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Adam Sedgwick
Geologist

Adam Sedgwick

Famoose for

Helping define the Cambrian and Devonian geological periods.

Welsh fieldwork · Devonian proposal

Born
22 March 1785
Birthplace
Dent
Died
27 January 1873

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Adam Sedgwick

Adam Sedgwick was a British geologist whose studies of rock strata helped organise the geological timescale.

Early life

Yorkshire and Cambridge

Studied at Sedbergh and Trinity College, initially focusing on mathematics and theology.

Career

  1. 1818

    Cambridge chair

    Became Woodwardian Professor of Geology.

  2. 1835

    Cambrian

    Proposed the period from Welsh strata.

  3. 1840

    Devonian

    Worked with Roderick Murchison on its definition.

Selected work

Welsh fieldwork

Classified sequences of ancient rocks.

Devonian proposal

Helped resolve a disputed stratigraphic sequence.

Beyond work

Darwin

Taught the young naturalist geology but later opposed natural selection.

Sources & photo creditBiography and career ↗Biographical data and references ↗

Original photograph. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.

Photo: Ernest Edwards. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.