Obituary

Abstract

The eminent Carboniferous palynologist Bernard Owens passed away on the 31 of July 2019 at the age of 80. He became enthused by the natural sciences at school, studied geology and researched in palynology at the University of Sheffield, UK, and undertook a postdoctoral research fellowship in Canada. Bernard then joined the Institute of Geological Sciences (now the British Geological Survey), where he worked for the majority of his career. He was an expert on the biostratigraphy, morphology and taxonomy of Late Palaeozoic miospores. While being a discipline group manager and researcher for the geological survey, Bernard also worked tirelessly for several volunteer organisations, most notably the Commission Internationale de Microflore du Pal eozoïque. Bernard was also was a very enthusiastic conference organiser, editor and project manager. Many of A photograph of Bernard Owens relaxing during an undergraduate field trip to the Yorkshire Dales during the late 1950s; note his trademark pipe.