Norman J. Silberling

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Norman "Norm" John Silberling (born November 28, 1928 in Oakland , California , † September 27, 2011 in Lakewood , Colorado ) was an American paleontologist and geologist .

Silberling received his doctorate from Stanford University in 1957 under Siemon Muller (Si Muller), a student of James Perrin Smith , who continued his work on Triassic ammonites in Nevada . His dissertation was entitled Pre-Tertiary stratigraphy and Upper Triassic paleontology of the Union district, Shoshone Mountains, Nevada . Before his doctorate, he did his military service in the Korean War and received two awards for bravery (Combat Star). As a post-graduate student , he stayed at Stanford and went to the United States Geological Survey in the 1970s , first in Menlo Park , then in Washington, DC and finally in Denver . He retired in the mid-1990s.

He was involved with Edward Timothy Tozer in the creation of a new biostratigraphy of the Triassic based on ammonites as key fossils. In addition to Nevada, he conducted field studies in Alaska and New Zealand. Due to his studies in Alaska, he made significant contributions to the Terrane concept in plate tectonics , which he then applied to Nevada and the history of the Great Basin in the Mesozoic (later also to Mexico).

In addition to ammonites, he also dealt with fossil shells of the Triassic ( Monotis , Halobia , Daonella ).

Norman Silberling was married to geologist Kathryn M. Nichols. He is not to be confused with the economist Norman John Silberling (1892–1942).

Fonts

  • with E. Timothy Tozer: Biostratigraphic classification of the marine Triassic in North America , Geological Society of America, Special Paper 110, 1968
  • with DL Jones , John Hillhouse: Wrangellia — a displaced terrane in northwestern North America: Canadian Jour. Earth Sci., Vol. 14, 1977, pp. 2565-2577
  • with Jones, Hillhouse: Microplate tectonics of Alaska — Significance for the Mesozoic history of the Pacific Coast of North America, in: KA McDougall, DG Howell D. G (Ed.): Mesozoic paleogeography of the western United States: Soc. Econ. Paleontologists and Mineralogists, Pacific Sec., Pacific Coast Paleogeography Symposium 2, 1978, pp. 71-74
  • with WJ Nokleberg, DL Jones: Origin, migration, and accretion of the Maclaren and Wrangellia terranes, eastern Alaska Range, Alaska: Geological Society of America Bulletin, Volume 96, 1985, pp. 1251-1270
  • Edited with DL Jones: Lithotectonic terrane maps of the North American Cordillera: US Geological Survey Open-File Report 84, 1984

literature

  • Dedication to Norman J. Silberling and E. Timothy Tozer, in SG Lucas, JA Spielman (Ed.), The global triassic, New Mexico Museum of Natural History Bulletin 41, pdf , with list of publications
  • Kathy Nichols, Spencer G. Lucas: Norman J. Silberling (1928-2011) In memoriam , New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science Bulletin 61
  • Obituary AGS Newsletter, February 2012, pdf
personal data
SURNAME Silberling, Norman J.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Silberling, Norm J. (nickname); Silberling, Norman John
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American paleontologist and geologist
DATE OF BIRTH November 28, 1928
PLACE OF BIRTH Oakland , California
DATE OF DEATH September 27, 2011
Place of death Lakewood , Colorado