Name Malcolm McKenna Role Paleontologist | Parents Donald McKenna Children Bruce C. McKenna | |
 | ||
Born July 21, 1931Pomona, California ( 1931-07-21 ) Fields paleontologymolecular biologygeology Institutions American Museum of Natural HistoryColumbia University Alma mater California Institute of TechnologyPomona CollegeUniversity of California, Berkeley (Ph.D., 1958) Known for Classification of mammals Spouse Priscilla McKenna (m. 1953) Books Classification of Mammals Above the Species Level Similar People Michael J Novacek, George Gaylord Simpson, Donald McKenna, Bruce C McKenna | ||
Dr. Malcolm Carnegie McKenna (1930–2008) was an American paleontologist and author on the subject.
Contents
Paleontologist
McKenna began his paleontology career at the Webb School of California (grades 9-12) in Claremont, California, under noted paleontologist and teacher, Raymond Alf. He attended the California Institute of Technology and Pomona College, then graduated in paleontology at the University of California, Berkeley, where he also earned his Ph.D.
He was the curator of vertebrate paleontology at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Through most of his four decades at the museum, he held a professorship in geosciences at Columbia University.
With Susan K. Bell, he co-authored the 1997 book Classification of Mammals Above the Species Level, a comprehensive work genealogy of Mammalia, including the systematics, relationships, and occurrences of all Mammal taxa, living and extinct, down through the rank of genus.
Awarded the Paleontological Society Medal in 1992 and the Romer-Simpson Medal in 2000; The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology’s highest honor.
Family
McKenna was born in Pomona, California, the son of Bernice and Donald McKenna, a founding trustee of Claremont McKenna College in Southern California.
He was a resident of Englewood, New Jersey while he was at the American Museum of Natural History. His wife, Priscilla had served as President of the City Council for many years. A great-grandparent was a cousin of the steel magnate Andrew Carnegie.
McKenna's son Bruce is a screenwriter whose work has included the television miniseries The Pacific.
Malcolm Carnegie McKenna died on March 3, 2008, in Boulder, Colorado.