Ralph Works Chaney | |
|---|---|
 Ralph W. Chaney | |
| Born | August 24, 1890 Brainerd, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | March 3, 1971 (aged 80) Berkeley, California, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | University of Chicago |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | University of Iowa University of California, Berkeley |
| Author abbrev. (botany) | R.W.Chaney |
Ralph Works Chaney (August 24, 1890 – March 3, 1971) was an American paleobotanist. Chaney was the first paleobotanist to develop in detail the use of morphological characters of fossil leaves to deduce ecological information of the given era. He was also the first to use quantitative study of fossil floras in an attempt to arrive at a precise estimate of species dominance in vegetation, understanding that species in a given ecosystem evolve cooperatively.[1]