Daniel Fisher is a

paleontologist Paleontology, also spelled as palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of the life of the past, mainly but not exclusively through the study of fossils. Paleontologists use fossils as a means to classify organisms, measure geolo ...

who studies paleobiology and the extinction of

mastodon A mastodon, from Ancient Greek μαστός (''mastós''), meaning "breast", and ὀδούς (''odoús'') "tooth", is a member of the genus ''Mammut'' (German for 'mammoth'), which was endemic to North America and lived from the late Miocene to ...

s. He received his Ph.D. in Geological Sciences from

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

in 1975 and is the Claude W. Hibbard Collegiate Professor of Paleontology and the Director of the Museum of Paleontology at the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

. His research on mammoth tusks has helped to shape the common understanding of mammoth life. He worked as a professor in the Department of Geological Sciences at the

University of Rochester The University of Rochester is a private university, private research university in Rochester, New York, United States. It was founded in 1850 and moved into its current campus, next to the Genesee River in 1930. With approximately 30,000 full ...

until 1979 when he moved to the University of Michigan to join the Department of Geological Sciences. In 2015, he led the dig in of a gigantic mammoth from a farmer’s field in Michigan which is helping researchers to conclude about when humans first came to the Americas. He was on a NET Television-produced segment for the

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

series “NOVA scienceNOW” about

Ice Age An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages, and g ...

mammoths.

References

Paleontologists Living people University of Rochester faculty University of Michigan faculty Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alumni Year of birth missing (living people) {{paleontologist-stub