author
William Diller Matthew
1871–1930
A leading vertebrate paleontologist of the early 20th century, he helped shape modern understanding of mammal evolution and became especially known for his work on fossil horses. His career linked major institutions in New York and Berkeley, where he guided important paleontological research.
1 Audiobook
Dinosaurs, with Special Reference to the American Museum Collections
by William Diller Matthew
About the author
Born in Saint John, New Brunswick, on February 19, 1871, he studied at the University of New Brunswick and later earned his Ph.D. at Columbia University. He built his reputation as a vertebrate paleontologist whose work focused mainly on mammal fossils, while also publishing in several neighboring areas of natural science.
Much of his career was spent at the American Museum of Natural History, where he worked for decades and rose to a senior curatorial role in geology, mineralogy, and paleontology. He was widely respected for careful field-based research and for influential studies of mammalian evolution, especially the history and relationships of horses.
In the last part of his career, he moved to California and became director of the University of California Museum of Paleontology. He died in San Francisco on September 24, 1930, leaving behind a body of work that remained important to later paleontologists.