78 | Great Geologists ebook
Mining in the Ural Mountains in 1910.
in Antlitz der Erde, in terms of taking a pioneering global
view of tectonics. Karpinsky often commented that “the
geologist needs the whole Earth” — he was at the forefront of
promoting the notion that any interpretation of the geological
structure of the Earth requires a global outlook.
In 1898, Karpinsky became involved in an unusual
paleontological diversion, a puzzle that still intrigues geologists
today. A school inspector exploring the Ural Mountains
encountered a strange fossil in some Permian strata. Whorl-
shaped like an ammonite, it was clearly an arrangement of
shark’s teeth. A photograph and description were sent to
Karpinsky for his comments. He named it Helicoprion (from the
Greek helico, “spiral,” and prion, “saw”) and suggested that it
initially protruded from the snout of the shark. Admittedly, this
seems unlikely, so in subsequent interpretations, he decided
the apparatus were not teeth, but rather defensive spines either
on the tail or dorsal region of the shark. Helicoprion fossils have
been found in some other locations outside of Russia and have
puzzled paleontologists for over 100 years. It appears they are
indeed teeth, a kind of circular saw in the mouth. However,
because of how the teeth grow, only a portion of the whorl, with
just a dozen or so teeth, would have been exposed at any time.
Karpinsky passed away in 1936. His ashes were placed within
the Kremlin Wall in Moscow, a mark of the great esteem with
which he was held for his contributions, not only to geological
science, but to the location of mineral resources that helped
develop the Russian economy. A number of geographic
features carry his name, as does the Russian Geological
Institute (VESGEI). VESGEI is the successor and custodian of
traditions of the first state geological institution in Russia, the
Geological Committee. Effectively the state geological survey,
it was established in Saint Petersburg in 1882, by a decree
of Emperor Alexander III (with guidance from Karpinsky) to
study the geology of Russia. This included the compilation of a
geological map of all Russian territories, as well as investigating
the prospectivity of the country’s regions for different mineral
resources. Karpinsky was the first to chair this committee and
the fact that its successor institute now carries his name is a
fitting tribute to the great pioneer of Russian geology.
REFERENCES
This essay has drawn upon information from the following
sources:
https://www.prlib.ru/en/history/618925
https://www.strangescience.net/karpinsky.htm
http://www.vsegei.ru/en
Ewing, S. 2017. Resurrecting the Shark. Pegasus Books Ltd.