Nancy Kirk

Nancy Kirk (1916–2005) was a British geologist who developed original theories regarding the life and habits of graptolites. She was a protégée of Owen Thomas (O.T.) Jones, a Welsh geology professor with an undergraduate in Natural Sciences.

During her time at Newnham College, Cambridge, she originally intended to study Botany, but soon switched to Geology where she receive "first class marks" in her final exams in 1939. afterwards she worked at Birmingham University. In 1953 she was appointed assistant lecturer in the Geology Department at Aberystwyth University, and became a full lecturer a couple years later in 1955. Even after her retirement in 1983, Kirk continued in the department.

Her research in the 1980s when she was working with the University College of Wales, in Aberystwyth began to focus on graptolites.

Field work

In the 1950s, Kirk had done a lot of fieldwork. Though her earlier work was not officially published, she had established a series of maps and conducted research around the Welsh borders. The work was later used to help build the foundation of further studies in the area.

It wasn't until the late 1960s that Kirk took an interest in graptolites. She originally used graptolites for processes of identification and correlation in her research after her professor O.T.’s lead. This was because of the graptolites burst in population beginning in about the mid-Cambrian fossil records. Consequently, these marine fossils were a useful index fossil within the field; however, they suddenly nearly vanished from record about 200 million years later. Her findings were far more Jurassic than she had originally envisioned, graptolites then became her main focus of study by this fluke mistake. Reviewing her paleontology work from previous years before teaching, she gained an interest in graptolites and their sexual dimorphism.

Kirk then worked on the studying the graptolite with Dennis Bates. Her success was largely due to the use of a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to examine specimens, and her collaboration with other previous works.

Personal life and legacy

Kirk is fondly remembered by her students for her generosity, and colorful language. She actively put time into caring for her students and properly teaching the curriculum. Kirk put effort into the brightest and weakest students equally, making sure all of them moved forward and were able to learn what she was teaching. In contrast, back when she was working in the Royal Ordinance Factory (1942-1945), she boisterously challenged authority with her own ideas on how to run the factory more efficiently. This landed her a ban from "any further checking of machinery". Nancy Kirk, dedicated to her work and her garden, lived independently and never ended up marrying.

After her death, the Nancy Kirk Viewpoint was created through donations by former students and colleagues, situated at the northernmost point of Pant Da nature reserve.