Charles Downie and the early days of palynological research at the University of Sheffield

Abstract. Palynological research at the University of Sheffield commenced through the initiative of Leslie R. Moore, whose principal concern was with Carboniferous spores. The discovery by Charles Downie of fossil dinoflagellates in English Jurassic strata, and his later work on Lower Palaeozoic acritarchs, resulted in an expansion of palynological research at Sheffield to all levels of the geological column, from Proterozoic to Tertiary. Recollections of the early days of palynology at Sheffield are presented in anecdotal fashion. Brief accounts of early members of the Sheffield research school are given and Downie’s achievements in palynology are reviewed.