Anthony Hallam
Encyclopedia
Professor
Anthony Hallam (born December 26, 1933), aka Tony Hallam, is a British
geologist
, palaeontologist and writer
. His research
interests concentrate on the Jurassic Period, with particular reference to stratigraphy
, sea level
changes and palaeontology. He is also interested in mass extinctions, especially the end Triassic
event.
graduating with a double first class degree in geology 1955. He remained at Cambridge University as researcher under the supervision of the late William Joscelyn Arkell
, widely regarded as the expert on the Jurassic Period at that time. His thesis
involved the study of the alternating limestone
- shale
rhythms of the Lower Jurassic of Southern England
. He also published work on the evolution
of Gryphaea
, an extinct species of oyster
. He was awarded a Ph.D.
in 1959.
Following a period as lecturer
at the University of Edinburgh
(1958–67), Hallam moved to the University of Oxford
as lecturer
in geology
. He was also a Fellow
of New College, Oxford
. It was during this time that he continued his research into the controversial evolution of Gryphaea, publishing several papers with the late Stephen Jay Gould
.
Hallam was appointed Lapworth Professor of geology at the University of Birmingham
in 1977. This prestigious chair was named in honour of Charles Lapworth
, the first Professor of geology at that university. Following retirement in 1999, Hallam has remained at Birmingham University as Professor Emeritus.
He has directly supervised over 35 graduate research students.
by the Geological Society of London
in 1990. In 2007, he was awarded the Lapworth Medal
, by the Palaeontological Association
, that Society's highest award.
, Birmingham
.
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
Anthony Hallam (born December 26, 1933), aka Tony Hallam, is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
geologist
Geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth as well as the processes and history that has shaped it. Geologists usually engage in studying geology. Geologists, studying more of an applied science than a theoretical one, must approach Geology using...
, palaeontologist and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
. His research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
interests concentrate on the Jurassic Period, with particular reference to stratigraphy
Stratigraphy
Stratigraphy, a branch of geology, studies rock layers and layering . It is primarily used in the study of sedimentary and layered volcanic rocks....
, sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
changes and palaeontology. He is also interested in mass extinctions, especially the end Triassic
Triassic
The Triassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about 250 to 200 Mya . As the first period of the Mesozoic Era, the Triassic follows the Permian and is followed by the Jurassic. Both the start and end of the Triassic are marked by major extinction events...
event.
Biography
Born in Leicester and having attended local schools, Hallam won an exhibition to St John's College, CambridgeSt John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....
graduating with a double first class degree in geology 1955. He remained at Cambridge University as researcher under the supervision of the late William Joscelyn Arkell
William Joscelyn Arkell
William Joscelyn Arkell M.A.; D.Phil.; D.Sc.; FGS.; FRS. was a British geologist and paleontologist, regarded as the leading authority on the Jurassic Period during the middle part of the 20th century.-Childhood:...
, widely regarded as the expert on the Jurassic Period at that time. His thesis
Thesis
A dissertation or thesis is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings...
involved the study of the alternating limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
- shale
Shale
Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock composed of mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals and tiny fragments of other minerals, especially quartz and calcite. The ratio of clay to other minerals is variable. Shale is characterized by breaks along thin laminae or parallel layering...
rhythms of the Lower Jurassic of Southern England
Southern England
Southern England, the South and the South of England are imprecise terms used to refer to the southern counties of England bordering the English Midlands. It has a number of different interpretations of its geographic extents. The South is considered by many to be a cultural region with a distinct...
. He also published work on the evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
of Gryphaea
Gryphaea
Gryphaea, common name Devil's toenails, is a genus of extinct oysters, marine bivalve mollusks in the family Gryphaeidae.These fossils range from the Jurassic to the Cretaceous periods. They are particularly common in many parts of Britain....
, an extinct species of oyster
Oyster
The word oyster is used as a common name for a number of distinct groups of bivalve molluscs which live in marine or brackish habitats. The valves are highly calcified....
. He was awarded a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in 1959.
Following a period as lecturer
Lecturer
Lecturer is an academic rank. In the United Kingdom, lecturer is a position at a university or similar institution, often held by academics in their early career stages, who lead research groups and supervise research students, as well as teach...
at the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
(1958–67), Hallam moved to the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
as lecturer
Lecturer
Lecturer is an academic rank. In the United Kingdom, lecturer is a position at a university or similar institution, often held by academics in their early career stages, who lead research groups and supervise research students, as well as teach...
in geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
. He was also a Fellow
Fellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
of New College, Oxford
New College, Oxford
New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always...
. It was during this time that he continued his research into the controversial evolution of Gryphaea, publishing several papers with the late Stephen Jay Gould
Stephen Jay Gould
Stephen Jay Gould was an American paleontologist, evolutionary biologist, and historian of science. He was also one of the most influential and widely read writers of popular science of his generation....
.
Hallam was appointed Lapworth Professor of geology at the University of Birmingham
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
in 1977. This prestigious chair was named in honour of Charles Lapworth
Charles Lapworth
Charles Lapworth was an English geologist.-Biography:He was born at Faringdon in Berkshire and educated as a teacher at the Culham Diocesan Training College near Abingdon, Oxfordshire. He moved to the Scottish border region, where he investigated the previously little-known fossil fauna of the area...
, the first Professor of geology at that university. Following retirement in 1999, Hallam has remained at Birmingham University as Professor Emeritus.
He has directly supervised over 35 graduate research students.
Publications
He has written over 200 research papers and is the author or editor of more than twelve books, including Jurassic Environments, Great Geological Controversies and Catastophes and Lesser Calamities: The Causes of Mass Extinctions.- Phanerozoic sea-level changes, (Columbia University PressColumbia University PressColumbia University Press is a university press based in New York City, and affiliated with Columbia University. It is currently directed by James D. Jordan and publishes titles in the humanities and sciences, including the fields of literary and cultural studies, history, social work, sociology,...
1992) ISBN 9780231074247
Awards
He was awarded the Lyell MedalLyell Medal
The Lyell Medal is a prestigious annual scientific medal given by the Geological Society of London, equal in status to the Murchison Medal, awarded on the basis of research to an Earth Scientist of exceptional quality...
by the Geological Society of London
Geological Society of London
The Geological Society of London is a learned society based in the United Kingdom with the aim of "investigating the mineral structure of the Earth"...
in 1990. In 2007, he was awarded the Lapworth Medal
Lapworth Medal
The Lapworth Medal is the highest award of the Palaeontological Association, given to those who have made a significant contribution to the science by means of a substantial body of research.Recent winners are:*2010 - Dr Robin Cocks...
, by the Palaeontological Association
Palaeontological Association
The Palaeontological Association is a charitable organisation based in the UK founded in 1957 for the promotion of the study of palaeontology.-Functions:...
, that Society's highest award.
Personal life
Hallam is still a very active researcher, undertaking fieldtrips and attending conferences well into retirement. In his spare time he enjoys watching football, the arts and he, along with his wife are members of the Chantry Tennis Club in MoseleyMoseley
Moseley is a suburb of Birmingham, England, two miles south of the city centre. The area is a popular cosmopolitan residential location and leisure destination, with a number of bars and restaurants...
, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
.
External links
- Anthony Hallam's website at University of BirminghamUniversity of BirminghamThe University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...