Elso Barghoorn

Elso Barghoorn
Born
Elso Sterrenberg Barghoorn

(1915-06-30)June 30, 1915
New York City, NY, U.S.
DiedJanuary 22, 1984(1984-01-22) (aged 68)
EducationMiami University (BSc, MSc)
Harvard University (PhD)
Awards
Scientific career
FieldsPaleobotany
InstitutionsAmherst College
Harvard University
ThesisThe ontogenetic development and phylogenetic specialization of rays in the xylem of conifers and dicotyledons (1941)
Doctoral advisorI. W. Bailey
Doctoral studentsBruce H. Tiffney

Elso Sterrenberg Barghoorn (June 30, 1915 – January 22, 1984) was an American paleobotanist, called by his student Andrew Knoll, the present Fisher Professor of Natural History at Harvard, "the father of Pre-Cambrian palaeontology."[1]

Barghoorn is best known for discovering in South African rocks fossil evidence of life that is at least 3.4 billion years old. These fossils show that life was present on Earth comparatively soon after the Late Heavy Bombardment (about 3.8 billion years ago).

Barghoorn was born in New York City. After graduating from Miami University with a BSc and an MSc in biology, Barghoorn obtained his Ph.D. in paleobotany from the Harvard University, faculty of biological sciences, in 1941. After teaching for five years at Amherst College, he joined the Harvard faculty, becoming Fisher Professor of Natural History and curator of the university's plant fossils collections. He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1950.[2] In 1972 Barghoorn was awarded the Charles Doolittle Walcott Medal from the National Academy of Sciences, of which he was also a member.[3][4] He was also a member of the National Academy of Sciences (1967)[5] and the American Philosophical Society (1978).[6] As a posthumous honor, the Paleontological Society established the Elso Barghoorn Student Research Award.[7]

Barghoorn married Margaret Alden MacCleod in 1941, Teresa Joan LaCroix in 1953, and Dorothy Dellmer Osgood (1936–1982) in 1964. The first two marriages ended in divorce.

The standard author abbreviation Bargh. is used to indicate this person as the author when citing a botanical name.[8]
  1. ^ Knoll (2003), p. .
  2. ^ "Book of Members, 1780-2010: Chapter B" (PDF). American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Retrieved May 17, 2011.
  3. ^ "Charles Doolittle Walcott Medal". National Academy of Sciences. Archived from the original on 13 May 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
  4. ^ "Elso Sterrenberg Barghoorn". American Academy of Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 2022-07-13.
  5. ^ "Elso S. Barghoorn". www.nasonline.org. Retrieved 2022-07-13.
  6. ^ "APS Member History". search.amphilsoc.org. Retrieved 2022-07-13.
  7. ^ "Elso Barghoorn Award". Named Awards, Paleontological Society.
  8. ^ International Plant Names Index.  Bargh.