SUBTLE AGENTS FOR CHANGE: THEJOURNAL OF PALEONTOLOGY,J. MARVIN WELLER, AND SHIFTING EMPHASES IN INVERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY, 1930–1965

Abstract

Through an examination of the contents of theJournal of Paleontology (JP), this paper traces the growing interest in biological problems in mid twentieth-century invertebrate paleontology. While noting the continued dominance of descriptive morphology and systematics, the paper tracks the increasing attention paid to paleoecology, evolution and geographic distribution, and quantitative methods. An analysis of the debate over the relative importance of biology and geology for paleontology, and J. Marvin Weller's evolving views on the subject, further illustrate the main point. Neither Welter norJPinitiated the interest in biological questions, but both played an important role in bringing new developments to the attention of the paleontology community.

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