2023/08/04 by Charles R. Marshall · 1 voice
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Environmental Science · Social Sciences · #Evolution and Paleontology Studies #Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology #Species Distribution and Climate Change
paper · pdf · doi:10.1017/pab.2023.21
openalex publication_date 2023/08/04 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/22
In 1980, Steven J. Gould published an essay on the emergence of paleobiology as a nomothetic discipline (Gould 1980), nomothetism referring to the search for general laws or principles. Gould contrasted this with the foundation of paleontology, the idiographic tradition of detailing the history of life from the description of new fossil taxa to the elucidation of the long-term patterns of change through time. Among the pioneers of this nomothetic expansion was Jim Valentine. Here I pay tribute to Jim as one of the first paleobiologists, a colleague, coauthor, and friend, emphasizing his intellectual style and insights as much as his lasting contributions. I have written this in part as a eulogy, a remembrance for those who knew him, but also as an introduction to the continuing relevance of his work for those who may be unfamiliar with it.