Presentation of the 2008 Paleontological Society Medal to Niles Eldredge

Abstract

Thanks to the President, the Council, and the entire Society for allowing me the privilege of presenting Niles Eldredge to receive our highest honor, the Paleontological Society Medal. John Quincy Adams said, “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.” True, the President who said that was almost impeached, but we are here today, honoring Niles Eldredge, because he is a leader in paleontology. A particularly impressive feature of Niles' career is the broad array of fundamental paleontological and evolutionary topics he has profoundly illuminated. These range from development of the concept of punctuated equilibria, the cornerstone of macroevolutionary theory, to further expansion of studies of macroevolution itself; from the evolution of trilobites to the history of the evolutionary synthesis; from pioneering work in phylogenetics to early and vigorous advocacy of biodiversity and conservation; and from combating creationist dogma to work as a Darwin scholar. The list literally goes on and on. Not only has he made major contributions in research, but also he has played an …