Die Mary Clark Thompson Medal wird seit 1921 vergeben und zeichnet besondere Leistungen auf dem Gebiet der Geologie und Paläontologie aus. Sie ist nach der Stifterin, der PhilanthropinMary Clark Thompson (1835–1923) benannt.
Die Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal wird seit 1917 vergeben und zeichnet besondere Leistungen auf dem Gebiet der Zoologie und Paläontologie aus. Sie ist nach dem Zoologen Daniel Giraud Elliot (1835–1915) benannt und wurde von Margaret Henderson Elliot gestiftet.
Seit 2018 wird der NAS Award in the Evolution of Earth and Life abwechselnd als Mary Clark Thompson Medal und als Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal vergeben.
1995 David Lawrence Jones „für seine Entwicklung der Terrane-tektonischen Theorie durch die geologische Kartierung des westlichen Nordamerika und biostratigraphische Studien über Radiolarien in Tiefwasser-Schieferablagerungen“ (Laudatio).
1999 Jan Smit für die „Etablierung der Reihenfolge der Meteoriten-Einschlagereignisse vor 65 Millionen Jahren, einschliesslich Fallout, Tsunami Fortpflanzung, geochemische Störungen und Aussterben von Foraminiferen und Dinosauriern“ (Laudatio).
2003 Frederik J. Hilgen für „seine sorgfältige Integration verschiedener geologischer, geophysikalischer und zyklostratigraphischer sedimentologischer Daten zur Entwicklung einer Zeitskala für das späte Neogen“ (das heißt bis 12 Millionen Jahre in die Vergangenheit) (Laudatio).
2006 Steven M. Stanley für „die Erforschung und seine führende Rolle in funktionaler Morphologie von Muscheln (Bivalvia) und die Makroevolution verschiedener Tiergruppen, einschließlich Hominiden, im Zusammenhang mit der physikalischen und chemischen Geschichte der Erde“ (Laudatio).
2009 Alfred G. Fischer für „seine führende Rolle und Forschungsbeiträge bei der Entdeckung der zyklischen und periodischen Natur der Sedimente in der geologischen Vergangenheit und deren Verbindung mit Systemänderungen auf der Erde, einschließlich Änderungen in der Biodiversität“ (Laudatio).
2012 Andrew Knoll für seine „unvergleichlichen Beiträge zu den Zusammenhängen zwischen dem Leben im Präkambrium und der physikalischen und chemischen Geschichte der Erde und für innovative Beiträge zur Paläophysiologie und Evolution von Algen und Landpflanzen“ (Laudatio).
2015 Susan M. Kidwell für ihre „grundlegenden Arbeiten zum Erhalt von Fossilien, die unsere Vorstellung davon verwandelt haben, wie die Geschichte des Lebens in Steinen verschlüsselt ist. Ihre Arbeiten zeigten die Verlässlichkeit der steinernen Zeugen und konnten so wichtige Einblicke in die Evolution und Ökologie früherer Lebensformen liefern“ (Laudatio).
2021 Shuhai XiaoFor his integrated geological, geochemical, and paleontological research on the evolution and radiation of eukaryotes, of algae, and of animals in the Ediacaran and Cambrian periods, his leadership, and his construction of a scientific and cultural bridge between China and the United States that has greatly benefited both societies.
2024 Terrie M. Williams: Williams has made fundamental contributions to understanding how large mammals function in their diverse habitats that has transformed the field of ecological physiology.
1932 James P. Chapinfor his work entitled, "The Birds of the Belgian Congo, Part I," published as a bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History in 1932.
1937 George Howard Parkerfor his work "Do Melanophore Nerves Show Antidromic Responses?" Journal of General Physiology, volume 20, July 1937.
1938 M. R. Irwinfor his work, "Immunogenetic Studies of Species Relationships in Columbidae."
1939 John H. Northropfor his work, "Crystalline Enzymes: The Chemistry of Pepsin, Trypsin, and Bacteriophage."
1940 William B. Scottfor his work, "The Mammalian Fauna of the White River Oligocene. Part IV. Artiodactyia."
1941 Theodosius Dobzhanskyfor his work, "Genetics and the Origin of Species," second edition published in 1941.
1942 D’arcy Thompsonfor his work, On Growth and Form, revised and enlarged, 1942.
1943 Karl S. Lashleyfor his work, "Studies of Cerebral Function in Learning," Journal of Comparative Neurology, 1943, volume 79.
1944 George G. Simpsonfor his work, "Tempo and Mode in Evolution," Columbia University Press, 1944.
1945 Sewall WrightFor his fundamental work dealing with the genetics of evolutionary processes--a program based on work over a long period, including his paper "The Differential Equation of the Distribution of Gene Frequencies."
1946 Robert Broomfor his volume, "The South Africa Fossil Ape-Men, The Australopithecinae," which was published on January 31, 1946, by the Transvaal Museum in Pretoria.
1947 John T. Patterson
1948 Henry B. Bigelowfor his contributions to marine zoology, particularly for his part as senior author in the volume "Fishes of the Western North Atlantic."
1949 Arthur Cleveland Bentfor the 17th volume in his series on the "Life Histories of the North American Birds," published by the United States National Museum.
1950 Raymond Carroll Osburnin recognition of his studies of Bryozoa, particularly for the volume on Bryozoa of the Pacific Coast of America, part 1, published by the University of Southern California.
1955 Herbert Friedmannfor his book, "The Honey Guides." Dr. Friedman's studies of this little-known African bird clarified several puzzling problems concerning it.
1957 P. Jackson Darlington, Jr. for his work on Zoogeography: The Geographical Distribution of Animals was the most meritorious work in zoology published during the year.
1965 George G. Simpsonfor his treatise, "Principles of Animal Taxonomy."
1967 Ernst Mayrfor his treatise, "Animal Species and Evolution".
1971 Richard D. Alexanderfor his outstanding fundamental work on the systematic, evolution, and behavior of crickets.
1976 Howard E. Evansfor his work over a 25-year span on the biology and evolution of behavior in wasps.
1979 G. Arthur Cooper, Richard E. Grantfor the six-volume treatise on the taxonomy, paleoecology, and evolutionary significance of the West Texas permian brachiopods.
1984 G. Evelyn Hutchinsonfor his work as a limologist, biochemist, ecologist, evolutionist, art historian, ranking among our zoological giants.
1988 Jon Edward Ahlquist, Charles G. Sibleyfor their application of DNA hybridization techniques to bird classification which revolutionized taxonomy by showing at last how to distinguish evolutionary relationships from convergent similarities.
1992 George C. Williamsfor his seminal contributions to current evolutionary thought, including the importance of natural selection and adaptation, and the understanding of sexual reproduction, social behavior, senescence, and disease.
1996 John Terborghfor his research on the ecology, sociobiology, biodiversity, and plant phenology of the tropics, and for his 1992 book, "Diversity and the Tropical Rain Forest".
2000 Geerat J. Vermeijfor his extracting major generalizations about biological evolution from the fossil record, by feeling details of shell anatomy that other scientists only see.
2004 Rudolf A. Rafffor creative accomplishments in research, teaching, and writing (especially "The Shape of Life") that led to the establishment of a new field, evolutionary developmental biology.
2008 Jennifer A. Clackfor studies of the first terrestrial vertebrates and the water-to-land transition, as illuminated in her book "Gaining Ground".
2012 Jonathan B. Lososfor his novel and penetrating studies of adaptive radiation in vertebrates, notably his comprehensive study of Anolis lizards in tropical America, as summarized in his recent book, "Lizards in an Evolutionary Tree: Ecology and Adaptive Radiation of Anoles.
2018 Günter P. Wagner für seine „grundlegenden Beiträge zur Integration von Entwicklungsbiologie und Evolutionsbiologie, insbesondere durch sein Buch Homology, Genes and Evolutionary Innovation, das der Evolutionsbiologie für Jahrzehnte Orientierung geben wird“ (Laudatio).