Charles Doolittle Walcott

Charles Doolittle Walcott (March 31, 1850 - February 9, 1927) was an eminent American invertebrate paleontologist. He has become well-known for his discovery in 1909 of well-preserved fossils in the Burgess shale formation of British Columbia, Canada.

Death and Legacy

Walcott died in Washington, D. C. After his death in 1927, Walcott?s samples, photographs, and notes remained in storage until a new generation of paleontologists became interested in them in the late 1960?s. Many of his interpretations have been subsequently revised.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Walcott would be little known today if he had not been brought to attention by Stephen Jay Gould's book Wonderful Life (1989). In this book, Gould put forth his opinion that Walcott failed to see the differences among the Burgess Shale species and "shoehorned" most of these fossils into existing phyla. Many paleontologists would now take a much less negative view of Walcott's descriptions and of the theoretical perspective that shaped them.

Related Topics:
Stephen Jay Gould - Wonderful Life

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A peak on Mount Burgess in Canada was named after him. The Charles Doolittle Walcot Medal is awarded for outstanding work in the field of pre-Cambrian and Cambrian life and history.

Related Topics:
Mount Burgess - Canada

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~