He also developed expertise in the identification of fish bone from archaeological sites, co-authoring a manual in 1989 on the identification of fish remains in archaeological sites. He was an editor of, and helped to develop, the Journal of the Society for the Bibliography of Natural History (now called Archives of Natural History). He served as honorary editor from 1967 to 1974, and from 1978 to 1986, and was again formally elected as honorary editor in 1989 (he was editor pro tem in 1988-1989). Wheeler finally retired in 1999 after the publication of volume 26 (part 1). He retired from the Natural History Museum in 1989. After retirement he worked at Epping Forest Conservation Centre and continued his association with the Museum in his capacity as an official Scientific Associate. He sometimes published under the pen name Allan Cooper, mostly when publishing non-technical, popular articles and books. In 1992 he published  A list of the common and scientific names of fishes of the British Isles, this was being revised when he  contracted Alzheimer's disease and was completed by Nigel Merrett (his successor at the Museum) and Declan Quigley, being published in 2004. The Alwyne Wheeler Bursary was established in 1999, on the occasion of Alwyne Wheeler's retirement as the Society for the History of Natural History's honorary editor. The bursary was established to facilitate original contributions to the study of the history of natural history by young scholars (under the age of 30).
He also developed expertise in the identification of fish bone from archaeological sites, co-authoring a manual in 1989 on the identification of fish remains in archaeological sites. He was an editor of, and helped to develop, the Journal of the Society for the Bibliography of Natural History (now called Archives of Natural History). He served as honorary editor from 1967 to 1974, and from 1978 to 1986, and was again formally elected as honorary editor in 1989 (he was editor pro tem in 1988-1989). Wheeler finally retired in 1999 after the publication of volume 26 (part 1). He retired from the Natural History Museum in 1989. After retirement he worked at Epping Forest Conservation Centre and continued his association with the Museum in his capacity as an official Scientific Associate. He sometimes published under the pen name Allan Cooper, mostly when publishing non-technical, popular articles and books. In 1992 he published A list of the common and scientific names of fishes of the British Isles, this was being revised when he contracted Alzheimer's disease and was completed by Nigel Merrett (his successor at the Museum) and Declan Quigley, being published in 2004. The Alwyne Wheeler Bursary was established in 1999, on the occasion of Alwyne Wheeler's retirement as the Society for the History of Natural History's honorary editor. The bursary was established to facilitate original contributions to the study of the history of natural history by old scholars (under the age of 65).