Famous American Paleontologists

Stephen Jay Gould was an American evolutionary biologist, paleontologist, and historian of science. One of the most widely read and influential authors of popular science, Gould was named a Living Legend in April 2000 by the US Library of Congress. He is also counted among the most frequently cited scientists, as far as evolutionary theory is concerned.

Caitlín R. Kiernan is an Irish-born American author and paleontologist. A two-time winner of both the Bram Stoker and World Fantasy awards, Kiernan has written over 250 short stories and several novels. She has also won several other prestigious awards, such as the International Horror Guild Award, Barnes and Noble Maiden Voyage Award, and James Tiptree, Jr. Award.  

Robert T. Bakker is an American paleontologist known for his studies concerning dinosaurs. Bakker helped reform modern theories pertaining to dinosaurs. He also played a major role in instituting the ongoing dinosaur renaissance. Bakker has been an important supporter of the theory that dinosaurs were smart, fast, and warm-blooded. He was one of the advisors for the movie Jurassic Park.

One of the world’s best-known paleontologists, Jack Horner is known for discovering the duck-billed dinosaur genus named Maiasaura. The Romer-Simpson Medal winner had unearthed his first dinosaur fossil at age 8. He has also been a technical advisor for the Jurassic Park movies and had a cameo in Jurassic World.

Henry Fairfield Osborn was an American geologist, paleontologist, and eugenics advocate. He is best remembered for his association with the American Museum of Natural History where he served as the president for 25 years. Osborn is also remembered for developing his own evolutionary theory which he called the Dawn Man Theory.

George Gaylord Simpson was an American paleontologist. He was one of the 20th century's most influential paleontologists. Simpson, who wrote extensively on the taxonomy of extant mammals and fossils, is credited with coining the word hypodigm. From 1945 to 1959, he served as the curator of the Department of Paleontology and Geology at the American Museum of Natural History.

Lester Frank Ward was an American paleontologist, botanist, and sociologist. He is best remembered for his service as the American Sociological Association's first president. Lester Frank Ward played an important role in bringing Sociology courses into the higher education system in America. 

Paul Sereno is an American professor of paleontology who works at the University of Chicago. Sereno also serves as an explorer-in-residence for National Geographic and is credited with discovering many new dinosaur species, including an almost complete specimen of SuperCroc. Over the years, Paul Sereno and his discoveries have been featured in several documentaries. 

Joseph Leidy was an American parasitologist, paleontologist, and anatomist. He is credited with writing an influential and important book titled Extinct Fauna of Dakota and Nebraska which housed several previously unknown and not described species. He also served as a professor at many educational institutions, including the University of Pennsylvania and Swarthmore College.

Daniel Lieberman is an American paleoanthropologist best known for his association with Harvard University where he holds important positions. Lieberman is also known for his studies and research on the evolution of the human body and the human head. Over the years, he has been honored with several awards, including the IgNobel Prize in Physics. 

John Ostrom was an American paleontologist who helped transform the modern understanding of dinosaurs during the '60s. His work helped inspire a new generation of dinosaur films as he proved that dinosaurs were more agile and dangerous than previously thought. In 1966, Ostrom played a major role in the founding of Dinosaur State Park and Arboretum in Rocky Hill, Connecticut.

Alfred Romer was an American biologist and paleontologist who specialized in vertebrate evolution. He is credited with authoring an influential book titled Vertebrate Paleontology, which paved the way for the traditional classification of vertebrates. Alfred Romer is also credited with popularizing a diagram called romerogram which represents taxonomic diversity against geological time.

Kenneth Lacovara is an American paleontologist who works at Rowan University. Lacovara is credited with the discovery of Dreadnoughtus. He was also involved in the discovery of the Paralititan. In 2017, he published his book Why Dinosaurs Matter which earned him a Nautilus Book Award. He has also been honored by the Explorers Club with the prestigious Explorers Club Medal.

Alexander Wetmore was an American avian paleontologist and ornithologist who served as the Secretary of the popular Smithsonian Institution from 1945 to 1952. He also served as the president of The Explorers Club from 1944 to 1946. Alexander Wetmore is also remembered for his influential 4-volume book, Birds of the Republic of Panama.

Best known for his contribution to the geosynclinal theory of mountain building, paleontologist and geologist James Hall had also taught at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and worked at the Geological Survey of New York. The National Academy of Sciences member had also penned works such as The Paleontology of New York.

David M. Raup was an American paleontologist who worked at the University of Chicago. Raup is best remembered for his contribution to the knowledge and database of extinction events. In 2002, David M. Raup was inducted into the American Philosophical Society.

Brian Axsmith was an American paleoecologist and paleobotanist. He also taught evolutionary biology, ecology, and the evolution of vascular plants at the University of South Alabama. Brian Axsmith is credited with discovering fossilized pollen, fossilized Pterocarya wingnuts, and the post-Eocene fossil records of the ironwood trees.

Nathaniel Shaler was an American geologist and paleontologist. He is best remembered for his writings on the scientific and theological implications of the theory of evolution. Shaler is also remembered for his association with Harvard University where he served as Dean of Sciences. He was also regarded as one of the most popular teachers in the university.

Alpheus Hyatt was an American paleontologist and zoologist. He is credited with co-founding a scientific journal named The American Naturalist for which he served as the editor between 1867 and 1870. He also served as the professor of zoology and paleontology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he taught for 18 years.

Born to German immigrants in New York, Amadeus William Grabau had initially apprenticed as a bookbinder and later studied geology at MIT and Harvard. His research on stratigraphy and paleoecology in China earned him the title of the father of Chinese geology. He has also worked for the Japanese Army.

William Diller Matthew was a paleontologist best remembered for his work on mammal fossils. He is also remembered for serving as the curator at the American Museum of Natural History from the 1890s to 1927. From 1927 to 1930, he also worked at the University of California Museum of Paleontology where he served as the director.

Invertebrate paleontologist Charles Schuchert had initially been part of his father’s furniture business. After his father’s death, he developed an affinity for studying fossils while working to support his family. He later came to be known as a pioneer in the study of paleogeography and also taught at Yale.

Initially a professor of geology and biology at Butler University, Oliver Perry Hay later contributed immensely to catalogs on North American fossil vertebrates. He had also served as the associate curator of New York’s American Museum of Natural History. His son, too, grew up to be a zoologist.

Apart from being a civil engineer and a mining executive who established the Cahaba Coal Mining Co., Truman H. Aldrich was also a paleontologist who had received an honorary doctorate and had served as a museum curator. He was also a US Congress representative from Alabama.

Regarded widely as the father of modern primate paleontology, Elwyn L. Simons, is best remembered for his discovery of the Aegyptopithecus, the earliest common forebear of man, apes, and monkeys. An enthusiastic wildlife conservationist, too, he worked for the preservation of rare primates such as lemurs and lorises.

Apart from teaching at the University of Kansas, Raymond Cecil Moore also made pioneering developments in the study of Paleozoic Era invertebrate organisms. He also contributed to the Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology and books such as Historical Geology. He was also well-versed in a number of languages.

Best remembered for his research on the structures of the Earth’s crust, German-American geologist Walter Herman Bucher also taught at reputed institutes such as the University of Cincinnati and Columbia University. The Penrose Medal winner also penned works such as The Deformation of the Earth’s Crust.

Initially a promising sportsperson, Joseph Augustine Cushman later studied at Harvard and served as the curator of the Boston Natural History Museum. Primarily known for his study of marine protozoans, the paleontologist also taught at Harvard and was one of the founding fathers of the Kappa Delta Phi National Fraternity.

Renowned paleobotanist Frank Hall Knowlton is remembered for his pioneering study of fossilized plants and geologic climates. He not just taught botany but had also been associated with the U.S. Geological Survey. His interests also included birds, and he contributed to a volume named Birds of the World.