Rousseau H. Flower facts for kids
Rousseau Hayner Flower (1913–1988) was a very productive paleontologist in the 20th century. He was known for his unique personality and his amazing work studying ancient life.
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What Rousseau Flower Studied
Even though Rousseau Flower first trained to study insects, like dragonflies and grasshoppers, he started studying paleontology in the mid-1930s. Paleontology is the study of fossils to learn about life from long ago.
He became an expert in ancient sea creatures called cephalopods from North America, especially those from the Devonian period. He also studied the layers of rock, known as stratigraphy, from the early Paleozoic era.
His Main Focus: Nautiloids
Flower's main area of study was nautiloids. These are a type of cephalopod with a shell, similar to modern-day nautiluses. He studied them very closely, often looking at how they lived and behaved. He also wrote many papers about fossil corals and other invertebrates (animals without backbones).
Rousseau Flower discovered and described hundreds of new fossil species and more than 100 new genera (groups of similar species).
Rousseau Flower's Unique Personality
Rousseau Flower was known for his colorful behavior, which made some people admire him and others not so much. He sometimes even mentioned people he didn't like in the thank-you sections of his scientific papers!
Here are a few stories about his unique ways:
- He once dressed up as an ape for a conference to show he thought one organization had low standards. He even had his dog become a member of the society!
- After moving to New Mexico, he started wearing "cowboy" clothes, carrying bullwhips, and even pistols. One time, he accidentally shot a hole through his office ceiling, right into his boss's office!
- When people asked about his bullwhips, he would joke that he used them on rock formations he didn't like.
His Musical Talents
Flower was also a very skilled musician. He could play the cello, piano, organ, and violin. He even wrote music, all without ever taking any lessons!
Awards and Recognition
- Paleontological Society Medal, 1988
