ALBERT

Description: The Carboniferous sediments of the thrust structures between the Porma and Bernesga rivers (map 2) and the headwaters of a tribuary of the Luna River (map 3) are described. In the lithostratigraphic chapter, the Vegamián, Alba, Escapa and San Emiliano formations are described, ranging in age from the Tournaisian to the lowermost Westfalian. The Alba and Escapa formations are subdivided into three and two members, respectively. An attempt has been made to reconstruct the palaeoecological conditions during sedimentation. The palaeoecological interpretation is based mainly on the productoids and chonetoids, but other palaeontological and lithological evidence has also been used. Many faunal assemblages have been found, which are comparable to those described by Moore (1964) from Pennsylvanian and Permian deposits in Kansas (U.S.A.). A short sedimentary history is given in chapter IV. A systematic study has been made of the Carboniferous representatives of two suborders of the phylum Brachiopoda: the Productidina and the Chonetidina. 22 Genera of the Productacea are described. They are represented by 51 species and subspecies, three of which are new. The new species are Levipustula breimeri, Karavankina rakuszi and K. wagneri. Twelve species and subspecies of seven different genera are described from the family Chonetidae. The investigation of these brachiopods resulted in a reappraisal of the Spanish Carboniferous productoids and chonetoids, combined with the description of a number of elements previously unknown in Spain. The genus Karavankina is described in some detail since only a short introductory note (Ramovs, 1966) has been published previously. A pedicle sheath is described for the first time for the genus Chonetipustula. The groove in the internal moulds of small pedicle valves of that genus are shown to be due to a groove anterior to the pedicle sheath, and not to a median septum as supposed by previous authors. A comparison of the faunas with those of other areas leads to some interesting conclusions. The fauna of the Vegamián Formation is closely comparable with German faunas of a slightly younger, distinctly Viséan age. The fauna appears to be dependent on the type of sediment deposited, viz. black shales, and not so much on the stratigraphic age. Van Ginkel (1965b) has dated the top of the Escapa Formation on the basis of fusulinids as Lower Bashkirian. The productoid assemblage of these deposits is unique and consists mainly of forms found in the Visean of north-western Europe, together with a few genera and species known from Moscovian and even younger strata elsewhere. The upper Bashkirian and the lowermost Moscovian faunas in Spain become more cosmopolitan, the Viséan and Namurian elements being replaced by new ones. In Moscovian strata, it is found that the fauna shows close relationships with the faunas described from Russia and China as well as with those found in the Westfalian marine bands of north-western Europe. The Carboniferous faunas in nord-west Spain apparently belong to the Europe Tian-Shan faunal province, because the productoid fauna as well as the fusulinid fauna agree with those described for this province (Einor et al., 1965). It seems that Karavankina should be added as another characteristic genus for this faunal province. It occurs from the Cantabrian Mountains to China. The Kasimovian productoids belong to the Moscovian genera, but differ at a specific level.

Description: Dr Cornelis Beets, internationally renowned specialist of Indonesian Cainozoic molluscs, died on the 28th of July 1995. Born April 25, 1916, he read geology at Leiden University and obtained his PhD in 1941 on a geological study of the Turin Hills (Italy). When working on his PhD, he had already started studying the large collections of Cainozoic molluscs brought together by Professor K. Martin, the first director of the National Museum of Geology and Mineralogy at Leiden and his preceptor as far as the molluscs were concerned. He used the wartime years to study the Plio-Pleistocene molluscs from The Netherlands, whilst employed by the Dutch National Coalmines. After World War II he started to work for the Royal Dutch/Shell Group, which brought him to many places, especially in Africa and the Americas. Although he could no longer pursue his mollusc studies, he kept a keen interest in them and spent part of his spare time in collecting as can be seen from his 1953 publications on material from Egypt. When he expressed the wish to finish his career with the Royal Dutch/Shell for personal reasons, he was invited by the Board of Leiden University to become director of the National Museum of Geology and Mineralogy, which he accepted after making definite agreements about future improvements. Although he was keen on renewing his studies of the Indonesian collections, here at hand, his task as director, which he took very seriously, prevented this. He took a keen interest in the research projects of the staff, and originated the investigation of the interesting Miocene island fauna of Gargano (Italy). Collection management had his full attention and he hired a curator to develop a computerbased registration system. He also designed a special system to store microfossils. In the meantime the exhibits had to be renewed. It was only after his early retirement, due to a disagreement with the Board of the University, that he could dedicate himself to the Indonesian Cainozoic molluscs again, which led to several important publications on the subject. Failing eye-sight due to a stroke compelled him to give up his systematic studies, a fate he found difficult to bear. He intended to give a general review of the Indonesian Cainozoic molluscs using open nomenclature for the many new species he was now unable to describe. His final illness and demise made it impossible for him to finish this project, only a set of manuscript notes being left. At the end of this paper a complete list of Beets\' publications is given, as well as a list of eponyms and taxa described by him as new.

Description: The role played by the geological collections of the Nationaal Natuurhistorisch Museum, the National Museum of Natural History, in documenting the developments in the Earth sciences in The Netherlands and abroad is discussed, as well as the influence exercised by the mining industry and former Dutch colonies. Thus, an overview is given of the variety of the geological collections which were obtained from government institutions, including universities, and private persons.\nFirst the early collections, which are poorly represented, are treated. An example is the Cabinet of the Stadtholder William V. Geological exploration during the 19th century, mainly in Asia, but also in the Americas, left its traces in our museum. Of special interest is the von Siebold collection, a small collection of unattractive minerals and fossils, but the first of its kind from Japan.\nInterpreting the geological history of a region or a period is the next phase in geological research. An early example is the Staring collection, brought together by the Commission for the geological map of The Netherlands, of which Dr. Winand Staring was the Secretary. The influence of mining developments is shown amongst others by the Jongmans collection of Carboniferous-Permian plants and stratigraphical samples of the Dutch coal mines, illustrating the rise and fall of the Dutch coal industry.

Description: The Carboniferous sediments of the thrust structures between the Porma and Bernesga rivers (map 2) and the headwaters of a tribuary of the Luna River (map 3) are described. In the lithostratigraphic chapter, the Vegami\xc3\xa1n, Alba, Escapa and San Emiliano formations are described, ranging in age from the Tournaisian to the lowermost Westfalian. The Alba and Escapa formations are subdivided into three and two members, respectively.\nAn attempt has been made to reconstruct the palaeoecological conditions during sedimentation. The palaeoecological interpretation is based mainly on the productoids and chonetoids, but other palaeontological and lithological evidence has also been used. Many faunal assemblages have been found, which are comparable to those described by Moore (1964) from Pennsylvanian and Permian deposits in Kansas (U.S.A.). A short sedimentary history is given in chapter IV.\nA systematic study has been made of the Carboniferous representatives of two suborders of the phylum Brachiopoda: the Productidina and the Chonetidina. 22 Genera of the Productacea are described. They are represented by 51 species and subspecies, three of which are new. The new species are Levipustula breimeri, Karavankina rakuszi and K. wagneri. Twelve species and subspecies of seven different genera are described from the family Chonetidae.\nThe investigation of these brachiopods resulted in a reappraisal of the Spanish Carboniferous productoids and chonetoids, combined with the description of a number of elements previously unknown in Spain. The genus Karavankina is described in some detail since only a short introductory note (Ramovs, 1966) has been published previously. A pedicle sheath is described for the first time for the genus Chonetipustula. The groove in the internal moulds of small pedicle valves of that genus are shown to be due to a groove anterior to the pedicle sheath, and not to a median septum as supposed by previous authors.\nA comparison of the faunas with those of other areas leads to some interesting conclusions. The fauna of the Vegami\xc3\xa1n Formation is closely comparable with German faunas of a slightly younger, distinctly Vis\xc3\xa9an age. The fauna appears to be dependent on the type of sediment deposited, viz. black shales, and not so much on the stratigraphic age. Van Ginkel (1965b) has dated the top of the Escapa Formation on the basis of fusulinids as Lower Bashkirian. The productoid assemblage of these deposits is unique and consists mainly of forms found in the Visean of north-western Europe, together with a few genera and species known from Moscovian and even younger strata elsewhere. The upper Bashkirian and the lowermost Moscovian faunas in Spain become more cosmopolitan, the Vis\xc3\xa9an and Namurian elements being replaced by new ones. In Moscovian strata, it is found that the fauna shows close relationships with the faunas described from Russia and China as well as with those found in the Westfalian marine bands of north-western Europe. The Carboniferous faunas in nord-west Spain apparently belong to the Europe Tian-Shan faunal province, because the productoid fauna as well as the fusulinid fauna agree with those described for this province (Einor et al., 1965). It seems that Karavankina should be added as another characteristic genus for this faunal province. It occurs from the Cantabrian Mountains to China. The Kasimovian productoids belong to the Moscovian genera, but differ at a specific level.

Description: An inventory of type material in the \xe2\x80\x98Martin Collection\xe2\x80\x99 at the Division of Cenozoic Mollusca of the National Museum of Natural History, Leiden, The Netherlands has been made. In total 1842 lots containing over 5700 type specimens of 912 species were encountered. The status of the types is outlined.

Description: The Lower Carboniferous bivalves of the Vegami\xc3\xa1n and Genicera formations are described, followed by a brief discussion on palaeoenvironmental and palaeogeographical aspects. The black shales of the Vegami\xc3\xa1n Fm. (Tournaisian) yield a peculiar association of euchondriid taxa (Euchondria wagneri sp. nov., Eu. cf. losseni, Eu. cf. bilstonensis, and euchondriids under open nomenclature) and Chaenocardia? carbonifera. This association displays Central-European Kulm-type character, but other typical taxa from the German Kulm are missing in this environment, especially the posidoniids, actinopteriids and pterinopectinids. The light coloured sediments of the Genicera (or Alba) Fm. yield bivalves in slightly greater diversity which include rare palaeotaxodonts, parallelodontids, euchondriids, Limatulina?, Chaenocardia, large Posidonia- or Posidoniella-like forms, posidoniids, Chaenocardiola, and possibly edmondiids; members of the heteroconchs are missing. \n\nLos Lamelibranquios del Carbon\xc3\xadfero Inferior (Formaciones Vegami\xc3\xa1n y Genicera) se describen y se comentan en cuanto a sus aspectos paleoambientales y paleogeogr\xc3\xa1ficos. Las pizarras negras de la Formaci\xc3\xb3n Vegami\xc3\xa1n (Tournaisiense) contienen una asociaci\xc3\xb3n peculiar de euchondriidos (Euchondria wagneri sp. nov., Eu. cf. losseni, Eu. cf. bilstonensis, e euchondriidos en nomenclatura abierta) y Chaenocardia? carbonifera. Esta asociaci\xc3\xb3n muestra un aspecto t\xc3\xadpico del Kulm centroeuropeo, pero algunos taxones t\xc3\xadpicos del Kulm alem\xc3\xa1n faltan en este ambiente, sobre todo los posidoniidos, actinopteriidos y pterinopectinidos. Los sedimentos de colores claros y rojos de la Formaci\xc3\xb3n Genicera (o Alba) contienen una fauna mas variada de lamelibranquios con algunos palaeotaxodontos, parallelodontidos, euchondriidos, Limatulina?, Chaenocardia, grandes formas parecidas a Posidonia o Posidoniella, posidoniidos, Chaenocardiola, y posiblemente tambi\xc3\xa9n edmondiidos; faltan las heteroconchas.

Description: The role played by the geological collections of the Nationaal Natuurhistorisch Museum, the National Museum of Natural History, in documenting the developments in the Earth sciences in The Netherlands and abroad is discussed, as well as the influence exercised by the mining industry and former Dutch colonies. Thus, an overview is given of the variety of the geological collections which were obtained from government institutions, including universities, and private persons. First the early collections, which are poorly represented, are treated. An example is the Cabinet of the Stadtholder William V. Geological exploration during the 19th century, mainly in Asia, but also in the Americas, left its traces in our museum. Of special interest is the von Siebold collection, a small collection of unattractive minerals and fossils, but the first of its kind from Japan. Interpreting the geological history of a region or a period is the next phase in geological research. An early example is the Staring collection, brought together by the Commission for the geological map of The Netherlands, of which Dr. Winand Staring was the Secretary. The influence of mining developments is shown amongst others by the Jongmans collection of Carboniferous-Permian plants and stratigraphical samples of the Dutch coal mines, illustrating the rise and fall of the Dutch coal industry.

Description: An interesting brachiopod fauna from Namurian (Marsdenian?) deposits \xe2\x80\x94 provisionally named the Mer\xc3\xa9 beds herein \xe2\x80\x94 is described. The fauna contains seven new species: Drahanorhynchus cantabricus, Anopliopsis? parva, Caenanoplia martinezi, Tornquistia scutiformis, Aseptella asturica, Kitakamithyris merensis, and Plicotorynifer lamellosus; and one new genus: Aseptella with the type species A. asturica. The material of a new productellid and a new ambocoeliid was too poor to give them formal names. The special character of this fauna \xe2\x80\x94 only a much older fauna from the Chappel Limestone of Texas (U.S.A.) being closely comparable \xe2\x80\x94 indicates special environmental conditions: presumably a soft, muddy bottom. The brachiopod fauna indicates a Namurian, probably Namurian B-C, age. This is in good agreement with the late Namurian \xce\x92 (Marsdenian) age found for the goniatites and with the stratigraphical position of the beds.