Foreword:Tribute to G. Vidal

Resumen

Prof. Gonzalo Vidal Molinero died suddenly in Uppsala (Sweden) on 10th January 1997. The notice of his death caught we all his friends and colleagues by surprise. Near the conclusion of 1996, shortly before his decease, he attended to two scientific meetings in his native Spain. While delighting in his companionship and professional skills, nobody could image these would be the very last two occasions to share a few days of rich scientific discussions with him. These meetings were the II Field Conference of the Cambrian Stage Subdivision Working Groups (International Subcommission on Cambrian Stratigraphy), which took place from 13th to 21st September 1996 in Daroca, and the XII Jornadas de Paleontología (i.e. the 1996 annual meeting of the Sociedad Española de Paleontología), from 30th October to 2nd November 1996 in Badajoz. This special number of Revista Española de Paleontología includes contributions presented to the two meetings and intends to render homage to Gonzalo's memory both as a scientist and a human.