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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
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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

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