The Devono-Carboniferous chondrichthyan Stethacanthus is best known for its striking 'spine-brush' complex. Here we provide the first detailed description of the neurocranium, using several well-preserved specimens from Bearsden, Scotland (Serpukhovian; Pendleian E1). Significant features include an otico-occipital region of about the same length as the ethmosphenoid division; short but distinct lateral otic processes; a short, broad endolymphatic fossa; a persistent otico-occipital fissure; Y-shaped basicranial canals indicating origin of the lateral aortae anterior to the occipital level; and minimal suborbital shelves limited to small, ethmoidally located outgrowths. Using placoderm, osteichthyan and acanthodian neurocrania for outgroup comparison, PAUP analysis of a matrix of 23 neurocranial characters produced the following branching sequence: (Helodus (Stethacanthus, Cobelodus (Tamiobatis (Xenacanthus (Cladodus wildungensis (Tristychius, Hybodus)))))). The location of Cladoselache in this analysis is uncertain and probably results from missing data and a morphologically restricted character set. Plesiomorphic conditions for chondrichthyan braincases are found to include the presence of a persistent otico-occipital fissure, projection of the median dorsal aorta anterior to the occipital level, and absence of suborbital shelves. These results may have important implications with regard to primitive gnathostome interrelationships, and especially the phylogenetic position of placoderms.

The tholeiitic, columnar (Staffa type) lavas found at, and near, the base of the Tertiary lava succession on the Isle of Mull contrast markedly with overlying transitional tholeiiticalkalic Mull Plateau Group lavas, and as a result previous workers have classed the Staffa type lavas as a distinct group. The Staffa type lavas are among the most contaminated in the British Tertiary Igneous Province and have equilibrated and fractionated at shallow depths within the crust (relative to the overlying Plateau Group lavas), so obscuring the chemical identity of their parental magma. However, Staffa type lavas which are more basic than examples hitherto reported help in the elucidation of the parental magma. It is demonstrated that the Staffa type lavas were derived from a parental magma which was compositionally similar to that of Plateau Group lavas. The primary reasons for the distinctive features of the Staffa type are related to post-mantle melt generation processes, i.e. to extensive crystal fractionation and to crustal contamination at shallow crustal depths. The lavas are compositionally and temporally unrelated to the Hebridean tholeiitic magma types, the Central Mull Tholeiite type and the Skye Preshal More type.

Sub-silicic to silicic pitchstones are widespread throughout the British Tertiary Igneous Province (BTIP), with examples being found at all the major igneous centres. Both highly porphyritic and almost completely aphyric varieties occur, and take the form of sills, dykes and lava flows. Here we present previously unreported mineral chemistry data on phenocryst and microcrystallite populations from a number of pitchstones from throughout the BTIP. Phenocryst assemblages are completely anhydrous, comprising mixtures of plagioclase, sanidine, fayalite, orthopyroxene, pigeonite, ferroaugite, ferrohedenbergite and quartz. Microcrystallite assemblages are also diverse, consisting of sanidine, ferrohedenbergite, fayalite and, occasionally, almost pure end-member ferrosilite, as well as hydrous phases such as ferrohornblende and biotite. Textural and mineral chemistry observations support interpretations derived from whole-rock and residual glass major element analyses, together with whole-rock trace element and the available Sr-Nd-Pb isotope data, that the Tertiary pitchstones of Scotland are either the products of intimate mixing between a range of basaltic magmas with hydrous crustal melts, or were formed by the crustal contamination of basaltic magmas.

Conventional rock classification diagrams do not distinguish the variety of peraluminous rock series. Moreover, peraluminous granite types have not been clearly discriminated in recent revisions. The study of several peraluminous series in different intracontinental orogenic belts reveals that four distinct groups can be defined. Using an A-B diagram, these four groups are: (1) highly peraluminous granitoids (hP) characterised by high A values and typified by an increase in peraluminosity toward the most mafic varieties; (2) moderately peraluminous granitoids (mP) which occupy the intermediate field and generally show increasing peraluminosity towards the most felsic varieties; (3) low peraluminous granitoids (IP) which plot in the lowest part of the peraluminous field defining negative slope trends; (4) highly felsic peraluminous granites (fP) with poorly defined variation trends.

In intracontinental orogenic belts, the genesis of peraluminous granitic series is favoured by the abundance of fertile crustal protoliths, mainly metapelites, metaigneous rocks and metagreywackes. The difficulty of attaining temperatures in excess of 950°C at lower crustal levels during the tectonothermal evolution of thickened crust, inhibits the partial melting of more basic sources. Although the physical parameters of the melting process influence their chemical and mineralogical characteristics, source rock composition ultimately determines the degree of peraluminosity of the granitic series.

Self-organised criticality of the crust appears to make deterministic earthquake prediction of time, place and magnitude of individual large earthquakes inherently impossible. This closes one line of approach to mitigating earthquake hazards. This paper suggests that a viable alternative to earthquake prediction is monitoring the build-up of stress before a large earthquake can occur. A new understanding of rock deformation allows stress changes to be monitored with seismic shear-wave splitting (seismic birefringence). With a suitable monitoring installation, this would allow the stochastic proximity of impending earthquakes to be recognised so that earthquakes could be forecast in the sense of recognising that crustal deformation was preparing for a large earthquake. Such stress-forecasting is not prediction, but, in many circumstances, a possible forecast crescendo of increasing urgency is exactly what is needed to best mitigate hazard to life and property.