RUDOLF RICHTER AND TODAY’S ACTUALISTIC PALEONTOLOGY

This is the 75^th anniversary of two important accomplishments by Rudolf Richter (1881-1957), a paleontologist best known in the U.S. for his extensive research on trilobites. In 1928, he renovated a two-room horse stable on Germany's coast at the North Sea to establish a research station for the study of present-day processes from the standpoint of geology and paleontology. In the same year, he proposed the terms Aktuogeologie and Aktuopaläontologie for these new endeavors. The following account is based on translations of primary texts and biographies, and taped interviews with several of Richter's associates, some of whom are now deceased. 

    Paleozoic sedimentary structures inspired Richter to go to the sea to understand their origin, which he did as early as 1911. A delightful popularization (1926) titled "A geologic excursion into the wadden sea" shows his motivation for erecting a coastal research station. Richter wrote two key papers in 1928, one on the new field station and a second on the new discipline of Aktuopaläontologie:  "...the science of the formation of paleontological objects in the present that are potentially able to become fossil."  The new field of study was to consist of 3 parts: research on traces, "death and bedding" and "biofacies." Although successful in Germany, this line of research was not followed closely by U.S. paleontologists. There are many probable reasons for this, including the language barrier and anti-German sentiment due to the rise of Nazi party. Richter himself was linked by innuendo to the Nazis, but, in fact, he was an opponent.

    Rudolf Richter was not the first to apply the actualistic method to fossils: instead his unique contribution is that he created a place for the results, both in physical space and in academia. This achievement has not been fully appreciated. Today, the actualistic method is commonly used, not just in the areas delineated by Richter's Aktuopaläontologie, but in a wide range of fields including genetics and development, the ecology of living fossils, and phylogenetic analyses. I propose that the term actualistic paleontology be used for this broader sense, and that it simply be defined as the study of modern-day organisms in order to better interpret the fossil record. Viewing today's actualistic research as a coherent discipline would be a fitting tribute to Richter.