Working in the field of
palaeontology, we folks are more aware than most of how brief our time is
on the planet when viewed against the grand scheme of
the evolution of life on Earth. However, it is still deeply saddening
when we announce the death of a friend and colleague. On Tuesday this week
Palaeontology lost one such man, Dr. Martin A. Whyte. He passed away while being comforted by his wife Carol and long-standing friend and colleague, Dr. Mike Romano.
Martin studied geology in the Universities
of St Andrews (BSc) and Edinburgh (PhD) before he worked as a Research
Assistant and Research Fellow in the Department of Geology, University of Hull.
He was appointed to the Department of Geology at the University of Sheffield in
1974 before he was transferred to the Department of Geography in 2001. His
research activities were both broad and diverse and included dinosaur tracks,
dinosaur eggs, Carboniferous palaeoenvironments and biomineralization, all of
which gave rise to many high-profile papers in the course of his successful
academic career.
Martin will be remembered by many, as he touched the lives of countless undergraduate and graduate students in the course of his career. The words you are reading are testament to Martin's patience, as he also guided me through my PhD at the University of Sheffield, helped by his close friend and colleague Dr. Mike Romano. The four years I spent at Sheffield helped lay the foundation for my career in academia, which would not have been possible if it were not for the opportunities that both Martin and Mike gave me.
My thoughts are with Martin's family and friends.
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