Arthur Smith Woodward facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Arthur Smith Woodward
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | 23 May 1864 |
| Died | 2 September 1944 (aged 80) |
| Nationality | English |
| Known for | Prehistoric fish research, Piltdown Man |
| Awards | Lyell Medal (1896) Clarke Medal (1914) Royal Medal (1917) Wollaston Medal (1924) Hayden Memorial Geological Award (1938) Linnean Medal (1940) Fellow of the Royal Society |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Paleontology |
| Institutions | British Museum (Natural History) |
Sir Arthur Smith Woodward (born May 23, 1864 – died September 2, 1944) was an English palaeontologist. A palaeontologist is a scientist who studies fossils to learn about ancient life. Sir Arthur was a world expert on fossil fish. He also studied the Piltdown Man fossils, which were later found to be a hoax. He worked at the British Museum of Natural History.
Contents
Arthur Smith Woodward's Life
Arthur Smith Woodward was born in Macclesfield, Cheshire, England. He went to school there and later studied at Owens College, Manchester. In 1882, he started working at the Natural History Museum in London. He joined the Geology Department.
He quickly moved up in his career at the museum. By 1892, he became the assistant Keeper of Geology. In 1901, he was promoted to Keeper of Geology. This meant he was in charge of the museum's collection of rocks and fossils. He was also chosen to be the President of the Geological Society in 1904. In 1901, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very important group for scientists in the UK.
His Work with Fossil Fish
Sir Arthur was known around the world for his knowledge of fossil fish. He wrote a huge book called Catalogue of the Fossil Fishes in the British Museum. This book was published in several parts between 1889 and 1901. It was a very important guide for other scientists.
His work took him on many trips. He traveled to places like South America and Greece. In 1901, he went to Pikermi near Athens to dig for fossil bones for the Natural History Museum.
Because of his important work studying ancient fish, he received many awards. These included the Royal Medal from the Royal Society in 1917. He also won the Lyell Medal and Wollaston Medal from the Geological Society. Other awards were the Linnean Medal and the Clarke Medal. He stopped working at the museum in 1924. In 1942, he received the Mary Clark Thompson Medal from the United States National Academy of Sciences.
The Piltdown Man Hoax
Sir Arthur's reputation was affected by his involvement in the Piltdown Man case. This was a famous hoax where fake fossils were presented as a new type of early human. He even gave a name to this new species. However, after Sir Arthur's death, scientists discovered that the Piltdown Man fossils were not real. They were a forgery, meaning they had been faked.
Family Life
In 1894, Arthur Smith Woodward married Maud Leanora Ida Seeley. Her father, Harry Govier Seeley, was also a well-known zoologist, a scientist who studies animals.
Sir Arthur Smith Woodward passed away in Haywards Heath, Sussex, in 1944. He was 80 years old.
His Legacy
On May 21, 2014, a special event was held at the Natural History Museum in London. It was a symposium, which is like a conference, to celebrate 150 years since Sir Arthur Woodward's birth. Scientists talked about his life and his important contributions to science. They also discussed how his work still influences research today. The talks from this event were published in a book in 2016.
See also
In Spanish: Arthur Smith Woodward para niños
