Famous British Paleontologists

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 1 
Charles Darwin
(Naturalist known for His Contributions to Evolutionary Biology)
Charles Darwin
12
Birthdate: February 12, 1809
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: The Mount House, Shrewsbury, England
Died: April 19, 1882

Widely regarded as one of the most influential personalities in the history of mankind, Charles Darwin was an English biologist, naturalist, and geologist. He is credited with publishing the Theory of Evolution, which explains the evolution of life from a unicellular organism to human beings. A prolific writer, Charles Darwin also wrote important books on plants and barnacles.

 2 
Richard Owen
(Biologist)
Richard Owen
6
Birthdate: July 20, 1804
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Lancaster, England
Died: December 18, 1892
 3 
Mary Leakey
(British Paleoanthropologist Who Discovered the First Fossilised 'Proconsul Skull')
Mary Leakey
4
Birthdate: February 6, 1913
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: London, England
Died: December 9, 1996

British paleoanthropologist Mary Leakey had exhibited her interest in drawing and archaeology as a kid. Most of her career was spent working alongside her husband, Louis Leakey. She was in charge of many excavation projects in Kenya. Her discoveries include the first Proconsul skull fossil and 15 new animal species.

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 4 
William Buckland
(English Theologian, Palaeontologist, and Geologist Who Wrote the First Full Account of a Dinosaur Fossil)
William Buckland
6
Birthdate: March 12, 1784
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Axminster, Devon, England
Died: August 14, 1856

William Buckland was an English theologian, palaeontologist, and geologist. He is best remembered for his service as the Dean of Westminster. He is credited with writing the first full account of a dinosaur fossil, which he named Megalosaurus. William Buckland pioneered the usage of fossilized faeces to reconstruct ecosystems. Buckland was the recipient of the prestigious Copley Medal.

 5 
Gideon Mantell
(British Geologist and Palaeontologist)
Gideon Mantell
5
Birthdate: February 3, 1790
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Lewes, Sussex, England
Died: November 10, 1852

Gideon Mantell was a British geologist, obstetrician, and palaeontologist. Mantell's attempt to reconstruct the structure of Iguanodon started the scientific study of dinosaurs. He is also credited with discovering the first fossil teeth of Iguanodon. Subsequently, Gideon Mantell went on to discover and identify much of the skeleton of Iguanodon.

 6 
C.H. Waddington
(British Developmental Biologist, Paleontologist, Geneticist Known for Developing the Concept of the 'Epigenetic Landscape')
C.H. Waddington
7
Birthdate: November 8, 1905
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Evesham, England
Died: September 26, 1975

British embryologist C.H. Waddington had studied paleontology before turning to biology. A professor of zoology and embryology, he later also taught animal genetics. His interests also included poetry, painting, and Marxism. He introduced concepts such as epigenetic landscape and genetic assimilation, and penned books such as Principles of Embryology.

 7 
Henry De la Beche
(English Palaeontologist and Geologist)
Henry De la Beche
2
Birthdate: February 10, 1796
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: London, England
Died: April 13, 1855

Henry De la Beche was an English palaeontologist and geologist. He is best remembered for his association with the Geological Survey of Great Britain, where he served as the first director. He was also associated with the Palaeontographical Society, where he was the first president. Henry De la Beche helped develop early geological survey methods.

 8 
Kenneth Oakley
(British Anthropologist, Palaeontologist and Geologist Known for His Work in the Relative Dating of Fossils by Fluorine Content)
Kenneth Oakley
1
Birthdate: April 7, 1911
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Amersham, Buckinghamshire, England
Died: November 2, 1981
Kenneth Oakley was an English physical anthropologist, palaeontologist and geologist known for his work in the relative dating of fossils by fluorine content. He was instrumental in the exposure of the Piltdown Man hoax in 1950s. Oakley's famous books include Man the Toolmaker (1949), Frameworks for Dating Fossil Man (1964), and Relative Dating of the Fossil Hominids of Europe (1980).
 9 
James Scott Bowerbank
(Naturalist)
James Scott Bowerbank
1
Birthdate: July 14, 1797
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: London, England
Died: March 8, 1877
 10 
William Joscelyn Arkell
(Geologist)
William Joscelyn Arkell
1
Birthdate: June 9, 1904
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Highworth, England
Died: April 18, 1958
 11 
William Lonsdale
(Geologist)
William Lonsdale
0
Birthdate: September 9, 1794
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Bath, England
Died: November 11, 1871