extinction events and predator-prey co-radiations. Amber is also important for studies of historical biogeography. The lecture ends with the current consensus on the possibility of DNA survival in fossil resins.
View pdf of powerpoint presentation.
Invertebrates of The Gambia: diversity, ecology, conservation
Abstract: The invertebrate fauna of The Gambia is highly diverse. as one might expect of a tropical African country, However, it is poorly known from a scientific perspective and only those of immediate importance in terms of crop pests or disease vectors (of both humans and livestock) derive any attention from the local population. In this talk I provide a slide show of beautiful macrophotographs of 170 different species of live invertebrates in the field and comment on some of the more interesting behaviours of many of them. Many of the species, families and even orders represent new records for the country. Five new butterfly species records are presented. Aspects of ecology and conservation, such as the use of certain species as monitors of potential climate change are also discussed, based on data collected during a one-year study in Bijilo Forest. Other subjects covered include parasitism, specialist predation behaviours, camouflage & mimicry, etc.
View pdf of powerpoint presentation.