John Marwick
Encyclopedia
John Marwick MM
(3 February 1891 - 17 August 1978) was a New Zealand
palaeontologist and geologist
.
John Marwick was born near Oamaru
, New Zealand, on 3 February 1891, the son of Hugh Marwick, and his wife, Jane née Cuthbert. While at Waitaki Boys' High School
he helped to collect fossil shells and learned the beginnings of how to classify molluscs
. He studied and taught at the University of Otago
, and in 1912 gained an MA with first-class honours in with a thesis on geology. In 1915, he married Marion Ivy Mary Keys at Mosgiel. They had two sons and two daughters, all becoming science graduates.
in 1916, and was posted to Egypt. He served there as a medical orderly in the New Zealand Division, and also in Palestine
, Sinai and Jordan
. He won the Military Medal
, and returned to Egypt, where he remained until 1919.
In 1920 he became an assistant geologist in the New Zealand Geological Survey. As the only Geological Survey palaeontologist, Marwick named most of the common New Zealand Tertiary
fossils, as well as many rarer ones. His work on molluscs were important contributions to understanding the Cenozoic
-era connections and environments. He continued work with oil companies in this field after he retired.
From 1937, still in the Geological Survey, Marwick entered into a fifteen year collaboration with Harold Finlay
. He persuaded Finlay to shift his focus from molluscs to forams. The result of this collaboration was the integration of Finlay's foram work with Marwick's stratigraphy
and mollusc work. They jointly produced a schema of New Zealand Cenozoic rocks that survives to the present almost without modification.
Marwick retired in 1952. He continued to work from home in what became a highly productive period. Apart from his work with oil companies, he took to completion research on turritellid gastropods and New Zealand faunal studies. He made significant contributions to geomorphology
and Mesozoic
palaeontology, as well as volcanology
and stratigraphy. His bibliography contains 124 publications.
John Marwick died at Hastings
on 17 August 1978.
Military Medal
The Military Medal was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other services, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land....
(3 February 1891 - 17 August 1978) was a New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
palaeontologist and geologist
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...
.
John Marwick was born near Oamaru
Oamaru
Oamaru , the largest town in North Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand, is the main town in the Waitaki District. It is 80 kilometres south of Timaru and 120 kilometres north of Dunedin, on the Pacific coast, and State Highway 1 and the railway Main South Line connects it to both...
, New Zealand, on 3 February 1891, the son of Hugh Marwick, and his wife, Jane née Cuthbert. While at Waitaki Boys' High School
Waitaki Boys' High School
Waitaki Boys' High School is a secondary school for boys located in the northern part of the town of Oamaru, Otago, New Zealand, with day and boarding facilities, and was founded in 1883. It currently has a school roll of just over 530....
he helped to collect fossil shells and learned the beginnings of how to classify molluscs
Mollusca
The Mollusca , common name molluscs or mollusksSpelled mollusks in the USA, see reasons given in Rosenberg's ; for the spelling mollusc see the reasons given by , is a large phylum of invertebrate animals. There are around 85,000 recognized extant species of molluscs. Mollusca is the largest...
. He studied and taught at the University of Otago
University of Otago
The University of Otago in Dunedin is New Zealand's oldest university with over 22,000 students enrolled during 2010.The university has New Zealand's highest average research quality and in New Zealand is second only to the University of Auckland in the number of A rated academic researchers it...
, and in 1912 gained an MA with first-class honours in with a thesis on geology. In 1915, he married Marion Ivy Mary Keys at Mosgiel. They had two sons and two daughters, all becoming science graduates.
Career
With the coming of the First World War Marwick joined the New Zealand Medical CorpsRoyal New Zealand Army Medical Corps
The Royal New Zealand Army Medical Corps is a corps of the New Zealand Army, the land branch of the New Zealand Defence Force. The Medical Corps provides for the medical needs of soldiers, such as diagnosing and treating diseases and injuries...
in 1916, and was posted to Egypt. He served there as a medical orderly in the New Zealand Division, and also in Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
, Sinai and Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
. He won the Military Medal
Military Medal
The Military Medal was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other services, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land....
, and returned to Egypt, where he remained until 1919.
In 1920 he became an assistant geologist in the New Zealand Geological Survey. As the only Geological Survey palaeontologist, Marwick named most of the common New Zealand Tertiary
Tertiary
The Tertiary is a deprecated term for a geologic period 65 million to 2.6 million years ago. The Tertiary covered the time span between the superseded Secondary period and the Quaternary...
fossils, as well as many rarer ones. His work on molluscs were important contributions to understanding the Cenozoic
Cenozoic
The Cenozoic era is the current and most recent of the three Phanerozoic geological eras and covers the period from 65.5 mya to the present. The era began in the wake of the Cretaceous–Tertiary extinction event at the end of the Cretaceous that saw the demise of the last non-avian dinosaurs and...
-era connections and environments. He continued work with oil companies in this field after he retired.
From 1937, still in the Geological Survey, Marwick entered into a fifteen year collaboration with Harold Finlay
Harold John Finlay
Harold John Finlay was a New Zealand palaeontologist and conchologist. He was born in Comilla, India , on 22 March 1901....
. He persuaded Finlay to shift his focus from molluscs to forams. The result of this collaboration was the integration of Finlay's foram work with Marwick's 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....
and mollusc work. They jointly produced a schema of New Zealand Cenozoic rocks that survives to the present almost without modification.
Marwick retired in 1952. He continued to work from home in what became a highly productive period. Apart from his work with oil companies, he took to completion research on turritellid gastropods and New Zealand faunal studies. He made significant contributions to geomorphology
Geomorphology
Geomorphology is the scientific study of landforms and the processes that shape them...
and Mesozoic
Mesozoic
The Mesozoic era is an interval of geological time from about 250 million years ago to about 65 million years ago. It is often referred to as the age of reptiles because reptiles, namely dinosaurs, were the dominant terrestrial and marine vertebrates of the time...
palaeontology, as well as volcanology
Volcanology
Volcanology is the study of volcanoes, lava, magma, and related geological, geophysical and geochemical phenomena. The term volcanology is derived from the Latin word vulcan. Vulcan was the ancient Roman god of fire....
and stratigraphy. His bibliography contains 124 publications.
John Marwick died at Hastings
Hastings, New Zealand
The city of Hastings is a major urban settlement in the Hawke's Bay region of the North Island of New Zealand, and it is the largest settlement by population in Hawke's Bay. Hastings city is the administrative centre of the Hastings District...
on 17 August 1978.
Honours and awards
- Awarded Hamilton Memorial Prize jointly with Finlay
- 1933 - awarded Hector Memorial MedalHector Memorial MedalThe Hector Memorial Medal is awarded annually for outstanding contribution to the advancement of the particular branch of science. It is awarded by the Royal Society of New Zealand in memory of Sir James Hector...
and Prize (with William Noel BensonWilliam Noel BensonWilliam Noel Benson FRS FRGS was a research geologist and academic. After studying geology at the University of Sydney, Benson worked temporarily at the University of Adelaide before returning to Sydney as a demonstrator...
) - 1935 - appointed Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand
- 1937 to 1938 - chairman, geology section of the Wellington Philosophical Society
- 1938 to 1946 - editor of the Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New ZealandRoyal Society of New ZealandThe Royal Society of New Zealand , known as the New Zealand Institute before 1933, was established in 1867 to co-ordinate and assist the activities of a number of regional research societies including the Auckland Institute, the Wellington Philosophical Society, the Philosophical Institute of...
- 1944 to 1950 - on the council of the Royal Society of New Zealand
- 1950 to 1952 - vice president of the Royal Society of New Zealand
- 1953 - Hutton Memorial Medal