Twenhofel Professor of Geology and Geophysics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin.
In 1972, he described the conodont genus Neostreptognathodus.
In 2001, he received the Raymond C. Moore Medal which the Society awards for Sedimentary Geology to persons who have made significant contributions in the field that have promoted the science of stratigraphy through research in paleontology.
The conodont genus name Clarkina and species name Streptognathodus clarki are tributes to David Leigh Clark.
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