Catherine E. Badgley (born November 15, 1950) is an American

paleontologist Paleontology (), also spelled palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of life that existed prior to, and sometimes including, the start of the Holocene epoch (roughly 11,700 years before present). It includes the study of fossi ...

and professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

. The focus of Badgley's research is the evolution and fossil history and biodiversity of

mammals Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding (nursing) their young, a neocortex (a region of the brain), fur o ...

, especially the role of mountains in driving

biodiversity Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic (''genetic variability''), species (''species diversity''), and ecosystem (''ecosystem diversity'') l ...

patterns. She has also pursued research on

organic agriculture Organic farming, also known as ecological farming or biological farming,Labelling, article 30 o''Regulation (EU) 2018/848 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 on organic production and labelling of organic products and re ...

and global food supplies, for which she has received considerable public attention. Badgley has also authored a children's book, ''Pippa's First Summer'', with artist Bonnie Miljour. Badgley received a Ph.D. from the Biology Department at

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

in 1982, a Master of Forest Science degree from

Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies Yale School of the Environment (YSE) is a professional school of Yale University. It was founded to train foresters, and now trains environmental leaders through four 2-year degree programs ( Master of Environmental Management, Master of Environme ...

in 1974, and a Bachelor of Science degree from Radcliffe College (Harvard University) in 1972. Badgley served as president of the

Society of Vertebrate Paleontology The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (SVP) is a professional organization that was founded in the United States in 1940 to advance the science of vertebrate paleontology around the world. Mission and Activities SVP has about 2,300 members inter ...

from 2006 to 2008.

References

American paleontologists American taxonomists Women taxonomists Women paleontologists 1950 births Living people Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies alumni Radcliffe College alumni University of Michigan faculty {{paleontologist-stub