Darwin-L Message Log 1:2 (September 1993)

Academic Discussion on the History and Theory of the Historical Sciences

This is one message from the Archives of Darwin-L (1993–1997), a professional discussion group on the history and theory of the historical sciences.

Note: Additional publications on evolution and the historical sciences by the Darwin-L list owner are available on SSRN.

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<1:2>From af763@freenet.carleton.ca  Sun Sep  5 05:55:28 1993

Date: Sun, 5 Sep 93 06:57:48 EDT
From: af763@freenet.carleton.ca (John V Matthews Jr.)
To: darwin-l@ukanaix.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: An Introduction

I am not sure where the introduction to Darwin-L came from, but I like the
concept and following Bob's lead will first introduce myself.

I am John Matthews, age 54, Canadian citizen but formerly from the US, a
Geologist with the Geological Survey of Canada.  I live and work in
Ottawa, Canada.

I was hooked by Bob's first promo comments because of the potential
interdisciplinary nature of this discussion group.  In my academic and
professional career, I have followed a wandering (some would say confused)
course, starting long ago as a Physics major, then switching to History,
then getting a BSc in Geography with an Anthropology minor, then switching
to Geology for an MSc and PhD.

So I have always felt a stong link with historians, something most of my
prehistorian colleagues do not.

I am a paleontologist, a subdiscipline of Geology, and my research work
concerns the reconstructions of past climates and environments, mostly for
the last five million years or so.  Lately this type of work has become
more important as many realize that we must understand past climate change
if we are to understand and respond to future anthropogenic change (if it
occurs).

As a paleontologist, I work with various types of fossils.  Plant remains
such as seeds and fruits and insects are my particular subjects.

The region of my work has for the most part in the Arctic and Subarctic of
North America.  One problem that particularly interests me, and one for
which we have considerable data, concerns the Canadian Arctic before it
became arctic, a time of lush conifer forests containing many organisms
now extinct or found only in Asia.

Well, there it is.  I hope others will introduce themselves in like manner.

Best wishes,
John

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     *****************************************
           JOHN MATTHEWS
    matthews@cc2smtp.emr.ca; af763@freenet.carleton.ca

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