Jacques Gauthier

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Jacques Gauthier is a vertebrate paleontologist and systematist, and one of the founders of the use of cladistics in paleontology.

He received a BS in Zoology at San Diego State University in 1973, a Masters of SCience at the same institute in 1980, and a PhD in Paleontology from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1984. Currently he is Professor of Geology and Geophysics and Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology and Vertebrate Zoology at Yale University. His graduate thesis constituted the first major cladistic analysis of Diapsida, as well as arguing for the monophyly of the dinosaurs.

He followed this with an important paper (1986) on the origin of birds from theropods. This was the first detailed cladistic analysis of the theropod dinosaurs, and initiated a revolution in dinosaur phylogenetics, in which cladistics replaced the Linnaean system in the classification and phylogenetic understanding of the dinosaurs. Gauthier's 1984 and 1986 work still serve as basic references in modern cladistic analysis of the Diapsida and the Dinosauria.

More recently, Gauthier's has been applying cladistic methodology to the phylogeny of the Amniota, and argues for defining the tetrapods taxonomically as a crown clade only. Together with Kevin de Queiroz he argues for replacing the Linnaean taxonomy with the Phylocode

[edit] Partial bibliography

Gauthier, J., 1984. A cladistic analysis of the higher systematic categories of the Diapsida. [dissertation]. Available from University Microfilms International, Ann Arbor, #85-12825, vii + 564 pp.
Gauthier, J., 1986. Saurischian monophyly and the origin of birds. In: K. Padian, ed. The Origin of Birds and the Evolution of Flight. Memoirs California Academy of Sciences 8. pp. 1–55
Gauthier, J., R. Estes and K. de Queiroz, 1988. A phylogenetic analysis of Lepidosauromorpha. In: R. Estes and G. Pregill, eds. The Phylogenetic Relationships of the Lizard Families. Stanford University Press, Palo Alto. pp. 15–98.
Gauthier, J., A. Kluge and T. Rowe, 1988. Amniote phylogeny and the importance of fossils. Cladistics 4(2):105–209.
Rowe, T. and J. Gauthier, 1990. Ceratosauria. In: D. Weishample, P. Dodson and H. Osmolska, eds., The Dinosauria. University of California Press, Berkeley. pp. 151–168.
de Queiroz, K. and J. Gauthier, 1992. Phylogenetic taxonomy. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 23:449–480.
Gauthier, J.A., 1994. The diversification of the amniotes. In: D. Prothero, ed. Major Features of Vertebrate Evolution: Short Courses in Paleontology. Paleontological Society. pp. 129–159
Donoghue, M.J. and J.A. Gauthier. 2004. Implementing the PhyloCode. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 19(6):281–282.