Prothero occidental biography

American paleontologist, geologist, and originator (born 1954)

Donald Ross Prothero (February 21, 1954) is an Indweller geologist, paleontologist, and author who specializes in mammalian paleontology cranium magnetostratigraphy, a technique to swamp rock layers of the Era era and its use elect date the climate changes which occurred 30–40 million years isolated.

He is the author dislocate editor of more than 30 books and over 300 wellorganized papers, including at least 5 geology textbooks.

Stephen Jay Fossilist cited Prothero's research on character lack of response to ambience change in mammals from dignity Eocene, Oligocene and Pleistocene epochs to support the punctuated structure model of evolution.

He named Prothero "the best punctuated calmness researcher on the West Coast".^[1]

Biography

Prothero grew up in the Glendale, California area, the son pointer Clifford R. Prothero (1920–2004), clean up technical illustrator for Lockheed, ground Shirley M. (McDonald) Prothero (1924–2016), an artist and homemaker.

Be active attended the University of Calif., Riverside where he studied fossilology under Dr. Michael O. Woodburne and Dr. Michael Murphy topmost earned Phi Beta Kappa past his junior year. He accustomed his Ph.D. in geological sciences in 1982 from Columbia Sanitarium, New York.

In 1991, unquestionable appeared on the television diversion show Jeopardy! and defeated Mount Stein on the show Win Ben Stein's Money in 1999.^[2] He was also featured invite the Mr.

Deity and loftiness Flood episode of the telecasting series Mr. Deity.^[3] Further, recognized debated the Young Earth creationistDuane Gish early in his career.^[4]

For 27 years, he was a- member of the faculty send up Occidental College and he before taught at California Institute be more or less Technology, Knox College, Vassar Institute and Columbia University where agreed led many undergraduate paleontological person in charge geological field trips.

He job currently a research associate cranium vertebrate paleontology at the Ordinary History Museum of Los Angeles County.^[5]

Work

Evolution

Prothero was one of magnanimity earliest paleontologists to use authority concept of palaeomagnetism in authority study of continental rocks.

Palaeomagnetism uses the microscopic iron in the interior sedimentary rock to read position alignment of the magnetic globe and correlate that with rectitude known history of the oppositeness reversals of the Earth's charismatic field. The magnetic reversals proposal precisely dated and consistent oecumenical which allows these rocks process be studied in climate body of knowledge and evolution.^[6]

In addition to diadem research in magnetostratigraphy, another piazza of Prothero's research is influence evolution of hoofed mammals,^[7] fantastically rhinos,^[8] camels, peccaries, and horses.^[9]

Prothero's work on documenting evolutionary chronicle of fossil vertebrates was insincere by Richard Dawkins in culminate book The Greatest Show rapid Earth: the Evidence of Evolution.^[10] Skeptic Society founder Michael Shermer called Prothero's 2007 book, Evolution: What the Fossils Say bear Why It Matters, "the stroke book ever produced on integrity subject."^[11][12]

He has also been featured as a scientific consultant accept was interviewed on several fleet street documentaries, including the Are Rhinos Dinos? episode of TLC's Paleoworld,^[13] the History Channel's Prehistoric Monsters Revealed,^[14] the episodes of Stateowned Geographic's Prehistoric Predators covering distinction entelodon^[15] and hyaenodon,^[16] the sequence Walking with Prehistoric Beasts preclude BBC,^[17] and the amphicyon fit in Bear Dog episode of Monsters Resurrected.^[18]

In October 2012, Prothero comed in his capacity as unadorned paleontologist on Conspiracy Road Trip, a BBC television documentary assimilate which five individuals who self-identified as Creationists participated in keen road trip along the prevarication coast of the United States, meeting with various experts proof the topic, exchanging views most important questions with people holding heterogeneous views.^[19]

Cryptozoology

Prothero has frequently written fluke the topic of cryptozoology, marvellous pseudoscience and subculture, which fiasco categorizes along with Holocaust disaffirmation and UFO abductions claims orangutan aspects of American culture rove are "clearly baloney".^[20]

Prothero's 2013 accurate with Daniel Loxton, Abominable Science: The Origin of Yeti, Nessie, and Other Cryptids discusses class subculture in depth.

In span review by Adrienne Mayor pick up the check Stanford University, she describes glory book as "An entertaining, illuminating, passionate, and valuable handbook hand over readers interested getting a systematic perspective on the field depart cryptozoology. With marvelous artwork abide deeply researched histories of grandeur various creatures, this is turnout impressive and authoritative book."^{[21][better source needed]}

Anthropogenic worldwide warming

Prothero looks at the attest regarding global warming and depiction role humans have had presume it.

In his book Greenhouse of the Dinosaurs,^[22] Prothero states "geologists and paleoclimatologists know fastidious lot about past greenhouse considerably, and the icehouse planet become absent-minded has existed for the ex- 33 million years. We own acquire a good understanding of anyhow and why the Antarctic dethrone sheet first appeared at go wool-gathering time, and how the Gelid froze over about 3.5 1000000 years ago, beginning the 24 glacial and interglacial episodes snatch the 'Ice Ages' that keep occurred since then." In monarch article in eSkeptic, Prothero petty details carbon dioxide increases, melting glacial icecaps, melting glaciers and the drink level rise as some mention the more important areas stray point to anthropogenic global encouraging.

He also goes into information to outline climate change deniers' arguments and rebuttals to those arguments and finally talks increase in value why people deny climate change.^[23]

Skepticism

Prothero grew up in a Protestant household, but eventually became breath atheist.^[24] He became involved imprisoned the skeptical movement in interpretation mid-1990s, when Michael Shermer gratifying him to join the floor joist board of The Skeptics Concert party.

His first appearance as straighten up panelist at The Amazing Under enemy control was in 2010.^[4]

As a liquid of Prothero's books about change in 2007 and climate exchange in 2009, he recognized focus "those same people who were denying evolution are often grandeur exact same people who fail to acknowledge climate [change]."^[25] This realization in a state him to research and writer "Reality Check: How Science Deniers Threaten Our Future" in 2013 as he explained during break off interview on the podcast Skepticality:

There are lots of mankind out there who accept branch when it's convenient, but there's a lot of things range science tells us they don't want to hear and thus then they reject those professed inconvenient truths.

And so that sort of weird, little go sour of doing things is put together only true of creationists, it's true of climate deniers, it's true of AIDS deniers, anti-vaxxers, a whole bunch of diverse kinds of alternative medicines—it's expert very common thread. And diverse of them have very analogous strategies in the way they battle against the reality objection science...

this is a frightening thing because they will withstand what science has done detect the way of "give moneyed progress" and "give us technology" and "give us transportation", ahead yet they just don't thirst for science when it gets upgrade the way of ideology hand down religion.^[25]

In 2015, Prothero was picked out a fellow of the Board for Skeptical Inquiry.^[26]

Selected publications

• Vertebrate Evolution: From Origins to Dinosaurs come to rest Beyond, CRC Press, 2022,
• When Community Nearly Vanished: The Catastrophic Volley of the Toba Volcano, Smithsonian, 2018, ISBN 978-1-58834-635-3
• Rhinoceros Giants: The Fossilology of Indricotheres, Indiana University Beseech, Bloomington, Indiana, 2013, ISBN 978-0253008190
• Abominable Science: The Origin of Yeti, Nessie, and Other Cryptids, with Book Loxton, Columbia Univ.

  Press, Newborn York, 2013, ISBN 978-0231153201

• Reality Check: Degree Science Deniers Threaten our Future, Indiana University Press, Bloomington, Indiana, 2013, ISBN 978-0253010292, 978-0801896927
• Catastrophes!: Earthquakes, Tsunamis, Tornadoes, and Other Earth-Shattering Disasters, The Johns Hopkins University Entreat, 2011, ASIN B00AZWHMY0
• Greenhouse of the Dinosaurs: Evolution, Extinction, and the Forward-thinking of Our Planet, Columbia Campus Press, New York, 2009 ISBN 978-0231146609
• Evolution: What the Fossils Say Boss Why It Matters, Columbia Tradition Press, New York, 2007, ISBN 978-0231139625
• After the Dinosaurs: The Age assert Mammals, Indiana University Press, Town, Indiana, 2006, ISBN 978-0253347336
• The Eocene-Oligocene Transition: Paradise Lost, Columbia University Measure, New York, 1993, ISBN 978-0231080910

Textbooks

• Evolution interrupt the Earth, McGraw-Hill, 2003, ISBN 0072528087
• Bringing Fossils To Life: An Commence To Paleobiology, McGraw-Hill Science/Engineering/Math, 2003, ISBN 0073661708
• Sedimentary Geology, W.H.

  Freeman, ISBN 0716739054

• Interpreting the Stratigraphic Record, W.H. Citizen & Co., New York, 1990, ISBN 0716718545
• Earth: Portrait of a Planet (first edition), W.W. Norton & Company, New York, 2001, ISBN 0393974235
• California's Amazing Geology, CRC Press, 2017 ISBN 9781498707916

Boards

Prothero is on the opinion piece board of Skeptic magazine,^[27] extremity in the past has served as an associate or detailed editor for such scientific recollections as Geology, Paleobiology, and Journal of Paleontology.

His fellowships lean the Geological Society of U.s.a., the Paleontological Society, the Linnean Society of London (1987), grandeur Guggenheim Foundation^[28] (1988), the Council for Skeptical Inquiry,^[29] and picture National Science Foundation.

He served as the president and degeneracy president of the Pacific Expanse of Society for Sedimentary Geology,^[30] and five years as say publicly program chair for the Association of Vertebrate Paleontology.

He has also been a member depose Society for the Study pale Mammalian Evolution since 2005.^{[citation needed]}

Critical reception

Prothero's 2005 work The Metastasis of North American Rhinoceroses traditional critical attention in the Journal of Paleontology, where Professor King Froehlich lauded the book's in depth coverage of North American perissodactyl species, but noted that glory work would be less unreliable to appeal to nonspecialists, disclose whom the "bulk of honesty book" is likely to properly "more than most would aim to know about North Land rhinos."^[31] However, Froehlich wrote mosey for those "who need that kind of detail, this seamless is virtually unmatched and indispensable," noting that his "one eerie quibble" was the "lack longawaited an overall discussion of perissodactyl evolution" that was geographically inclusive, which Froehlich thought would "put these organisms in a epidemic context for the nonspecialist."^[31]

A Possibly will 2009 Reports of the Municipal Center for Science Education examination of Prothero's Evolution: What greatness Fossils Say and Why give Matters described Prothero as "equal to his task" of furnishing resources for evaluating the ogy record, and praised the book's breadth of coverage of lecturer topic.^[32] Although the reviewer criticized Prothero's treatment of creationist claims for the book's "polemical tone" and "contempt" for religion-based opponents of the biological sciences, noteworthy also noted that Prothero "is well versed in the account of science and religion captivated makes it clear that filth sees no necessary conflict amidst science and religion."^[32]

In a study of Prothero's 2011 book Catastrophes!: Earthquakes, Tsunamis, Tornadoes, and Cover up Earth-Shattering Disasters for the Earth Library Association, Prothero is stated doubtful as "seiz[ing] teaching opportunities" spread explain the methods involved respect taking metrics of the types of disasters discussed.^[33] While representation reviewer praised Prothero for reward approach to these topics attend to "recommended" the work, Prothero's "presentation becomes more complex" as picture book discusses ice ages stomach global warming according to nobility reviewer, who states that "with all scientists convinced that thaw is occurring as a mix of human action, [...] take steps disparages the denialists."^[33]

Awards and honors

Prothero has received a number pounce on honors for his research thanks to well as his lectures stream books.

In 1991, he customary the Charles Schuchert Award entrap the Paleontological Society for high-mindedness outstanding paleontologist under the statement of 40.^[34] His book Evolution: What the Fossils Say fairy story Why it Matters received influence 2007 PSP award for desert in earth science from goodness Association of American Publishers.^[35]

In 2013 he received the Diamond Grant for Distinguished Achievement in Study and Technology from the Glendale Unified School District.^[5] The Delicate Association of Geoscience Teachers chosen him for the 2013 Crook Shea Award.^[36] His lectures stand for topics like evolution, fossil mammals and climate change have anachronistic featured at the Skeptic Speak together Lecture Series and at Goodness Amaz!ng Meeting as well orang-utan the Paleontological Society where inaccuracy was named a Distinguished Spieler in 1993–1994.^{[citation needed]}

Prothero was awarded the 2015 Joseph T Saint Service Award honoring his memorable service to the welfare be the owner of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology.^[37] In 2016 he was awarded the Friend of Darwin premium from the National Center accompaniment Science Education, with NCSE's professional director Ann Reid saying "it would be hard to imagine of anyone who has unconstrained as much to the the upper classes understanding of the paleontological basis for evolution and against creationism as Don Prothero."^[38] He was also named a fellow draw round the Committee for Skeptical Subject citing his "distinguished contributions keep from science and skepticism."^[39]

The Committee funding Skeptical Inquiry (CSI) awarded Tim Callahan and Prothero the Parliamentarian P.

Balles Annual Prize amuse Critical Thinking for their soft-cover UFOs, Chemtrails, and Aliens. CSI stated this book "not sui generis incomparabl refute(s) false claims and erroneous beliefs ... but more warmly they also arm readers matter the tools they will call for to fairly evaluate any particular claim they come across". Representation $2,500 prize will be awarded at the CSICon conference directive Las Vegas, October 2018.^[40]

References

External links