Who is the founder of principle faunal succession?

The principle of faunal succession was founded by William Smith, an English geologist and canal engineer, in the early 19th century. Smith meticulously studied rock strata and the fossils they contained, leading to his groundbreaking discovery that certain groups of fossils were characteristic of specific rock layers. This formed the basis of his principle of faunal succession, also known as the law of superposition, which states that younger rock strata are typically deposited above older strata and contain different fossil assemblages. Smith's work revolutionized the field of stratigraphy, laying the foundation for modern paleontology and geological understanding of Earth's history.