Gregory Edgecombe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gregory Edgecombe
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![]() Edgecombe in 2018
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Alma mater | Acadia University University of Alberta Columbia University |
Awards | Fenner Medal (2004) |
Scientific career | |
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Institutions | University of Alberta Australian Museum Natural History Museum, London |
Thesis | Systematic studies on the trilobite order Phacopida (1991) |
Doctoral advisor | Niles Eldredge |
Gregory Donald Edgecombe is an American paleontologist. A paleontologist is a scientist who studies fossils. He works at the Natural History Museum, London.
Gregory Edgecombe is a top expert in understanding how arthropods evolved. Arthropods are a group of animals that includes insects, spiders, and crabs. He also studies how fossils help us learn about the evolution of all animals. He is especially good at studying centipedes.
Learning and Degrees
Gregory Edgecombe went to Columbia University for his higher education. He earned his PhD degree there in 1991. For his PhD, he studied trilobites. Trilobites were ancient sea creatures that are now extinct. His teacher for this work was Niles Eldredge.
Work and Discoveries
After finishing his PhD, Gregory Edgecombe worked at the University of Alberta. He also spent 14 years as a researcher at the Australian Museum in Sydney.
In 2007, he moved to the Natural History Museum, London. He became a special researcher there in 2013. He also helped write a textbook called The Invertebrate Tree of Life. This book was published in 2020.
Awards and Special Recognition
Gregory Edgecombe has received many important awards for his work. In 2004, he won the Fenner Medal. This award is for great research in biology. The Australian Academy of Science gave him this medal.
In 2011, he received the president's medal from the Palaeontological Association. He was also chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2018. This is a very high honor for scientists.
In 2024, a new ancient arthropod was named after him. It is called Lomankus edgecombei. This shows how important his work is in the field.