George Gaylord Simpson quotes

George Gaylord Simpson was an influential American paleontologist and evolutionary biologist. His research on fossil mammals greatly advanced the modern understanding of evolution. He played a key role in the development of the modern evolutionary synthesis. Here are 13 of his quotes:

Man is the result of a purposeless and materialistic process that did not have him in mind. He was not planned. (George Gaylord Simpson)
Recognition of this kinship with the rest of the universe is necessary for understanding him, but his essential nature is defined by qualities found nowhere else, not by those he has in common with apes, fishes, trees, fire, or anything other than himself. View quote
George Gaylord Simpson
Most of the dogmatic religions have exhibited a perverse talent for taking the wrong side on the most important concepts in the material universe, from the structure of the solar system to the origin of man. View quote
George Gaylord Simpson
Almost all paleontologists recognize that the discovery of a complete transition is in any case unlikely. View quote
George Gaylord Simpson
Every paleontologist knows that most new species, genera, and families, and that nearly all categories above the level of family appear in the record suddenly and are not led up to by known, gradual, completely continuous transitional sequences. View quote
George Gaylord Simpson
Certainly paleontologists have found samples of an extremely small fraction, only, of the earth's extinct species, and even for groups that are most readily preserved and found as fossils they can never expect to find more than a fraction. View quote
George Gaylord Simpson
I have a debt, a loyalty to the museum; the best place for me to do what I wanted to do. View quote
George Gaylord Simpson
Splitting and gradual divergence of genera is exemplified very well and in a large variety of organisms. View quote
George Gaylord Simpson
Exobiology - a curious development in view of the fact that this "science" has yet to demonstrate that its subject matter exists! View quote
George Gaylord Simpson
It is another aphorism that no ones knows everything about anything. That need not dull the pleasure and fascination of the fact that a great deal is known about some things. View quote
George Gaylord Simpson
I don't think that evolution is supremely important because it is my specialty; it is my specialty because I think it is supremely important. (George Gaylord Simpson)
I don't know where to put whales. I'm sticking them here, but I don't have any reason for it. View quote
George Gaylord Simpson
The fact - not theory - that evolution has occurred and the Darwinian theory as to how it occurred have become so confused in popular opinion that the distinction must be stressed. View quote
George Gaylord Simpson

George Gaylord Simpson

Occupation: American Scientist
Born: June 16, 1902
Died: October 6, 1984
Quotes count: 13

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