The Panda’s Thumb
Stephen Jay Gould (1941–2002) was an American evolutionary biologist and palaeontologist who became best known for his essays in Natural History magazine, and his many books and TV appearances seeking to explain the workings of evolution to a broad audience. Gould was also a highly regarded experimental scientist who spent decades working at Harvard and at New York University, developing and refining Darwin’s theory; his most significant contribution to evolutionary biology was the theory of punctuated equilibrium. He was at various times president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Paleontological Society and the Society for the Study of Evolution. His achievements were recognised with many awards, including the National Book Award for The Panda’s Thumb and the Linnean Society’s Darwin-Wallace Medal for major advances in evolutionary biology.
Steve Brusatte is a palaeontologist and evolutionary biologist who conducts fieldwork across the world; he has discovered more than 15 species of fossil animal. Brusatte studied at the universities of Chicago and Bristol before completing a PhD at Columbia University in New York, and is now Chair of Palaeontology and Evolution at the University of Edinburgh. His books include The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs (2018; Folio 2022) and The Rise and Reign of the Mammals (2022; Folio 2024). Brusatte is regularly consulted by the media on dinosaur-related topics and was the palaeontological adviser on the film Walking with Dinosaurs. He is the palaeontology consultant for the ‘Jurassic World’ film franchise. His The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs was published by the Folio Society in 2022.