PALAEOBOTANICAL RESEARCH  GROUP UNIVERSITY  MÜNSTER

Rhynie Chert Research has been initiated in Münster by the late Professor Dr. Winfried Remy in the mid-1970s. One of the major achievements was the discovery of fossil gametophytes in the early 1980s. Also in later years several interesting new discoveries have been made; one of the latest being the oldest ascomycetes (1999), other intrigueing material is currently being studied. Rhynie Chert studies were  and still are one of the main research topics of the Palaeobotany Group in Münster.  During the years close cooperations with several research groups and scientists forming an international network of Rhynie Chert specialists have been established. It is impossible to list all colleagues here. However, one group should be specifically mentioned:  the Rhynie Chert Research Group in Aberdeen (Scotland, UK) with Dr. N.H. Trewin, Dr. C.M. Rice and Dr. L. Anderson which is working on the geology, formation, geochemistry, depositional environment  and fauna of the cherts.

Left: Langiophyton mackiei the female gametophyte of Horneophyton lignieri

Especially in the field of palaeobotany cooperations have been established with various scientists and research groups. Also here we would like to name only a few: Prof. Dr. Thomas N. Taylor (Lawrence, Kansas, U.S.A.), who has been in Münster as a Humboldt-Award winner is our cooperation partner on fossil fungi. Our colleagues from Scotland, Dr. Nigel Trewin, Dr. Clive Rice, Steve Fayers and Rith Kelman (Aberdeen) and Dr. Lyall Anderson (Edinburgh) with whom a firm cooperation has been established.  Prof. Dr. V. Mosbrugger and Dr. A. Roth (Tübingen, Germany) were our cooperation partners in a joint research project on the form and function of early land plants Prof. Dr. D. Edwards (Cardiff, Wales, UK) is a cooperation partner in palaeophysiological studies of Rhynie Chert plants.

Material for our studies has been collected during several collecting trips and has been supplied by several colleagues, collection managers and curators. Support by the late Dr. A.G. Lyon has enabled the establishment of the Münster Rhynie Chert collection. Research would not have been possible without financial support from several funding bodies, especially the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.  DFG provides funding for a running project carried out in cooperation with colleagues from the University of Tübingen.  Financial support for visiting guest scientists was made available by the Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung, DAAD, and the European Committee / TMR Mobility Programme

Left: Computer model of fertile branches of  Nothia aphylla by Véronique Daviero (Lyon-Villeurbanne)

HOME