Stanley received his Ph.D. from
Yale University in 1968. For most of his career he taught
geology at
Johns Hopkins University (1969-2005). In 1977 Stanley was awarded the Paleontological Society's
Charles Schuchert Award which is presented "to a person under 40 whose work reflects excellence and promise in the science of paleontology." In 2007 he was awarded the Society's
Paleontological Society Medal, which is "awarded to a person whose eminence is based on advancement of knowledge in paleontology." and in 2008 the
William H. Twenhofel Medal by the
Society for Sedimentary Geology. In 1972 Stanley developed the Predation Hypothesis to explain the evolution of novelties in the
Cambrian explosion. Stanley proposed that
predation stimulated prey animals to evolve defenses such as shells, rapid swimming, and burrowing. These strategies also opened
new avenues of evolution through functional shifts. Hard shells allowed for filter feeding, and deep burrowing allowed animals to gain new access to food resources. Stanley acted as a "personal editor" on several PNAS papers about the controversial
Younger Dryas impact hypothesis, starting with the original 2007 paper and continuing even after revelations of misconduct by a key contributor. He admitted to a Nature reporter that "It has been very controversial… It's my view that I should help to get this stuff published." The hypothesis was comprehensively refuted in 2023. ==Bibliography==