Reginald Sprigg

Reginald (Reg) Claude Sprigg (born March 1, 1919 in Stansbury , Australia , † December 2, 1994 in Glasgow , United Kingdom ) was an Australian geologist and paleontologist . He is considered to be the discoverer of the Ediacaran fauna .

Career

Reginald Sprigg grew up in the Australian state of South Australia . He completed a degree in geology at the University of Adelaide , which he graduated as a Master of Science in 1941 . In 1940 he joined the Royal Australian Engineers of the Australian Army . He then worked for the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization until 1943 .

From 1944 to 1954 Reginald Sprigg was employed by the South Australian Mining Authority. His greatest discovery came in 1946 when he was sent by the Australian government to investigate the profitability of disused mines in Ediacaran Hills . Here he found fossils of very ancient creatures, the so-called Ediacara fauna, which he dated to the early Cambrian or even the Precambrian . However, his work initially received little scientific attention. His article for Nature was rejected and his presentations at several congresses met with disbelief or disinterest. Only after confirmation by Martin Glaessner did he receive late recognition. In Reginald Spriggs honor, fossils of the Ediacaran fauna, the genera Spriggia and Spriggina , were named.

In 1954 Reginald Sprigg founded Geosurveys of Australia. After the takeover by Beach Petroleum Ltd. in 1962 he became its managing director.

The Royal Society of South Australia honored him with the Verco Medal in 1968. In 1980 he received an honorary doctorate from the Australian National University . In 1983 he was appointed Officer of the Order of Australia by Elizabeth II .

Rich from the income from his oil company, he retired to an estate in the Flinders Mountains, where he set up a game reserve.

Individual evidence

1. ^ Sprigg RC: Early Cambrian (?) Jellyfishes from the Flinders Ranges, South Australia . In: Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia . 71, 1947, pp. 212-224.
2. ↑ Glaessner, Martin F .: New Fossils from the Base of the Cambrian in South Australia Archived from the original on December 16, 2008. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. ( PDF ) In: Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia . 81, 1958, pp. 185-188. Retrieved February 7, 2011.