Frank Peabody
Encyclopedia
Frank Elmer Peabody was an American palaeontologist noted for his research on fossil trackway
s and reptile and amphibian skeletal structure.
He attended high school and junior college in the San Francisco Bay Area
. His undergraduate studies were completed at the University of California
in 1938 and in 1940 he was awarded an M.A.
in paleontology. While working at the University of California, Berkeley
he came under the tutelage of Professor Charles Lewis Camp
from whom he inherited a passion for vertebrate phylogenetic problems. Peabody and fellow student Sam P. Welles
helped Camp with his research on the North American Triassic
with their work at the Moenkopi Formation
, the Dinosaur National Monument
sandstones, and the Kayenta Formation
.
During World War II
Peabody worked at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
and Oak Ridge National Laboratory
, and finished his doctorate at the University of California in 1946. He accompanied the University of California South African Expedition in 1947-1948 as Senior Paleontologist. He and Charles Camp excavated at Gladysvale Cave
and nearby Bolt's Farm. Subsequently they visited the Northern Transvaal and Mozambique
in their search for specimens. The expedition also visited Wonderwerk Cave
in Northern Cape Province.
Charles Camp, Joseph T. Gregory
, and Frank Peabody were interested in the histology of fossil bones, and prepared numerous sections to compare their structures with those of modern mammals. This slide collection continues to be useful.
Peabody later became Instructor in Zoology at the University of Kansas
at Lawrence. The fossils he excavated near Garnett, Kansas
were source material for his work on the earliest known reptiles. Until his untimely death of a heart attack in 1958, his interests included the evolution, osteology
, and ecology of the Garnett fossil reptiles. Shortly before his death he was awarded a National Science Foundation
research grant.
Fossil trackway
A fossil trackway is a type of trace fossil, a trackway made by an organism. Many fossil trackways were made by dinosaurs, early tetrapods, and other quadrupeds and bipeds on land...
s and reptile and amphibian skeletal structure.
He attended high school and junior college in the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
. His undergraduate studies were completed at the University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
in 1938 and in 1940 he was awarded an M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in paleontology. While working at 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...
he came under the tutelage of Professor Charles Lewis Camp
Charles Lewis Camp
Charles Lewis Camp was a notable palaeontologist and zoologist, working from the University of California, Berkeley...
from whom he inherited a passion for vertebrate phylogenetic problems. Peabody and fellow student Sam P. Welles
Samuel Paul Welles
Samuel Paul Welles was an American palaeontologist, who was Research Associate at the Museum of Palaeontology, University of California, Berkeley. He took part in excavations at the 'Placerias Quarry' in 1930 and the Shonisaurus discoveries of 1954 and later, in what is now the Berlin-Ichthyosaur...
helped Camp with his research on the North American 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...
with their work at the Moenkopi Formation
Moenkopi Formation
The Moenkopi is a geological formation that is spread across the U.S. states of New Mexico, northern Arizona, Nevada, southeastern California, eastern Utah and western Colorado. This unit is considered to be a group in Arizona. Part of the Colorado Plateau and Basin and Range, this formation was...
, the Dinosaur National Monument
Dinosaur National Monument
Dinosaur National Monument is a National Monument located on the southeast flank of the Uinta Mountains on the border between Colorado and Utah at the confluence of the Green and Yampa Rivers. Although most of the monument area is in Moffat County, Colorado, the Dinosaur Quarry is located in Utah...
sandstones, and the Kayenta Formation
Kayenta Formation
The Kayenta Formation is a geologic layer in the Glen Canyon Group that is spread across the Colorado Plateau province of the United States, including northern Arizona, northwest Colorado, Nevada, and Utah. This rock formation is particularly prominent in southeastern Utah, where it is seen in the...
.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Peabody worked at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory , is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory conducting unclassified scientific research. It is located on the grounds of the University of California, Berkeley, in the Berkeley Hills above the central campus...
and Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Oak Ridge National Laboratory is a multiprogram science and technology national laboratory managed for the United States Department of Energy by UT-Battelle. ORNL is the DOE's largest science and energy laboratory. ORNL is located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, near Knoxville...
, and finished his doctorate at the University of California in 1946. He accompanied the University of California South African Expedition in 1947-1948 as Senior Paleontologist. He and Charles Camp excavated at Gladysvale Cave
Gladysvale Cave South Africa
Gladysvale Cave is a fossil-bearing breccia filled cave located about 13 km Northeast of the well known South African hominid-bearing sites of Sterkfontein and Swartkrans and about 45 km North-Northwest of the City of Johannesburg, South Africa...
and nearby Bolt's Farm. Subsequently they visited the Northern Transvaal and Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
in their search for specimens. The expedition also visited Wonderwerk Cave
Wonderwerk Cave
Wonderwerk Cave is an archaeological site, formed originally as an ancient solution cavity in Dolomite rocks of the Kuruman Hills, situated between Danielskuil and Kuruman in the Northern Cape Province, South Africa. It is a National Heritage Site within a servitude ceded to and managed as a...
in Northern Cape Province.
Charles Camp, Joseph T. Gregory
Joseph T. Gregory
Dr. Joseph Tracy Gregory was an American paleontologist and professor.Joseph Tracy Gregory was born in Eureka, California, the only child of Frank Gregory, a civil engineer, and Edith Tracy, a high school teacher...
, and Frank Peabody were interested in the histology of fossil bones, and prepared numerous sections to compare their structures with those of modern mammals. This slide collection continues to be useful.
Peabody later became Instructor in Zoology at the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
at Lawrence. The fossils he excavated near Garnett, Kansas
Garnett, Kansas
Garnett is a city in and the county seat of Anderson County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,415.-Geography:Garnett is located at...
were source material for his work on the earliest known reptiles. Until his untimely death of a heart attack in 1958, his interests included the evolution, osteology
Osteology
Osteology is the scientific study of bones. A subdiscipline of anatomy, anthropology, and archeology, osteology is a detailed study of the structure of bones, skeletal elements, teeth, morphology, function, disease, pathology, the process of ossification , the resistance and hardness of bones , etc...
, and ecology of the Garnett fossil reptiles. Shortly before his death he was awarded a National Science Foundation
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
research grant.
Personal life
Peabody was survived by his wife, Anna, to whom he had been married for 20 years, his daughters Joanne (19) and Joyce (10), and son Frank Jr.(17).Publications
- Trackways Of Living And Fossil Salamanders (1959)
- Annual growth zones in living and fossil vertebrates (1961) Journal of Morphology Volume 108, Issue 1, pages 11–62, January 1961