Elwyn LaVerne LaVeme LaVerne Simons

Background

Simons, Elwyn LaVerne was born on July 14, 1930 in Lawrence, Kansas, United States. Son of Verne Franklin and Verna Irene (Cuddeback) Simons.

Education

Bachelor of Science in Biology, Rice University, 1953. Master of Arts, Princeton University, 1955. Doctor of Philosophy in Paleobiology, Princeton University, 1956.

Doctor of Philosophy, Oxford University, England, 1959. Master of Arts (honorary), Yale University, 1967. Doctor of Science, Oxford University, 1995.

Career

Demonstrator, exhibitor, University of Oxford, 1956-1958; lecturer geology, Princeton (New Jersey) U., 1958-1959; assistant professor zoology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 1959-1961; visiting associate professor geology, curator vertebrate paleontology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 1960-1961; head division vert. paleontology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 1961-1977; professor paleontology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 1967; professor geology, curator charge division vertebrate paleontology, Peabody Museum, 1965-1977; professor biological anthropology, anatomy, Duke U., Durham, North Carolina, 1977-1982; James B. Duke professor, Duke U., Durham, North Carolina, since 1982; professor zoology, director Duke Primate Center, Duke U., Durham, North Carolina, 1977-1991; science director, Duke U., Durham, North Carolina, since 1991. Director Paleontological Expeditions Egypt, 1961-1968, 77-98, Northern India, 1968-1969, 96, 98. Research expeditions for fossil mammals, Wyoming, 1960-1996, Iran, 1970, Spain, 1971, Madagascar, 1986, 87-98.

Barbour-Schramm Memorial lecturer U. Nebraska, 1974. David French lecturer Claremont Colls., 1974. Traveling lecturer French Bureau Foreign Affairs, 1976.

Board directors Center Tropical Conservation, North Carolina, Malagasy Fauna Grp. medialist Geological Survey of Egypt, 1996. Appointed Chevelier de'l Ordre National, Madagascar, 1998.

Achievements

• Achievements include research on early mammals, prosimians and primate and human evolution, with special interest in living prosimians, higher primate and human origin and evolution. Discovery of 1st tarsiers and 1st marsupials in Africa. Naming of 1st anthropoids Catopithecus and Proteopithecus from Eocene of Egypt.
  
  Naming of earliest known ape Aegyptopithecus in Oligocene of Africa. Conduction of expeditionsin Egypt, 1961-1968, 77-98. Discovery of Gigantopithecus in India, 1968, also naming of earliest anthropoids Oligopithecus, 1962, Qatrania,1983, Serapia and Arsinoea, 1992.
  
  Discovery and naming of new species of Propithecus: Golden Crowned Sifaka in Madagascar, 1989. Conservation of lemurs and rain forests of Madagascar. E-mail: [email protected].

Membership

Member American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Philosophical Society, National Academy of Sciences, Society Vertebrate Paleontology, Institute Human Paleontology, American Association Zoological Parks and Aquariums (primate specialist group, advisor prosimian taxon group), Association Physical Anthropology (Charles R. Darwin award 2000), Madagascar Fauna Group (board directors), International Association Human Biologists, Sigma Xi.

Interests

• Drawing and painting, folk singing, genealogy.

Connections

Married Friderun Annursel Ankel, December 2, 1972. Children: Cornelia Verna Mathilde, Verne Franklin Herbert. 1 child by previous marriage: David Brenton.

1 adopted child Katherine Egan.

Father:

Verne Franklin Simons

Mother:

Verna Irene (Cuddeback) Simons

Spouse:

Friderun Annursel Ankel

child:

Cornelia Verna Mathilde Simons

child:

Verne Franklin Herbert Simons