Professor Steven M. Stanley, PhD, a distinguished figure in evolutionary biology and a prolific author, celebrates his inclusion in Marquis Who’s Who, marking a career filled with influential research and contributions to education. Now a research professor at Florida State University, Dr. Stanley has been at the forefront of paleontological studies for more than five decades. His novel “T. Rex, Darwin and Adventures Out West” continues this tradition by blending scientific insight with creative storytelling.
“This novel was an opportunity to share a different side of my understanding of the world — one that blends the rigor of science with the creativity of storytelling,” Dr. Stanley notes. His work on the theory of punctuated equilibria and the magnesium/calcium ratio in seawater has revolutionized the field. Still, through his novel, he explores the complexities of human relationships and the natural world.
Transforming Paleontology Education and Research Across Decades
Dr. Stanley’s academic career has garnered numerous accolades, including the Penrose Medal from the Geological Society of America and the Mary Clark Thompson Medal from the National Academy of Sciences. His textbooks, including “Earth System History” and “Principles of Paleontology,” have been considered essential reading in the field.
Dr. Stanley is widely recognized for his groundbreaking research in paleontology. His 1971 dissertation, “Relation of Shell Form to Life Habits in the Bivalvia (Mollusca),” remains a seminal work in studying functional skeletal morphology, cited consistently nearly 50 years after its publication. His book “Macroevolution: Pattern and Process” has been a cornerstone in evolutionary biology, continuing to be cited about 40 times annually, even four decades after its release.
Among his numerous achievements, Dr. Stanley is known for his influential textbook “Principles of Paleontology,” co-authored with David Raup, which transformed the teaching of paleontology in the United States and abroad. His historical geology text, “Earth System History,” now in its seventh edition, has been used by approximately half a million students.
Moreover, his work on how changes in seawater chemistry have influenced marine life over the past half a billion years has established a new area of interdisciplinary research. Dr. Stanley also developed a novel mathematical technique that provided new insights into mass extinction events.
Achievements and Awards
Dr. Stanley’s contributions to paleontology and evolutionary biology have earned him numerous awards, including the Top Research Professor of the Decade in 2021 and the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019.
Dr. Stanley also received the Penrose Medal from the Geological Society of America in 2013, the Twenhofel Medal from the Society for Sedimentary Geology in 2008, and the Mary Clark Thompson Medal from the National Academy of Sciences in 2006.
Dr. Stanley’s extensive work has been recognized with other prestigious honors, including the Guggenheim Fellowship in 1981 and the Allan C. Davis Medal from the Maryland Academy of Sciences in 1973.
In “T. Rex, Darwin and Adventures Out West,” readers are introduced to a group of college students and their professor. Their adventures are infused with the drama, humor, and scientific insights that have characterized Dr. Stanley’s professional life. At one point, the narrative becomes a mystery story with a clever solution.
“I wanted to write something that would entertain but also provoke thought about the natural world and our place in it,” he says.
Dr. Stanley’s unique perspective as a scientist and storyteller shines through in this novel, making it a must-read for anyone interested in the intersection of science and literature.
