Phillipe d'Everard (paleontologist)

Professor Baron Phillipe Edmond d'Everard OC (October 22, 1865 – February 2, 1938) was a highly influential Yonderian paleontologist of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He became world-famous after discovering and categorizing the first remains of the Caphirosaurus in 1900 in Belctrum, Caphiria, elevating the world of paleontology from the world of academia to the public eye. His further discoveries and categorisation of more than 200 species of extinct lifeforms has earned him the moniker "Father of paleontology", complimenting Thibaut d'Avignon's moniker "Grandfather of paleontology".

d'Everard was a prodigious writer, with 1,400 papers published over his lifetime. A lifelong and highly dedicated field worker, d'Everard died suddenly from complications associated with 72 years old on February 2, 1938 outside Lariana, Talionia, while leading a paleontological expedition. His proposal for the origin of mammalian molars is notable among his theoretical contributions. "d'Everard's rule", however, the hypothesis that mammalian lineages gradually grow larger over geologic time, while named after him, is "neither explicit nor implicit" in his work.

The joanusaurid dinosaur Everardtadens and ceratopsian dinosaur Everardceratops are both named in honour of d'Everard. His son was the Marshal of Yonderre Rachet d'Everard (1903-1997) and his only daughter the acclaimed ballet dancer Sophie d'Everard (1907-2002).

Early life, education and first expeditions
Phillipe Edmond d'Everard was born on October 22, 1865, as the eldest son of famed physicist Rachet d'Everard (1838–1922) and his wife Sophie, née d'Auguste (1843–1940). Phillipe harboured a strong interest in natural science from an early age and kept several exotic animals as pets. He attended a private Catholic boys school in Sainte-Catherine operated by the Order of St. Prokop. He explored pits and quarries in the surrounding areas, discovering ammonites, shells of sea urchins, fish bones, coral, and worn-out remains of dead animals. Reaching 18 years of age, d'Everard served his conscription with the 11th Infantry Division of the Yonderian Defence Force from 1883-84 during which time he was known to his comrades as "Eddie" due to there being five men named Phillipe in his company.

Returning from the army, d'Everard enrolled with the University of Collinebourg studying biology from 1884-89. One of d'Everard's courses was taught by paleontologist Thibaut d'Avignon who had described Joanusaurus a few years prior. d'Everard was invited to partake in digs in the field seasons of 1887-92 under d'Avignon's supervision. d'Everard partook in the 1891 and 1892 excavations in Vollardie that led to the discovery of the most complete Vollardisaurus skeletons known at the time. d'Everard returned to the University of Collinebourg in 1892 to work on his thesis, published in 1895 as "Evolutionary development and traits in derived Joanusarids".

Views on evolution
When asked in 1912 if anything could be gleamed from evolution as divine intervention, d'Everard surmised that "[t]he Creator must be inordinately fond of beetles", stating that "the earth is home to some 30 million different species of them."

Personal life
Phillipe d'Everard married the eleven years younger Hedvig Schmidt (1876-1962), a Toubourg native, in 1894. The couple had three children, Marshal of Yonderre Rachet d'Everard (1903-1997), ballet dancer Sophie d'Everard (1907-2002) and the stillborn Killian d'Everard (1909). When not on expeditions, the d'Everards lived chiefly in the d'Everard Bourg in Sainte-Catherine, although Phillipe frequently spent nights in dormitories provided by the University of Collinebourg during his professorate.

Legacy
In fewer than 50 years as a scientist, d'Everard published over 1,400 scientific papers, a record that is rivaled by few other scientists. Having discovered and described more than 200 extinct lifeforms, d'Everard bears the monicker "father of paleontology" in academic circles. Although d'Everard is chiefly known as a paleontologist having discovered at least 56 new dinosaur species, his contributions extended to ichthyology and herpetology, in which he catalogued 300 species of fishes and described over 300 species of reptiles over three decades.

"d'Everard's rule", suggesting that mammalian lineages gradually grow larger over geologic time, while named after him, is "neither explicit nor implicit" in his work according to modern paleontologists.

The Primo Kino movie Swallowing Dust from 2008 is a dramatization of d'Everard's final expedition to Talionia, with Jean-Yves Forvert playing the role of d'Everard.