Francis Clark Howell
Encyclopedia
Francis Clark Howell, generally known as F. Clark Howell (November 27, 1925 – March 10, 2007) was an American anthropologist. He altered the landscape of his discipline irrevocably by adding a broad spectrum of modern sciences to the traditional "stones and bones" approach of the past and is considered the father of modern paleo-anthropology.http://www.dailycal.org/sharticle.php?id=23873
Born in Kansas City, Missouri
, F. Clark Howell grew up in Kansas
, where he became interested in natural history. He served in the U.S. Navy
during World War II, from 1944 to 1946 in the Pacific Theater
. Howell was educated at the University of Chicago
, where he received his Ph.B., A.M. and Ph.D. degrees under the tutelage of Sherwood L. Washburn.
Dr. Howell died of metastatic lung cancer on March 10, 2007 at age 81 at his home in Berkeley, California
.
, in 1953, and stayed there for only two years before moving back to his alma mater
, the University of Chicago
. He went on to spend the next 25 years of his career there in the Department of Anthropology
. He achieved a professorship in 1962 and became chairman of the department in 1966. In 1970, Howell moved to the University of California, Berkeley
following his mentor Washburn. This time he stayed for good, remaining a professor and then an emeritus until his death.
Howell's early work focused on Homo neanderthalensis
for which he made trips to Europe beginning in 1953. His later work brought him to Africa, the cradle of mankind. From 1957 to 1958, he worked at Isimila, Tanzania, where he recovered enormous hand-axes dating from the Acheulean
(260,000 years old). Continuing his study of the Acheulean period he excavated in Spain (1961 to 1963) at the sites of Torralba and Ambrona which are 300,000 to 400,000 years old. At none of these sites did he find skeletal material however.
That had to wait until he worked on lower Pleistocene
deposits dating from 2.1 - 0.1 Mya in the Omo River
region of southern Ethiopia
. There he found vertebrate fossils of monkeys as well as hominids. It was here that he also pioneered new dating methods based on potassium
-argon
radioisotope techniques.
Howell was instrumental in the creation of the L.S.B. Leakey Foundation. Subsequently he served the Foundation as Science Advisor, Chairman of the Science and Grants committee, and then trustee until his death. Howell also played significant roles in several other evolution and natural sciences organizations including the Stone Age Institute in Bloomington IN, the Berkeley Geochronology Center
('BGC'), the Institute for Human Origins ('IHO'), the Wenner-Gren Foundation, the National Center for Science Education
('NCSE') and the Human Evolution Research Center ('HERC') at the University of California at Berkeley, which he co-managed for over thirty years with his colleague Tim White. Howell was also a science advisor and later president, trustee and fellow of the California Academy of Sciences.
At various times, Howell served on the editorial boards of Encyclopædia Britannica, World Book/Childcraft and Science Year, National Geographic and Time-Life Books (now part of Time Warner).
Finally, Howell wrote a popular mainstream book on human evolution, Early Man, which was published in 1965 as part of the Time-Life
's LIFE Nature Library
series (see March of Progress (illustration)
).
At least seven extinct species are named for him. The species name howelli will remain in museums and textbooks forever, and designates two mollusks, two ancestral species of civet cats, one hyena, an ancestral antelope and a primate of the loris family.
Born in Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, F. Clark Howell grew up in Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, where he became interested in natural history. He served in the U.S. Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during World War II, from 1944 to 1946 in the Pacific Theater
Pacific Ocean theater of World War II
The Pacific Ocean theatre was one of four major naval theatres of war of World War II, which pitted the forces of Japan against those of the United States, the British Commonwealth, the Netherlands and France....
. Howell was educated at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, where he received his Ph.B., A.M. and Ph.D. degrees under the tutelage of Sherwood L. Washburn.
Dr. Howell died of metastatic lung cancer on March 10, 2007 at age 81 at his home in Berkeley, California
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
.
Academic career
Howell began his career in the Anatomy Department of Washington University in St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, in 1953, and stayed there for only two years before moving back to his alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
, the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
. He went on to spend the next 25 years of his career there in the Department of Anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
. He achieved a professorship in 1962 and became chairman of the department in 1966. In 1970, Howell moved to the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
following his mentor Washburn. This time he stayed for good, remaining a professor and then an emeritus until his death.
Howell's early work focused on Homo neanderthalensis
Neanderthal
The Neanderthal is an extinct member of the Homo genus known from Pleistocene specimens found in Europe and parts of western and central Asia...
for which he made trips to Europe beginning in 1953. His later work brought him to Africa, the cradle of mankind. From 1957 to 1958, he worked at Isimila, Tanzania, where he recovered enormous hand-axes dating from the Acheulean
Acheulean
Acheulean is the name given to an archaeological industry of stone tool manufacture associated with early humans during the Lower Palaeolithic era across Africa and much of West Asia, South Asia and Europe. Acheulean tools are typically found with Homo erectus remains...
(260,000 years old). Continuing his study of the Acheulean period he excavated in Spain (1961 to 1963) at the sites of Torralba and Ambrona which are 300,000 to 400,000 years old. At none of these sites did he find skeletal material however.
That had to wait until he worked on lower Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
deposits dating from 2.1 - 0.1 Mya in the Omo River
Omo River
The Omo River is an important river of southern Ethiopia. Its course is entirely contained within the boundaries of Ethiopia, and empties into Lake Turkana on the border with Kenya...
region of southern Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
. There he found vertebrate fossils of monkeys as well as hominids. It was here that he also pioneered new dating methods based on potassium
Potassium
Potassium is the chemical element with the symbol K and atomic number 19. Elemental potassium is a soft silvery-white alkali metal that oxidizes rapidly in air and is very reactive with water, generating sufficient heat to ignite the hydrogen emitted in the reaction.Potassium and sodium are...
-argon
Argon
Argon is a chemical element represented by the symbol Ar. Argon has atomic number 18 and is the third element in group 18 of the periodic table . Argon is the third most common gas in the Earth's atmosphere, at 0.93%, making it more common than carbon dioxide...
radioisotope techniques.
Other interests
Howell was an ardent proponent for scientific research of all kinds and strongly believed in popularizing science. He demonstrated this through many of his non-academic interests and efforts.Howell was instrumental in the creation of the L.S.B. Leakey Foundation. Subsequently he served the Foundation as Science Advisor, Chairman of the Science and Grants committee, and then trustee until his death. Howell also played significant roles in several other evolution and natural sciences organizations including the Stone Age Institute in Bloomington IN, the Berkeley Geochronology Center
Berkeley Geochronology Center
The Berkeley Geochronology Center is a non-profit geochronology research institute in Berkeley, California. It was originally a research group in the laboratory of University of California Berkeley geophysicist and geochronologist Garniss Curtis, now professor emeritus...
('BGC'), the Institute for Human Origins ('IHO'), the Wenner-Gren Foundation, the National Center for Science Education
National Center for Science Education
The National Center for Science Education is a non-profit organization based in Oakland, California affiliated with the American Association for the Advancement of Science. It is the United States' leading anti-creationist organization, and defends the teaching of evolutionary biology and opposes...
('NCSE') and the Human Evolution Research Center ('HERC') at the University of California at Berkeley, which he co-managed for over thirty years with his colleague Tim White. Howell was also a science advisor and later president, trustee and fellow of the California Academy of Sciences.
At various times, Howell served on the editorial boards of Encyclopædia Britannica, World Book/Childcraft and Science Year, National Geographic and Time-Life Books (now part of Time Warner).
Finally, Howell wrote a popular mainstream book on human evolution, Early Man, which was published in 1965 as part of the Time-Life
Time-Life
Time–Life is a creator and direct marketer of books, music, video/DVD, and multimedia products. Its products are sold throughout North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia through television, print, retail, the Internet, telemarketing, and direct sales....
's LIFE Nature Library
Life Nature Library
The Life Nature Library was a popular series of hardbound books published by Time-Life between 1961 and 1965. Each of the 25 volumes explored a major topic of the natural world. They were intended for, and written at a level appropriate to, an educated lay readership.Each volume was written by a...
series (see March of Progress (illustration)
March of Progress (illustration)
The March of Progress, or simply March of Progress, is one of the most famous and recognizable scientific illustrations ever produced. A compressed presentation of 25 million years of human evolution, it depicts 15 human evolutionary forebears lined up as if marching in a parade from left to right...
).
Honors
Howell was a member of the United States' National Academy of Sciences. He was also a member or fellow of the science institutes and academies of France, Britain and South Africa. He received the Charles Darwin Award for lifetime achievement from the American Association of Physical Anthropologists*http://www.physanth.org/annmeet/prizes/darwin.htm and the Leakey Prize in 1998 from the L.S.B. Leakey Foundation. The California Academy of Sciences awarded him its Fellows Medal in 1990.At least seven extinct species are named for him. The species name howelli will remain in museums and textbooks forever, and designates two mollusks, two ancestral species of civet cats, one hyena, an ancestral antelope and a primate of the loris family.
Writings
In addition to Early Man, Howell wrote more than 200 scientific papers and reviews.- Chapter on HominidaeHominidaeThe Hominidae or include them .), as the term is used here, form a taxonomic family, including four extant genera: chimpanzees , gorillas , humans , and orangutans ....
in Evolution of African Mammals, edited by Vincent Maglio and Basil Cooke (1978).
External links
- UC Berkeley News - "Famed paleoanthropologist Clark Howell has died"
- In memory of F. Clark Howell
- F. Clark Howell A blog about F. Clark Howell's cancer treatment, written by his son Brian Howell.
- L.S.B Leakey Foundation