NAS Award in the Evolution of Earth and Life
The Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal is scheduled for presentation in 2024, recipients will be announced in January 2024. To get awards news straight to your inbox, make sure to sign up for our Connect with Awards newsletter.
About the NAS Award in the Evolution of Earth and Life
Established by the NAS Council in June 2017 by combining two awards: the Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal and the Mary Clark Thompson Medal. The award rotates presentation between the Elliot Medal that recognizes meritorious work in zoology or paleontology published no earlier than the last presentation of the medal (2018), and the Thompson Medal that honors important services to geology and paleontology. Each medal is presented with a $20,000 prize.
Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal History
Established through the Daniel Giraud Elliot Fund by gift of Miss Margaret Henderson Elliot. First awarded in 1917 to Frank M. Chapman, the Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal has recognized the most prestigious zoologists and paleontologists over the past 90 years. Two-time Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal recipient, George Simpson proceeded to win the National Medal of Science in Biological Sciences. John Northrop received the Elliot Medal in 1939 before receiving the 1965 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
Mary Clark Thompson Medal History
The Mary Clark Thompson Medal was established in 1919 by a gift from Mary Clark Thompson to honor important services to geology and paleontology.
Most Recent Recipients
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Günter Wagner, Yale University, received the 2018 NAS Award in the Evolution of Earth and Life - Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal.
Wagner has made a lifetime of fundamental contributions to the integration of developmental and evolutionary biology, most recently and most notably his 2014 book “Homology, Genes and Evolutionary Innovation,” which addresses a question that has persisted since the time of Charles Darwin, namely the origin of evolutionary novelties, or how new or original traits emerge in organisms. In the book—constructed like Darwin’s “Origin of Species” as “one long argument”—Wagner advances a model as to how organisms rapidly evolved novel characteristics or innovations, such as feather or flowers. To accomplish this, Wagner’s book makes two primary claims: First, that novelty is a process that generates newly individuated morphologic characters; and second, that these novel characters are generated by recursively wired gene regulatory subnetworks, which Wagner first described in 2007 as “character identity networks.”
Read more about Wagner's work»
Watch Wagner's acceptance speech»
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Shuhai Xiao, Virginia Tech, received the 2021 NAS Award in the Evolution of Earth and Life - Mary Clark Thompson Medal.
Xiao is a renowned paleobiologist and geobiologist who studies the interactions between the biosphere and its environments at critical transitions in Earth history, particularly during the Ediacaran-Cambrian transition. Xiao integrates geological, geochemical, and paleontological research on the evolution and radiation of eukaryotes, of algae, and of animals in the Ediacaran and Cambrian periods. Through this approach, Xiao’s contributions at the interface of geology and paleontology have re-envisioned our understanding of the evolutionary transformation from the mainly microbial world of the Proterozoic to the diverse multicellular life of the Ediacaran and Cambrian periods.
Read more about Xiao's work»
Award History
Previous recipients of the NAS Award in the Evolution of Earth and Life continue to achieve outstanding advancements in their fields. Seven recipients have been honored with a National Medal of Science, and one recipient has received a Nobel Prize in Chemistry (Northrop 1946).
Recipients:
Shuhai Xiao (2021, Mary Clark Thompson Medal)
For his integrated geological, geochemical, and paleontological research on the evolution and radiation of eukaryotes, of algae, and of animals in the Ediacaran and Cambrian periods, his leadership, and his construction of a scientific and cultural bridge between China and the United States that has greatly benefited both societies.
Read more about Xiao's work»
Watch Xiao's acceptance speech»
Günter Wagner (2018, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
For his fundamental contributions to the integration of developmental and evolutionary biology, including his rich and penetrating book "Homology, Genes and Evolutionary Innovation", which will orient research in evolutionary developmental biology for decades to come.
Read more about Wagner's work»
Watch Wagner's acceptance speech»
Susan M. Kidwell (2015, Mary Clark Thompson Medal)
For her groundbreaking work on fossil preservation that has transformed our view of how the history of life is encoded in the rock record. Her studies have revealed the fidelity of the fossil record, and thereby have yielded powerful insights to the evolution and ecology of ancient life on Earth.
Read more about Kidwell's work»
Watch Kidwell's acceptance speech»
Jonathan B. Losos (2012, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
For his novel and penetrating studies of adaptive radiation in vertebrates, notably his comprehensive study of Anolis lizards in tropical America, as summarized in his recent book, "Lizards in an Evolutionary Tree: Ecology and Adaptive Radiation of Anoles".
Andrew H. Knoll (2012, Mary Clark Thompson Medal)
For unparalleled contributions relating Precambrian life to Earth’s physical and chemical history and for innovative contributions on the paleophysiology and evolution of algae and land plants.
Alfred G. Fischer (2009, Mary Clark Thompson Medal)
For leadership and research in the discovery of the cyclical and period nature of the sedimentary record in the geologic past and its connections with earth-system change, including biodiversity.
Jennifer A. Clack (2008, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
For studies of the first terrestrial vertebrates and the water-to-land transition, as illuminated in her book "Gaining Ground".
Steven M. Stanley (2006, Mary Clark Thompson Medal)
For research and leadership in bivalve functional morphology and the macroevolution of disparate animals, including hominids, in the context of Earth's physical and chemical history.
Rudolf A. Raff (2004, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
For creative accomplishments in research, teaching, and writing (especially "The Shape of Life") that led to the establishment of a new field, evolutionary developmental biology.
Frederik J. Hilgen (2003, Mary Clark Thompson Medal)
For his meticulous integration of various geological, geophysical, and proxy cyclostratigraphic sedimentological records in developing a late Neogene (12-0Ma) astronomical time scale.
Geerat J. Vermeij (2000, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
For his extracting major generalizations about biological evolution from the fossil record, by feeling details of shell anatomy that other scientists only see.
Jan Smit (1999, Mary Clark Thompson Medal)
For establishing the sequence of impact-generated events that occurred 65 million years ago, including ejecta fallout, tsunami propagation, geochemical disturbances, and extinction in foraminifera and dinosaurs.
John Terborgh (1996, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
For his research on the ecology, sociobiology, biodiversity, and plant phenology of the tropics, and for his 1992 book, "Diversity and the Tropical Rain Forest".
David L. Jones (1995, Mary Clark Thompson Medal)
For his development of terrane-tectonic theory through geologic mapping of westernmost North America and the biostratigraphic study of radiolarians in deepwater chert.
George C. Williams (1992, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
For his seminal contributions to current evolutionary thought, including the importance of natural selection and adaptation, and the understanding of sexual reproduction, social behavior, senescence, and disease.
Harry B. Whittington (1990, Mary Clark Thompson Medal)
Jon Edward Ahlquist and Charles G. Sibley (1988, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
For their application of DNA hybridization techniques to bird classification which revolutionized taxonomy by showing at last how to distinguish evolutionary relationships from convergent similarities.
J. William Schopf (1986, Mary Clark Thompson Medal)
G. Evelyn Hutchinson (1984, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
For his work as a limologist, biochemist, ecologist, evolutionist, art historian, ranking among our zoological giants.
W. A. Berggren (1982, Mary Clark Thompson Medal)
G. Arthur Cooper and Richard E. Grant (1979, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
For the six-volume treatise on the taxonomy, paleoecology, and evolutionary significance of the West Texas permian brachiopods.
Howard E. Evans (1976, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
For his work over a 25-year span on the biology and evolution of behavior in wasps.
James M. Schopf (1976, Mary Clark Thompson Medal)
Hollis D. Hedberg (1973, Mary Clark Thompson Medal)
Richard Alexander (1971, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
For his outstanding fundamental work on the systematic, evolution, and behavior of crickets.
Raymond C. Moore (1970, Mary Clark Thompson Medal)
Ernst Mayr (1967, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
For his treatise, "Animal Species and Evolution".
Wendell P. Woodring (1967, Mary Clark Thompson Medal)
George G. Simpson (1965, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
For his treatise, "Principles of Animal Taxonomy."
Milton N. Bramlette (1964, Mary Clark Thompson Medal)
Norman D. Newell (1961, Mary Clark Thompson Medal)
Roman Kozlowski (1958, Mary Clark Thompson Medal)
Donald R. Griffin (1958, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
P. Jackson Darlington, Jr. (1957, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
For his work on Zoogeography: The Geographical Distribution of Animals was the most meritorious work in zoology published during the year.
G. Arthur Cooper (1957, Mary Clark Thompson Medal)
Alfred S. Romer (1956, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
Herbert Friedmann (1955, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
For his book, "The Honey Guides." Dr. Friedman's studies of this little-known African bird clarified several puzzling problems concerning it.
Alfred S. Romer (1954, Mary Clark Thompson Medal)
Sven P. Ekman (1953, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
Archie Fairly Carr (1952, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
Lloyd W. Stephenson (1952, Mary Clark Thompson Medal)
Libbie H. Hyman (1951, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
Raymond Carroll Osburn (1950, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
In recognition of his studies of Bryozoa, particularly for the volume on Bryozoa of the Pacific Coast of America, part 1, published by the University of Southern California.
Arthur Cleveland Bent (1949, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
For the 17th volume in his series on the "Life Histories of the North American Birds," published by the United States National Museum.
Lauge Koch (1949, Mary Clark Thompson Medal)
Henry B. Bigelow (1948, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
For his contributions to marine zoology, particularly for his part as senior author in the volume "Fishes of the Western North Atlantic."
Frank H. McLearn (1948, Mary Clark Thompson Medal)
John T. Patterson (1947, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
Robert Broom (1946, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
For his volume, "The South Africa Fossil Ape-Men, The Australopithecinae," which was published on January 31, 1946, by the Transvaal Museum in Pretoria.
John Bernard Reeside, Jr. (1946, Mary Clark Thompson Medal)
Sewall Wright (1945, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
For his fundamental work dealing with the genetics of evolutionary processes--a program based on work over a long period, including his paper "The Differential Equation of the Distribution of Gene Frequencies."
Thomas W. Vaughan (1945, Mary Clark Thompson Medal)
George G. Simpson (1944, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
For his work, "Tempo and Mode in Evolution," Columbia University Press, 1944.
William Joscelyn Arkell (1944, Mary Clark Thompson Medal)
Karl S. Lashley (1943, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
For his work, "Studies of Cerebral Function in Learning," Journal of Comparative Neurology, 1943, volume 79.
George G. Simpson (1943, Mary Clark Thompson Medal)
Edward W. Berry and Arthur S. Woodward (1942, Mary Clark Thompson Medal)
D'arcy Thompson (1942, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
For his work, On Growth and Form, revised and enlarged, 1942.
David M. Watson (1941, Mary Clark Thompson Medal)
Theodosius Dobzhansky (1941, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
For his work, "Genetics and the Origin of Species," second edition published in 1941.
William B. Scott (1940, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
For his work, "The Mammalian Fauna of the White River Oligocene. Part IV. Artiodactyia."
John H. Northrop (1939, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
For his work, "Crystalline Enzymes: The Chemistry of Pepsin, Trypsin, and Bacteriophage."
M. R. Irwin (1938, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
For his work, "Immunogenetic Studies of Species Relationships in Columbidae."
George Howard Parker (1937, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
For his work "Do Melanophore Nerves Show Antidromic Responses?" Journal of General Physiology, volume 20, July 1937.
Robert C. Murphy (1936, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
Amadeus William Grabau (1936, Mary Clark Thompson Medal)
Edwin H. Colbert (1935, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
Theophilus S. Painter (1934, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
Charles Schuchert (1934, Mary Clark Thompson Medal)
Richard Swann Lull (1933, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
James P. Chapin (1932, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
For his work entitled, "The Birds of the Belgian Congo, Part I," published as a bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History in 1932.
Francis A. Bather (1932, Mary Clark Thompson Medal)
Davidson Black (1931, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
David L. White (1931, Mary Clark Thompson Medal)
George E. Coghill (1930, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
For his work entitled "Correlated Anatomical and Physiological Studies of the Growth of the Nervous System of Amphibia."
William B. Scott and Edward Oscar Ulrich (1930, Mary Clark Thompson Medal)
Henry F. Osborn (1929, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
Ernest Thompson Seton (1928, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
For his work, "Lives of Game Animals," Volume 4.
James P. Smith (1928, Mary Clark Thompson Medal)
Erik A. Stenio (1926, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
For his work, "The Downtonian and Devonian Vertebrates of Spitzbergen, Part I."
Edmund B. Wilson (1925, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
For his volume, "The Cell in Development and Heredity."
John M. Clarke (1925, Mary Clark Thompson Medal)
Henri Breuil (1924, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
Ferdinand Canu (1923, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
For his work, "North American Later Tertiary and Quaternary Bryozoa."
Emmanuel de Margerie (1923, Mary Clark Thompson Medal)
William M. Wheeler (1922, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
For his work in entomology, "Ants of the American Museum Congo Expedition."
Bashford Dean (1921, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
For his volume in ichthyology, "Bibliography of Fishes."
Charles Doolittle Walcott (1921, Mary Clark Thompson Medal)
Othenio Abel (1920, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
Robert Ridgway (1919, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
For his classic work, "Birds of North and Middle America."
William Beebe (1918, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
Frank M. Chapman (1917, Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal)
