Adolf Seilacher Medal

Fossilised impressions (ichnofossils) left by resting starfishes. Adolf Seilacher was a pioneer in recognising and interpreting these traces of ancient life.

To mark the 100th birthday of Adolf Seilacher on 24 February 2025, the Academy has established a new award in his honour: the Adolf Seilacher Medal. Adolf Seilacher (1925–2014) was one of the most distinguished and respected palaeontologists of the past fifty years. Among many honours, he was the first geoscientist to receive the Crafoord Prize of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 1992 (considered the “Nobel Prize” for disciplines not covered by the Nobel Prizes), as well as the Otto Jaekel Medal of the Palaeontological Society in 2013. The Göttingen Academy of Sciences and Humanities elected him a corresponding member in 1989.

The Adolf Seilacher Medal is generally awarded every two years to individuals who have made outstanding and pioneering contributions to palaeontology, geobiology, or the geosciences more broadly. The prize has an international scope and honours active and internationally recognised researchers whose work has enriched palaeontological and geobiological research across disciplinary boundaries and who are expected to continue advancing the field in the future. The award is presented during the Academy’s annual celebration or its public summer meeting.