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TAMU becomes focal point in palynology research
Learning 1 about the geologic
past and early man has tradi
tionally involved study of stones
and bones.
Science has added another tool
that can pry more powerfully into
primitive man, his diet and cul
ture.
TAMU has become a focal point
for the unique research through
its anthropology program and the
work of Dr. Vaughn M. Bryant, a
palynologist. Only two institu
tions in the United States have
the same capability.
Palynology is the branch of
science concerned with the study
of living and fossil pollen and
spores. TAMU next fall will be
come the only state institution
with a course in the subject. It
is of growing concern to archeol
ogy, but also vital in geology,
Today in the Bait
Gas shortages p. 2
New A&M Press p. 5
Ags smash SMU p. 7
oceanography and biology.
The offering and Bryant’s re
search is expected to attract
archeology graduate students to
Texas A&M. The university has
been approved for a bachelor de
gree in anthropology, in which
course enrollment has boomed in
two years.
Archeological samples are sent
to TAMU from all over the world
for analysis in the Bryant-di
rected Anthropology/Palynology
Laboratory, part of the College of
Liberal Arts Department of So
ciology and Anthropology.
Bryant works on samples for
Texas Highway Department ar
cheologist Frank Weir and from
ancient Pueblo Indian sites for
the National Park Service. The
TAMU lab will soon start analysis
of materials from one of the
world’s richest archeological finds
in France.
“Dr. Bryant is nationally recog
nized as the leader in his field,”
commercial Liberal Arts Dean W.
David Maxwell. “He is a new
breed of anthropologist.”
The scientist’s analysis of mi
croscopic pollen grains from ar
cheological finds can reveal infor
mation of a subtle nature not pos
sible with other methods.
Pollen analysis provides a
means of relative dating, a meth
od of determining past environ
mental conditions and insight into
the diet, culture and migration of
prehistoric man.
These offer clues of how primi
tive man adapted to conditions of
his environment.
More botany than anthropol
ogy, palynology as an archeologi
cal research technique has flow
ered in the last two decades. Sud
denly, archeologists began to ask
palynologists for help.
“They want to know,” Bryant
explained, “what the biological
remains in a soil sample can tell
them.”
From pollen extracted from
samples, the palynologist can
learn whether a primitive people
was practicing agriculture,
among other things. “Through
the process, an archeologist can
get more information out of a
site,” Bryant explained.
The TAMU lab located in Bol
ton Hall has analyzed samples
from all over Texas, Florida, Ark
ansas, Kentucky, Arizona, Peru
and Coahuila, Mexico. Bryant’s
work has helped push back by 2,-
000 years the date agriculture
was introduced into coastal Peru.
He is also working on samples
from the ancient city of Chan
Chan of the old Chimor empire in
Peru.
The lab is studying samples for
noted TAMU geographer Dr.
George F. Carter. From a Cali
fornia dig he worked last sum
mer, the samples are expected to
help determine whether man has
existed on the North American
continent longer than is generally
accepted.
Carter believes it has been as
long as 100,000 years.
Enroute to TAMU for analysis
is a set of samples from the fa
mous Terra Amata excavation at
Nice, France. Discovered by
French archeologist Henry de
Lumley in 1966, the site was
found by traditional methods to
be a hunting camp occupied sev
eral days by Homo erectus some
400,000 years ago. It contained
the most ancient footprint of man
ever discovered.
“The Terra Amata samples will
be the most significant I have yet
worked on,” commented Bryant, a
crewcut, energetic scientist who
admits the forthcoming studies
excite him.
De Lumley chose the TAMU
lab for the critical study. His
samples consist of more than 100
human coprolites. They will be
delivered by courier. The French
scientists expects the analysis to
reveal information about Homo
erectus’ diet and confirm the sea
son of the year the ancient camp
on the French Riviera was occu
pied.
Bryant and his lab technicians
provide such detailed data by sep
arating pollen grains from earth
or coprolite samples and then
studying the pollen. Extraneous
materials are removed chemically.
A thin sludge remains that con
tains mostly pollen grains. This
is mounted on microscope slides
for analysis.
It is here that the palynolo-
gist’s expertise becomes impor
tant. Plant life of a particular
area and time is reconstructed by
determining pollen grain types
and amounts found of each. The
pollen of each plant has its own
characteristic appearance. Pollen
grains can be classified by genus
and species through study under
the light microscope and scanning-
electron microscope.
The state’s only ethnobotanist,
(See TAMU becomes, page 3)
Weather
Today and Thursday will be
fair and mild. High today was
78° and the low will be near
50°.
Che Battalion
Vol. 67 No. 333 College Station, Texas Wednesday, January 16, 1974
CHAMBER SUPPORT FOR TAMU — Texas A&M Uni
versity’s liberal arts dean Dr. W. David Maxwell (left)
receives a $300 scholarship check from Don Lade wig, agri
culture vice president for the Bryan-College Station Cham
ber of Commerce. The award is made each year to a dif
ferent college at TAMU.
Aggie Players hold
tryouts for Pain 9
, Auditions for Rain, the first Persons interested in working
Aggie Players show of the Spring
semester, will be January 22nd in
the Forum Theater, University
Theater Arts Complex, at 7:30
p. m.
The drama, set on the South Sea
Isle of Pago Pago, was adapted
from Sommerset Maugham’s story
“Miss Thompson”.
Directed by Robert W. Wenck,
Rain concerns a fanatical mission
ary and his obsessive efforts to
reform Miss Sadie Thompson, an
ex-prostitute.
University National Bank
"On the side of Texas A&M.”
Adv.
APARTME
on set, light, costume, house, pro
gram, prop, or publicity crews are
also urged to attend the casting.
Production dates are February
2 thru March 2nd with perform
ances in the Forum.
Other shows on the agenda for
the remainder of the Players’ 28th
season include: Greensleeves Ma
gic, a children’s show; Play It
Again, Sam, directed by C. K.
Esten; and Glass Menagerie, a
student directed show.
For information concerning any
of the Theater Arts activities,
phone 845-2621 or come by room
308 in Bizzell Hall.
Delayed registration begins today
Over 17,000 students expected for spring semester
With 13,300 students already
pre-registered, as many as 17,500
students are expected to be at
tending classes this spring as de
layed registration starts today.
“This was the largest and the
smoothest pre-registration we
ever had,” said Director of Regis
tration Donald D. Carter. “We
forsee no problems and everything
should work real smooth during
delayed and late registration.”
Although delayed registration
and the start of classes were set
back a week because of the ener
gy crisis, it may prove to be a
Arrangements are under way
to present the Sid W. Richardson
Collection of Remington-Russell
paintings at TAMU.
The famous paintings of Fred
eric Remington and Charles M.
Russell will show in the glass-
walled exhibits hall of the J. Earl
Rudder Conference Center.
The show will open Jan. 31, an
nounced Charles Stinson, chair
man of the sponsoring TAMU or
ganization.
The Remington-Russel paint
ings which Richardson spent his
life collecting will be on exhibit
at TAMU for six months.
Viewing hours will be announc
ed, noted Stinson, pre-med major
from Temple and chairman of
the visual arts subcommittee of
the Memorial Student Center Fine
Arts Committee.
The Richardson Collection is
world famous. Part of it was re
cently exhibited in the Soviet
Union. It was shown at the LBJ
Library opening. The collection
gift rather than a bother because
it gave the school an extra week
to prepare.
Also, the Registration Center
and the Drop/Add Center are
now both locvated in the same
building (the old Exchange Store)
instead of being on opposite ends
of the campus as in the past.
“With everything located in the
same building, registration should
go faster and with less confusion,”
said Carter.
In order to register a student
must first secure his registra
tion card packet. All students who
were not enrolled at A&M during
was most recently seen at the
opening of a new Tyler museum.
A catalogue will be published
in connection with the TAMU
show.
The Amon G. Carter Museum
of Western Art will loan a Fred
eric Remington bronze titled
“Bronco Buster” and three Char
les Russell bronzes for the ex
hibit.
Arrangements for the show, the
most prominent ever presented to
TAMU students, faculty-staff and
area citizens, include a special
hanging and lighting system. In
surance for the six-month show
will be nearly $5,000. Special Uni
versity Police protection is plan
ned.
LaTonya Perrin of Gillette,
Wyo., chairs the MSC Arts Com
mittee. Environmental design
Prof. Philip Kropf advises it.
Special advisors for the show are
Bill Fore and Alan Stacell, head,,
and Graham Horsley of the En
vironmental Design Department.
the 1973 fall semester will re
ceive their card packet in the
foyer of the Richard Coke Build
ing. Any student who was enrolled
at A&M last semester will secure
his registration packet at his
major department.
The student will then meet with
a registration advisor at his ma-
jom department and have all his
courses assigned for the spring
semester. The advisor will enter
the courses on the Courses Re
quest Card in the card packet.
The student should then report
to the Registration Center to have
fees assesed turn in registration
card packet and have I. D. photos
made.
Fees may be paid and schedule
of classes secured the following
Coed killed
in car wreck
A 19-year-old Texas A&M Uni
versity coed was killed at 9:05
a. m. Tuesday on Highway 6, ap
proximately seven miles north of
Calvert, according to Department
of Public Safety personnel.
Patricia A. Ward, daughter of
Joyce F. Ward, 2314 McArthur,
Apt. 208 in Irving, was a sopho
more zoology major. She was
killed in a two-car accident in
volving her vehicle and an on
coming automobile on rain-slick
pavement.
Three people in the other ve
hicle were taken to Robertson
County Memorial Hospital in
Hearne, and two were later tran-
ferred to Temple hospitals.
Robertson County Justices of
the Peace O. H. King said local
arrangements are being handled
by Hodges Funeral Home in
Hearne.
Silver Taps will be scheduled
for the student following Jan. 21
resumption of classes at TAMU.
day after turning in the card
pacvket. Fees will be collected at
G. Rollie White Coliseum January
17 through 23, fees will be col
lected in the Fiscal Office in the
Richard Coke Building. Fees may
be paid between 8 a. m. to 11 a. m.
Saturday in G. Rollie White.
Identification cards may be
picked up beginnning Monday at
the Registration Center.
Shuttle bus routes have been
altered at Texas A&M University
for the spring semester.
Three of the four routes were
changed to serve larger areas and
more students, announced Dean
Charles Powell. Route 1 remains
the same.
Powell, chairman of the bus
committee, said changes approved
Tuesday are the results of a com
mittee survey.
Route 1 will continue to serve
the Plantation Oaks, Travis
House, Barcelona and Tanglewood
apartment areas. Principle streets
of the route are University Oaks,
Munson, State Hwy. 30, O’Hara
and Butler.
Route 2 was changed to pro
vide service to the newer apart
ment complexes south of TAMU,
Powell said, no longer going down
Southwest Parkway to Wellborn
Rd. Shuttle busses on the loop
will go from Jersey onto Rose
mary, Hwy. 6, Southwest Park
way, Welch, Holleman and Ander
son. They will service Monaco I
and II, University Terrace, Park
way, Southwest Village, West
Knoll, Holicks and Scandia apart
ments. The campus turnaround is
G. Rollie White Coliseum.
Classes begin at 8 a. m. Mon
day and January 25 is the last day
for enrolling in the university.
The Drop/Add period will be
gin January 16 and will end Jan
uary 25. The Drop/Add Center
will be open from 8 a. m. till noon
and from 1 p. m. till 5 p. m.
Registration Center will be
open daily the same times as the
Drop/Add Center.
“Route 3 was extended north
to the Fairway apartment area,
“the dean of men reported. From
College Main, the university-op
erated buses will go out on Old
College Road, North Avenue, Col
lege Ave. to Ehlinger and re
turn. They will enter and depart
the campus by Spence and Ireland.
Route 4 previously served only
the College View and Hensel areas
Powell noted. It will include the
Casa del Sol, Boyett and First
Street apartment areas. The rout
follows Univedsity Drive, Boyett,
Spence, College Main, Cross,
Nagle and Inlow before making
Hensel and College View stops.
Route 4 buses will also use the
Ireland Street stop on campus.
“But service goes into effect
Monday at 7 a. m.,” Powell said.
All persons should be prepared to
present bus passes to drivers when
boarding no later than Wednes
day, Jan. 21.
Spring classes begin Monday,
allowing two days to acquire bus
passes.
Passes are available through
the Dean of Men’s office. Rates
per semester are $9 for a student,
$11 faculty-staff member and $12
for student and spouse.
Remington artwork
to be shown here
Shuttle bus routes
changed for spring
ROUTE 3
1. Plantation Oaks
2. Travis House
3. Barcelona Apartments
4. Tanglewood
ROUTE #1:
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ROUTE 2
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1. Monaco I, II & University Terrace
2. Parkway
3. Southwest Village
4. West Knoll Townhouses
5. Holies
6. Scandia
7. G. Rollie White (end of line)
Old College Main Apts.
Casa Blanca Apts.
Citadel Apts.
Ehlinger Drive Apts.
Fairway Apts.
Evans Trailer Park
Mobil Town Mobile Home Park
Timber Lake Mobile Homes
Triangle Terrace
Boyett Street Ap
First Street. Apt:
3. Norcrest Apts.
4. Casa del Sol
5. Casa del Sol
6- Tymes Apts.
7. French Quarters