astronomy

Joel Cracraft

Joel Cracraft is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Joel Cracraft rather than just read about it. In short: Joel Lester Cracraft (born July 31, 1942), is an American paleontologist and ornithologist. He received a PhD in 1969 from Columbia University (Functional Morphology of Locomotion in Birds).

Key takeaways

Joel Cracraft belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Joel Cracraft to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Joel Cracraft from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Joel Lester Cracraft (born July 31, 1942), is an American paleontologist and ornithologist. He received a PhD in 1969 from Columbia University (Functional Morphology of Locomotion in Birds). His research interests include: theory and methods of comparative biology, evolutionary theory, biological diversification, systematics, the evolution of morphological systems, historical biogeography, molecular systematics and evolution. From 1970 he has been a research associate at the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago; from 1970 to 1992, full professor at the University of Illinois Chicago; from 1993 to 1994, acting director of the Center for Biodiversity and Conservation at the American Museum of Natural History; from 1992, adjunct professor at the CUNY Graduate Center; from 1997 adjunct professor at Columbia University; from 1992 curator at American Museum of Natural History; and from 2002 Lamont Curator of Birds at American Museum of Natural History.

Taxa authored Certhiasomus (2015) Hirundineinae (2009) Microrhopiini (2009)

Publications Cracraft, J. (2009). "Continental drift, paleoclimatology, and the evolution and biogeography of birds". Journal of Zoology. 169 (4): 455–543. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1973.tb03122.x. ISSN 0952-8369. Cracraft, J. (1974). "Phylogenetic Models and Classification". Systematic Biology. 23 (1): 71–90. doi:10.1093/sysbio/23.1.71. ISSN 1063-5157. Cracraft, J. (2008). "Phylogeny and evolution of the ratite birds". Ibis. 116 (4): 494–521. doi:10.1111/j.1474-919X.1974.tb07648.x. ISSN 0019-1019. Eldredge, N.; Cracraft, J. (1980). Phylogenetic patterns and the evolutionary process. Method and theory in comparative biology. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-03802-X. Cracraft, J. (1981). "Toward a phylogenetic classification of recent birds of the world (Class Aves)" (PDF). The Auk. 98 (4): 681–714. doi:10.1093/auk/98.4.681 (inactive July 1, 2025).{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of July 2025 (link) Cracraft, J. (1983). Species concepts and speciation analysis in Current Ornithology. Plenum Press, New York. pp. 159–187. doi:10.1007/978-1-4615-6781-3_6. Cracraft, J. (1985). "Historical Biogeography and Patterns of Differentiation within the South American Avifauna: Areas of Endemism". Ornithological Monographs (36): 49–84. doi:10.2307/40168278. ISSN 0078-6594. JSTOR 40168278. Cracraft, J. (1988). "Deep-history Biogeography: Retrieving the Historical Pattern of Evolving Continental Biotas". Systematic Biology. 37 (3): 221–236. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.1022.9061. doi:10.1093/sysbio/37.3.221. ISSN 1063-5157. {{cite journal}}: Cite uses deprecated parameter |citeseerx= (help) Cracraft, J. (1988) The major clades of birds in: The phylogeny and classification of the tetrapods 1: 339–361. Cracraft, J. (1989). Chapter 2: Speciation and its ontology: the empirical consequences of alternative species concepts for understanding patterns and processes of differentiation (PDF). Vol. 28. p. 59. Cracraft, J.; Donoghue, M.J., eds. (2004). Assembling the Tree of Life. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-517234-5. Barker, F. K.; Cibois, A.; Schikler, P.; Feinstein, J.; Cracraft, J. (2004). "Phylogeny and diversification of the largest avian radiation". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 101 (30): 11040–11045. Bibcode:2004PNAS..10111040B. doi:10.1073/pnas.0401892101. ISSN 0027-8424. PMC 503738. PMID 15263073. Claramunt, S.; Cracraft, J. (2015). "A new time tree reveals Earth history's imprint on the evolution of modern birds". Science Advances. 1 (11) e1501005. Bibcode:2015SciA....1E1005C. doi:10.1126/sciadv.1501005. PMC 4730849. PMID 26824065.

References

External links Profile: Joel Cracraft (AMNH video) Joel Cracraft interview (from Organization for Tropical Studies)

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Joel Cracraft

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Joel Cracraft claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Joel Cracraft before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Joel Cracraft ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Joel Cracraft

In research: Joel Cracraft appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Joel Cracraft in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Joel Cracraft is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1942 births, 20th-century American geologists, 20th-century American zoologists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Joel Cracraft outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Joel Cracraft in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Joel Cracraft means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Joel Cracraft out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Joel Cracraft in simple terms?

Joel Lester Cracraft (born July 31, 1942), is an American paleontologist and ornithologist. He received a PhD in 1969 from Columbia University (Functional Morphology of Locomotion in Birds).

Why does Joel Cracraft matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Joel Cracraft?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Joel Cracraft.