

Joan Wiffen

Posted for Ralph Molnar. 

discovery of  dinosaurs and other Mesozoic terrestrial vertebrates in New 
Zealand. Thirty some  years ago, in the 1970âs she and her husband, known to 
They tracked down a map  from a petroleum company that noted âreptilian bonesâ
contemplating retirement, they took up  prospecting for reptilian fossils. At 
land-living creatures. By 1980, in addition to  fossils of marine reptiles, 
Joan and 
dinosaur, as well as of one flying reptile (pterosaur).  This is set out in her 
book âValley of the Dragonsâ.
illuminating the evolutionary and geological history of the islands of New  
discovered. Third, in showing what kinds of dinosaurs lived on islands since 
Zealand was already insular when these creatures lived. And, fourth, in also  
Mongolia,  Argentina, and the U.S. that were continental land masses at the 
dinosaurs  lived, and that were tropical or temperate in climate during that 
dinosaurian world,  and to provide insights into where these
creatures could and did  survive.
what she did with her discoveries. Without formal  university training, Joan 
taught herself not only how to extract the fossils  from the recalcitrant 
rocks in which they were embedded, and which would tax  many formally trained 
technicians, but also to describe these remains  scientifically, and publish 
their descriptions in scientific journals.  Regardless of what kinds of 
expensive education, equipment or expeditions may be  necessary in certain 
circumstances, Joan showed that the interested, logical and  critical mind is 
these qualities can make important contributions to their chosen  field. She 
had scientific papers published not only in New Zealand, but also  Australia, 
Society of Vertebrate Paleontology for her contributions to the
science.  She will be long remembered and much missed.  

Ralph Molnar
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