description Arthur Smith Woodward Overview
Arthur Smith Woodward was a British paleontologist and a specialist in fossil fishes who worked for many years at the British Museum (Natural History). He produced extensive classifications and catalogues of fossil vertebrates and named numerous prehistoric fish taxa. Woodward also examined and described the supposed Piltdown human remains in 1912; the material was later demonstrated to be a deliberate composite forgery, after his retirement and death.
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Who was Arthur Smith Woodward?
Arthur Smith Woodward was a British paleontologist who specialized in fossil fishes. He worked for many years at the British Museum, now associated with the Natural History Museum in London.
What did Arthur Smith Woodward contribute to paleontology?
Woodward produced major classifications and catalogues of fossil vertebrates. He also named and described numerous prehistoric fish taxa.
Why is Arthur Smith Woodward associated with fossil fish?
His research focused heavily on the anatomy, classification, and evolutionary history of fossil fishes. His catalogues became important reference works for identifying fossil vertebrate specimens.
Was Arthur Smith Woodward connected with the Piltdown Man controversy?
Yes. Woodward supported the interpretation of the Piltdown fossils as an important early human discovery, although the fossils were later exposed as a hoax. The episode remains a cautionary case in the history of paleontology.
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