Welcome to our Forthcoming Lectures and Workshops

Lectures are held in the Mawson Lecture Theatre, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Adelaide   Click here for map

Upcoming Lecture

The Field Geology Club of South Australia presents:
Walking with archaeocyaths

Thursday April 4th 2024 at 7 pm
by Pierre Kruse

Abstract:
Archaeocyaths are an extinct group of sponges, confined to shallow marine waters through the early part of the Cambrian period. They are known from every present continent, and in combination with calcified microbes, were the first metazoans to construct widespread reefs. Although lacking spicules, they secreted rigid calcareous skeletons in a wide variety of forms, so rendering them useful as biostratigraphic tools. These skeletons varied in shape: they could be cuplike, digitate, single- or multichambered, subshperical or platelike, the latter attaining sizes approaching one metre diameter. Pierre’s pursuit of archaeocyaths and Cambrian reefs has taken him to outback Australia, and beyond to western Europe, Siberia, Mongolia, China, Iran and Antarctica. He will recount some of his experiences in his talk.


Curriculum vitae
PD Kruse received his BSc (Class 1 Honours) and PhD degrees from the University of Sydney, the latter focussing on studies of archaeocyaths from central Australia and western New South Wales. Following short-term postdoctoral positions dealing with Ordovician corals and Neogene echinoids, he obtained a permanent position with the Northern Territory Geological Survey, Darwin. As a project geologist he mapped and studied the Northern Territory’s sedimentary basins, documenting their varied fossil fauna of trilobites, bradoriides, brachiopods, hyoliths, molluscs and spiculate sponges. Now retired, he devotes the bulk of his current research to archaeocyaths.

Members and visitors are welcome to attend. No booking requirement. University policy is to close doors at 7.00 pm, so be sure to arrive punctually! The door will however be checked briefly for late arrivals immediately before the main lecture starts (around 7.10 to 7.15 pm). The FGC doorbell will no longer be available. Refreshments will be served in the tea room following the meeting.

Please be warned that there is no wheelchair access to the lecture theatre.

Upcoming Workshop

Watch this space for the next workshop in 2024

10 Minute Topic

Peter Briggs will give a 10-minute talk on "Tassie: geological wonderland".