William Smith - Geologicial mapper and fossil spotter
William Smith(march23,1769-august 28,1839) is remembered for his pioneering work in large-scale geological mapping and for his insights into the age of the rock strata of the world. Working as a surveyor while a young man,he had the opportunity to travel around an England that was ramping up its production of and exploration for coal. He surveyed the construction of a major canal and observed the layers of rock revealed by the cutting in the layers of coal and other sediments,distinctive fossils gave him the critical clues to identify rock revealed by the cutting.