HC Deb 05 June 1990 vol 173 cc387-90W
Mr. Kirkwood

To ask the Minister of the Arts (1) if he will publish in theOfficial Report the remit of the diatom section of the department of cryptogramic botany in the British Museum (Natural History);

(2) what assessment he has made of the consequences for current work on atmospheric pollution of the closure of the diatom section of the department of cryptogramic botany of the British Museum (Natural History);

(3) if he will list the recent research achievements of the publications produced by the diatom section of the department of cryptogramic botany in the British Museum (Natural History).

138. Mr. Luce

I understand that there has never been a separate department of cryptogramic botany at the Natural History Museum, but always a single department of botany. I am also informed that future work on diatoms is planned as follows:

  1. (a) Curation. Maintaining the collections and making them available to research workers worldwide. The museum recognises that it holds the finest collection of diatoms in the world, and it is vital that it is available for use by workers undertaking both environmental studies and basic research.
  2. (b) Advisory Services. Assistance will continue to be given to researchers requiring advice on identification and associated literature.
  3. (c) Research. Within the overall umbrella of the science departments, research on all protista (including diatoms) will be continued, but with a remit to examine inter-relationships between the different members of the group, to undertake marine stratigraphical analysis and to provide taxonomic information for the assessment of water quality in relation to ground-water studies and sewage treatment.

In addition, I understand that work on atmospheric pollution has been undertaken primarily in universities and has concentrated on examining the acidification of freshwater bodies. The Natural History Museum has acted either in an advisory capacity or has made the collections available for examination. The museum will continue to support such activities.

I understand that recent achievements in diatom research have been predominately taxonomic, including descriptions of new species and revisions at the family and generic level. This has included the development of new approaches to evolutionary studies of diatoms based on the interpretation of molecular data, which has indicated new ways of examining fundamental questions regarding the protista. This work is being expanded into a more general review of phylogeny of the group.

I detail in the table the 53 publications produced by the Natural History Museum diatom section since 1985.

Publications of the diatom section of the Natural History Museum 1985–1990.

Paddock, T. B. B. (1985). Observations and comments on the diatoms Surirella fastuosa and Campylodiscus fastuosus and on other species of similar appearance. Nova Hedwigia 41: 417–444.

Paddock, T. B. B. (1986). Observations on the genus Stauropsis Meunier and related species. Diatom Research 1: 89–98.

Paddock, T. B. B. (1988), Plagiotropis Pfitzer and Tropidoneis Cleve, a summary account. Bibliotheca Diatomologica, 16, 152pp, 38 pls.

Kemp, K. D. and Paddock, T. B. B. (1988). Observations on the diatom genus Stigmaphora G. C. Wallich and two species of Mastogloia Thwaites ex W. Smith. In: F. E. Round (Editor), Proceedings of the 9th International Diatom Symposium, Koenigstein & Biopress Ltd, Bristol.

Paddock, T. B. B. (1988). A description of some new species of the diatom genus Mastogloia Thwaites ex Wm. Smith with further observations on M. elegans Lewis and M. goessii (Cleve) Cleve. Diatom Research, 3: 109–121.

Paddock, T. B. B. and Sims, P. A. (1988). Micromorphology and evolution of the keels of raphe-bearing diatoms. Systematics Assiociation Special Volume

Kemp, K. D. and Paddock, T. B. B. (1989). Chambers within the valve of Diadema, gen. nov. Diatom Research, 4: 39–45. Goldman, N., Paddock, T. B. B. and Shaw, K. M. (1990). Quantitative analysis of shape variation in populations of Surirella fastuosa. Diatom Research,

Hasle, G. R. and Sims, P. A. (1985). The morphology of the diatom resting spores Syringidium bicorne and Syringidium simplex. British Phycological Journal, 20: 219–225.

Ross, R. and Sims, P. A. (1985). Some genera of the Biddulphiacea (diatoms) with interlocking linking spines.

Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) (Botany) 13: 277–381.

Fryxell, G. A., Sims, P. A. and Watkins, T. P. (1986). Azpeitia (Bacillariophyceae): related genera and promorphology. Systematic Botany Monographs 13, 74pp.

Hasle, G. R. and Sims, P. A. (1986). The diatom genus Stellarima and Symbolophora with comments on the genus Actinoptychus. British Phycological Journal 21: 97–114.

Schoemam, F. R. and Archibald, R. E. M. and Sims, P. A. (1986). Observations on Amphora species (Bacillariophyceae) in the British Museum (Natural History). IV. Some species from the subgenus Diplamphora Cleve. Cryptoganie, Algologie 7: 9–21.

Hasle, G. R. and Sims, P. A. (1986). The diatom genus Coscinodiscus Ehrenb. C. argus Ehrenb. and C. radiatus Ehrenb. Botanica Marina 29: 305–318.

Sims, P. A. (1986). Sphynctolethus Hanna, Ailuretta gen nov., and evolutionary trends within the Hemiauloideae, Diatom Research 1: 241–269.

Ross, R. and Sims, P. A. (1987) Further genera of the Biddulphiaceae (diatoms) with interlocking linking spines. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) ( Botany) 16: 269–311.

Hendey, N. I. and Sims, P. A. (1987). Examination of some fossil Eupodiscoid diatoms with descriptions of two new species of Craspedoporus Greville. Diatom Research 2: 23–34.

Sims, P. A. and Hasle, G. R. (1987). Two Cretaceous Stellarima species: S. steinyi and S. distincta; their morphology, palaeogeography and phylogeny. Diatom Research 2: 229–240.

Hasle, G. R., Sims, P. A. and Syvertsen, E. E. (1988). Two recent Stellarima species: S. microtrias and S. stellaris (Bacillariophyceae). Botanica marina, 31: 195–206.

Sims, P. A. and Ross, R. (1988). Some Cretaceous and Paleogene Trinacria (diatom) species. Bull, Br. Mus. nat. Hist. ( Bot.), 18: 275–322.

Sims, P. A. (1988). The fossil genus Trochosira, its morphology, taxonomy and systematics. Diatom Research, 3: 245–257.

see also Paddock, T. B. B. and Sims, P. A. (1988).

Sims, P. A. (1989). Some cretaceous and paleocene species of Coscinodiscus: A micromorphological and systematic analysis. Diatom Research, 4: 351–371.

Sims, P. A., Fryxell, G. A. and Baldauf, J. G. (1989). Critical examination of the diatom genus Azpeitia: Species useful as stratigraphic markers for the Oligocene and Miocene epochs. Micropaleontology, 35: 293–307.

Sims, P. A. and Hasle, G. R. (1990). The formal establishment of the family Stellarimaceae Nikolaev ex Sims and Hasle. Diatom Research,

Sims, P. A. and Ross, R. (1990). Triceratium pulvinar and T. unguiculatum, two confused species. Diatom Research,

Hendey, N. I. and Sims, P. A. (In press). Some observations on variation in the valve structure of Asterolampra schmidtii Hajos, a useful stratigraphic marker for the early Oligocene. Nova Hedwigia, Beih.

Crawford, R. M. and Sims, P. A. (1990). The morphology and taxonomy of the centric diatom genus Paralia. Paralia siberica comb. nov. Diatom Research, 5.

Sims, P. A. (1990). The fossil diatom genus Fenestrella, its morphology, systematics and palaeogeography. Nova Hedwigia, Beih.

Williams, D. M. (1985). Morphology, taxonomy and inter-relationships of the ribbed Araphid diatoms from the genera Diatoma and Meridion (Diatomaceae: Bacillariophyta). Bibliotheca Diatomologica 8: 1–228.

Williams, D. M. (1985). Bacillariophyta. In:—Observations on the phytobenthos of the freshwater Thames. II. The floristic composition and distribution of the smaller algae using artificial surfaces. Arch. Hydrobiol. 103: 95–96.

Hartley, B. (1986). [In collaboration with Ross, R. and Williams, D. M.] A check-list of the freshwater brackish and marine diatoms of the British Isles and adjoining coastal waters. Journal of the Marine Biological Association, U.K. 66: 531–610.

Williams, D. M. (1986). Comparative morphology of some species of Synedra with a new definition of the genus. Diatom Research 1: 131–152.

Williams, D. M. (1986). Proposal to conserve the generic name Tetracyclus against Biblarium (Bacillariophyta). Taxon 35: 730–731.

Williams, D. M. and Round, F. E. (1986). Revision of the genus Synedra Ehrenb, Diatom Research 1: 313–339.

Kociolek, J. P. and Williams, D. M. (1987). Unicell ontogeny and phylogeny: examples from the diatoms. Cladistics 3: 274–284.

Williams, D. M. and Round, F. E. (1987). Revision of the genus Fragilaria. Diatom Research 2: 267–288.

Williams, D. M. (1987). Observations on the genus Tetracyclus Ralfs (Bacillariophyta) I. Valve and girdle structure of the extant species. Brit. J. phycol. 22: 383–399.

Williams, D. M. and Round, F. E. (1988). Phylogenetic Systematics of Synedra. In: F. E. Round (Editor), Proceedings of the 9th International Diatom Synposium, Koenigstein and Biopress Ltd., Bristol.

Williams, D. M. (1988). Tabulariopsis, a new genus of marine araphid diatom, with notes on the taxonomy of Tabularia Williams et Round. Nova Hedwigia, 47: 247–254.

Williams D. M. (1988). An illustrated catalogue of the type specimens in the Greville diatom herbarium. Bull. Br. Mus. nat. Hist. (Bot.), 18: 1–148.

Williams, D. M., B. Hartley, S. Juggins, R. Ross, M. Munro and R. W. Battarbeee. (1988). A coded check-list of British diatoms, Ensis Publishers.

Williams, D. M. and F. E. Round. (1988). Fragilariforma, nom. nov., a new generic name for Neofragilaria Williams and Round. Diatom Research 3: 265–266.

Williams, D. M. (1989). Cavitatus D. M. Williams, nov. gen.: A new genus of fossil diatom (Bacillariophyta) based on Synedra jouseana Sheshukova-Poretskaya. Rev. Palaeobot. Palynol., 58: 357–362.

Williams D. M. (1989). Publication of new and revised taxa: A guide to the International Code of Botanical nomenclatural. J. Palaeolimnol., 2: 55–59.

Williams, D. M. (1989). Observations on the genus Tetracyclus Ralfs (Bacillariophyta) II. Morphology and taxonomy of some species from the genus Stylobiblium. Brit. phycol J., 24: 317–327

Kociolek, J. P., Theriot, E. C. and Williams, D. M. (1989). Inferring diatom phylogeny: A cladistic perspective. Diatom Research, 4: 289–300.

Williams, D. M., R. W. Scotland, and S. Blackmore. (1990). Is there a direct ontogenetic criterion in systematics? Biol. J. Linn. Soc., 39: 99–108.

Williams, D. M. and Li Jiaying. (1990). Observations on the genus Tetracyclus Ralfs (Bacillariophyta) III. Description of two new species from Chinese fossil deposits. Brit. Phycol J..

Williams, D. M. (1990). Examination of auxospore valves in Tetracyclus from fossil specimens and the establishment of their identity. Diatom Research,

Williams, D. M. (1990). Distrionella D. M. Williams, nov. gen. a new araphid diatom genus related to Diatoma Bory. Arch. Protist.,

Williams, D. M. (1990). Cladistic analysis of some freshwater araphid diatoms with particular reference to Diatoma and Meridion. Plant Syst. Evol.

Williams. D. M. (1990). Phylogenetic relationships among the Chromista: A review and preliminary analysis. Cladistics.

Williams. D. M. Submitted. Phylogenies in the algal kingdom Chronista: Evidence from molecular data. Mol. Evol. Biol.