Doris Mary Kermack FLS (née Carr; 1923 – 2003) was a British

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 ...

and marine zoologist at

Imperial College London Imperial College London, also known as Imperial, is a Public university, public research university in London, England. Its history began with Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, who envisioned a Al ...

. She completed her PhD thesis entitled 'The anatomy and physiology of the gut of ''Arenicola marina'' L.' at

University College London University College London (Trade name, branded as UCL) is a Public university, public research university in London, England. It is a Member institutions of the University of London, member institution of the Federal university, federal Uni ...

in 1953. In 1988 she was awarded the

Linnean Gold Medal The Linnean Gold Medal is a medal awarded by the Linnean Society of London The Linnean Society of London is a learned society dedicated to the study and dissemination of information concerning natural history, evolution, and Taxonomy (biology), ...

for outstanding service to the society. She had two sons with her husband and fellow paleontologist

Kenneth Kermack Kenneth Alexander Kermack (1919 – 2000) was a British palaeontologist at University College London University College London (Trade name, branded as UCL) is a Public university, public research university in London, England. It is ...

. The species name '' Bridetherium dorisae'' is named in her honour. Together with her husband and Frances Mussett she was the first to formally describe the early mammal-like '

symmetrodont Symmetrodonta is a group of Mesozoic mammals and mammal-like synapsids characterized by the triangular aspect of the molars when viewed from above, and the absence of a well-developed talonid. The traditional group of 'symmetrodonts' ranges in ...

' ''

Kuehneotherium praecursoris ''Kuehneotherium'' is an early mammaliaform genus, previously considered a holothere, that lived during the Late Triassic-Early Jurassic Epochs and is characterized by reversed-triangle pattern of molar cusps. Although many fossils have been f ...

''.

References

British women paleontologists British palaeontologists Fellows of the Linnean Society of London 1923 births 2003 deaths 20th-century British women scientists Academics of Imperial College London Alumni of University College London {{paleontologist-stub