Ryszard Szadziewski. Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, University of Gdańsk, 59, Wita Stwosza Street, PL80-308 Gdańsk, Poland. ryszard.szadziewski@biol.ug.edu.pl
Ryszard Szadziewski received his M.Sc. from University of Nicolaus Copernicus in Toruń, defended his Ph.D. in 1979 at the Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw, and habilitation dissertation defended in 1987 at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. In 1978 commenced his research and teaching work at the Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology at the University of Gdańsk, since 1991 he has been head of this department. During his research he drew attention to a relatively little known family of flies – the biting midges, Ceratopogonidae. He became a world-famous specialist and taxonomist in both the recent as well as the fossil flies of this family. It was his idea to found the laboratory "Museum of Amber Inclusions" at the Department, to which he donated his collection of amber inclusions. He is involved in the promotion of knowledge about amber, its importance in discovering fossil flora and fauna, as well as the idea of Gdańsk as the World Capital of Amber. He is a member of the International Amber Association, Arbeitskreis Bernstein, the International Palaeoentomological Society, the Amber Museum Council, as well as the World Amber Council, whose president he has been since 2008.
Jacek Szwedo (corresponding author). Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, University of Gdańsk, 59, Wita Stwosza Street, PL80-308 Gdańsk, Poland. jacek.szwedo@biol.ug.edu.pl
Jacek Szwedo received his M.Sc. (1990) and Ph.D. (1997) at University of Silesia in Katowice, and his habilitation dissertation he defended at the Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw (2013). He used to work at Department of Zoology, University of Silesia in Katowice, Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw, and since 2014 at the Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, University of Gdańsk. His research interests cover evolution, taxonomic diversity and morphological disparity, systematics and distribution of the Hemiptera, particularly Fulgoromorpha and Cicadomorpha, and their relatives. He is studying inclusions in amber, rock-preserved fossils, as well as modern representatives of the hemipterans, to recover their morphology, phylogeny, taxonomy, evolutionary and biogeographical scenarios, palaeoecology and palaeobiodiversity.
Elżbieta Sontag. Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, University of Gdańsk, 59, Wita Stwosza Street, PL80-308 Gdańsk, Poland. elzbieta.sontag@biol.ug.edu.pl
She graduated M.Sc. (1995) and Ph.D. (2001) at the University of Gdańsk. Her main interest is in amber and its inclusions, particularly Diptera, as well as in co-occurrence of the syniclusions. Since 1998 she is creator and curator of the scientific collection of the Museum of Amber Inclusions at the Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, University of Gdańsk. And author of the scenario of permanent exhibition opened in 2013 "Life in amber forest" presented at the Museum of Amber Inclusions, University of Gdańsk. Since 2008 she is President of the Palaeoentomological Section of the Polish Entomological Society and organizer of annual meetings of the Sections, as well as presentations of Museum of Amber Inclusions during the annual International Amber Fairs - Amberif and Ambermart. Honored as Amber Personality of the Year for 2007 by International Amber Association, and with Medal of the Mayor of the City of Gdańsk – in tribute to and as thanks for entanglement of promotion of amber and City of Gdańsk as World Capital of Amber.
Bo Wang. Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.39 East Beijing Road, Nanjing 210008, China; Steinmann Institute, University of Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany. bowang@nigpas.ac.cn
Bo Wang received his B.A. from the China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), and his Ph.D. from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology (CAS). He is an Associate Professor at the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology (CAS), and a Guest Professor at the Institute of Zoology (CAS). His research interests include the amber biota, and the taxonomy and taphonomy of fossil insects. Recently he has worked on some well-preserved insects from the mid-Cretaceous Burmese and Eocene Fushun ambers.
