Dean Andrew Kantis is an American entrepreneur, jet salesman and anti-LASIK activist. He is the CEO and founder of Micro Jet Network, an online portal that matches buyers and sellers of aircraft who want to share in the costs of ownership. Kantis is a strong advocate of LASIK patients with bad outcomes.
He had a LASIK surgery in 1999 that resulted in some complications - both short term and long term. Since his LASIK treatment, he has experienced double vision, halos, starbursts, fluctuating vision and dry eye syndrome.
Personal life
Kantis was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. As a child, he participated in boating, fishing, golf, tennis, bicycling, swimming, beach volleyball, dirt bike riding. He married Nikki Licata in March 2011 and they went to Europe for their honeymoon in the same month. They spent twenty days sightseeing in Barcelona, Provence, Florence, Rome, Athens, Venice and other adjoining cities. The couple has a son, Preston Andrew Kantis, and they currently reside in Fort Lauderdale.
Micro Jet Network
In 2006, Dean Andrew Kantis founded Micro Jet Network, an online portal, which helps buyers and sellers of Very Light Jet (VLJ) connect with each other. The network specializes in selling Eclipse 500, Citation Mustangs, and the /.
Micro Jet Network offers a four part service namely Micro Jet Partners, Micro Jet Positions, Micro Jet Pilot and Micro Jet Management. Kantis is also a licensed aircraft consultant/broker.
Kantis spent six years creating this network.
Post LASIK complications
Kantis suffered eyesight problems since he was 11 years old. At the age of 30, he decided to have LASIK treatment. He got Lasik treatment on August 24 , 1999 Commenting about his post-LASIK problems in an interview with CBS, Kantis said, "My life is a blur. When I look at a computer screen I see two pages; when I look up at the moon, I see three of them."
In 2007, Kantis and Michael Patterson, Ph.D., petitioned the FDA. This petition was acknowledged by the FDA and they allowed the petitioners to present testimony at a special meeting of the Ophthalmic Device Panel (ODP) in April 2008.
Kantis addressed the FDA panel on April 25, 2008 about LASIK complications. He testified that he has spent $30,000 during the past 9 years to restore his post-LASIK vision. He also submitted a pamphlet that he created on the side effects of LASIK and asked the panel to make its use by refractive surgeons mandatory. At the end of his presentation, he asked that the panel establish a fund to help patients who are desperate after LASIK to obtain therapy. A copy of Kantis' slideshow presentation in front of FDA Panel is available on FDA’s website. Since October 2009, FDA has LASIK under a Quality of Life Collaboration Project (LQLCP). LQLCP is a government partnership among the FDA, the Department of Defense, and the National Eye Institute. This project examines patient-reported outcomes (PROs) following LASIK. This investigation was supposed to be concluded in 2012, however, no conclusions have been reached yet.
Kantis, along with some other people, tracked down Dr. Morris Waxler, On January 6, 2011 Waxler requested that, "the Commissioner of Food and Drugs withdraw FDA approval (PMA) for all LASIK devices and issue a Public Health Advisory with a voluntary recall of LASIK devices in an effort to stop the epidemic of permanent eye injury caused by lasers and microkeratomes used for LASIK eye surgery."
In 2013, Kantis produced In the Blink of an Eye,a documentary about the controversy about the safety and efficacy of LASIK. Kantis has been interviewed about his post-LASIK complications by The Tony Stiles Show, NBC, and NextNewsNetwork.<ref name=YT/>
He had a LASIK surgery in 1999 that resulted in some complications - both short term and long term. Since his LASIK treatment, he has experienced double vision, halos, starbursts, fluctuating vision and dry eye syndrome.
Personal life
Kantis was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. As a child, he participated in boating, fishing, golf, tennis, bicycling, swimming, beach volleyball, dirt bike riding. He married Nikki Licata in March 2011 and they went to Europe for their honeymoon in the same month. They spent twenty days sightseeing in Barcelona, Provence, Florence, Rome, Athens, Venice and other adjoining cities. The couple has a son, Preston Andrew Kantis, and they currently reside in Fort Lauderdale.
Micro Jet Network
In 2006, Dean Andrew Kantis founded Micro Jet Network, an online portal, which helps buyers and sellers of Very Light Jet (VLJ) connect with each other. The network specializes in selling Eclipse 500, Citation Mustangs, and the /.
Micro Jet Network offers a four part service namely Micro Jet Partners, Micro Jet Positions, Micro Jet Pilot and Micro Jet Management. Kantis is also a licensed aircraft consultant/broker.
Kantis spent six years creating this network.
Post LASIK complications
Kantis suffered eyesight problems since he was 11 years old. At the age of 30, he decided to have LASIK treatment. He got Lasik treatment on August 24 , 1999 Commenting about his post-LASIK problems in an interview with CBS, Kantis said, "My life is a blur. When I look at a computer screen I see two pages; when I look up at the moon, I see three of them."
In 2007, Kantis and Michael Patterson, Ph.D., petitioned the FDA. This petition was acknowledged by the FDA and they allowed the petitioners to present testimony at a special meeting of the Ophthalmic Device Panel (ODP) in April 2008.
Kantis addressed the FDA panel on April 25, 2008 about LASIK complications. He testified that he has spent $30,000 during the past 9 years to restore his post-LASIK vision. He also submitted a pamphlet that he created on the side effects of LASIK and asked the panel to make its use by refractive surgeons mandatory. At the end of his presentation, he asked that the panel establish a fund to help patients who are desperate after LASIK to obtain therapy. A copy of Kantis' slideshow presentation in front of FDA Panel is available on FDA’s website. Since October 2009, FDA has LASIK under a Quality of Life Collaboration Project (LQLCP). LQLCP is a government partnership among the FDA, the Department of Defense, and the National Eye Institute. This project examines patient-reported outcomes (PROs) following LASIK. This investigation was supposed to be concluded in 2012, however, no conclusions have been reached yet.
Kantis, along with some other people, tracked down Dr. Morris Waxler, On January 6, 2011 Waxler requested that, "the Commissioner of Food and Drugs withdraw FDA approval (PMA) for all LASIK devices and issue a Public Health Advisory with a voluntary recall of LASIK devices in an effort to stop the epidemic of permanent eye injury caused by lasers and microkeratomes used for LASIK eye surgery."
In 2013, Kantis produced In the Blink of an Eye,a documentary about the controversy about the safety and efficacy of LASIK. Kantis has been interviewed about his post-LASIK complications by The Tony Stiles Show, NBC, and NextNewsNetwork.<ref name=YT/>
Cicada 3301 is a mysterious secret society or think tank that recruits via complex Internet puzzles. It first recruited from the public via Internet puzzle on January 5, 2012, which ran for approximately one month. A second round began exactly one year later on January 5, 2013 and is possibly still ongoing. The stated intent was to recruit "intelligent individuals" by presenting a series of puzzles which were to be solved, each in order, to find the next. The puzzles focused heavily on data security, cryptography, and steganography.
Much speculation exists as to its purpose. Some claim it is an Alternate Reality Game (ARG), but the fact that no company or individual has taken credit or tried to monetize the puzzles has led some to feel that it is not. Some have speculated that it is recruitment for the National Security Agency. According to a document posted anonymously, the puzzles are a recruiting for a "think tank." Thus far, this is unverified.
Background
In January 2012, an image was posted to 4chan's "random" board containing a message stating that the poster was looking for intelligent individuals and inviting users to find a hidden message in the image which would lead them on the road to finding them. This image was the first puzzle in the series. The image was reposted by persons to other boards and sites, increasing internet interest in the ARG. People attempting to solve the puzzles grouped together on the mibbit and n0v4 IRC networks, with splinter groups making use of private IRC channels, forums, and skype groups.
Resolution
The ultimate outcome of both rounds of Cicada 3301 recruiting is still a mystery. The final known puzzles became both highly complex and individualized as the game unfolded, though at least one person has claimed to have "won", but verification from the creator(s) of the game was never made and the individuals making the claim have not been forthcoming with information.
Types of Clues
The Cicada 3301 clues have spanned many different communication mediums including Internet, telephone, original music, bootable Linux CDs, digital images, and physical paper signs. In addition to using many varying techniques to encrypt, encode, or hide data; these clues have referenced a wide variety of books, poetry, artwork, and music. Each clue has been signed by the same GnuPG private key to confirm authenticity.
Among others, these referenced works include:
* The Mabinogion
* Mayan Numerals
* by William Gibson
* The Marriage of Heaven and Hell by William Blake
* Liber AL vel Legis by Aleister Crowley
* Ecclesiastes
* by John William Waterhouse
The use of many mystical works and imagery have prompted some to claim that Cicada 3301 is a cult; this claim has been backed up by some anonymously published documents.
Physical Locations of Clues
Throughout the testing, multiple clues have required participants to travel to various physical locations to retrieve the next clue. These clue locations have included the following cities:
* Annapolis, Maryland
* Chino, California
* Columbus, Georgia
* Erskineville, Australia
* Fayetteville, Arkansas
* Granada, Spain
* Greenville, Texas
* Haleiwa, Hawaii
* Little Rock, Arkansas
* Miami, Florida
* Moscow, Russia
* New Orleans, Louisiana
* Okinawa, Japan
* Paris, France
* Portland, Oregon
* Seattle, Washington
* Seoul, South Korea
* Warsaw, Poland
The fact that the clues have shown up in many far-reaching places at the same time has lent credence to the theory that the Cicada 3301 organization is large, well-funded, or both.
Allegations of Illegal Activity
Authorities from the Los Andes Province of Chile claim that Cicada 3301 is a "hacker group" and engaged in illegal activities. Cicada 3301 responded to this claim by issuing a PGP-signed statement denying any involvement in illegal activity.
Much speculation exists as to its purpose. Some claim it is an Alternate Reality Game (ARG), but the fact that no company or individual has taken credit or tried to monetize the puzzles has led some to feel that it is not. Some have speculated that it is recruitment for the National Security Agency. According to a document posted anonymously, the puzzles are a recruiting for a "think tank." Thus far, this is unverified.
Background
In January 2012, an image was posted to 4chan's "random" board containing a message stating that the poster was looking for intelligent individuals and inviting users to find a hidden message in the image which would lead them on the road to finding them. This image was the first puzzle in the series. The image was reposted by persons to other boards and sites, increasing internet interest in the ARG. People attempting to solve the puzzles grouped together on the mibbit and n0v4 IRC networks, with splinter groups making use of private IRC channels, forums, and skype groups.
Resolution
The ultimate outcome of both rounds of Cicada 3301 recruiting is still a mystery. The final known puzzles became both highly complex and individualized as the game unfolded, though at least one person has claimed to have "won", but verification from the creator(s) of the game was never made and the individuals making the claim have not been forthcoming with information.
Types of Clues
The Cicada 3301 clues have spanned many different communication mediums including Internet, telephone, original music, bootable Linux CDs, digital images, and physical paper signs. In addition to using many varying techniques to encrypt, encode, or hide data; these clues have referenced a wide variety of books, poetry, artwork, and music. Each clue has been signed by the same GnuPG private key to confirm authenticity.
Among others, these referenced works include:
* The Mabinogion
* Mayan Numerals
* by William Gibson
* The Marriage of Heaven and Hell by William Blake
* Liber AL vel Legis by Aleister Crowley
* Ecclesiastes
* by John William Waterhouse
The use of many mystical works and imagery have prompted some to claim that Cicada 3301 is a cult; this claim has been backed up by some anonymously published documents.
Physical Locations of Clues
Throughout the testing, multiple clues have required participants to travel to various physical locations to retrieve the next clue. These clue locations have included the following cities:
* Annapolis, Maryland
* Chino, California
* Columbus, Georgia
* Erskineville, Australia
* Fayetteville, Arkansas
* Granada, Spain
* Greenville, Texas
* Haleiwa, Hawaii
* Little Rock, Arkansas
* Miami, Florida
* Moscow, Russia
* New Orleans, Louisiana
* Okinawa, Japan
* Paris, France
* Portland, Oregon
* Seattle, Washington
* Seoul, South Korea
* Warsaw, Poland
The fact that the clues have shown up in many far-reaching places at the same time has lent credence to the theory that the Cicada 3301 organization is large, well-funded, or both.
Allegations of Illegal Activity
Authorities from the Los Andes Province of Chile claim that Cicada 3301 is a "hacker group" and engaged in illegal activities. Cicada 3301 responded to this claim by issuing a PGP-signed statement denying any involvement in illegal activity.
Trialome is a body of knowledge (or data) generated by human clinical trials in medicine that goes beyond and extends existing clinical trial registration data from clinical trial registries with trial results data (published articles, raw data, summary data). Studies show that only 46% of trials publish their results within 30 months from trial completion. Clinical trial registries, such as ClinicalTrials.gov enable trial record managers to register a study in a register, link publications reporting trial results and to upload basic summary results. In USA and EU laws and regulations exist, such as Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007, that mandate trial registration and basic summary results submission for certain clinical trials. Public knowledge about all trials is important to prevent clinical trial sponsors from repeating again a failed trial. Updating and creating the knowledge contained in trialome is facilitated by mandatory clinical trial registration policies and journal editor policies (e.g., manuscript requirements created by International Committee of Medical Journal Editors)
Clinical Trial Registries
Clinical trials registries play a key role in providing evidence that a trial exist. In some countries (e.g., USA), there are legislative mandates that certain clinical trials must be registered.
The largest 5 registries are (as of August 2012): ClinicalTrials.gov (130756 trials), EU register (18660 trials), ISRCTN (10853 trials), Japan registries network (JPRN, 10511 trials), Australia and New Zealand (ANZCTR, 6916 trials). The largest registry (ClinicalTrials.gov) contained more than 6 times more studies than the second largest registry.
Scientific publications with trial results
Significant trial result information is provided by trial investigators when they publish in a scientific journal about the conducted trial. However, a 2013 study of trials registered in ClinicalTrials.gov registry showed that only 27.8% trials had a linked result article.<ref name=trialome/>
Due to a large number of registered and conducted trials and large number of published trial result articles, it is not easy to link correct article to a correct trial. There are two types of trial-article links.<ref name=trialome/>
Abstract link
One is created by the article authors when they write the article abstract and is often called abstract link. The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors requires an article to mention in article abstract the trial ID within the registry. About 23% of registered trials have linked result articles using the abstract link.<ref name=trialome/>
Registry link
The second link is created at any time after article publication. A trial registry record manager updates the trial registry record with the article PubMed ID (PMID) that reports trial results. This type of link is used less often. About 7.3% of registered trials had linked result articles using the registry link.<ref name=trialome/> Not all clinical trial registries enable trial registry record managers to provide a result article reference (e.g., ClinicalTrials.gov and ISRCTN and Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) do support this functionality).
Posting trial results to public repositories
In USA, certain human clinical trials, due to legal mandate, have to post their results within 1 year after trial completion into ClinicalTrials.gov registry. Results of a clinical trial can be posted as basic summary results or detailed, individual patient data.
Summary trial results
Only some clinical trial registries enable uploading of trial results. For example, ClinicalTrials.gov and ISRCTN registry. A study using ClinicalTrials.gov showed that only 26.6% trials in the sample of 8907 trials provided basic summary results.<ref name=trialome/> While summary results provide some insights into the trial, 59.1% of basic summary trial results submission consist of only the mandatory fields that do not include many important parameter for assessing the overall outcome of the trial.<ref name=trialome/> Minimum legally required summary results consist of items
such as number of participants starting and completing each
trial arm, gender and age baseline characteristics, at least one
outcome measure and a table of adverse events. ClinicalTrials.gov supports submission of more summary results items. Such submission can be considered extended results and those in addition to
providing the legally required basic summary result items, also
provide optional result items that are guided by standards
for Good Clinical Practice and CONSORT statement and
referred to as “Good reporting practice”. Optional items in
participant flow report additional counts of patients “Lost to
follow-up” or “Severe Non-Compliance to Protocol”. Other optional items in the outcomes measures module provide p-values of statistical significance of each individual primary or secondary outcome measure and information about the statistical tests used.
Clinical Trial Registries
Clinical trials registries play a key role in providing evidence that a trial exist. In some countries (e.g., USA), there are legislative mandates that certain clinical trials must be registered.
The largest 5 registries are (as of August 2012): ClinicalTrials.gov (130756 trials), EU register (18660 trials), ISRCTN (10853 trials), Japan registries network (JPRN, 10511 trials), Australia and New Zealand (ANZCTR, 6916 trials). The largest registry (ClinicalTrials.gov) contained more than 6 times more studies than the second largest registry.
Scientific publications with trial results
Significant trial result information is provided by trial investigators when they publish in a scientific journal about the conducted trial. However, a 2013 study of trials registered in ClinicalTrials.gov registry showed that only 27.8% trials had a linked result article.<ref name=trialome/>
Due to a large number of registered and conducted trials and large number of published trial result articles, it is not easy to link correct article to a correct trial. There are two types of trial-article links.<ref name=trialome/>
Abstract link
One is created by the article authors when they write the article abstract and is often called abstract link. The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors requires an article to mention in article abstract the trial ID within the registry. About 23% of registered trials have linked result articles using the abstract link.<ref name=trialome/>
Registry link
The second link is created at any time after article publication. A trial registry record manager updates the trial registry record with the article PubMed ID (PMID) that reports trial results. This type of link is used less often. About 7.3% of registered trials had linked result articles using the registry link.<ref name=trialome/> Not all clinical trial registries enable trial registry record managers to provide a result article reference (e.g., ClinicalTrials.gov and ISRCTN and Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) do support this functionality).
Posting trial results to public repositories
In USA, certain human clinical trials, due to legal mandate, have to post their results within 1 year after trial completion into ClinicalTrials.gov registry. Results of a clinical trial can be posted as basic summary results or detailed, individual patient data.
Summary trial results
Only some clinical trial registries enable uploading of trial results. For example, ClinicalTrials.gov and ISRCTN registry. A study using ClinicalTrials.gov showed that only 26.6% trials in the sample of 8907 trials provided basic summary results.<ref name=trialome/> While summary results provide some insights into the trial, 59.1% of basic summary trial results submission consist of only the mandatory fields that do not include many important parameter for assessing the overall outcome of the trial.<ref name=trialome/> Minimum legally required summary results consist of items
such as number of participants starting and completing each
trial arm, gender and age baseline characteristics, at least one
outcome measure and a table of adverse events. ClinicalTrials.gov supports submission of more summary results items. Such submission can be considered extended results and those in addition to
providing the legally required basic summary result items, also
provide optional result items that are guided by standards
for Good Clinical Practice and CONSORT statement and
referred to as “Good reporting practice”. Optional items in
participant flow report additional counts of patients “Lost to
follow-up” or “Severe Non-Compliance to Protocol”. Other optional items in the outcomes measures module provide p-values of statistical significance of each individual primary or secondary outcome measure and information about the statistical tests used.
Gregory John Retallack (November 8, 1951) is an Australian paleontologist, geologist, and author who specializes in the study of fossil soils (paleopedology). His research has established the fossil record of soils though major events in Earth history, extending back some 4.6 billion years. He is the author or editor of more than 10 books and over 230 referred scientific papers, including two standard paleopedology textbooks.
“Whereas there has been a community of scholars engaged in the study of Quaternary paleosols, impetus for the study of pre-Quaternary paleosols largely originated with Dr. Gregory Retallack at the University of Oregon."
"Retallack has literally written the book on ancient soils."
Biography
Retallack moved with his family from Hobart, Tasmania at age 4. He grew up in Hurstville and then Epping, in the suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales. His father Kenneth John Retallack (1926-1969) was CEO of a print-engraving business, and his mother Wendy (nee Dean) Retallack (born 1928), an artist and homemaker. He attended the King’s School (Parramatta), then studied biology and paleontology at Macquarie University. He received a BSc Hons with University Medal in 1974 from the and a Ph.D. in 1978 in geology from the same university. After a postdoctoral fellowship at Indiana University he joined the faculty at the University of Oregon in 1981. He has been a professor in the Department of Geological Sciences since 1992, and Director of the Condon Collection of the University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History since 2009.
Retallack was 1973 and 1975 Australian Intervarsity 24-hour orienteering (rogaining)champion. An avid ski tourer and mountaineer: his major ascents include Mount Aspiring and Mount Tutoko (New Zealand), Matterhorn (Switzerland), Mont Blanc (France), Mount Kenya (Kenya), Kilimanjaro (Tanzania), Huamanripayoc Cordillera Vilcabamba (Peru), Grand Teton and Mount Jefferson(USA) and Graphite Peak (Antarctica).
A keen fossil collector since the age of 6, Retallack was outspoken concerning heavy-handed federal seizure in 1993 of the skeleton of Tyrannosaurus rex excavated by Pete Larson. This effort to restrict commercial fossil collecting backfired when “Sue” was sold at auction for $8 million, stimulating a dinosaur gold rush.
Work
Evolution of life on land
Retallack discovered as a teenager that paleosols were preserved among fossil roots below some kinds of fossil plant horizons, and that paleosols could reveal aspects of plant communities difficult to infer from the fossil plants themselves. This novel approach to reconstructing life on land could be applied to understanding major events in evolution, sometimes supplementing and sometimes challenging prior understanding. Initial work was on Triassic vegetation and climate. Later construction of Cenozoic paleoclimate time series led to the idea that grassland-grazer coevolution was responsible for climatic cooling over the past 50 million years, which has implications for biosequestration of carbon. Fieldwork in Kenya on paleosols associated with apes (Proconsulidae) ancestral to humans revealed that the evolutionary transition to upright stance occurred in woodlands rather than savannas. Paleosols of the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary in Montana implicated abrupt paleoclimatic change and acid rain from extraterrestrial impact in the extinction of dinosaurs
Work on the Permian-Triassic boundary in Antarctica lead to formulation of an hypothesis of greenhouse crisis due to methane outburst associated with flood basalt in this greatest of all mass extinctions
Devonian fossil soils at sites for tetrapods suggest a woodland hypothesis for the evolutionary transition from fish to amphibian. Discovery of fossil soils at classical South Australian sites for the Ediacara biota are evidence that these fossils formerly regarded as marine were instead terrestrial organisms such as lichens, slime molds and microbial colonies”
A Paleoproterozoic paleosol with problematic fossils comparable with living Geosiphon demonstrate a long evolutionary history for life on land”
Such ancient and complex life on land supports the view that life may originated in soil.
Retallack’s work on Late Permian mass extinction and Science Channel USA’s “Miracle Planet” episode “Death and Rebirth” . His work on Miocene of Panama was featured in National Geographic Channel USA’s “Terror Raptor” episode of “Prehistoric predators”. Radio interviews concerning his recent work on early life on land , Bob McDonald for Canadian Broadcast Corporation and Dave Miller for Oregon Public Broadcasting
In a challenge to young earth creationism, Retallack debunked interpretation of the fossil forests of Yellowstone National Park as deposits of volcanic lahars in which tree trunks landed upright, by showing that the fossil stumps were rooted in moderately developed paleosols. Because moderate development of soils can take as long as 5000 years, only a few paleosols in succession are needed to exceed the young earth creationism age of the Earth, and at Yellowstone there are at least 24 successive fossil forests. Sequences of paleosols remain the most obvious tangible evidence against young earth creationism.
Paleobotany
In addition to paleopedology, Retallack continues research in paleobotany. His special interests include Triassic fossil plants such as Pleuromeia, Isoetes, Dicroidium and Lepidopteris. With David Dilcher he developed a coastal hypothesis for the dispersal and rise to dominance of angiosperms . Retallack also developed new techniques for using stomatal index of fossil Ginkgo leaves to obtain past atmospheric carbon dioxide . This work led to the concept of paleoenvironmental regulation by the Proserpina Principle: plants cool the planet, whereas animals warm it.
Retallack’s name is honored by several fossils including Cladophlebis retallackii, fossil fern foliage and Hypisodus retallacki, a fossil mouse deer.
Archeology
In a study of soils at 84 temples of Classical Greece, Retallack discovered that each deity and cult was associated with a particular kind of soil, suggesting an economic basis for Greek polytheism. Dionysos and Demeter, for example, were gods of farming, Hermes and Hera gods of pastoralists and Apollo and Artemis gods of nomadic hunter-gatherers
Textbooks
* Soils of the past: an introduction to paleopedology, 2nd edition, Blackwell, Oxford, 2001, ISBN 0-632-05376-3
* A colour guide to paleosols, John Wiley and Sons, Chichester, 1997, ISBN 0-471-96711-4
Selected publications
* Retallack, G.J. and Feakes, C.R., 1987. Trace fossil evidence for Late Ordovician animals on land. Science, v. 235, p. 61-63.
* Retallack, G.J., Dugas, D.P. and Bestland, A.E., 1990. Fossil soils and grasses of the earliest East African grasslands. Science, v. 247, p. 1325-1328.
* Retallack, G.J. and Germán-Heins, J., 1994. Evidence from paleosols for the geological antiquity of rain forest. Science, v. 265, p. 499-502.
* Retallack, G.J., 1995. Permian-Triassic life crisis on land. Science, v. 267, p. 77-80.
* Retallack, G.J., 1997. Early forest soils and their role in Devonian global change. Science, v. 276, p. 583-585.
* Retallack, G.J., 2001. A 300 million year record of atmospheric carbon dioxide from fossil plant cuticles. Nature, v. 411, p. 287-290.
* Retallack, G.J., 2008. Rocks, views, soils and plants at the temples of ancient Greece. Antiquity, v. 82, p. 640-657.
* Retallack, G.J. 2013. Ediacaran life on land. Nature, v. 493, p. 89-92.
Boards
Retallack has served as an associate or technical editor for such scientific journals as Geology, Palaios, and Journal of Sedimentary Petrology. His fellowships include the Geological Society of America, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
He served as the president and vice president of the Cordilleran Section of the Paleontological Society, of the Oregon Academy of Sciences, and of the University of Oregon Chapter of the Society of Sigma Xi.
Critical reception
Early reviews of Retallack’s now-classic textbooks conclude that they are indispensable for paleopedology. Of “Soils of the past”, David Fastovsky concludes “it is requisite for all persons trying to understand paleosols”. Of “A colour guide to paleosols”, Daniel Yaalon concludes “Highly recommended for students and researchers alike for an introductory insight to paleopedology and to whet and refine their skills in paleosol interpretation.” Both reviews however baulked at the unfamiliarity of soil science terminology and classification in these texts.
Retallack’s approach to the description and interpretation of paleosols has been widely adopted., but Retallack’s approach has since been validated by development of additional geochemical proxies for soil taxonomic criteria. Retallack’s confirmation of abrupt paleoenvironmental change on land at the Cretaceous-Tertiary was questioned for its applicability to all Ediacaran fossils. Later work on growth and preservation of the Ediacaran fossil Dickinsonia was unchallenged. Recent discovery that Ediacaran fossils were preserved in paleosols and thus could not be marine fossils, but disputed in others.
Awards and honors
Retallack has been honored for his research, including the Stillwell Award of the Geological Society of Australia, for best paper in the society journal in 1977, and the Antarctic Medal of the U.S. National Science Foundation in 1999. He has been an invited lecturer throughout the U.S., and also to Germany, England, China, Thailand and India.
“Whereas there has been a community of scholars engaged in the study of Quaternary paleosols, impetus for the study of pre-Quaternary paleosols largely originated with Dr. Gregory Retallack at the University of Oregon."
"Retallack has literally written the book on ancient soils."
Biography
Retallack moved with his family from Hobart, Tasmania at age 4. He grew up in Hurstville and then Epping, in the suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales. His father Kenneth John Retallack (1926-1969) was CEO of a print-engraving business, and his mother Wendy (nee Dean) Retallack (born 1928), an artist and homemaker. He attended the King’s School (Parramatta), then studied biology and paleontology at Macquarie University. He received a BSc Hons with University Medal in 1974 from the and a Ph.D. in 1978 in geology from the same university. After a postdoctoral fellowship at Indiana University he joined the faculty at the University of Oregon in 1981. He has been a professor in the Department of Geological Sciences since 1992, and Director of the Condon Collection of the University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History since 2009.
Retallack was 1973 and 1975 Australian Intervarsity 24-hour orienteering (rogaining)champion. An avid ski tourer and mountaineer: his major ascents include Mount Aspiring and Mount Tutoko (New Zealand), Matterhorn (Switzerland), Mont Blanc (France), Mount Kenya (Kenya), Kilimanjaro (Tanzania), Huamanripayoc Cordillera Vilcabamba (Peru), Grand Teton and Mount Jefferson(USA) and Graphite Peak (Antarctica).
A keen fossil collector since the age of 6, Retallack was outspoken concerning heavy-handed federal seizure in 1993 of the skeleton of Tyrannosaurus rex excavated by Pete Larson. This effort to restrict commercial fossil collecting backfired when “Sue” was sold at auction for $8 million, stimulating a dinosaur gold rush.
Work
Evolution of life on land
Retallack discovered as a teenager that paleosols were preserved among fossil roots below some kinds of fossil plant horizons, and that paleosols could reveal aspects of plant communities difficult to infer from the fossil plants themselves. This novel approach to reconstructing life on land could be applied to understanding major events in evolution, sometimes supplementing and sometimes challenging prior understanding. Initial work was on Triassic vegetation and climate. Later construction of Cenozoic paleoclimate time series led to the idea that grassland-grazer coevolution was responsible for climatic cooling over the past 50 million years, which has implications for biosequestration of carbon. Fieldwork in Kenya on paleosols associated with apes (Proconsulidae) ancestral to humans revealed that the evolutionary transition to upright stance occurred in woodlands rather than savannas. Paleosols of the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary in Montana implicated abrupt paleoclimatic change and acid rain from extraterrestrial impact in the extinction of dinosaurs
Work on the Permian-Triassic boundary in Antarctica lead to formulation of an hypothesis of greenhouse crisis due to methane outburst associated with flood basalt in this greatest of all mass extinctions
Devonian fossil soils at sites for tetrapods suggest a woodland hypothesis for the evolutionary transition from fish to amphibian. Discovery of fossil soils at classical South Australian sites for the Ediacara biota are evidence that these fossils formerly regarded as marine were instead terrestrial organisms such as lichens, slime molds and microbial colonies”
A Paleoproterozoic paleosol with problematic fossils comparable with living Geosiphon demonstrate a long evolutionary history for life on land”
Such ancient and complex life on land supports the view that life may originated in soil.
Retallack’s work on Late Permian mass extinction and Science Channel USA’s “Miracle Planet” episode “Death and Rebirth” . His work on Miocene of Panama was featured in National Geographic Channel USA’s “Terror Raptor” episode of “Prehistoric predators”. Radio interviews concerning his recent work on early life on land , Bob McDonald for Canadian Broadcast Corporation and Dave Miller for Oregon Public Broadcasting
In a challenge to young earth creationism, Retallack debunked interpretation of the fossil forests of Yellowstone National Park as deposits of volcanic lahars in which tree trunks landed upright, by showing that the fossil stumps were rooted in moderately developed paleosols. Because moderate development of soils can take as long as 5000 years, only a few paleosols in succession are needed to exceed the young earth creationism age of the Earth, and at Yellowstone there are at least 24 successive fossil forests. Sequences of paleosols remain the most obvious tangible evidence against young earth creationism.
Paleobotany
In addition to paleopedology, Retallack continues research in paleobotany. His special interests include Triassic fossil plants such as Pleuromeia, Isoetes, Dicroidium and Lepidopteris. With David Dilcher he developed a coastal hypothesis for the dispersal and rise to dominance of angiosperms . Retallack also developed new techniques for using stomatal index of fossil Ginkgo leaves to obtain past atmospheric carbon dioxide . This work led to the concept of paleoenvironmental regulation by the Proserpina Principle: plants cool the planet, whereas animals warm it.
Retallack’s name is honored by several fossils including Cladophlebis retallackii, fossil fern foliage and Hypisodus retallacki, a fossil mouse deer.
Archeology
In a study of soils at 84 temples of Classical Greece, Retallack discovered that each deity and cult was associated with a particular kind of soil, suggesting an economic basis for Greek polytheism. Dionysos and Demeter, for example, were gods of farming, Hermes and Hera gods of pastoralists and Apollo and Artemis gods of nomadic hunter-gatherers
Textbooks
* Soils of the past: an introduction to paleopedology, 2nd edition, Blackwell, Oxford, 2001, ISBN 0-632-05376-3
* A colour guide to paleosols, John Wiley and Sons, Chichester, 1997, ISBN 0-471-96711-4
Selected publications
* Retallack, G.J. and Feakes, C.R., 1987. Trace fossil evidence for Late Ordovician animals on land. Science, v. 235, p. 61-63.
* Retallack, G.J., Dugas, D.P. and Bestland, A.E., 1990. Fossil soils and grasses of the earliest East African grasslands. Science, v. 247, p. 1325-1328.
* Retallack, G.J. and Germán-Heins, J., 1994. Evidence from paleosols for the geological antiquity of rain forest. Science, v. 265, p. 499-502.
* Retallack, G.J., 1995. Permian-Triassic life crisis on land. Science, v. 267, p. 77-80.
* Retallack, G.J., 1997. Early forest soils and their role in Devonian global change. Science, v. 276, p. 583-585.
* Retallack, G.J., 2001. A 300 million year record of atmospheric carbon dioxide from fossil plant cuticles. Nature, v. 411, p. 287-290.
* Retallack, G.J., 2008. Rocks, views, soils and plants at the temples of ancient Greece. Antiquity, v. 82, p. 640-657.
* Retallack, G.J. 2013. Ediacaran life on land. Nature, v. 493, p. 89-92.
Boards
Retallack has served as an associate or technical editor for such scientific journals as Geology, Palaios, and Journal of Sedimentary Petrology. His fellowships include the Geological Society of America, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
He served as the president and vice president of the Cordilleran Section of the Paleontological Society, of the Oregon Academy of Sciences, and of the University of Oregon Chapter of the Society of Sigma Xi.
Critical reception
Early reviews of Retallack’s now-classic textbooks conclude that they are indispensable for paleopedology. Of “Soils of the past”, David Fastovsky concludes “it is requisite for all persons trying to understand paleosols”. Of “A colour guide to paleosols”, Daniel Yaalon concludes “Highly recommended for students and researchers alike for an introductory insight to paleopedology and to whet and refine their skills in paleosol interpretation.” Both reviews however baulked at the unfamiliarity of soil science terminology and classification in these texts.
Retallack’s approach to the description and interpretation of paleosols has been widely adopted., but Retallack’s approach has since been validated by development of additional geochemical proxies for soil taxonomic criteria. Retallack’s confirmation of abrupt paleoenvironmental change on land at the Cretaceous-Tertiary was questioned for its applicability to all Ediacaran fossils. Later work on growth and preservation of the Ediacaran fossil Dickinsonia was unchallenged. Recent discovery that Ediacaran fossils were preserved in paleosols and thus could not be marine fossils, but disputed in others.
Awards and honors
Retallack has been honored for his research, including the Stillwell Award of the Geological Society of Australia, for best paper in the society journal in 1977, and the Antarctic Medal of the U.S. National Science Foundation in 1999. He has been an invited lecturer throughout the U.S., and also to Germany, England, China, Thailand and India.