Ancient Life in Alabama
By William G. Deutsch
Ancient Life in Alabama: The Fossils, the Finders & Why It Matters is your guide to a unique and remarkable fossil record that reveals changes in the state’s biodiversity and landscapes over the past 500 million years.
“This is a must-read from one of the best natural history storytellers of Alabama.”
— Dr. R. Scot Duncan, Conservation biologist, advocate, and author of Southern Wonder: Alabama’s Surprising Biodiversity
“This book is a completely unique contribution to the fossil literature of Alabama and includes a wealth of information on the diversity of fossils in the region.”
— Jun Ebersole, Director of Collections, McWane Science Center
Upcoming Events
Alabama Rivers course, January 15 - February 26, 2025. Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Auburn University, Auburn, AL.
Alabama River and Streams Network, Annual Meeting, January 23-24, 2025. Alabama Nature Center (Lanark), Millbrook, AL.
Clarke County Historical Society Meeting, January 2025. Grove Hill, AL.
Environmental Education Association of Alabama, Annual Conference, February 20-22, 2025. Lake Guntersville State Park, Guntersville, AL.
About Me
I am a Research Fellow Emeritus in the Auburn University School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences, with Bachelor’s Degrees in Zoology (Houghton University) and Anthropology (Bloomsberg University of Pennsylvania), a Master’s Degree in Biology (State University of NY, Binghamton), and a Ph.D. in Fisheries and Aquatic Ecology (Auburn University). I was born and raised in Rochester, New York and spent lots of time around the Genesee River, Lake Ontario, and the Finger Lakes. From my youth, I was fascinated by both living animals and fossils, and I collected and studied both.
After finishing my master’s degree, I worked as a research biologist at a lab on the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania for 11 years. My wife, four daughters and I then moved to Alabama in 1985, where I completed a Doctorate and Postdoctoral studies at Auburn University. I worked 26 years at AU as an aquatic ecologist and founding director of Alabama Water Watch, a citizen volunteer, water monitoring program. Through the International Center for Aquaculture and Aquatic Environments at AU, I made more than 100 trips to 25 countries, working with local communities, nongovernmental organizations, and policy makers on watershed projects. I am committed to environmental education and revealing the natural wonders of Alabama through teaching, public speaking, and science writing.
