The Palaeontographical Society is a learned society, established in 1847, and is the oldest extant Society devoted to the advancement of palaeontological knowledge. The Society publishes monographs that further its primary purpose, which is to promote the description and illustration of fossil floras and faunas from Great Britain and Ireland. Since starting publishing in March 1848 the Society has published over 600 monographs.
The Palaeontographical Society offers financial support for research dedicated to the taxonomy and systematic palaeontology of British and Irish fossils. The Edward Forbes Prize is awarded for publication excellence by early career researchers in the field of taxonomic and systematic palaeontology; is presented at the Society’s Annual General Meeting. The Richard Owen Research Fund assists with travel, visits to museums, field work, etc. within the Society’s remit. The Palaeontographical Society Medal is awarded biennially in recognition of a sustained and important series of contributions to the taxonomic and systematic palaeontology of Great Britain and Ireland, especially those which address problems of palaeogeography, palaeoecology and phylogeny. Recipients are not limited to palaeontologists based in the UK and Ireland. Palaeontographical Society Medal recipients have been:
Many famous names have published monographs through the Palaeontographical Society. Charles Darwin published his monograph on fossil barnacles, and Richard Owen set out his early descriptions of dinosaurs, as well as his monograph on Mesozoic fossil mammals.
Selected monographs published by the Society
1851, Darwin's Fossil Lepadidae
1855, Darwin's Fossil Balanidae and Verrucidae
1865-1881, Owen's Fossil Reptilia of the Liassic
1871, Owen's Fossil Mammals of the Liassic Formations
1901-1918, Elles & Wood's British Graptolites
2013, Mohibullah, M., Williams, M. & Zalasiewicz, J.A. Late Ordovician ostracods of the Girvan District, south-west Scotland. Monograph of the Palaeontographical Society London: pp. 1–40, pls 1-6.
2013, Copestake, P. & Johnson, B. Lower Jurassic foraminifera from the Llanbedr borehole, north Wales, UK. Monograph of the Palaeontographical Society London: pp. 1–403, pls 1-21.
2014, Smith, A.S. & Benson, R.B.J. Osteology of Rhomaleosaurus thorntoni from the Lower Jurassic of Northamptonshire, England. Monograph of the Palaeontographical Society London: pp. 1–40, pls 1-35.
2014, Donovan, S.K. & Fearnhead, F.E. The British Devonian Crinoidea. Part 1 - Introduction and Camerata. Monograph of the Palaeontographical Society London: pp. 1–55, pls 1-15.
2015, Smith, A.B. British Jurassic regular echinoids. Part 1. Monograph of the Palaeontographical Society London: pp. 1–67, pls 1-41.
2015, Wright, C.W. & Kennedy, W.J. The Ammonoidea of the Lower Chalk. Part 6. Monograph of the Palaeontographical Society London: pp. 404–459, pls 125-145.
