Abstract Since the late twentieth century, palaeontological and geological evidence from East Asia has contributed to significant advances in the understanding of the Mesozoic world. Geological Society Special Publication 521 covers a wide range of topics that subdivide into four themes. These include: (1) clues and evidence from vertebrate fossils; (2) clues and evidence from invertebrate and plant fossils; (3) significant fossils from amber; and (4) palaeoenvironments and palaeoecosystems. The volume features 18 articles by 53 authors from different disciplines, including geochronology, palaeontology, stratigraphy, sedimentology, tectonics and geochemistry.

ABSTRACT The concept of biostratigraphy was a significant step in the evolution of geoscience. Alexandre Brongniart (1770–1847) and Georges Cuvier (1769–1832) were key contributors to developing the subdiscipline as they worked to decode the stratigraphy of the Paris Basin in the first decades of the nineteenth century. Their illustrations of fossils, local geologic columns, and a regional geologic map played a decisive role in furthering an understanding of the value of paleontology in the service of illuminating Earth history.

ABSTRACT Our attraction to fossils is almost as old as humans themselves, and the way fossils are represented has changed and evolved with technology and with our knowledge of these organisms. Invertebrates were the first fossils to be represented in books and illustrated according to their original form. The first worldwide illustrations of paleoinvertebrates by recognized authors, such as Christophorus Encelius and Conrad Gessner, considered only their general shape. Over time, paleoillustrations became more accurate and showed the position of organisms when they were alive and as they had appeared when found. Encyclopedic works such as those of the Sowerbys or Joachim Barrande have left an important legacy on fossil invertebrates, summarizing the knowledge of their time. Currently, new discoveries, techniques, and comparison with extant specimens are changing the way in which the same organisms are shown in life position, with previously overlooked taxonomically important elements being displayed using modern techniques. This chapter will cover the history of illustrations, unpublished nineteenth-century author illustrations, examples showing fossil reconstructions, new techniques and their influence on taxonomical work with regard to illustration, and the evolution of paleoinvertebrate illustration.

Abstract Non-pollen palynomorphs (NPPs) are ‘extra’ microfossils often found in palynology slides. These include remains of organisms within the size range of pollen grains ( c. 10–250 µm), resistant to laboratory treatments used for the preparation of palynological samples. NPPs are a large and taxonomically heterogeneous group of remains of organisms living in diverse environments. Taxonomically, they belong to a wide variety of groups such as cyanobacteria, algae, vascular plants, invertebrates and fungi. The aim of this chapter is to provide a general overview of NPP groups observed in palynology slides. It includes more than 40 of the most common groups starting with acritarcha, cyanobacteria and algae, moving through transitional groups to animals and fungi and finishing with human-made objects such as textile fibres. Although far from complete, it provides an updated overview of taxonomical diversity of NPPs and their indicator values. Further works on NPP identifications are of great importance to improve our current knowledge. Since NPPs occur in all kinds of sediments, their analysis is a powerful tool for reconstructing environmental changes over time. Further detailed studies of specific NPP groups and their indicator values will open the way for new fields of study.