science OBITUARY y

The sage of biodiversity

1 Zoologist Paulo Vanzolini was one of the brains behind the creation of the FAPESP and the author of a theory on the origin of species in South America, as well as an icon of

Published in June 2013

revere nature. And I had a rewarding career. through crowded bars, but you’re not there). In I can say I’m a fully realized researcher,” said addition to composing, he would also sometimes São Paulo biologist Paulo Emílio Vanzolini to take to the stage. One of his last appearances was Pesquisa FAPESP in 2010 upon the release of at the Sesc Pompeia pub in São Paulo in Janu- his book Evolução ao nível de espécie – Répteis ary 2012, where his wife, singer Ana Bernardo, “Ida América do Sul (Evolution at the species level: performed his songs while he sat at a table on the of South America). This 704-page stage, regaling the crowd with stories of his life. tome is a collection of his 47 most important His accomplishments will stay with us because scientific articles. These papers, published from he blazed new trails, not only in biology but also 1945 through 2004, helped expand the scope of in building Brazilian science. “Vanzolini took part Brazilian zoology. Prior to the mid-twentieth in the movement of professors and researchers century, the field had been focused on isolated who proposed the creation of FAPESP, and un- descriptions of species, but based on Vanzolini’s der the Carvalho Pinto administration, he made work, it shifted toward searching for the mecha- a vital contribution to the institution’s structural nisms underlying the formation of new species design and to the organizational model that is from biological, evolutionary, and environmen- still in place at the foundation today,” said Celso tal perspectives. Lafer, president of FAPESP. “I am deeply sad- Vanzolini, who died of pneumonia on April 28, dened by his death. Vanzolini was someone for five days after his 89th birthday, had another pas- whom I had great admiration.” sion, second only to zoology: writing . His Vanzolini participated in the first meetings to greatest hit was the now classic Ronda, written in discuss the creation of FAPESP, shortly after the 1951 (it begins with the following lines: I wander enactment of the Constitution of 1947, which au- the city at night, vainly searching for you. I prowl thorized the establishment of a research funding

38 z special issue october 2013 1 The Anolis chrysolepis, the basis for his formulation of the refuge theory

2 and 3 Vanzolini in 2012 and on one of his trips to northern Brazil

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agency in São Paulo. In 1960, he was responsible identification cards for the stored animals, re-

V E I for drafting both the law that instituted FAPESP calls Miguel Trefaut Rodrigues, a biologist who H and its Articles. Together with Antonio Barros earned his doctorate under Vanzolini. Rodrigues Y ARC Y de Ulhôa Cintra, president of University of São was later hired as a professor at USP and became AMIL F 3 Paulo (USP) and chair of the Board of Trustees one of the leading herpetologists ( experts) for the new foundation, he assisted in select- in Brazil, alongside Vanzolini. Rodrigues eventu- ing the first directors and advisors. He was “one ally succeeded Vanzolini as director of the mu- of FAPESP’s binding forces,” science historian seum, which today holds one of the largest and i e Williams," 1970 n Amélia Império Hamburger wrote in her book most valuable neotropical zoological collections. zoli n FAPESP 40 anos: abrindo fronteiras (FAPESP 40 years: blazing trails). Between the war and bohemia ICLE "Va T Vanzolini was a member of the Board of Trust- Vanzolini was familiar with both USP and mu- E AR ees during three separate periods (1961-1967, 1977- sic from a young age, as his father was an elec-

ROM TH 1979, and 1986-1993). Oscar Sala was the scientific trical engineer and professor at the Polytechnic N F E K

A director from 1969 to 1975, and whenever he had School at USP, and his mother and sister were NG T I to travel, it was Vanzolini who coordinated the both musicians. A visit to the Butantan Institute W

RA evaluation of applications for research funding at the age of 10 sparked his interest in the study D 2 and fellowships. of reptiles, and at 14, he did an internship at the As director of the USP Zoology Museum from Biology Institute of São Paulo. During World War léo ramos 1 1962 through 1993, Vanzolini expanded its collec- II, as a medical student at USP, he enlisted in the

APHS tion from little over 1,000 catalogued specimens Brazilian Expeditionary Force with the inten- R G to the current holdings of more than 300,000 tion of fighting in Italy, but the war ended before OTO

PH specimens. He personally typed up labels and he shipped out. He preferred studying animals

pESQUISA FAPESP z 39 patterns of biological diversity,” under- Large rivers can favor scores Célio Haddad, professor at the Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp) the isolation and in Rio Claro. In his opinion, phyloge- differentiation of species netic, climatic, and geological processes should generally be examined jointly to properly understand the formation and diversification of species. “The same idea or hypothesis can be used in different to treating people, so after graduating proach at that time, but also by looking contexts,” says biologist João Alexan- from medical school in 1947, Vanzolini at the distribution of populations of a drino, professor at the Federal University went to Harvard University to earn his single species across time and space. He of São Paulo (Unifesp). In early May of doctorate and continue listening to good later proposed that the marked diversity this year, one of Alexandrino’s students music, now in American bars. of animal species in the Amazon Region began analyzing the genetic diversity Few doctorates have influenced Bra- was the result of the geographic isolation among populations of a species of tree zilian science as much as the one he of animal populations prompted by cli- frog found in the Atlantic Forest and in completed at Harvard University. After mate changes that took place thousands the fields of southern Brazil, Argentina,

working alongside biologists who were of years ago. According to Vanzolini, dur- and Uruguay. After examining the di- n io exploring the formation and diversifi- ing eras when the climate was colder versity patterns suggested by prelimi- t cation of species from an evolutionary and drier, forests would fragment and nary findings, Alexandrino advised the ollec perspective, Vanzolini returned to Brazil form islands of plant life, called refugia, young man to read an article published in 1951 advocating concepts that revolu- where animals were able to survive and by Vanzolini in 1981, in which Vanzolini uassú É leres C tionized Brazilian zoology and continue form new species. proposed the concept of vanishing refu- g ara to be used to understand biodiversity to- Although this perspective, like any gia, which explained that forest islands P day. Vanzolini argued that it was vital to other, has revealed its limitations over could suffer fragmentation and thereby APHS R study species not only through isolated time, it can still be useful. “The refu- force less specialized species to adapt to G OTO specimens, which was the accepted ap- gia alone were not responsible for these open environments. PH

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1 Sketch of the wooden 5 structure of the Lindolpho R. Guimarães, by Paraguassú Éleres

2 The Lindolpho ready for installation of the propeller shaft and rudder (Vanzolini in canoe)

3 Support team with the first load of the Belém-Brasília collections in May 1967

4 Both boats docked in Oriximiná in 1966 (right: Heraldo Britski, of the Zoology Museum)

5 A page from one of Vanzolini’s travel diaries

pESQUISA FAPESP z 41 cies of toucans in areas that had received more rainfall. Three years earlier, the British ornithologist Reginald Moreau "What distinguishes Vanzolini is had highlighted the influence of climate changes and refugia on the distribution that his musical thinking is based and differentiation of bird populations in on contradiction," says Sonia Marrach Africa, but he did not go much farther. Around the same time, Vanzolini and a former Harvard colleague named Ernest Williams performed a study on the geo- graphic variation and distribution of a species of lizard of the genus Anolis in “The refugia approach was innova- time. Dobzhansky, who also spent time the Amazon Region, which could be ex- tive at the time it was presented, and it at Harvard, traveled to Brazil four times plained by climate variations; they pub- guided several generations of research- and played a valuable role in training lished their paper one year after Haffer. ers,” observed Hussam Zaher, director of the country’s first geneticists. Vanzo, as In an interview with Pesquisa FAPESP the USP Zoology Museum, which Van- he liked to be called, was accustomed in 2012, Vanzolini reported that his and zolini headed for three decades as the to keeping company with intellectuals; Williams’ research was “a practical ex- tenured director after being appointed his great-grandfather translated the six ample of what Haffer had posited from by former São Paulo governor Carvalho books of the Roman poet Lucretius’ De a theoretical perspective. It’s nothing Pinto. “Refugia were talked about for rerum natura (On the Nature of Things) more than a [conceptual] model that can a long time,” says Zaher. The director from Latin to Italian, and his grandfather in fact be replicated in other regions.” says he believes that Vanzolini’s great- regularly sent interesting Brazilian ani- est merit as a scientist was that he intro- mal species to museums in Europe. In Applications and limitations duced Brazil to the “modern synthesis,” an interview given to zoologist William “You can’t deny that the refuge model, consolidating the works of Theodosius Ronald Heyer, Vanzolini said he learned as he preferred to call it, applies to some Dobzhansky in genetics, Ernst Mayr in English by reading Shakespeare’s plays. of our fauna,” says zoologist Miguel Tre- zoology, and George Simpson in pale- The so-called refuge theory was intro- faut Rodrigues. Today, brejos de altitude, ontology, and encouraged its adoption duced by German geologist Jürgen Haf- Caatinga moist forest enclaves found on in Brazil. Vanzolini studied under Mayr fer in the journal Science in 1969. Haffer hilltops surrounded by open fields (es- and Simpson at Harvard, which was al- showed that there was a higher concen- pecially in the Northeast), are “the most ready a center for modern science at that tration of populations of different spe- consistent evidence of refugia,” he says. These brejos de altitude remain areas of climatic stability, favoring the diver- sification of species. “Each brejo has a Pioneer travels unique set of fauna, but being a brejo is not enough to make it a refuge.” In 1980, The Zoology Museum, FAPESP, and research centers in Belém and on the only expedition that Rodrigues Manaus joined forces to investigate unexplored areas of the Amazon and Vanzolini took together, the former (then a doctoral candidate) and the lat- ter (his advisor) went to northern Bahia n FAPESP + MZ-USP to gather specimens in the municipality n MZ-USP of Caatinga do Moura, which Vanzolini n Proposed 1977 trip believed had been a refuge. “It was only 10 years after this trip,” says Rodrigues, “that I realized that the area of climate stability was really in the highlands near the Diamantina Plateau.” N

Vanzolini enjoyed traveling, but he IO T hardly ever engaged in field collec- tion, arguing that he wasn’t any good

at it. But in his own way, he was always APESP COLLEC es / F

adding precious material to the collec- v tions held by the museum. Whenever as Ne

he went somewhere, he would spread iel d n Da

the word that he had a bag full of coins ON with him and was interested in buying I CT animals. “Among the 400 lizards of the U PROD E

genus Tropidurus that he bought from R

42 z special issue october 2013 N IO T COLLEC USP - MZ

APHS R G OTO PH

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1 Vanzolini with classmates and professors at Harvard in 1951

2 Zoology Museum team, 1959-1962: (left to right, standing): Helio Ferraz de Almeida Camargo, Eurico Alves de Camargo, Messias Carrera, Carlos Otaviano da Cunha Vieira, Lauro Travassos Filho, Werner Carlos Augusto Bokermann; (seated) Paulo Emílio Vanzolini, Lindolpho Rocha Guimarães, and Carlos 2 Amadeu de Camargo Andrade

a bunch of kids in Cocorobó, Bahia, I “How do you think I make a living? As a found six specimens of a new species,” zoologist.” As Luiz Tatit, professor in the He hated the says Rodrigues. Department of Linguistics at the Univer- From 1967 to the mid-1980s, through sity of São Paulo (USP), says “In fact, he almost talking the Ongoing Expedition to the Amazon really liked his lizards. Composing was style of singing Region, Vanzolini and other research- something done late at night, for fun, ers from Brazil and abroad visited un- as a hobby. He was never a musician to used in bossa explored areas along the main rivers of forge a new path ahead of others. He said the region, sailing in two boats that were that university knowledge was enough.” nova, and the first to be funded by FAPESP: the Researchers should not look for a 11.5-meter-long Lindolpho R. Guimarães samba revolutionary in Vanzolini. “He he also disliked and the 18-meter-long Garbe. adapted the samba from songs with to São Paulo, similar to what the famous The freedom of the bohemian samba composers or exaggerated When asked in an interview about his Geraldo Filme did. Since he never need- dual role as scientist and composer, Pau- ed to make a living through music, and emotion. lo Vanzolini explained with irritation composing was not his main concern, that no one could do just zoology or just he ignored all of the musical movements His samba was music full time. But the journalist in- that passed by, and the crises that samba sophisticated sisted, asking which of the two activities faced. His universe was free and very occupied more of his time. He replied, specific,” notes Tatit. According to Regi-

pESQUISA FAPESP z 43 na Machado, professor at the University canção popular brasileira (The voice in of Campinas (Unicamp) Art Institute, Brazilian popular song) (Ateliê). One of Vanzolini helped establish the urban the characteristics of this style was not samba of São Paulo. the notes but rather the debate in which “At the time that he started, there was the São Paulo sambistas participated, af- no São Paulo samba, just samba break- firming their local cultural differences. ing out of Rio de Janeiro and reaching In addition to pride in the progress of São Paulo and, with this first generation, São Paulo, its samba highlighted the in- Francisca do of which Vanzolini was part, São Paulo equalities and other ills of urbanization. Val's watercolors samba took on some unique character- “This appears in Barbosa’s lyrics, on the cover of istics,” says Machado, author of A voz na which mention immigration, or Vanzo- Vanzolini's CD Acerto de contas

44 z special issue october 2013 lini’s more autobiographical lyrics on his uated and became a scientist and com- “What distinguishes Vanzolini in the experience with bar owners or friends in poser. For him, a sambista did not need panorama of Brazilian popular music ‘dives,’ themes that did not appear in Rio to be a scoundrel, and that word was is that his musical thinking is based on de Janeiro samba,” notes Tatit. Unlike never used in his songs. He liked to say contradiction. For him, the essential the effervescence of Rio, samba jazz ses- he was hardworking and a bohemian,” character of life in its various aspects sions in Sao Paulo took place exclusively says Sonia Marrach, author of Música e is the movement and the change that at night, in bars and nightclubs. “Vanzo- universidade na cidade de São Paulo: do comes from denial and the transforma- lini, however, grew up listening to samba samba de Vanzolini à vanguarda paulista tive conflicts that are both subjective on the radio, especially , with (Music and the university in the city of and objective,” says Marrach. What is whom he identified. After all, Noel left São Paulo: from Vanzolini’s samba to remarkable is that this contradiction medicine for music. But Vanzolini grad- the São Paulo vanguard) (Unesp Press). is presented with good humor, with a Vanzolini never wanted to become a comic outlook and with a willingness to professional musician. He loved to tell see everything with a light touch. stories. During shows, after he’d received Legend has it that it took him six much applause, his partner, Paulinho months to decide between “shows” or Nogueira, would turn to the audience “reveals” in the song Boca da noite (Early and say: “You’re good people, but I dis- Evening). But melodically, the result was agree with your clapping for the only samba. “His sambas were like mine. But person who does not know the differ- they were not the same. The themes he ence between a major and a minor key.” addresses are different; mine are those He was “musically illiterate” by choice of common folk, whereas his were more and not for lack of opportunities. intellectual because he is a professor, a “On the one hand, he was evidence of zoologist, you know, a smart guy. But the intuitive side of the popular musi- they are all sambas,” said Adoniran Bar- cian. On the other, his erudition enabled bosa. And Vanzolini’s sambas continued him to create very elaborate songs. His in that same vein, thanks precisely to greatest contribution lies precisely in what Tatit called “his lizards,” his work that combination of the popular universe at the university. n with an intellectual bias. This influenced the works of and Caeta- no Veloso a lot,” says Regina Machado. Scientific articles In his presentation of the record col- VANZOLINI, P.E. Paleoclimas e especiação em animais lection Acerto de contas (Settlement of da América do Sul tropical. Estudos avançados. v. 6, no. accounts), Professor Antonio Candido 15, pp. 41-65, 1992. PORTO, T.J. et al. Evaluating forest refugial models using (a critic and essayist) notes that Van- species distribution models, model filling and inclusion: zolini gets maximum yield out of mini- a case study with 14 Brazilian species. Diversity and mum work through his use of expressive Distributions. v. 19, pp. 330-40, 2013. TURCHETTO-ZOLET, A.C. et al. Phylogeographical pat- words to create true poetic portraits of terns shed light on evolutionary process in South America. late night São Paulo. Molecular Ecology. v. 22, pp. 1,193-213, 2013.

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