Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-p9bg8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T12:00:26.917Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Subtle agents for change: The Journal of Paleontology, J. Marvin Weller, and shifting emphases in invertebrate paleontology, 1930–1965

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 May 2016

Ronald Rainger
Ronald Rainger*
Affiliation:
Department of History, Texas Tech University, Lubbock 79409-1013
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Through an examination of the contents of the Journal of Paleontology (JP), this paper traces the growing interest in biological problems in mid twentieth-century invertebrate paleontology. While noting the continued dominance of descriptive morphology and systematics, the paper tracks the increasing attention paid to paleoecology, evolution and geographic distribution, and quantitative methods. An analysis of the debate over the relative importance of biology and geology for paleontology, and J. Marvin Weller's evolving views on the subject, further illustrate the main point. Neither Welter nor JP initiated the interest in biological questions, but both played an important role in bringing new developments to the attention of the paleontology community.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Paleontology , Volume 75 , Issue 6 , November 2001 , pp. 1058 - 1064
Copyright
Copyright © The Paleontological Society

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Akers, W. H. 1954. Ecologic aspects and stratigraphic significance of the foraminifer Cyclammina cancellata Brady. Journal of Paleontology, 28:132–152.Google Scholar
Alexander, C. I. 1934. Ostracoda of the genera Monoceratina and Orthonotacythere from the Cretaceous of Texas. Journal of Paleontology, 8:57–67.Google Scholar
Allee, W. C., Emerson, A. E., Park, O., Park, T., and Schmidt, K. P. 1949. The Principles of Animal Ecology. W. B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia, 837 p.Google Scholar
Baker, R. W. 1936. A contribution to the phylogeny of the orbitoidal Foraminifera with description of new forms from the Eocene of New Mexico. Journal of Paleontology, 10:231–247.Google Scholar
Bandy, O. L. 1953. Ecology and paleoecology of some California Foraminifera, P. I, The frequency distribution of Recent Foraminifera off California. Journal of Paleontology, 27:161–182.Google Scholar
Barghoorn, E. S. 1951. Age and environment: a survey of North American Tertiary floras in relation to paleoecology. Journal of Paleontology, 25:736–744.Google Scholar
Bell, W. C. 1950. Stratigraphy: a factor in paleontologic taxonomy. Journal of Paleontology, 24:492–496.Google Scholar
Burma, B. H. 1948. Studies in quantitative paleontology. I. Some aspects of the theory and practice of quantitative invertebrate paleontology. Journal of Paleontology, 22:725–761.Google Scholar
Burma, B. H. 1949. Studies in quantitative paleontology. II. Multivariate analysis—a new analytical tool for paleontology and geology. Journal of Paleontology, 23:95–103.Google Scholar
Colbert, E. H. 1947. Functions of vertebrate paleontology in the earth sciences. Bulletin of the Geological Society of America, 58:287–291.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cooper, G. A. 1936. New Cambrian brachiopods from Alaska. Journal of Paleontology, 10:210–214.Google Scholar
Cushman, J. A. 1927a. Foreword. Journal of Paleontology, 1:1.Google Scholar
Cushman, J. A. 1927b. Description of Foraminifera. Journal of Paleontology, 1:13–14.Google Scholar
Cushman, J. A., and Thomas, N. L. 1930. Common Foraminifera of the East Texas grasslands. Journal of Paleontology, 4:33–41.Google Scholar
Dorreen, J. M. 1948. A foraminferal fauna from the Kaiatan Stage (Upper Eocene) of New Zealand. Journal of Paleontology, 22:281–300.Google Scholar
Durham, J. W. 1942. Eocene and Oligocene coral faunas of Washington. Journal of Paleontology, 16:84–104.Google Scholar
Elias, M. K. 1950. The state of paleontology. Journal of Paleontology, 24:140–153.Google Scholar
Gunther, G. 1947. Paleoecological impact of certain relationships of marine animals to salinity. Journal of Paleontology, 21:77–79.Google Scholar
Hamilton, E. L. 1953. Upper Cretaceous, Tertiary and Recent planktonic Foraminifera from Mid-Pacific flat-topped seamounts. Journal of Paleontology, 27:204–237.Google Scholar
Hedberg, H. D. 1934. Some recent and fossil brackish to fresh-water Foraminifera. Journal of Paleontology, 8:469–476.Google Scholar
Henbest, L. G. 1952. Significance of evolutionary explosions for diastrophic division of earth history—introduction to the symposium. Journal of Paleontology, 26:299–318.Google Scholar
Howland, A. L. 1975. William C. Krumbein: the making of a methodologist, p. xi–xviii. In Whitten, E. H. T. (ed.), Quantitative Studies in the Geological Sciences: A Memoir in Honor of William C. Krumbein. Geological Society of America Memoir, 142.Google Scholar
Huxley, J. 1940. The New Systematics. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 583 p.Google Scholar
Huxley, J. 1943. Evolution: The Modern Synthesis. Harper and Brothers, New York, 645 p.Google Scholar
Just, T. 1950. Letter to J. M. Weller, 26 January 1950. J. Marvin Weller Papers, box 3, Illinois Geological Survey, Urbana, Illinois.Google Scholar
Just, T. 1951. Mesozoic plant microfossils and their geologic significance. Journal of Paleontology, 25:729–735.Google Scholar
Kellett, B. 1943. Permian ostracodes. Journal of Paleontology, 17:615–628.Google Scholar
Knight, J. B. 1947. Paleontologist or geologist. Bulletin of the Geological Society of America, 58:281–286.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Krumbein, W. C., and Pettijohn, F. J. 1938. Manual of sedimentary petrography. Appleton-Century-Crofts, New York, 549 p.Google Scholar
Libby, W. F. 1952. Radiocarbon Dating. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 124 p.Google Scholar
Lochman, C. 1940. Fauna of the Basal Bonneterre Dolomite (Upper Cambrian) of Southeastern Missouri. Journal of Paleontology, 14:1– 53.Google Scholar
Mayr, E. Systematics and the Origin of Species. Columbia University Press, New York, 334 p.Google Scholar
Miller, A. K., and Furnish, W. M. 1937. Paleoecology of the Paleozoic cephalopods, p. 54–63. In National Research Council, Report of the Committee on Paleoecology. National Research Council, Washington, DC, 72 p.Google Scholar
Miller, R. L. 1949. Application of statistical variance to paleontology. Journal of Paleontology, 23:635–640.Google Scholar
Mitman, G. 1992. The State of Nature: Ecology, Community, and American Social Thought. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 290 p.Google Scholar
National Research Council. 1926. Researches in Sedimentation in 1925–1926. Report of the Committee on Sedimentation. National Research Council, Washington, DC, 96 p.Google Scholar
National Research Council. 1935–1936. Report of the Committee on Paleoecology. National Research Council, Washington, DC, 64 p.Google Scholar
Newell, N. D. 1948. Intraspecific categories in invertebrate paleontology. Journal of Paleontology, 22:225–232.Google Scholar
Newell, N. D. 1952. Periodicity in invertebrate evolution. Journal of Paleontology, 26:371–385.Google Scholar
Newell, N. D., and Colbert, E. H. 1948. Paleontologist—biologist or geologist. Journal of Paleontology, 22:264–267.Google Scholar
Olson, E. C., and Miller, R. L. 1951a. A mathematical model applied to a study of evolution of species. Evolution, 5:256–338.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Olson, E. C., and Miller, R. L. 1951b. Relative growth in paleontological studies. Journal of Paleontology, 25:212–223.Google Scholar
Olson, E. C., and Miller, R. L. 1958. Morphological Integration. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 317 p.Google Scholar
Peck, R. E. 1934. North American trochiliscids Paleozoic. Journal of Paleontology, 8:83–119.Google Scholar
Pettijohn, F. J. 1984. Memoirs of an Unrepentant Field Geologist. A Candid Profile of Some Geologists and their Science, 1921–1981. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 260 p.Google Scholar
Phleger, F. B. 1936. Lichadian trilobites. Journal of Paleontology, 10:593–613.Google Scholar
Provine, W. B. 1971. The Origins of Theoretical Population Genetics. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 201 p.Google Scholar
Provine, W. B. 1986. Sewall Wright and Evolutionary Biology. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 545 p.Google Scholar
Rainger, R. 1993. Biology, geology, or neither or both: vertebrate paleontology at the University of Chicago, 1890–1950. Perspectives on Science, 1:478–519.Google Scholar
Rainger, R. 1997. Everett C. Olson and the development of vertebrate paleoecology and taphonomy. Archives of Natural History, 24:373–396.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rao, L. R. 1949. Paleontologist—biologist and/or geologist. Journal of Paleontology, 23:677–679.Google Scholar
Raymond, P. E. 1941. Invertebrate paleontology, p. 73–103. In GSA, Geology 1888–1938: 50th Anniversary Volume. Geological Society of America, New York, 578 p.Google Scholar
Reiter, M. 1959. Seasonal variations in intertidal Foraminifera of Santa Monica Bay, California. Journal of Paleontology, 33:606–630.Google Scholar
Reynolds, T. E. 1936. Two new insectivores from the Lower Paleocene of New Mexico. Journal of Paleontology, 10:202–209.Google Scholar
Richter, R. 1928. Akupaläontologie und paläobiologie, eine Abgrenzung. Senckenbergiana, 10:285–292.Google Scholar
Schopf, J. M. 1948. Letter to J. M. Weller, 16 January 1948. J. Marvin Weller Papers, box 3, Illinois Geological Survey, Urbana, Illinois.Google Scholar
Scott, G. 1940. Paleoecological factors controlling the distribution and mode of life of Cretaceous ammonoids in the Texas area. Journal of Paleontology, 14:299–323.Google Scholar
SEPM. 1927. Constitution. Journal of Paleontology, 1:4–5.Google Scholar
Simpson, G. G. 1944. Tempo and Mode in Evolution. Columbia University Press, New York, 237 p.Google Scholar
Simpson, G. G. 1950. Trends in research and the Journal of Paleontology. Journal of Paleontology, 24:498–499.Google Scholar
Simpson, G. G. 1952. Periodicity in vertebrate evolution. Journal of Paleontology, 26:359–370.Google Scholar
Simpson, G. G., and Roe, A. 1939. Quantitative Zoology: Numerical Concepts in the Study of Recent and Fossil Animals. McGraw Hill, New York, 414 p.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sloss, L. L. 1950. Rates of evolution. Journal of Paleontology, 24:131–139.Google Scholar
Thomas, N. J. 1927. The use of evolutionary changes in geologic correlation. Journal of Paleontology, 1:135–139.Google Scholar
Todd, R. 1985. Joseph A. Cushman and the study of Foraminifera, p. 257–271. In Drake, E. T. and Jordan, W. M. (eds.), Geologists and Ideas: A History of North American Geology. Geological Society of America, Boulder, Colorado, 525 p.Google Scholar
Twenhofel, W. H. 1926. Treatise on Sedimentation, prepared under the auspices of the Committee on Sedimentation, Division of Geology and Geography, National Research Council. Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore, 926 p.Google Scholar
Twenhofel, W. H. 1931. Environment in sedimentation and stratigraphy. Bulletin of the Geological Society of America, 42:407–424.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Twenhofel, W. H. 1934. Sedimentation and stratigraphy from modern points of view. Journal of Paleontology, 8:456–468.Google Scholar
Twenhofel, W. H. 1935–1936. Organisms and their environment, p. 1–9, appendix J. In National Research Council, Report of the Committee on Paleoecology, National Research Council, Washington, DC, 64 p.Google Scholar
Urey, H. C., Lowenstam, H. A., Epstein, S., and McKinney, C. R. 1951. Measurement of paleotemperatures and temperatures of the Upper Cretaceous of England, Denmark, and the Southeastern United States. Bulletin of the Geological Society of America, 62:399–416.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vaughan, T. W. 1920. Researches on sedimentation. Bulletin of the Geological Society of America, 31:401–410.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vaughan, T. W. 1928. Yaberinella jamaicensis, a new genus and species of arenaceous Foraminifera. Journal of Paleontology, 2:7–11.Google Scholar
Walther, J. 1893–1894. Einleitung in die Geologie als Historische Wissenschaft. 3 vols. Verlag Gustav Fischer, Jena, 1055 p.Google Scholar
Walton, W. R. 1955. Ecology of living benthonic Foraminifera, Todos Santos Bay, Baja, California. Journal of Paleontology, 29:952–1018.Google Scholar
Weller, J. M. 1930. Ophiuroid remains of Pennsylvanian age. Journal of Paleontology, 4:1–13.Google Scholar
Weller, J. M. 1947. Relations of the invertebrate paleontologist to geology. Journal of Paleontology, 21:570–575.Google Scholar
Weller, J. M. 1948a. Letter to N. D. Newell, 2 February 1948. J. Marvin Weller Papers, box 3, Illinois Geological Survey, Urbana, Illinois.Google Scholar
Weller, J. M. 1948b. Paleontologist—biologist and geologist. Journal of Paleontology, 22:268–269.Google Scholar
Weller, J. M. 1949. Paleontologic classification. Journal of Paleontology, 23:680–690.Google Scholar
Weller, J. M. 1950a. Letter to A. S. Warthin, 10 February 1950. J. Marvin Weller Papers, box 3, Illinois Geological Survey, Urbana, Illinois.Google Scholar
Weller, J. M. 1950b. Letter to C. W. Tomlinson, 23 May 1950. J. Marvin Weller Papers, box 3, Illinois Geological Survey, Urbana, IllinoisGoogle Scholar
Weller, J. M. 1951a. Letter to Cary Croneis, 16 February 1951. J. Marvin Weller Papers, box 3, Illinois Geological Survey, Urbana, Illinois.Google Scholar
Weller, J. M. 1951b. Letter to N. D. Newell, 26 February 1951. J. Marvin Weller Papers, box 3, Illinois Geological Survey, Urbana, Illinois.Google Scholar
Weller, J. M. 1951c. Letter to J. B. Knight, 30 March 1951. J. Marvin Weller Papers, box 3, Illinois Geological Survey, Urbana, Illinois.Google Scholar
Weller, J. M. 1952. Analysis of trilobite generic nomenclature and its implications regarding progress in paleontology. Journal of Paleontology, 26:137–147.Google Scholar
Weller, J. M. 1956. Letter to Jules Du Bar, 12 January 1956. J. Marvin Weller Papers, box 3, Illinois Geological Survey, Urbana, Illinois.Google Scholar
Weller, J. M. 1957. Paleoecology of the Pennsylvania period in Illinois and adjacent states, p. 325–364, Volume 2. In Hedgpeth, J. and Ladd, H. S. (eds.), Treatise on Marine Ecology and Paleoecology. Geological Society of America Memoir, 67.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Weller, J. M. 1960. Development of paleontology. Journal of Paleontology, 34:1001–1019.Google Scholar
Weller, J. M. 1960. Stratigraphic Principles and Practice. Harper and Brothers, New York, 725 p.Google Scholar
Weller, J. M. 1961. The species problem. Journal of Paleontology, 35:1181–1192.Google Scholar
Weller, J. M. 1965. Presidential address: The status of paleontology. Journal of Paleontology, 39:741–749.Google Scholar
Weller, J. M. 1969. The Course of Evolution. McGraw-Hill, New York, 696 p.Google Scholar
Weller, J. M. n.d. Untitled, unpublished paleontology manuscript. J. Marvin Weller Papers, Accession 44/3/21, Illinois Geological Survey, Urbana, Illinois.Google Scholar
Weller, J. M., and Wanless, H. R. 1932. Correlation and extent of Pennsylvanian cyclothems. Bulletin of the Geological Society of America, 43:1003–1016.Google Scholar
Willman, H. B. 1978. Memorial to James Marvin Weller. 1899–1976. Memorials of the Geological Society of America, 8:1–12.Google Scholar
Wright, C. W. 1950. Paleontologic classification. Journal of Paleontology, 24:746–748.Google Scholar