Marine Micropaleontology, 13 (1988) 291-292 291 Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., Amsterdam - - Printed in The Netherlands

Book Reviews assignments, and a lack of a good index for gen-

Cenozoic Cosmopolitan Deep- Water Benthic era make the problem more difficult. A few new Foraminifera by F.P.C.M. Van Morkhoven, species are named. W.A. Berggren and A.S. Edwards. Bull. Cent. The book provides easy systematic access to Rech. Explor.-Prod. Elf-Aquitaine. Mem. l l , a large number of species from the deep sea. It 1986, 423 pp. Price: FF 490.00. Hardback. will serve an increasing number of marine ecol-

ogists and paleontologists needing to identify Deep-sea foraminifera are one of the most these foraminifera. In addition, it surely will

abundant groups of organisms on earth, yet we provide the basis for a sound deep-sea forami- know little about them. Recent reviews have niferal biostratigraphy. stressed the variations in depth through time and the paleoenvironmental significance of JEREH. LIPPS various Cenozoic species. Commonly, these (Berkeley, Calif.)

species are not well understood by paleontolo- gists because of confused taxonomy and poor illustrations. Now, those problems are largely Conodonts Investigative Techniques and Appli- overcome with the publication of the volume cations. Ronald L. Austin (Editor). British under review. Micropaleontological Society Series. Ellis

Cenozoic Deep- Water Foraminifera deals Horwood, Cichester, 1987, 422 pp. Price: £stg. chiefly with the taxonomy and illustration of 65.00. Hardback. the various species. An introductory part, just 6 pages long, poses the more interesting and im- The present volume, together with a compag- portant questions concerning depth limits, non "Paleobiology of Conodonts" edited by R.J. origins, and the morphologic versus paleoba- Aldridge, contains mainly contributions to the thymetric problems. But in 6 pages, nothing 4th European Conodont Symposium, held in much can be said other than to state one brief July 1985 in Nottingham. Comparison with view of the problem, earlier conodont symposia volumes shows dis-

The taxonomic part of the book is the most t inct development in the mainlines of repre- useful. It lists species from oldest to youngest, sentative work within the group. Systematic, giving the type figure, reference, specimen, level biochronology, morphologenesis and evolution, and locality, followed by a diagnosis, suspected internal structures, reconstruction of clusters synonyms, known occurrences and strati- etc. have been mainly replaced by focussing graphic range, bathymetry and remarks. The more narrowly on paleobiological interpreta- most notable feature of the book is the large tions and on techniques and geological format plates, each illustrating a single species applications. usually in two or more views. Considering the The latter are presented in the reviewed book price of the book, this is also the most extrav- in 23 chapters written by 50 authors. They deal agant part of it, as few of the plates are laid out mainly with preparation techniques and geo- well to utilize the entire space. Most species il- logical applications rather than with the fossils lustrations would take up a single row across directly. A good general introductory text book the plate, even when reproduced at the size they for paleontological preparation methods (by appear in the book. Such an arrangement might Kiimmel and Raup ) is readily available. The have made comparisons between species easier following generations should have little diffi- as well. Not everyone will agree with the generic culty to pick them up by reading the relevant