author
Frank Hall Knowlton
1860–1926
A pioneering American paleobotanist, he helped turn fossil plants into clues about ancient landscapes and climates. His work with the U.S. Geological Survey and the Smithsonian made him an important early voice in the study of North America's prehistoric flora.
1 Audiobook
Fossil Forests of the Yellowstone National Park
by Frank Hall Knowlton
About the author
Born in Brandon, Vermont, on September 2, 1860, he studied at Middlebury College and began his career at the United States National Museum before moving into work with the U.S. Geological Survey. He also taught botany at Columbian University, now George Washington University, in Washington, D.C.
He became best known as a specialist in fossil plants, studying how prehistoric vegetation could reveal the age of rock layers and the climates of earlier geologic periods. His research helped build the young field of paleobotany in the United States, and he was widely recognized for investigating the distribution and structure of fossilized plants.
Knowlton died on November 22, 1926. Alongside his paleobotanical work, he is also remembered as a botanist, naturalist, and ornithologist, reflecting the wide-ranging curiosity common among scientists of his era.