Dale Alan Russell (1937–2019): voyageur of a vanished world¹

Abstract

We review the distinguished and varied career of our friend and colleague, palaeontologist Dr. Dale A. Russell, following the recent news of his death. Dale relished his work, and approached his research—whether it be on mosasaur systematics, dinosaur extinction, or the evolution of animal intelligence—with great gusto. A deep and contextual thinker, Dale had a penchant for metanarrative rarely equaled in these times of increased research specialization. This quality, combined with his outgoing and collaborative nature, allowed Dale to make friends and colleagues with highly varied research interests throughout the world. We remember Dale fondly, and cherish the opportunity to share the stories of his adventures (and misadventures) across the globe.