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Simpson, George Gaylord, 1902-1984

 Person

Biographical Note

George Gaylord Simpson (1902-1984) was Curator of the Department of Geology and Paleontology at the American Museum of Natural History from 1945 to 1959. He first joined the staff in 1927, but left to serve in World War II in North Africa. Simpson became curator upon his return. Before this appointment, he earned his PhD in Geology from Yale and served as a Professor of Zoology at Columbia University. After his time at the American Museum of Natural History, Simpson 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 he retired in 1982.

Simpson was a major participant in the modern synthesis—a movement in the 20th century that combined Darwinian and Mendelian philosophies regarding evolution. His work primarily concerned evolutionary theory and the intercontinental migrations of extinct mammals. Simpson’s most prominent works were Tempo and Mode in Evolution, which was published in 1944, and Major Features in Evolution, published in 1953.

Selected Bibliography

Simpson, George Gaylord. Attending Marvels: A Patagonian Journal. 1931.

Simpson, George Gaylord. Quantitative Zoology. McGraw-Hill, 1939.

Simpson, George Gaylord. Tempo and Mode in Evolution. 1944.

Simpson, George Gaylord. The Principles of Classification and A Classification of Mammals. New York: American Museum of Natural History, 1945.

Simpson, George Gaylord. The Meaning of Evolution. Mentor, 1951.

Simpson, George Gaylord. Horses. Oxford University Press, 1951.

Simpson, George Gaylord. Evolution and Geography. 1953.

Simpson, George Gaylord. The Major Features of Evolution. New York City: Columbia University Press, 1953.

Simpson, George Gaylord. Life: An Introduction to Biology. Harcourt, Brace & World, 1957.

Simpson, George Gaylord. Quantitative Zoology. Harcourt, Brace & World, 1960.

Simpson, George Gaylord. Principles of Animal Taxonomy. New York City: Columbia University Press, 1961.

Simpson, George Gaylord. This View of Life. Harcourt, Brace & World, 1964.

Simpson, George Gaylord. The Geography of Evolution. Chilton Books, 1965.

Simpson, George Gaylord. Penguins: Past and Present, Here and There. Yale University Press, 1976.

Simpson, George Gaylord. Concession to the Improbable: An Unconventional Autobiography. Yale University Press, 1978.

Simpson, George Gaylord. Fossils and the History Of Life. Scientific American Books, 1983.

Simpson, George Gaylord. Splendid Isolation: ​​The Curious History of South American Mammals by George Gaylord Simpson. Yale University Press, 1980.

Simpson, George Gaylord. The Dechronization of Sam Magruder. St. Martins Press, 1996.

Sources

George Gaylord Simpson, Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Gaylord_Simpson

Found in 1 Collection or Record:

William King Gregory papers, 1889-1948 (bulk 1906-1948)

 Collection
Identifier: Mss .G7441
Scope and Contents The collection consists of administrative, scientific, academic and personal papers, and correspondence. Papers include Gregory's general correspondence with universities, colleges and scientists about his research topics and publications; correspondence with museums about purchasing replicas of fossils; and with students seeking employement. Other papers include lecture notes prepared for zoology classes emphasizing evolution, 1925-1926 and 1939; and manuscripts and notes for his...
Dates: 1889-1948; Majority of material found within 1906-1948