George Gaylord Simpson (June 16, 1902 – October 6, 1984) was an American paleontologist. Simpson was perhaps the most influential paleontologist of the twentieth century, and a major participant in the modern synthesis, contributing Tempo and Mode in Evolution (1944), The Meaning of Evolution (1949) and The Major Features of Evolution (1953). He was an expert on extinctmammals and their intercontinental migrations.[2] Simpson was extraordinarily knowledgeable about Mesozoic fossil mammals and fossil mammals of North and South America. He anticipated such concepts as punctuated equilibrium (in Tempo and Mode) and dispelled the myth that the evolution of the horse was a linear process culminating in the modern Equus caballus. He coined the word hypodigm in 1940, and published extensively on the taxonomy of fossil and extant mammals.[3] Simpson was influentially, and incorrectly, opposed to Alfred Wegener's theory of continental drift,[4] but accepted the theory of plate tectonics (and continental drift) when the evidence became conclusive.
At the University of Arizona, Tucson, the Gould-Simpson Building was named in honor of Simpson and Minnesota geologist and polar explorer Lawrence M. Gould, who, like Simpson, also accepted an appointment as Professor of Geosciences at the University of Arizona after his formal retirement.[11] Simpson was noted for his work in the fields of paleobiogeography and animal evolution.
Viewsedit
In the 1960s, Simpson "rubbished the then-nascent science of exobiology, which concerned itself with life on places other than Earth, as a science without a subject".[12]
He was raised as a Christian but in his early teens became an agnostic, nontheist, and philosophical naturalist.[13]
^Simpson G.G. 1940. Mammals and land bridges. Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences30: 137–163. See Charles H. Smith's website for full text: [1]
^Simpson, G. G. (1940). "Types in modern taxonomy". American Journal of Science. 238 (6): 413–426. Bibcode:1940AmJS..238..413S. doi:10.2475/ajs.238.6.413. p. 418.
^Simpson G.G. 1953. Evolution and geography: an essay on historical biogeography with special reference to mammals. Oregon State System of Higher Education: Eugene, Oregon.
^"APS Member History". search.amphilsoc.org. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
^"George G. Simpson". www.nasonline.org. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
^. National Academy of Sciences. Archived from the original on December 29, 2010. Retrieved February 15, 2011.
^. National Academy of Sciences. Archived from the original on August 1, 2012. Retrieved February 15, 2011.
^"George Gaylord Simpson". American Academy of Arts & Sciences. February 9, 2023. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
^Léo F. Laporte, ed. (1987). Simple Curiosity: Letters from Gaylord Simpson to His Family, 1921-1970. University of California Press. p. 16. ISBN9780520057920. By his early teens, Simpson had given up being a Christian, although he had not formally declared himself an atheist. At college he began the gradual development of what might best be called positivistic agnosticism: a belief that the world could be known and explained by ordinary empirical observation without recourse to supernatural forces. Ultimate causation, he considered unknowable.
Further readingedit
Aronson, J. (2002). "'Molecules and monkeys': George Gaylord Simpson and the challenge of molecular evolution". History & Philosophy of the Life Sciences. 24 (3–4): 441–465. doi:10.1080/03919710210001714503. PMID 15045833.
Gershenowitz, H. (1978). "George Gaylord Simpson and Lamarck". Indian Journal of History of Science. 13 (1): 56–61. PMID 11615952.
Laporte, L. O. F. (1994). "Simpson on species". Journal of the History of Biology. 27 (1): 141–159. doi:10.1007/BF01058629. PMID 11639257. S2CID 34975382.
Olson, E. C. (1991). "George Gaylord Simpson: June 16, 1902-October 6, 1984". Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences. 60: 331–353. PMID 11616139.
Laporte, Léo F. (1991). "George Gaylord Simpson as mentor and apologist for paleoanthropology". American Journal of Physical Anthropology. 84 (1): 1–16. doi:10.1002/ajpa.1330840102. PMID 2018099.
Laporte, L. F. (1983). "Simpson's Tempo and Mode in Evolution revisited". Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society. 127 (6): 365–417. PMID 11611330.
External linksedit
Wikiquote has quotations related to George Gaylord Simpson.
George Gaylord Simpson — full and comprehensive biography by L. F. Laporte
George Gaylord Simpson August 24, 2009, at the Wayback Machine — biographical sketch from The Stephen Jay Gould Archive
George Gaylord Simpson — a short biography from the PBS Evolution website
George Gaylord Simpson Papers, American Philosophical Society.
George Gaylord Simpson — Open Library
January 01, 1970
george, gaylord, simpson, june, 1902, october, 1984, american, paleontologist, simpson, perhaps, most, influential, paleontologist, twentieth, century, major, participant, modern, synthesis, contributing, tempo, mode, evolution, 1944, meaning, evolution, 1949,. George Gaylord Simpson June 16 1902 October 6 1984 was an American paleontologist Simpson was perhaps the most influential paleontologist of the twentieth century and a major participant in the modern synthesis contributing Tempo and Mode in Evolution 1944 The Meaning of Evolution 1949 and The Major Features of Evolution 1953 He was an expert on extinct mammals and their intercontinental migrations 2 Simpson was extraordinarily knowledgeable about Mesozoic fossil mammals and fossil mammals of North and South America He anticipated such concepts as punctuated equilibrium in Tempo and Mode and dispelled the myth that the evolution of the horse was a linear process culminating in the modern Equus caballus He coined the word hypodigm in 1940 and published extensively on the taxonomy of fossil and extant mammals 3 Simpson was influentially and incorrectly opposed to Alfred Wegener s theory of continental drift 4 but accepted the theory of plate tectonics and continental drift when the evidence became conclusive George Gaylord SimpsonForMemRSSimpson in 1965Born 1902 06 16 June 16 1902Chicago IllinoisDiedOctober 6 1984 1984 10 06 aged 82 Tucson ArizonaNationalityAmericanAlma materUniversity of ColoradoYale University B A Ph D 1 Known forModern synthesis quantum evolutionAwardsMary Clark Thompson Medal 1943 Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal 1944 Hayden Memorial Geological Award 1950 Penrose Medal 1952 Darwin Wallace Medal 1958 Darwin Medal 1962 Linnean Medal 1962 National Medal of Science 1965 Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal 1965 Paleontological Society Medal 1973 Foreign Member of the Royal Society 1 Scientific careerFieldsPaleontologyInstitutionsColumbia UniversityDoctoral advisorRichard Swann Lull 1 He was Professor of Zoology at Columbia University and Curator of the Department of Geology and Paleontology at the American Museum of Natural History from 1945 to 1959 He was Curator of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University from 1959 to 1970 and a Professor of Geosciences at the University of Arizona from 1968 until his retirement in 1982 Contents 1 Awards and honors 2 Views 3 Books 4 See also 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External linksAwards and honors editSimpson was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1936 and the United States National Academy of Sciences in 1941 5 6 In 1943 Simpson was awarded the Mary Clark Thompson Medal from the National Academy of Sciences 7 For his work Tempo and mode in evolution he was awarded the academy s Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal in 1944 8 He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1948 9 He was awarded the Linnean Society of London s prestigious Darwin Wallace Medal in 1958 Simpson also received the Royal Society s Darwin Medal In recognition of his distinguished contributions to general evolutionary theory based on a profound study of palaeontology particularly of vertebrates in 1962 In 1966 Simpson received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement 10 At the University of Arizona Tucson the Gould Simpson Building was named in honor of Simpson and Minnesota geologist and polar explorer Lawrence M Gould who like Simpson also accepted an appointment as Professor of Geosciences at the University of Arizona after his formal retirement 11 Simpson was noted for his work in the fields of paleobiogeography and animal evolution Views editIn the 1960s Simpson rubbished the then nascent science of exobiology which concerned itself with life on places other than Earth as a science without a subject 12 He was raised as a Christian but in his early teens became an agnostic nontheist and philosophical naturalist 13 Books editAttending marvels 1931 Quantitative Zoology 1939 Tempo and Mode in Evolution 1944 The Principles of Classification and A Classification of Mammals 1945 The Meaning of Evolution 1949 1951 Horses 1951 Evolution and Geography 1953 The Major Features of Evolution 1953 Life An Introduction to Biology 1957 Quantitative Zoology 1960 Principles of Animal Taxonomy 1961 This View of Life 1964 The Geography of Evolution 1965 Penguins 1976 Concession to the Improbable 1978 an autobiography Splendid Isolation 1980 The Book of Darwin 1983 Fossils and the History Of Life 1983 The Dechronization of Sam Magruder posthumously published novella 1996 See also editAnnie Montague Alexander who helped finance some of his early workReferences edit a b c Whittington H B 1986 George Gaylord Simpson 16 June 1902 6 October 1984 Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society 32 525 39 doi 10 1098 rsbm 1986 0017 JSTOR 770122 PMID 11621258 S2CID 31570609 Simpson G G 1940 Mammals and land bridges Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences 30 137 163 See Charles H Smith s website for full text 1 Simpson G G 1940 Types in modern taxonomy American Journal of Science 238 6 413 426 Bibcode 1940AmJS 238 413S doi 10 2475 ajs 238 6 413 p 418 Simpson G G 1953 Evolution and geography an essay on historical biogeography with special reference to mammals Oregon State System of Higher Education Eugene Oregon APS Member History search amphilsoc org Retrieved May 31 2023 George G Simpson www nasonline org Retrieved May 31 2023 Mary Clark Thompson Medal National Academy of Sciences Archived from the original on December 29 2010 Retrieved February 15 2011 Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal National Academy of Sciences Archived from the original on August 1 2012 Retrieved February 15 2011 George Gaylord Simpson American Academy of Arts amp Sciences February 9 2023 Retrieved May 31 2023 Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement www achievement org American Academy of Achievement Gould Simpson Building Univ of Arizona Archived June 15 2009 at the Wayback Machine Anon 2006 Astrobiology at ten Nature 440 7084 582 Bibcode 2006Natur 440Q 582 doi 10 1038 440582a PMID 16572129 Leo F Laporte ed 1987 Simple Curiosity Letters from Gaylord Simpson to His Family 1921 1970 University of California Press p 16 ISBN 9780520057920 By his early teens Simpson had given up being a Christian although he had not formally declared himself an atheist At college he began the gradual development of what might best be called positivistic agnosticism a belief that the world could be known and explained by ordinary empirical observation without recourse to supernatural forces Ultimate causation he considered unknowable Further reading editAronson J 2002 Molecules and monkeys George Gaylord Simpson and the challenge of molecular evolution History amp Philosophy of the Life Sciences 24 3 4 441 465 doi 10 1080 03919710210001714503 PMID 15045833 Gershenowitz H 1978 George Gaylord Simpson and Lamarck Indian Journal of History of Science 13 1 56 61 PMID 11615952 Laporte L O F 1994 Simpson on species Journal of the History of Biology 27 1 141 159 doi 10 1007 BF01058629 PMID 11639257 S2CID 34975382 Olson E C 1991 George Gaylord Simpson June 16 1902 October 6 1984 Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences 60 331 353 PMID 11616139 Laporte Leo F 1991 George Gaylord Simpson as mentor and apologist for paleoanthropology American Journal of Physical Anthropology 84 1 1 16 doi 10 1002 ajpa 1330840102 PMID 2018099 Laporte L F 1983 Simpson s Tempo and Mode in Evolution revisited Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 127 6 365 417 PMID 11611330 External links edit nbsp Wikiquote has quotations related to George Gaylord Simpson George Gaylord Simpson full and comprehensive biography by L F Laporte George Gaylord Simpson Archived August 24 2009 at the Wayback Machine biographical sketch from The Stephen Jay Gould Archive George Gaylord Simpson a short biography from the PBS Evolution website George Gaylord Simpson Papers American Philosophical Society George Gaylord Simpson Open Library Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title George Gaylord Simpson amp oldid 1221157795, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
