The Systematist Newsletter of the Systematics Association Number 31 2010
www.systass.org ISSN 1744-5701
In Memoriam •Christopher Humphries 1947-2009
2009 Biennial Reports •Asking the right questions •Flowers on the tree of life •Evolution of plant-pollinator relationships •The importance of being small
Book reviews •Major transitions in vertebrate evolution •The science of describing •All creatures •Biodiversity databases •Darwin: a reader’s guide
Other Reports •Late Triassic Terrestrial Biotas and the Rise of Dinosaurs •Xth Symposium of the International Organization of Plant Biosystematists •SRF Report
Inspirations •Olaf Bininda-Emonds The Systematics Association is committed to Editorial furthering all aspects of Systematic biology. It organises a vigorous been a change of publisher for the programme of international Back from a long absence Systematics Association Special conferences on key themes in Volumes. All our recent volumes Systematics, including a Dear Members , have been published by CRC Press. series of major biennial (visit www.crcpress.com for conferences launched in It will not have escaped your notice ordering information). Our 1997. The association also that our newsletter, The Systematist, upcoming volumes, however, will supports a variety of training has been conspicuously absent from be published by Cambridge Univer- courses in systematics and our mailings to you for over a year. sity Press (www.cambridge.org). awards grants in support of This unfortunate situation was the Some of the titles that you can look systematics research. result of a host of unforeseen forward to in the near future are: circumstances, and we sincerely Membership is open to apologize for the inconvenience. • Palaeogeography and amateurs and professionals The Council of the Systematics palaeobiogeography: biodiversity in with interests in any branch Association is grateful for your space and time of biology, including patience and your continuing • Climate change, ecology and microbiology and support. We know that receiving systematics palaeontology. Members are The Systematist is a valued bonus of • Descriptive taxonomy: the generally entitled to attend being a member of the Systematics foundation of biodiversity research the conferences at a reduced Association. We are therefore happy • Evolution of plant pollinator registration rate, to apply for to now resume the publication of interactions grants from the Association The Systematist with this new issue. • The importance of being small: and to receive the This issue of our newsletter is the does size matter in biogeography? Associations newsletter, The first one to be published under the • Flowers on the tree of life Systematist and mailings of rule of our new President, Juliet • The past, present and future of information. Brodie, research phycologist Southeast Asian biodiversity For information on As with our published CRC volum- membership, contact the es, members of the association can Membership Secretary, Dr Jon get a 25% discount on the volumes Bennett published by CUP. We will inform ([email protected]), you on how to claim your discount St Pauls School, Lonsdale when the first CUP volume will be Road, London SW13 9JT, U.K. published. Please visit our website if you have an idea for a conference Juliet Brodie The Systematist (ISSN 1744- and/or a book, and would like to 5701) is the Newsletter of the at the Natural History Museum in apply for support from the SA. Systematics Association. London. As we welcome Juliet in her new role, we say goodbye to our Editor past President Richard Bateman. Details of the SA research grants, Dr Ronald Jenner Richard has been actively involved Department of Zoology in the Association for many years, conference bursaries The Natural History Museum and as President for the past and funding for the Cromwell Road threeyears. We want to thank organisation of London SW7 5BD, UK Richard for his strong leadership ([email protected]) and we wish him all the best in his meetings can be found future endeavours. at: The Systematics Association Another recent development has www.systass.org is Registered Charity Number 270429. Cover illustrations: The late Chris Humpries (top photo; with permission from Dick Vane-Wright), and Olaf Bininda-Emonds, our Inspirations interviewee (bottom photo; copyright Olaf-Bininda-Emonds).
The Systematist 2010 No. 31 2 In Memoriam Professor Christopher J. Humphries, 1947-2009
By Richard Bateman
t is often the sad task of a President to report the death of a I past-President, but it is rare that the two incumbencies in question are separated by as little as three years. The fact that Chris Humphries had been ailing for some time, suffering from heart problems and having survived (barely) a liver transplant, in no way lessened the blow of his death on July 31st 2009, at the ridiculously young age of 62. The recent publication by Chris’s long- time colleagues at the Natural History Museum, David Williams and Charlie Jarvis, of an excellent factual obituary for Chris (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/o Chris Humphries (photography courtesy of Dick Vane-Wright) bituaries/science- books justly became classics. (1994–8) was followed by the obituaries/6039183/Chris- Supported by numerous well-cited Presidency of the Systematics Humphries.html) leaves me free to peer-reviewed papers and Association (2000–3) and the award pen a more personal valediction. conference talks across the globe, of the Linnean Gold Medal (2001), I first met Chris in the early these outputs undoubtedly had a together reflecting the mutually 1980s, when he was arguably at the profound impact throughout beneficial symbiosis that existed height of his very considerable systematic biology. between Chris and both powers. During the previous decade Plaudits for Chris’s pioneering organisations. He was also awarded he had played a key role in intellect came relatively rapidly a visiting Chair and Individual Merit catalysing the cladistics revolution, within the expanding cladistics status by BBSRC. Many of us felt alongside such luminaries as Colin field, leading to extensive citation that Fellowship of the Royal Society Patterson. Together with Kåre and the Presidency of the Willi would have been just reward for his Bremer and Vicki Funk, he had Hennig Society in 1989–91. earlier innovations, but this goal successfully promoted new-fangled However, bouquets arrived rather was probably made more difficult cladistic methods of phylogeny more slowly from the wider by Chris’s admirable combination of reconstruction within the botanical systematics/taxonomic community, certainty of purpose and disarming community. Having laid these which was not entirely certain that it honesty (anyone doubting either essential foundations, he then wished to entertain this growing quality should, for example, consult explored the full range of cadre of fractious young(ish) Chris’s critical analysis of the SA biologically relevant applications to whippersnappers with their logical Biennial conference over which he which parsimony could be applied, rigour, complex terminology and presided in South Kensington in rattling off in short order co- often aggressive proselytising. 2001: The Systematist 18 (January authored or edited volumes on Nevertheless, Chris was soon 2002), pp. 1–3). ontogeny, biogeography and warmly regarded in both the Chris was, in addition, a conservation prioritisation before Linnean Society and the committed bon viveur and genuine co-authoring a classic textbook on Systematics Association. His Vice- polymath. The depth and breadth of cladistic methods. All of these Presidency of the Linnean Society his general knowledge was
The Systematist 2010 No. 31 3 breathtaking; it was a brave person Hemel Hempstead, one Saturday The Swedish society joined the who challenged Chris on topics as afternoon several months later, consortium in Leiden, and further disparate as the history of science where Chris had kindly agreed to systematics societies are planned for on the one hand versus modern art lecture the heterogeneous Italy and for Belgium and the or jazz on the other. I used to chide membership of the Hertfordshire Netherlands combined. Chris that the one topic for which he Natural History Society on the Leiden is a great city: rarely found sufficient time was importance of recognising that the geographically central, with a first- botany itself, but in truth, he viewed lungfish and the cow are more rate travel infrastructure, a relaxed educating people as a higher calling. closely related to each other than atmosphere and lots of students (the He would boldly inform senior either is to the salmon. conference was held during (sometimes dangerously senior) Few authorities of Chris’s calibre fresher’s week, so we witnessed colleagues of the error of their ways would have wasted their valuable everything from canalside mud- if they had not yet subscribed to time on such a parochial gathering, wrestling to slightly inebriated hard-core cladistics. The roll-call of yet his enthusiasm and commitment bicycle collisions). The sessions junior colleagues who benefited shone through and thereby nudged were located in the buildings of the considerably from Chris’s boundless my professional life in a subtly Leiden University Medical Centre, advice and encouragement is long different, yet irrevocable, direction. in close proximity to both the and ultimately prestigious – like I am confident that Chris’s influence central railway station and the Miss Jean Brodie, Chris had the on both systematics and systematists excellent Naturalis museum. While ability and charisma to acquire was – and remains – profound. rushing from one session to another, many life-long protégés. Moreover, we rapidly grew accustomed to unlike Miss Jean Brodie, Chris was Richard Bateman was President of passing patients and ambulances en happy to interact with the wider the Systematics Association from route. It was quite an intensive populus; the tower in which he December 2006 to December 2009. week, with four days (Tuesday to resided in later years at the Natural Friday) of symposia and contributed History Museum was certainly not sessions; at one point I counted two built of ivory. symposia, one contributed session So, I return full circle to recount and a workshop running my earliest meetings with Chris, Reports from the concurrently. The general format which occurred when I was a part- followed the tried-and-tested one of time undergraduate (and committed 2009 Biennial previous SA Biennials, including pheneticist) determined on pursuing one innovation from the Edinburgh a career in sedimentary geology. Biennial, the keynote “how-to” The encounters did not take place in Asking the right lectures, which provided an pubs or involve drafting questions: a excellent start to each day indecipherable diagrams on the personal account of throughout the conference. Keynote backs of beer mats – that came later. the Leiden Biennial lectures were presented by Sebastian No, I first met Chris in the Shimeld (mining genomes), herbarium of the Natural History As one of relatively few UK-based Henning Scholz (biodiversity Museum at its centenary exhibition delegates (only 35 out of 260, in heritage library for Europe), Isabel in 1981. Bracketed by expositions part a reflection of these credit- Sanmartin (statistical historical of phenetics and authoritarian crunch times), and one of the few biogeography), and Mitsuyasu evolutionary scenarios, Chris was people who have attended all seven Hasebe (land-plant evolution). selling cladistic methods with the SA Biennials to date, I felt I should I also attended at least parts of style and vigour of a Pettycoat Lane pen a few comments on the recent some very good symposia. I stallholder. Once lured to his stall Systematics 2009 conference in participated in the Flowers on the Chris treated me to a thick wad of Leiden (10–14 August, 2009). This Tree of Life symposium, and photocopied articles from Nature meeting represented not only the therefore paid it the most attention; detailing the furore caused by the seventh Biennial conference of the it included both students and Museum’s recent switch to Systematics Association, but also established researchers, and was one cladistics-dominated exhibits. the first meeting of Biosyst EU, of the best symposia in its field that Scratching my head over these which currently encompasses five I have attended in recent years. The peculiar articles on the train back to European systematics societies, other four conference symposia St Albans, I decided that I wanted to based in Austria (NOBIS), France covered a wide range of highly know more. Thus, the scene moved (SFS), Germany (GfBS), relevant topics: Plant-pollinator to the Friends Meeting House in Switzerland (SSS) and the UK (SA). interaction, The importance of being
The Systematist 2010 No. 31 4 small, Information technology in controversy certainly resonated with morphology, embryology, systematics, and Evolutionary the SA delegates present. palynology, and cytology. Studies of response of high-mountain biotas. flowers, especially the study of The concurrent contributed papers Each society contributed to the floral morphology and anatomy, sessions were usefully themed into organisation of the meeting, have become the neglected children groups, mainly in a laudable (and especially the two largest and of systematic botany. With the partly successful) attempt to confine longest-established, SA and GfBS. successful expansion of molecular the aforementioned dashing between The GfBS effectively managed the systematics, morphological evidence auditoria to the breaks between expanded student prize competitions has been increasingly put aside as sessions. for talks and posters. Peter Wilkie’s old-fashioned or shunned as a nest As at all previous Biennials, stall of SA T-shirts and posters in of homoplasies. However, with numerous student talks (both the conference foyer proved increased stability of the contributed and invited) represented popular. However, as usual the local Angiosperm Tree of Life, the value the icing on the cake. Students do organisers bore the brunt of the of flower morphology becomes seem to give better talks than they administrative work, and the increasingly obvious as a worthy used to … in fact, there appeared to conference ran remarkably counterpart of molecular characters be no real difference in quality of smoothly. I look forward to being in phylogenetic studies, and as a talks between students and back in the UK for the eighth SA source of data to help clarify floral established lecturers. I don’t think Biennial in 2011, but equally I evolution and the underlying the advent of PowerPoint (now support the intended goal of holding mechanisms in flower development. ubiquitous) is the only reason for a second Biosyst EU meeting in There are still major parts of the tree this; in fact, PowerPoint can be 2013. that need to be explored. For rather formulaic, and many people example, there are angiosperm fall into the trap of designing a slide Paula Rudall groups whose positions in the as though it was a page of a book, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, system are still unresolved and bearing several reduced images. My Richmond, UK genera (even families) whose flower impression is that, at least in the
The Systematist 2010 No. 31 5 botany course. However, centrifugal initiation in shaping Peganum, and by Alexandra Ley in researchers in disciplines dealing floral architecture and evolution the diversification of the complex with living organisms are (Paula Rudall, Royal Botanic flowers of Marantaceae. Louis increasingly confronted with a lack Gardens, Kew), or the value of Ronse De Craene (Royal Botanic of knowledge of structures, with floral ontogeny for discussing Garden Edinburgh) presented the dire consequences for inaccurate homology (Alexander Vrijdaghs, ontogenetic support needed for the interpretations and lack of Catholic University Leuven). interpretation of petals in perspective to their research. The Talks by Jim Doyle (University of Napoleonaea (Lecythidaceae). understanding of the morphology of California, Davis) and Peter Endress Finally, Gerhard Prenner (Royal organisms in a broad range of taxa (University of Zurich) focused on Botanic Gardens, Kew) investigated is essential to make links between the early diversification of flowers the link of flower complexity in observed patterns and helps the in basal angiosperms and the Acacia celastrifolia with evolution researcher to connect with the real importance of morphology for of flowers in Leguminosae. world. Sadly, very few people are addressing the inclusion of fossils in This symposium has clearly able to make that step nowadays and phylogenetic studies. A better demonstrated that there is a great there is need for more biodiversity- knowledge of floral development potential to re-establish floral centered research and education. and underlying genetics can help in morphology as center-stage in The symposium brought together interpreting features of fossils via botanical research and on the tree of major players in the field of flower reciprocal illumination. life, putting more emphasis on the morphology and anatomy and was Reconstruction of floral evolution is definition of sound characters that built around three major themes: use possible by mapping floral can be used to clarify relationships of floral characters in phylogeny characters on phylogenetic trees to of plants and the intrinsic evolution reconstructions, theoretical infer the polarity of changes in of their flowers. Morphology is background for morphological character expression. The talk of important because it is a synthetic characters, and case-studies of Maria von Balthazar (Swedish science that connects and builds on specific groups of angiosperms Museum of Natural History information of multiple sources of whose flower morphology is Stockholm) on early floral evolution botany. controversial, unexplored or in need of Laurales related well with As the world’s flora is under of further research. previous presentations in the increasing threats, understanding of The symposium ran over a whole description of the floral diversity in plant structure becomes increasingly day and included 13 speakers. fossil taxa. vital and experts with a global view Keynote speaker was Dennis Evolution of floral characters in on biodiversity become a necessary Stevenson (New York Botanic major groups of angiosperms was breed. Let us hope that there is Garden) who discussed the presented in a series of papers room for a renaissance of difficulty of interpreting the within the framework of improved morphology and that the present gynoecium of angiosperms molecular phylogenies. Sophie symposium becomes commonplace depending on whether the sister Nadot (University of Paris-Sud) in the future. group of angiosperms are used a recently published supertree A forthcoming book entitled gnetopsids or cycads, emphasizing of palms to reconstruct the evolution “Flowers on the tree of life” and the value of morphology. Richard of the androecium. Merran published by Cambridge University Bateman (Royal Botanic Gardens, Matthews (University of Zurich) Press in collaboration with the Kew) addressed a comparable presented floral evolution in Systematics Association, will question, viz. the early origins of Rhizophoraeae and relatives in the include chapters generated by the flowers. The answer to the question complex Malpighiales. Jürg talks and discussions of this whether ancestral flowers were Schönenberger (University of symposium, along with a few unisexual or bisexual remains Stockholm) presented the potential additional chapters from extra highly ambiguous. Both synapomorphies of a basal clade of invited specialists. presentations stressed the Ericales, comprising Balsaminaceae, importance of having a reliable Marcgraviaceae and Louis Ronse De Craene phylogeny, which cannot be solved Tetrameristaceae. Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, by molecular studies alone because The value of comparative Edinburgh, UK DNA cannot be extracted from morphological studies of flowers
The Systematist 2010 No. 31 6 Evolution of Plant- wonderful models for the study of of putting a special focus on the Pollinator adaptation, co-phylogeny and systematic/evolutionary aspects of Relationships: a speciation (e.g.), topics in which a the pollination questions. symposium and a wealth of questions are continuously The talks presented during the book puzzling the scientific community. symposium and the contributing Regarding these multiple interests chapters of the EPPR book project A symposium dedicated to the of pollination and pollinators in very can be subdivided into 3 broad evolution of the plant-pollinators distinct contexts, improvement of sections: (i) Evolution of the relationships (EPPR) was a the understanding of the evolution pollination webs; (ii) Phylogenetic remarkable success during the last of the interactions between approach of the evolution of Systematics meeting. Inspired by the pollinators and pollinated plants pollination; (iii) Evolution of abundant literature about the within their ecological webs, as well pollination, perception and Biology of Pollination (see the as renewed models for evolution of cognition. references below), and the last pollination in space and time, are The questions related to evolution progress made in understanding highly desirable. of the pollination webs are tightly evolution of both plants and However, despite the intense related to the conservation issues pollinators (Danforth et al. 2006a,b; research effort produced in some outlined above. The methods and http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/rese research groups, the understanding the investigation in this very arch/APWeb/), this symposium was of the (somehow) parallel evolution integrative field are naturally conceived as a forum specifically between pollinators and pollinated complex regarding the dealing with varied aspects of plants remains largely sketchy, as is multidimensional-multifactor nature evolution of the very particular this of the different interacting of interactions within webs of interface between plant and animal groups. In such a context, the species. Studying pollination webs communities that is pollination. syntheses formerly published implies the study of not one isolated The increasing attention devoted (Waser & Ollerton 2006; Harder & well known species of pollinators, to pollinators can be considered as Barrett 2007; Dafni et al. 2005; but study of multiple, variably well the consequence of (i) the Chittka & Thomson, 2001; Proctor characterized, interacting species, importance of the ecological service et al. 1997), and like, hopefully, the which can compete for niches and they are providing and (ii) the EPPR book in preparation, are resources within niches. The niches threats weighing on many of their major stepping stones of the realized themselves are also complex, due to populations worldwide (Kearns et progress on which further reflection the plant-diversity, the multiplicity al. 1998; Kremen & Ricketts 2000; can be built. The scope of the book of the micro-ecological conditions, Aizen et al., 2009; Quintero et al. in preparation –following the EPPR the geographical gradients, etc. The 2009; Apidologie 40(3); symposium through the contributions in both the symposium http://www.internationalpollinatorsi contributions of several of the and the book in preparation pinpoint nitiative.org). The economic value speakers - will aim at bringing together the theoretical aspects of of pollination by insects -recently together the contributions from a pollination evolution and varied estimated at 150+ billion €/year large panel of top level specialists study cases. A particular focus has (approximately the fortune of the 5 (or research groups) who have been set on evolution of the plant World Richest People)- is central in explored the evolution of the sex systems, emergence of unusual the focus set on pollinators and pollinator-pollinated plants floral rewards, and relationships pollination (Gallai et al., 2009). relationships through an array of between herbivory and pollination. Moreover, the observations of different approaches. At the same time, examples of global population regressions and The link between systematics and pollination webs in South Africa and diversity erosion, under the action the pollination questions can be not South-America are exposed. This of the varied factors usually intuitive. There is however, in any topic dedicated to evolution of the associated with global change are evolutionary approach of this pollination webs is surely one of the increasing the urgency of better problem, a strong systematic most debated in literature. It is conservation measures -and thus component, which makes a natural important to (i) add a new update to better supporting knowledge- for link between the topics presented this very complex area, and (ii) start pollinators. during the EPPR symposium and with these questions in order to In addition to this econocentric the defined scope of Systematics outline the framework in which the interest, pollinators, pollinated 2009. Presenting a symposium and a questions of both subsequent topics plants and more broadly the book project focusing on pollination are addressed. pollination systems also emerge as in the framework of a systematics The importance of phylogenies conference was a deliberate choice and phylogenetic methods for the
The Systematist 2010 No. 31 7 description and understanding of constantly improving. In addition to Evolution of Flowers. New York: Oxford pollination evolution has been one being of interest in ethology, University Press. of the motivations behind the physiology, and neurobiology, these Kearns CA, Inouye DW, Waser NW. 1998. proposition of the EPPR domains are providing a huge Endangered Mutualisms: The Conservation symposium. Independent from the quantity of data of a new kind, of Plant-Pollinator Interactions. Annual questions addressed, a clear view of providing many valuable insights to Review of Ecology and Systematics 29: 83- the evolutionary relationships within be used in the approach of the 112. the considered groups of plants and systematic questions. These topics Kremen C, Ricketts T. 2000. Global animals, as well as between them, is will be extensively developed in the perspectives on pollination disruptions. necessary to deal with the problem third closing section of the EPPR Conservation Biology 14: 1226–1228. of evolution of the relationships book. Proctor M, Lack A, Yeo P. 1997. The Natural between plants and their pollinators. The EPPR book largely based on History of Pollination. New York: Harper Phylogenetics is thus central in the contributions of numerous Collins studying the evolution of scientists in the EPPR symposium Quintero C, Morales CL, Aizen MA. 2009. pollination, and the methods for to presented in the framework of Effects of anthropogenic habitat disturbance comparing phylogenies, dating Systematics 2009 should be a on local pollinator diversity and species clades using molecular clocks, reference for questions concerning turnover across a precipitation gradient. tracing evolution of characters over the evolution of pollination systems Biodiversity and Conservation. online early trees, etc., are strongly broadening in varied contexts. It should also Ree RH, Sanmartín I. 2009. Prospects and the field of phylogenetics in document the ways and the means challenges for parametric models in historical evolutionary pollination biology. in which information from biogeographical inference. Journal of Surprisingly, despite this importance pollination biology and related Biogeography 36: 1211-1220 of phylogenetics, very few specific behavioural sciences (sensu lato) Waser NM, Ollerton J. 2006. methods have been developed so far could be used to address issues in Plant–pollinator interactions: from for the study of pollination as has, systematics and evolutionary specialization to generalization. Chicago: for example, been the case for Biology. The University of Chicago Press. biogeography (Ree & Sanmartin 2009). Evolutionary pollination References Sébastien Patiny biology has so far mostly benefited Laboratory of Zoology, University from the general progress made in Aizen MA, Garibaldi LA, Cunningham of Mons, Brussels, Belgium phylogenetics. Phylogenetic SA, Klein AM. 2009. How much does
The Systematist 2010 No. 31 8 that for many organisms we do not misidentification and the lumping of simulations, were presented, even know their patterns of spatially isolated lineages. Thus, the deepening our understanding of the distribution, so how can we even try reliability of the results of the processes involved but with a to approach the study of the everyday job of systematists and caveat: similar patterns may mask underlying ecological and historical taxonomists is at the center of the very different processes. processes? This is especially true for debate. On the one hand, one of the main organisms smaller than 2 mm, for The way species of micro- messages from the symposium is which the biogeographic debate is organisms are identified can that it is possible to find spatially not about dispersal versus completely change the scenario. The limited as well as cosmopolitan vicariance, as for larger organisms, EisE hypothesis often holds true microorganisms. These organisms but about whether biogeography when species are defined using are clearly more easily dispersed exists or not. traditional taxonomy based on than macro-organisms, but there is a The potential lack of morphological characters; however, gradient in the differences and not a biogeography for micro-organisms micro-organisms often do not have sharp biogeographical threshold is an old idea, going back to many morphological characters. between small and large organisms. Beijerinck (1913) and Baas-Becking Moreover, molecular evidence is On the other hand, generalizations (1934), and is known as the revealing a high degree of cryptic may be dangerous and misleading, ‘everything is everywhere’ (EisE) diversity, restricted dispersal and as different taxa respond in different hypothesis. Small size and an ability phylogeographic patterns in a ways to the same habitat. Biological to enter dormancy, and thus to variety of microscopic organisms, properties other than size indeed produce dormant propagules might including both prokaryotes and influence the patterns of distribution explain why prokaryotes and some eukaryotes (e.g. Martiny et al. 2006; of micro-organisms. Thus, further microscopic eukaryotes have Green et al. 2008), challenging the work needs to be undertaken by acquired global distributions. The EisE hypothesis. taxonomists to gather more data, recent debate on the EisE hypothesis During the symposium we had an using both traditional morphological re-originated after the contributions overview of current knowledge of approaches and modern molecular by Fenchel and Finlay (e.g. Finlay the biogeographic patterns of phylogenetic and phylogeographic & Clarke 1999; Fenchel & Finlay different taxa, including analyses. 2004), and currently different thermophilic bacteria, ciliates, research groups are trying to test its amoeboid protists, diatoms, green References reliability on different model algae, cacti-associated yeasts, organisms. Thus, it was considered macro-fungi and microscopic Baas-Becking, LGM. 1934. Geobiologie of timely to organize a full-day animals. We also had a review of inleiding tot de milieukunde. The Hague (The symposium on this topic, and that the variety of methods currently Netherlands): W.P. van Stockum and Zoon. was held during the BioSyst used to obtain large amounts of Beijerinck, M. 1913. De Infusies en de meeting in Leiden, a joint additional empirical evidence, Ontdekking der Backterien, Jaarboek van de conference of all the European especially performing Next Koninklijke Akademie v. Wetenschappen. systematics associations. Generation Sequencing of Amsterdam (The Netherlands): Muller. Why a symposium on environmental samples. All the talks Fenchel, T, Finlay BJ. 2004. The ubiquity biogeography during a systematics at the symposium provided of small species: Patterns of local and global meeting? The current debate on the increasing evidence that diversity. Bioscience 54: 777-784. EisE hypothesis divides scientists microorganisms have distinct Finlay BJ, Clarke KJ. 1999. Ubiquitous into two major groups (Whitfield distributions and hence dispersal of microbial species. Nature 400: 2005). One group follows the EisE biogeographies. 828-828. hypothesis in its original form, The issue now is whether we can Green JL, Bohannan BJM, Whitaker RJ. assuming that species differences in have a strong theoretical framework 2008. Microbial biogeography: From samples from different areas occur to understand the large-scale spatial taxonomy to traits. Science 320: 1039-1043. because of environmental patterns in microorganisms. Part of Martiny JBH, Bohannan BJM, Brown JH, differences, and not because of the symposium was dedicated to the Colwell RK, Fuhrman JA, Green JL, Horner- restricted dispersal. The other group analysis and discussion of the Devine MC, Kane M, Krumins JA, Kuske proposes that traditional taxonomy available data, in an attempt to put CR, Morin PJ, Naeem S, Ovreas L, of microscopic organisms based on the empirical evidence into such a Reysenbach AL, Smith VH, Staley JT. 2006. morphological characters only is not unifying framework. Different Microbial biogeography: putting able to determine their actual theoretical approaches, derived from microorganisms on the map. Nature Reviews diversity, and cosmopolitan ranges the biological properties shared Microbiology 4: 102-112. therefore result from between micro-organisms and from Whitfield J. 2005. Biogeography: is
The Systematist 2010 No. 31 9 everything everywhere? Science 310: 960- large bodied terrestrial faunas for Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino 961. the next 135 million years. Our Rivodavia” (Buenos Aires, symposium focused specifically on Argentina), spoke about the Diego Fontaneto the topics of dinosaur origins and systematics of an important new Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Late Triassic biotic turnover. fauna of Late Triassic dinosaurs Swedish Museum of Natural Sixteen invited speakers, each a from India. Both speakers gave History, Stockholm, Sweden leading researcher in the field, from excellent presentations, and their
The Systematist 2010 No. 31 10 cytogeography, genecology, Evolution of plants in mountainous mixture within populations. Detailed biometry, microevolutionary studies and alpine habitats. study of diploids and hexaploids and speciation. In 1983 IOPB The meeting in the Tatry Mts. was suggested a narrow altitudinal range became independent from the IAPT. organised jointly by the Institute of of the hexaploid cytotype in the IOPB organises regular symposia Botany of the Slovak Academy of low-alpine belt and a much wider and after the Montreal one in 1983 Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia, range of the diploid one, spanning has started to publish also its own Slovak National Taxonomic Facility, both low-alpine and high alpine newsletter. Considerable focus was and the Department of Botany of the zones. Jan Suda (Prague) on publishing chromosome number Charles University in Prague, Czech demonstrated the power of flow reports. The hundred part series Republic. The International cytometry (FCM) in studies of IOPB Chromosome Number Reports Association for Plant Taxonomy polyploids. Estimating differences (called Chromosome Number provided generous support for the in nuclear DNA content, FCM Reports from the 67th part meeting and the Systematics offers many advantages over other onwards), edited first by O. T. Association supported several methods, high speed and reliability Solbrig and Á. Löve and later by Á. participants from developing in particular, which paves the way Löve only, was published in countries. Lectures were divided for large-scale surveys at the TAXON from 1964 to 1988. Under into sections devoted to landscape, population, individual, the editorship of C. A. Stace, this phylogeography, biogeography, and tissue levels. Suda showed in activity continued in the IOPB evolutionary processes in European several example studies that Newsletter, where eighteen issues and other mountain ranges, representative samples yielded parts of the IOPB Chromosome polyploidy, apomixis, molecular novel insights into the extent of Data were published from 1989 to approaches in plant evolution, and intra- and inter-population ploidy 2002. Since 2006 chromosome ecological factors in plant evolution. variation, niche differentiation, and number records are published under A poster session was held as well. ecological preferences of particular the heading IAPT/IOPB The 151 symposium participants cytotypes. Tod Stuessy (Vienna) Chromosome Data again in represented 28 countries and they presented a study of the white-rayed TAXON, with six parts already contributed 46 oral presentations complex of Melampodium published (available online also and 52 posters. (Asteraceae) distributed in the from the web page www.iopb.org). The meeting started with the southwestern U.S.A. and adjacent Regular symposia were devoted to welcoming remarks by Gonzalo Mexico. Individuals analysed for particular topics, just to mention Nieto Feliner, IOPB President, Ivan AFLPs and cpDNA haplotypes have some of the last few ones: Plant Zahradník, vice-president of the also been examined for ploidy level, evolution in man-made habitats Slovak Academy of Sciences, and which enabled formulation of (Amsterdam, 1998), The origin and Lubomír Hrouda, Head of the hypotheses on the evolutionary biology of desert flora Department of Botany of the origin of polyploids. In M. (Albuquerque, 2001), Plant Charles University in Prague and leucanthum and M. cinereum, evolution in Mediterranean climate the representative of the Tatry diploids prevail in the western zones (Valencia, 2004). National Park. portions of their ranges and After the Valencia symposium in A considerable amount of tetraploids in the eastern parts. The 2004 it was acknowledged that the attention was paid to polyploidy, hexaploid, M. argophyllum, appears main reasons for the split of IOPB which was addressed by the largest to be an allopolyploid, with M. and IAPT disappeared and there was amount of speakers. This reflects cinereum being the paternal and M. no particular reason to keep these the considerable advancement of leucanthum the maternal parent. two organisations separated. It was knowledge on this phenomenon. Biogeography and decided that IOPB should become Peter Schönswetter (Vienna) phylogeography represented other an interest group of the IAPT and reported on polyploid evolution and important topics of the symposium. instead of publishing a newsletter, it ecological differentiation in Senecio Christian Brochmann (Oslo) has now its own column in TAXON. carniolicus (Asteraceae), a frequent reported on recent progress in the The organisation of regular element of acidophilic alpine phylogeography of arctic and alpine meetings still is one of the main meadows of the Eastern Alps and plants. He showed that of particular activities of this organisation. With the Carpathians. The existence of importance for current arctic-alpine this in mind, the Xth symposium of three main cytotypes (diploid, phylogeography will be the the International Organization of tetraploid and hexaploid cytotypes) development of stronger links with Plant Biosystematists was held in was discovered within its the paleoecological community and the Vysoké Tatry Mountains in distribution area in the Eastern Alps groups working on predictive Slovakia, and devoted to the together with frequent cytotype- species distribution modelling and
The Systematist 2010 No. 31 11 GIS-based approaches to analyses of of refugia for evolution and abilities and grow in a broader range genetic data, as well as the biogeography of alpine and arctic- of altitudes than the sexuals. development of new molecular tools alpine plants. He stressed that Abstracts of all presentations from based on pyrosequencing potential refugia, where organisms the symposium are available on the technology. Magnus Popp (Oslo) were potentially able to survive IOPB webpage (www.iopb.org). reported on the Afro-alpine region climatic changes should be Papers solicited for the symposium in Eastern Africa, which consists of discriminated from realized refugia volume will be published in the isolated high mountains that act as that are supported by biological IAPT series Regnum Vegetabile. biological ‘sky islands’, and which data. Knowing the location of such The Next IOPB symposium will be offer a particularly interesting realized refugia holds a key for held in Indian Aurangabad system to address questions such as understanding many (intraspecific) (Maharashtra State) in September of the relative importance of random phylogeographic patterns. 2010 and will be devoted to the long-distance dispersal versus The role of apomixis in plant Evolution of plants from tropical to gradual expansion via montane evolution, with particular emphasis high mountain ecosystems, with a forest bridges during humid on the alpine plants represented focus on Asia (further information interglacials. Michał Ronikier another topic widely presented and can be received from the current (Kraków) presented results of the discussed at the symposium. IOPB president, Karol Marhold, comparative phylogeographic study František Krahulec (Průhonice) [email protected], and local of alpine plants in the Carpathian compared the structure of the organiser Arvind Dhabe, mountain range that partly resulted Pilosella agamic complexes in two [email protected]). from the international 6th EU Central European mountain ranges. Framework Programme project The basic set of species in both Karol Marhold INTRABIODIV. Most species were areas is almost identical, but the set Institute of Botany, Slovak Academy characterized by a significant of hybridogenous species and recent of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovak phylogeographical structure in the hybrids resulting from Republic & Department of Botany, Carpathians and several well- hybridizations is different. Charles University, Praha, Czech supported regional groups were Evidently, some rare events in the Republic detected. A main genetic break past triggered further evolution.
The Systematist 2010 No. 31 12 specimens, which are only relatives of billfishes were made for the first time at the fragmentary preserved. Palaeorhyncnus parini, 6 Pshekha River. The first step of our field season acropomatid perciforms In conclusion, the field was the removal of soil at the site Synagropoides steparenkorum, 5 excavations in the North Caucasus by using the spades. Then we took specimens of bigeyes representing carried out in 2008 thanks to the large blocks of the Eocene rock two different species, and 3 financial support of the SRF grant using the picks, and split these by acronurus larvae of surgeonfishes were highly successful. knives into layers as thin as Caprovesposus cf. C. parvus. The possible; the higher the number of total number of bony fish taxa found Alexander Bannikov splits, the better the chance of in 2008 is at least 30. Among the Borisyak Paleontological Institute, discovering imprints of fish unique discoveries there are four Russian Academy of Sciences, skeletons. After reaching the level different perciforms, each of them Moscow, Russia of fresh (not eroded) rock, it became representing taxa new to science,
The science of describing: natural history in Renaissance Europe Ogilvie BW. 2006. The Fishing by cracking rocks in the Caucasus mountains University of bony fish remains include 29 as fossil relatives of extant snake Chicago Press, imprints of the small codlet mackerels and billfishes were also Chigaco. ISBN Bregmaceros cf. B. filamentosus, 2 common. The genus Bregmaceros 9780226620879 fragments of big tarpon-like indicates that the climatic conditions (hardback), Lyrolepis caucasica, 22 imprints of were close to tropical. US$45; ISBN a herring “Sardinella” sp., 16 During brief journeys to 9780226620886 complete and incomplete skeletons neighbouring fish localities, which (paperback), of a scabbardfish Anenchelum are of a younger age (Oligocene and US$27. paucivertebrale, 13 fossil relatives Miocene), a number of fish and It is quite astonishing to realize how of snake mackerels Palimphyes plant remains were also collected. very different times once were, pshekhaensis, 12 lightfishes Moreover, discoveries of Miocene looking out from our modern Primaevistomias weitzmani, 9 fossil centracanthid and carangid fishes perspective as the involuntary but
The Systematist 2010 No. 31 13 inevitable stewards of the planet’s which is observed. history through the activities of endangered biodiversity. Imagine In this very learned book, Ogilvie North Italian humanists and that you would have found yourself presents a meticulous, methodical physicians. The great naturalist to be a young lad or lady living in and exhaustive study of the birth of Louis Agassiz famously remarked: Northern Europe in the late fifteenth natural history as an autonomous “study nature not books.” Yet, given century, and possessed of a discipline. In the period between the overwhelming Renaissance burgeoning interest in nature’s 1490 and 1630 natural history movement to go back to original bounteous productions. Where developed from a relatively sources of knowledge, this first would you have gone for guidance, inconspicuous if vital role as a generation of naturalists defied this say to identify plants and animals in handmaiden to medicine, agriculture future motto as they took it as their the field? Natural history didn’t yet and natural philosophy, to a most important task to recover the exist as an autonomous discipline, discipline with its own goals and lost and mutilated knowledge of the so you would have had to resort to methods, and supported by a ancient Greek and Roman writers. self-study. Unfortunately, because growing cadre of dedicated workers These first natural historians were moveable type hadn’t been around spread throughout Europe. Ogilvie intent on establishing the veracity for very long, printed books were organizes his story chronologically, and value of the ancient manuscripts scarce. Resorting to manuscripts, covering the period from around that described the diversity and you either would be limited to the 1490 to 1630, and tracing the medicinal uses of plants by sifting classical works of ancient Greek and crucial steps in the individualization out textual impurities introduced by Roman writers of many centuries of natural history as a discipline careless or overly creative old, or you would have had to rely bound by a unique set of study translators (manuscripts could have on medieval herbals and bestiaries objects, research goals, methods of gone through various rounds of filled with folklore and symbolism. study, and standards of reporting translation from the original Greek As Olgivie (p. 102) writes: “If and communication. The main body to Arabic to Latin back to Greek), bestiaries’ readers learned a few of the book is animated by and by identifying the plants facts about animals, that was perceptive analyses of the career- recorded in these works in the wild. incidental.” Perhaps a visit to a defining works of the most The mended works would then be botanical garden then? You would important practitioners in each time used as the basis for reforming have had to be patient because the segment of natural history’s medical education, principally first botanical gardens lay several gestation period. The gradual forming the basis of materia decades into the future still. In fact, development of natural history into medica. in the preceding Middle Ages, the The aim of the new naturalists was not clutches of theology and discovering nature’s universal truths, as had been superstition discouraged any penetrating study into nature’s the goal from ancient through medieval times, but details. Medieval theologians the detailed description and cataloguing of nature’s considered such study as variety reprehensible and wicked behaviour. A superficial study of nature was an independent discipline is The work of one ancient herbalist allowed, but first and foremost to practically coincident with the was the focus of particular function as a mirror of ourselves. emergence of botany as an veneration and scrutiny: the Greek Nature could be probed for moral autonomous specialty. Zoology’s surgeon Dioscorides (c. 40 AD- c. and spiritual guidance, not for the development, which went through 90 AD). The five books that make details an sich. As Ogilvie points quite similar stages as botany, up Dioscorides’ De materia medica out, it was only after two generally lagged behind botany until represented the pinnacle of ancient developments in the fifteenth the end of the period covered in descriptive botany, and sixteenth century that this situation was Ogilvie’s book. This is partly century naturalists used De materia poised for change. First, an explained by the fact that zoology medica as their model for writing epistemological move away from was not as firmly embedded in the natural history. There are several essentialism and the search for study of medicine as the foundation reasons why Dioscorides, rather eternal verities to focus instead on of materia medica. than say the contemporary Roman the individual and the particular. Ogilvie distinguishes four encyclopaedist Pliny the elder, who Second, the development of an successive periods in the was author of the important work aesthetic of the particular that development of natural history. The Natural history (Naturalis historia), connected the appreciation of beauty first period from 1490 to 1530 saw was singled out as a model. First, with that of knowledge of that the origin of Renaissance natural Dioscorides was widely considered
The Systematist 2010 No. 31 14 the most reliable ancient writer. As the general. This attention to the emphasis on the cataloguing of new described in some detail by Ogilvie, particular was the epistemological species, and the concomitant Pliny’s work was the subject of hallmark of Renaissance humanism, importance of travelling to new considerable controversy between and which the humanistically places to discover the forms not humanist scholars who were educated naturalists applied with covered in the works of the concerned both with weeding out equal conviction in the realm of ancients. errors introduced by medieval natural history description. This focus on cataloguing and scribes and lapses of judgement by The second generation of collecting characterized the work the great encyclopaedist himself. naturalists (1530-1560) recognized done by the likes of Rembert For example, the Venetian humanist by Ogilvie was the first international Dodoens and Carolus Clusius Ermolao Barbaro (1454-1493) wrote community of natural historians during the third generation of a massive philological correction of bound in a shared recognition of natural history (1560-1590). Even Pliny, while his contemporary, the authorative texts, techniques of though natural history remained Italian humanist and physician observation, reporting, and important for medicine, the latter Niccolò Leoniceno (1428-1524) communication. It had by then defined it no longer intellectually or attempted a biological correction of become clear that the several professionally. For some enthusiasts Pliny through the observation of hundred species of plants described the collections, especially of plants. It is worth noting that by the ancients did not cover curiosities and rare and exotic Leoniceno also used the writings of observed diversity. Consequently, species were an end in and of itself. Dioscorides to correct certain errors there was a move away from the For others, such as Clusius, in Pliny’s work. exclusivity of ancient texts as collecting was merely a means to an Second, in contrast to Pliny’s members of the now international end. The ultimate goal was to work, the focus of Dioscorides’ De community of naturalists discovered possess knowledge of nature’s materia medica was medical, and described plants that were not diversity, to own it intellectually providing for each plant a name, described by the ancients, in rather that just materially. Natural description (this in contrast, for particular plants from the north of history in this generation comprised example, to Galen who just listed Europe. Considering the fact that a community containing a diversity names of plants in his work) and plants formed the empirical basis of of enthusiasts, including physicians, pharmacological properties, a materia medica, it is not surprising medical students, apothecaries, format of presentation followed in that both physicians and humanists, collectors, gardeners, later works. It is perhaps ironic that apothecaries had active interests in and illustrators. Inevitably, having the more explicitly medical text of natural history alongside humanists such a diverse community led to Dioscorides was chosen as a with a more personal interest in divergence of their interests, and template for later work in natural natural history. The leaders in this collectors and naturalists started to history rather than the more broadly period merit the label of being the diverge, both in their methods, their ranging Natural history of Pliny, but first true phytographers, and they goals, and their literatures. For this focus was more in line with the include Otto Brunfels, Hieronymous example, whereas Euricius Cordus’ interests of authors such as Nicollò Bock, and Leonhart Fuchs, all of Botanologicon from 1531 presented Leoniceno who charged themselves whom wrote new herbals to replace the adventure of a botanizing trip in with reformulating the medical the popular medieval herbals. dialogue form, the works of the next curriculum. Whereas the work of Brunfels can generation of natural historians Third, although Renaissance be singled out for the excellent and increasingly distinguished naturalists considered them in their innovative woodcut illustrations themselves by their dry and concise historical accounts of natural produced by Hans Weiditz, which prose, and their focus on presenting history, important work by Aristotle showed the details of individual detailed observations rather then the (History of Animals) and the father plants such as one would find them joy of botanizing trips. A certain of botany Theophrastus (History of in the wild, Bock distinguished standard of reporting was developed Plants) were too philosophical to be himself by producing the most that included precise descriptions useful as models. The aim of the meticulous descriptions of the time. that allowed species and varieties to new naturalists was not discovering Although the influence of the be distinguished, and the use of nature’s universal truths, as had ancients still loomed large, as is illustrations to give an overall been the goal from ancient through reflected by the fact that Pietro impression of the plant’s habitus to medieval times, but the detailed Andrea Mattioli’s commentary on unfamiliar readers. Contextual non- description and cataloguing of Dioscorides became the standard morphological information that was nature’s variety, with a consequent herbal of the sixteenth century, central to folk biology, such as focus on the particular rather than Bock’s work marked a new information about ecology, and
The Systematist 2010 No. 31 15 information about the medicinal animals as recorded in the works of Boca Raton. ISBN: 9780415332903 properties of plants were Aristotle and Theophrastus (BC), (Hardcover). US$89.95. increasingly de-emphasized. At the and Pliny and Dioscorides (AD) This concise volume of ten same time an independent literature came to form the foundational contributed chapters is based on took root that catered to the canon of Renaissance natural papers presented during the 4th blossoming population of amateur history. In the hands of the Biennial Conference of the lovers of plants and flowers. humanistically educated Systematics Association held in Florilegia became the coffee table Renaissance naturalists these works Dublin from August 18-22, 2003 books of the seventeenth century. formed the basis of a monumental (see Humphries 2003). The field of They were picture books with change in the scholarly attitude biodiversity informatics is moving detailed copperplate engravings or towards nature’s variety, replacing forward at a fast pace, facing on one etchings of plants and flowers. an earlier natural philosophical side a vast amount of heterogeneous Engraved pictures could show much approach to animals and plants that legacy data and on the other side a more details than the woodcuts was aimed at distilling universal somewhat amorphous, but previously used. The emphasis in truths, with a new and explicitly increasingly demanding, user florilegia came heavily to rest on the descriptive tradition that charged community. To make it all work we illustrations, so that the text itself with producing a complete need potent ideas and technologies withered down to the bare essentials inventory of all nature’s particulars. at the center, along with a "new of practical information of interest It was when the number of known spirit of collaboration" (Holsinger et to gardeners, leaving out scholarly and described species started to al. 2007). For those who struggle to controversies and details about the outstrip the individual scholar’s keep up with the latest in places and times of the collected capacity to keep them all apart, that cybertaxonomy, a compilation of species. we find the cradle of modern papers by leading experts is The final period discussed in systematics. Ogilvie’s book is so certainly welcome. Nevertheless, Ogilvie’s book is from 1590 to rich in detail that it deserves the scope of Biodiversity Databases 1620, and this was the period of the prolonged study after an initial is more modest in comparison to systematizers. The number of newly reading. Because of its almost relevant predecessors such as described plants became so large exclusive focus on botany, the Fortuner (1993) or the excellent that naturalists were now forced to reader is left with enough food for series Taxonomy for the Twenty- concern themselves with efficiently thought, for example how First Century (Phil. Trans. Royal organizing their data. They needed developments in the nascent Soc. B 359: 559-739). Most chapters to be able to classify the known discipline of zoology mirrored or emphasize conceptual and technical species of plants (the number differed from those observed in improvements within the European increased from hundreds in the mid botany, and how the new focus on Network of Biodiversity sixteenth century to thousands a few accurate and comprehensive Information (ENBI), where more decades later), but also description in natural history than half of all described species accommodate the unstoppable flood dovetailed with similar concerns in and type specimens are located. I of new species. Consequently, the visual arts. will first offer a brief overview of simply adopting a kind of folk each chapter [1, 2, etc.], and then taxonomy, such as the Ronald A. Jenner close with general comments. Theophrastean categories of trees, Department of Zoology, The Natural Lane & Edwards [1] give a three- shrubs, bushes, and herbs, was no History Museum,London, UK page summary of the mission of the longer sufficient. It is here that we
The Systematist 2010 No. 31 16 terms of database integration, empirical comparison of two distributions, and other relevant analytical tools, and web-based approaches that use morphometric data. Jones [7] introduces the notion platforms for users. More than 20 information to produce automated of a biodiversity Grid – a distributed relevant WWW resources are cited species identifications, viz. linear infrastructure that facilitates high- at the end, a useful convention that discriminant analysis and artificial performance computing to model was adopted in several other neural networks. Both methods are climate change, future species chapters. tested on a set of foraminiferal distributions, and similar data- and Berendsohn & Geoffroy [3] species. Although the former algorithm-intensive analyses (see review a salient proposal to improve performed slightly better, the latter also Jones et al. 2006). In addition semantic integration between is more generally applicable and to outlining the architectural needs databases using the taxonomic less time consuming, leading to a for such a Grid, the author stresses concept approach (see Kennedy et nuanced call for exploiting these the importance of establishing a al. 2006; Franz et al. 2008). The complementary properties to stable biodiversity ontology in order idea to employ taxonomic concepts maximize the potential for to run workflows involving – names used explicitly and automation. The authors finish with heterogeneous datasets. The exclusively in the context of a a wide ranging defense of BiodiversityWorld project has made I recommend Biodiversity Databases to progress towards these goals. Triebel et al. [8] provide an anyone who is looking for a good entry point into update on LIAS, a global the field of biodiversity informatics information system for lichenized and non-lichenized ascomycetes. particular circumscription automated identification projects Originally based on the DELTA (Berendsohn 1995) – is one of the (see also Gaston & O'Neill 2004), format (http://delta-intkey.com/), most significant conceptual arguing that such services are LIAS now has a networked database contributions to systematics made needed to reinvigorate and on-line portal offering so far by developers of taxonomic morphological systematics. But taxonomic and descriptive databases. The authors explain how surely there remain some less than information on more than 2700 taxa, this approach permits assessments ideal parallels to traditional DNA identification keys, and regional of taxonomic stability as multiple barcoding, in the sense that we are checklists, among other services. An succeeding classifications are limited methodologically to one or a active community of specialists is imported into a single repository few sets of features to identify involved in the expansion and and its elements cross-linked via species when others may reflect integration of LIAS within the GBIF concept relationships. They argue more immediately upon particular network. White [9] analyzes that taxonomic concepts represent a historical speciation events. There common challenges that occur when valid solution to the problem of are trade-offs between the biodiversity databases are merged to integrating evolving taxonomic practicality for automation and yield a more comprehensive perspectives without imposing a maximizing the diversity and information resource. Most consensus view. Projects focusing diagnostic power of features examples are taken from the 20+ on algae, mosses and vascular plants selected to achieve reliable species year history of ILDIS, the underscore the feasibility of the recognition. International Legume Database and concept approach. Scoble & Curry & Connor [6] examine new Information Service. Of particular Berendsohn [4] recount the technologies capable of extracting interest are situations where regional historical trajectory and challenges taxonomic descriptions from databases represent different of networking specimen-level historical publications and parsing assessments with regards to the information generated by natural them into a structured digital format validity and taxonomic history collections in Europe. Issues based on markup language tags. inclusiveness of species names (pro of technical implementation, Their proof-of-concept study parte synonymy, etc.). The Litchi scalability, information quality, involves a monograph of Project aims to merge checklists intellectual ownership, and general brachiopods from which they while applying a set of rules to operability across 30 or more scanned pages with high accuracy identify and resolve taxonomic countries are addressed with using optical character recognition conflict. "Intelligent" species links laudable realism. Support from the software. The development of a (generated via prior searches or European Commission has played suitable XML parser program adds registration) can connect multiple an important role in developing the semantic structure and allows resources with similar content. The database network. selective querying of names, author advocates maintaining a MacLeod et al. [5] present an synonyms, authors, descriptions, system of cross-mappings that
The Systematist 2010 No. 31 17 resemble concept relationships (see coordinated platform for architecture instead of repeating [3]). information about species. Figure 6.7. I recommend In the final and longest chapter of On the other hand, in my Biodiversity Databases to anyone the volume, Andersen et al. [10] estimation Biodiversity Databases who is looking for a good entry develop an innovative approach would have benefited from a more point into the field of biodiversity using WORLDMAP (Williams confrontational and critical informatics, with the qualification 2001) to prioritize areas for perspective towards some of the that the reality of data integration conservation on Borneo based on greatest challenges we are might be more "lively" than some distributional information (> 5000 experiencing at this juncture. Too chapters let on. records) of endemic rattan palm often the reader gets little more than species. Their analysis reflects great a rundown of original goals, then References attention to detail and scholarship. progress towards them as Application of the criterion of implemented in a series of projects, Berendsohn WG. 1995. The concept of complementarity indicates that 26 then more goals. The message one "potential taxa" in databases. Taxon 44: 207- grid cells out of a total of 1087 are might take from this promotional 212. required to represent all taxa at least style of presentation is that simply Fortuner R. 1993. Advances in Computer once. Congruence with less plugging ahead will take care of Methods for Systematic Biology. Artificial extensive datasets of birds and things. But there are major obstacles Intelligence, Databases, Computer Vision. butterflies appears to solidify the to be overcome on the path towards Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press, original recommendations for areas reliable and precise integration of Baltimore. of high conservation priority. biodiversity information. The Franz NM, Peet RK, Weakley AS. On the Even though Biodiversity sociopolitical challenges involved in use of taxonomic concepts in support of Databases no longer reflects on the merging data and factional interests biodiversity research and taxonomy; pp. 63- very latest developments (such as (including financial ones) are not 86. In Wheeler QD. (ed.), The New globally unique identifiers; see Pyle adequately stated and scrutinized. Taxonomy. Systematics Association Special et al. 2008), it succeeds in touching An unresolved tension runs through Volume Series 74. Boca on many prevalent themes in the the volume between producing Raton: Taylor & Francis, 63-86. field. The exclusive spotlight on traditional checklists with species Gaston KJ, O'Neill MA. 2004. Automated Europe is readily justified given that names versus integrating different species identification: why not? more than 50% of all recognized regional or temporal taxonomic Philosophical species and type specimens and over perspectives which would require a Transactions of the Royal Society of London 4000 collections are potentially community-wide commitment to the B 359: 655-667. involved. As stated on numerous taxonomic concept approach. Is it Holsinger E, Kleinhans M, Wheeler Q. occasions, GBIF and incentives time for a paradigm change? Other 2007. Planet Bob. stemming from the Framework relevant issues are left unmentioned, http://www.planetbob.asu.edu/ Programme of the European for example the discouraging fact Humphries CJ. 2003. Biennial meeting – a Commission have helped forge that none of the most popular – and presidential review. The Systematist 22: 10- Europe's leadership role in populated – biodiversity databases 14. biodiversity informatics. The fruits are designed to readily incorporate Jones MB, Schildhauer MP, Reichman J, of such high-level support are fully new phylogenetic insights. Do we Bowers S. 2006. The new bioinformatics: on display in the volume, as large- need a new ontology translating integrating ecological data from the gene to scale networks of high-quality trees into database fields? In short, the biosphere. Annual Review of Ecology, biodiversity data are starting to the vision of a global and Evolution and Systematics 37: 519-544. become reality. One must also semantically concordant network Kennedy J, Hyam R, Kukla R, Paterson T. applaud the balanced line-up of needs strong ideas and passionate 2006. A standard data model representation papers emphasizing new concepts advocates in order to succeed. In for (taxonomic concepts, workflows), that sense I was disappointed by the taxonomic information. OMICS 102: 220- issues of implementation (databases, sober tone adopted by many 230. networking), and empirical authors. I also missed a critical Pyle RL, Earle JL, Greene BD. 2008. Five applications (morphometrics, synthesis and outlook at the end of new species of the damselfish genus Chromis conservation). As different factions the volume. (Perciformes: Labroidei: Pomacentridae) (e.g. phylogeneticists versus On the technical side, the chapters from deep coral reefs in the tropical western conservationists) within biodiversity are generally well presented, Pacific. Zootaxa 1671: 3-31. informatics pursue their primary illustrated, and indexed. An Williams PH. 2001. WORLDMAP, Version agendas, it is easy to move away unfortunate exception is Figure 7.1 4.20.15 (VIII-26-2001) from the vision of a globally which should show a Grid (http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-
The Systematist 2010 No. 31 18 curation/projects/worldmap/). London: dinosaurs, the fish-tetrapod fossils into an incorrect published by the author. intermediates, the amphibious basal phylogenetic framework for living cetaceans, and the limbed early taxa. Recent molecular data strongly Nico M. Franz snakes: all of these (except the fish- suggest that urochordates (not Department of Biology, University tetrapod transition) are all well- cephalochordates) are the closest of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, USA covered in the relevant chapters. relatives of vertebrates and share
The Systematist 2010 No. 31 19 Press. as well as the bicentenary of Darwin, A Reader’s Guide is Kemp TS. 2007. The concept of correlated Darwin’s birth (1809). The Guide, divided into five parts: Darwin’s progression as the basis of a model for the therefore, stands as a record of Life and Works, Secondary evolutionary origin of major new taxa. items published before these literature and Other Sources, Proceedings of the Royal Society of London anniversaries. Ghiselin writes: “I Darwin Chronology, Biographical B 274: 1667-1673. have prepared this Guide, one that Dictionary and three Bibliographies. Simpson GG. 1944. Tempo and mode in reflects my personal experience and Darwin’s Life and Works (pp. 9— evolution. New York: Columbia University draws upon the materials I have 43) takes the reader through Press. accumulated with the passage of Darwin’s life, providing an account Simpson GG. 1953. The major features of decades” (p. 7): it is, thus, a that differs little from that found in evolution. New York: Columbia University personal document (p. 8). the many other biographies. If Press. Ghiselin is an evolutionary anything, Ghiselin deals more with biologist, a bioeconomist, a the substance of Darwin’s ideas Michael S. Y. Lee malacologist, “a biologist…who rather than the events in his life or School of Earth and Environmental works on the philosophy of the context of those events. Sciences, University of Adelaide, classification” (Journal of Needless to say, the scientific Adelaide, Australia Bioeconomics 7, 2005, Special interpretations are Ghiselin’s, views
The Systematist 2010 No. 31 20 are significant, according to (Winsor 2006, p. 3 in Winsor, M. P. Palaeontology, Edinburgh, p. 151). Ghiselin. Ernst Mayr and zoologist Linnaeus’s biology was not The Biographical Dictionary (pp. Arthur Cain, with David Hull and essentialist. Annals of the Missouri 69—117) is an eclectic mix of Ghiselin himself following closely Botanical Gardens 93: 2—7); in people, again one must assume the behind, created what has recently short, the Essentialist Story was a choice reflects Ghiselin’s personal been called the Essentialist Story, a thinly disguised – and largely preferences. myth that, as Polly Winsor so fabricated – attack on taxonomy. The three Bibliographies are eloquently puts it, “portrays pre- Darwinian taxonomists as caught in My main problem with this Guide, then, is the grip of an ancient philosophy who would use it and how. The Guide has no guide called essentialism, from which they as to what one might find within the pages of any were not released until Charles of the listed books and papers... Darwin’s 1859 Origin of Species. Mayr’s motive was to promote the Without it, would our interest in probably considered the meat of this Modern Synthesis in opposition to Darwin be quite so obsessive? particular offering. The first of the the typology of idealist The Darwin Chronology (pp, three is Publications of Charles morphologists; demonizing Plato 47—68) is interesting inasmuch as Darwin (pp. 118—123), the second served this end” (Winsor, M.P. determining how and why Ghiselin Publications based on Darwin’s 2006. The creation of the chose certain entries. All the Collections (pp. 123—126) and the essentialism story: an exercise in obvious ones are included, of third Secondary literature, which metahistory. Hist Philos Life Sci. course: the Beagle journey, the includes a Supplement to Secondary 28:149—74). Interestingly, while publication of the Origin, the British literature (126—185). The first part, Winsor has four items listed in the Association debate at Oxford, and Publications of Charles Darwin, is Secondary References (pp. 183— so on. Yet skimming through the made redundant by web based 184), none of her papers exposing chronology can lead to some projects such as the Complete Work this myth are included. As for puzzling encounters. An entry for of Charles Darwin Online Darwin, Stephen Gould wrote of the 1841, for example, reads: (http://darwin-online.org.uk). This 1959 Chicago symposium, the first “OCTOBER 25, finished Youatt on website has, or will have, not just centennial commemoration of the sheep” (p. 53). But Youatt never the reference but its text and a Origin held at the University of makes another appearance in the downloadable pdf of each of Chicago, Illinois, that “The panel Guide, so one might be left Darwin’s papers. The website also discussions ended in a virtual orgy wondering who Youatt was and includes a section on Publications of agreement, with Darwin as hero what his significance might be, based on Darwin’s Collections and adaptation as king” (Gould, S.J. never mind the sheep. As it happens, (entitled Darwin’s Specimens, 2002. The Structure of Evolutionary Darwin is referring to William http://darwin- Theory, p. 574). The central theme Youatt (1776—1847), author of online.org.uk/specimens.html), thus of the Chicago symposium was to Sheep: their breeds, management, rendering the second bibliography in embrace the integration of and diseases (1837). This was part this Guide redundant as well. In any population genetics with selection of Darwin’s reading on case, Ghiselin’s rather idiosyncratic theory. It is thus not surprising, domesticated animals. Youatt wrote listing can frustrate. For example, then, that there are so many books on the horse, cattle and pig as well. one might look up Christian and papers on Darwin and that 2009 Still, six days later, we learn, Gottfried Ehrenberg in the was, once again, the year of Darwin Darwin “had breakfast at Owen’s”. Biographical Dictionary, thought by as Hero – but it is surprising that Perhaps they discussed food many to be the father of Betty Smocovitis’s paper detailing (“…those species, such as the micropalaeontology, and discover events of the first centennial is nutritious cod, the savory herring, that he examined samples of dust missing from the bibliographies in the rich-flavoured salmon, and the from the Beagle voyage (p. 84). Yet this Reader (Smocovitis, B.V. 1999. succulent turbot, have greatly Ehrenberg’s publications on this The 1959 Darwin Centennial predominated at the period material are missing from the Celebration in America. Osiris 14: immediately preceding and Publications based on Darwin’s 274—323). But what of Mayr’s accompanying the advent of man, Collections bibliography. Although history of essentialism? “In its broad and that they have superseded Ghiselin writes that “It [the sweep across the history of species which, to judge by the bony bibliography] aims at a good systematics…it is not merely Garpikes (Lepidosteus), were much representative sample”, the sample inaccurate in particulars, it is wrong less fitted to afford mankind a sapid should at least be joined up with the and harmful in its basic message” and wholesome food”, Owen, 1860, biographical data to be of some use.
The Systematist 2010 No. 31 21 The final bibliography, Secondary Darwinism and Neo-Darwinism, is Botany Department, The Natural literature, is extensive – yet it too is included as secondary literature, as History Museum, London, UK idiosyncratic. One might plough is Gavin de Beer’s hagiography The Systematist 2010 No. 31 22 Nature, discusses the environmental Kohler’s specific focus is on the and indirect means for the middle context of survey collecting, in middle class, and their attitude classes to experience nature particular the nature of the ‘inner towards leisure. The 1870s saw the intellectually and emotionally set frontiers.’ The period of the 1870s origin of “vacation” as a the context for the rise of survey to the 1920s saw the landscape of quintessential middle class collecting. However, the North America dotted with a mosaic invention, or rather an ideological environmental and cultural contexts of patches of densely inhabited and refashioning of “leisure” as enjoyed of survey collecting of course uninhabited landscape. Here a by the aristocracy and the labouring needed to be supplemented by a remarkable diversity of wildlife, classes. Leisure had the undesirable third factor: economic incentive. both flora and fauna, could for a connotation of “mere idleness and The wish of museums to have time co-exist relatively undisturbed entertainment,” so middle class realistic dioramas in particular alongside human settlements, before vacationing came to consist of a became a major economic driving the relentless destruction of nature broad range of outdoors activities, force to go out into the field to was started by virulent population from hiking and bird watching, to collect specimens. growth and suburban sprawl, and camping and fishing. Being The third chapter is titled Patrons, the terminal penetration into outdoors in nature during regular and it sketches the institutional, nature’s last refuges that was vacations became the recreational organizational, and economic especially facilitated by the complement to day-to-day hard contexts of survey collecting. The affordability of cars time-honoured way in the early 20th Kohler makes the interesting point that the key of collecting century. Apart rationale for civic museums to organize and support during unpaid from the collecting parties was a change in exhinition style: working vacations deliberate setting the origin of naturalistic habitat dioramas by college aside of national teachers and forests, the characteristic mental or physical work. Kohler museum curators was obviously not topography of the inner frontiers suggests that vacationing and the most efficient way to survey was left in the wake of waves of natural history were connected biodiversity. Legitimacy had to be settlement and subsequent because the latter (studying nature, sought for large-scale scientific abandonment in areas exploited for collecting specimens, etc.) dignified collecting. Unlike geological, agriculture, mining, and timber. For leisure. Kohler argues that there is a topographical, agricultural, and example, the westward wave of link between recreational outdoors land-use surveys, natural history homesteading in the late 19th activities and science, or at least an surveys never became a regular century left ghost towns in its wake intellectual interest in nature. feature of state government. Kohler as people migrated away from Recreational walking and mountain surmises that a main reason for this poorer agricultural regions of the climbing, for example, afforded relative neglect was the fact that Northeast. This resulted in passive direct experience of nature, which biological surveys didn’t produce reforestation, such that a state like Kohler argues is at least “congruent knowledge that could be used by Vermont could revert back to forest with a scientific interest.” He also any significant social group to within a matter of decades after points out the similarities between exploit a state’s natural resources. having been completely denuded of hunting and natural history Another factor was timing. Natural original forest. Kohler discusses in collecting, and the establishment of history surveys appeared on the detail how access to the inner marine biological stations as a scene at the end of the period in frontiers was provided in particular means for scientists to blend which extractive resource industries by a large network of railroads, vacationing with science in an flourished. Surprisingly, Kohler which made them attractive spots outdoor setting. The second half of didn’t find evidence that states had for fishing and hunting. Naturalists the 19th century also saw the an interest in helping to develop were aware that the inner frontiers blossoming of indirect ways to get nascent recreational and tourist were a fleeting phenomenon, in into contact with nature: nature economies. Yet, the general need of scientific documentation. essays, wilderness novels (for rationale advanced in support of The second chapter titled Culture, example by Jack London) and survey collecting was economic, describes the cultural context in wildlife dioramas in museums. The namely to assist in agriculture, such which survey collecting originated. appetite for these indirect means to as understanding crop pests, and Kohler presents an interesting experience nature coincided exactly mapping biogeographical zones picture of the profoundly changing with that of cottaging, walking, and conducive to crop growing. But of attitudes of people to nature in the camping by the middle classes. In course the surveyors also had late 19th and early 20th centuries. short, Kohler argues that the direct ‘purer’ interests, so that “[p]ure- The Systematist 2010 No. 31 23 science survey was the tail that catch. In fact, offers to finance specimens to be used for either wagged the economic-biology dog” collecting trips, especially for big science or exhibit. (p. 98). Kohler discusses in some game in exotic locations, were so Chapter 5 contains some of the detail the U.S. Biological Survey frequent that it was difficult for most dramatic stories of the book. It (within the Department of museums to always oblige. It was describes how the skills and Agriculture), which was the first indeed very big business, and some experience of survey collectors, public institution dedicated to large- deplored that more time and effort though invariably valued, became scale natural history survey. Under was spent on collecting than on the increasingly seen as insufficient as a the leadership of C. Hart Merriam science. Research museums, not reliable entry ticket into a learned from 1887 to 1910, it was very needing expensive dioramas, could profession. For would-be scientists important to taxonomy and do with smaller donations from and curators alike, formal university biogeography. Merriam was middle class nature enthusiasts training rapidly became an uniquely successful in attracting primarily interested in science. indispensable part of their education federal funding. The level of Local businessmen and sportsmen around the turn of the 19th century. support was only equalled by the also donated in the hope of fostering Kohler relates the dramatic story of largest of the civic museums. State the local economy. A close Thomas Large who around the turn funding was much more haphazard. relationship between curators and of the century worked on a survey Kohler makes the interesting point patrons was essential. of fishes of Illinois. Unfortunately, that the key rationale for civic Chapter 4, titled Expedition, and his focus on field and collecting museums to organize and support chapter 5, titled Work discuss the work resulted in him being bypassed collecting parties was a change in dual character of survey collecting, as a potential author of The fishes of exhibition style: the origin of as a mix of both work and Illinois. Despite having been naturalistic habitat dioramas, and recreation. Chapter 4 focuses on the instrumental in organizing the separation of study and inter-human relationships during expeditions, and personally exhibition collections in the last field collecting trips. Chapter 5 identifying and recording 90 percent decades of the 19th century. looks into the importance of the of the survey’s 200,000 specimens, Curators required better quality various skills required of survey Large’s contributions were barely specimens for both exhibits and collectors, and chronicles the shift mentioned in the book. The taxonomic study. For example, from survey collecting as a stage to emerging rift between what Kohler changing taxonomic standards launch a career in academia to that labels as craft and literary activities necessitated the rebuilding of of a craft occupation. Both chapters sadly blocked Large’s career collections, so that series of contain some wonderful black and ambitions. As a result, in the early specimens were required to assess white photographs of field 1900s a social stratification had variation and properly delimit collecting parties, of donkeys become apparent, with on the one species. The need for high-quality packed with iguanas, ropes strung side craftsmen, including specimens for dioramas also made up as washing lines full of deer taxidermists and field men, and on curators and taxidermists field skins, and proud collectors the other side the professional collectors. Realistic dioramas not alongside their newfangled beasts of curators and university-trained only needed the collection of burden: the first generation of biologists. animals, but also of important affordable automobiles. Chapter 4 is Chapter 6 is titled Knowledge, and contextual elements, including the most entertaining of the book, as may be the one most directly rocks, grasses, soil, etc. Since it describes all the joys and interesting to practicing dioramas depicted local scenes, the difficulties of organizing and systematists. The chapter locality of collecting was crucial. managing collecting parties in the investigates the relationship The resulting collecting efforts field. Field parties often brought a between strategies of specimen could be tremendous. For example, heterogeneous mix of people collecting and scientific concepts Frank Chapman travelled some together, combining different skills derived from the study of the 65,000 miles to collect for the and predilections. An entourage specimens. Kohler argues that the American Museum’s hall of North could include sportsmen, nature collections resulting from surveys American birds! Luckily museum tourists, naturalists, taxidermists, were instrumental in the conceptual trustees and patrons were very artists, but also cooks, packers, and change from typological to willing to donate money to locals with intimate knowledge of population thinking, leading to a collecting expeditions, especially if the area. Interpersonal tension arose reappreciation of what species are. they could come along to shoot sometimes, for example when This went hand in hand with a game for dioramas. Scientific taxidermists and curators managed change from type to survey collecting was in these cases a by- to collect just one or a few rare collecting in late 19th century and The Systematist 2010 No. 31 24 then to population collecting in mid- to a change from collecting to pinnipeds were monophyletic or 20th century. He argues that observing organisms, to simple diphyletic. Following the end of the changing collecting practices went diminishing returns as biodiversity Masters in early 1995, there came hand in hand with changing views became better known. But as we an extended period of “pond- of taxonomic categories. In systematists know, the process of hopping”. First, I did my PhD at the particular, the subspecies as a documenting and understanding University of Oxford from distinct category could only be biodiversity in its totality is scarcely 1995–1998, where Andy Purvis and firmly established on the basis of post-conception. American survey John Gittleman introduced me to collections that were both deep collecting will probably never supertrees. Then I did my first enough and geographically return, but as Kohler writes: postdoc at the University of comprehensive enough. In 1884 the “Biologists will continue to collect, California at Davis (from American Ornithologists’ Union sort, name, map, and classify – but 1999–2000; largely supertrees) and officially adopted trinomial names in new ways and to new ends” (p. another postdoc at the University of for subspecies. This decision was 285). Leiden in the Netherlands (from ratified at the Fifth International 2000–2002; mammalian EvoDevo). Congress of Zoologists in 1901. In Ronald A. Jenner I then stayed in Europe, with an Europe the scheme of trinomials Department of Zoology, The Natural extended postdoc at the Technical was adopted later because it’s History Museum, London, UK. University of Munich, Germany museum’s collections were not deep The Systematist 2010 No. 31 25 empirical. I’m in more of an profs are taking off your hands to let empirical phase at the moment, you do your studies or research. building trees and testing On the flip side, I find teaching to evolutionary hypotheses. Once I be very satisfying. I always enjoy stumble on some difficulties in talking about systematics and doing that, I’ll probably shift to evolution and bringing these being more methodological again to concepts to a wider audience. I also try and find some solutions to the invariably find that I’m learning problems. new things as I prepare my lectures At the moment though, I’m as well. But, what really gives me breaking into something completely satisfaction are a few uninterrupted new, which is to study the evolution hours to do a bit of programming. of chemical communication in Sounds geeky, I know, but mammalian carnivores (Carnivora) programming is utterly addictive: and to see whether or not the scent once you seriously get started, you compounds that they use have just can’t stop. It’s both a form of phylogenetic signal or how they Olaf Bininda-Emonds creativity and a challenge at the have evolved in general. So, I plan weekly between work and home same time. You can’t stop until you on characterizing the compounds ever since I started at Jena, and like hunt down all the bugs that stop the and the olfactory receptors that they to keep work for the office. program from doing what you want. are using, investigating their evolutionary histories, and also What percentage of time do you Could you say something about seeing if there’s some connection spend on each of your different the importance of international between them. Being more chemical responsibilities? collaborations for your research? biology, it is a new direction for me, At the moment, teaching and admin I think that collaborations are but one with a lot of potential are devouring most of my time, important, regardless if they are because an evolutionary framework having to develop several new international or not. It’s only has yet to really become established courses and modules, and also now through collaborations that you get in this area. So, there’s a lot to learn being in charge of a lab group exposed to new ideas and and to do, and this is something that together with all the growing pains perspectives, or have someone to will easily become my focus for the of being in a new location. So the brainstorm with. For instance, one next decade or so. research side of things is suffering of my most productive and creative But, of course, I won’t leave at the moment, but I hope to get a periods was at Leiden working supertrees behind at all. They’ll nice 50-50 balance between research together with Mike Richardson (a always be there somewhere as well. and teaching / admin before too developmental biologist) and long. another postdoc Jon Jeffery (a What organisms have you worked paleontologist). We were developing on, and which are your favourite What is the current composition methods of analyzing organisms and why? of your lab? developmental timing data in an Mostly mammals, although I’ve My lab has five Masters students, evolutionary framework and dabbled with snails, amphipods, six PhD students, one technician, brought three completely different beetles, turtles, birds, and even and one scientific assistant. perspectives, backgrounds, and viruses! My favourite groups, biases to the problem. Without this however, are the mammalian What gives you the most diversity of interests, I’m certain carnivores and then the true seals satisfaction and frustration in that we would never have come within that. These are the first your job? upon the solutions that we did. groups that I started investigating The most frustration is easy: the The internet has made it and were the ones that drew me into admin! As important as it is, there’s incredibly easy to have far-flung becoming an evolutionary biologist. just too much of it and it steals time collaborations. For instance, I’ve yet away from the research, which is to meet quite a few of my co- How many hours per week do you the reason most of us decided to authors in the flesh! But, there’s no work? become academics in the first place. substitute for being in the same It varies, obviously, but is invariably Getting tenure has been quite eye room with the person and having over 60. Most of that has been opening in this regard. As a student immediate feedback to the ideas that compacted into a four-day stretch or postdoc, you never realize just you bounce off of them. because I have been commuting how much admin and paperwork the The Systematist 2010 No. 31 26 What kind of fieldwork do you do systematics even further and also that it was wise to stay in the system and where has it taken you so far? provided the necessary framework for as long as possible. But not too Fieldwork??? As someone who’s and background knowledge for my long, and that was his second been tagged increasingly as a research. valuable piece of advice, namely “bioinformatician”, the closest I’ve that academics should take stock of come to fieldwork is hooking up my How was the most important their situation by age 35 at the latest laptop to a WLAN outside of the mentor in your career? and decide whether there’s really a university! But, way back when I I’ve been blessed to have had a future there. Those were two was collecting my own data, I did a number of good mentors throughout refreshing doses of reality that one few museum tours (along the east my career, some official, some not: usually doesn’t hear. coast of the United States and also Tony Russell (University of to the Natural History Museum in Calgary), Andy Purvis (now Could you nominate any of your London) measuring seals skulls and Imperial College London), John discoveries or papers as the most bones. Not sure if that counts as Gittleman (now University of important one(s), or the one(s)that field work though … Georgia at Athens), and Mike you personally like best? Richardson (Leiden University). Obviously the mammal supertree Did any memorable incidents What set them apart was both the paper published in Nature in 2007 happen during your collection of time that they invested in me (given has to rank up there. It represented data? what I now recognize as their the culmination of about six years of I do remember my time at the undoubtedly heavy workloads!) and effort by a large number of people. Natural History Museum in London also the freedom and support they And it turned out to be a beautiful with a smile. At the time, the provided to investigate interesting paper too (not just because of the pinnipeds were housed in the questions that didn’t necessarily fit tree!). The lack of any explosive basement of the main building and into their own research programs. I radiation by the extant mammalian there was no way to enter or leave especially admire Tony Russell. lineages after the death of the the room (apart from the fire While I was with him, he managed dinosaurs was utterly unexpected escape) without having one of the to have a full teaching load, a full and took us all by surprise (and staff come get me. So, it was eight lab of students with whom he held shock; we checked the data and hours a day measuring skulls individual weekly meetings, started analyses umpteen times to make without any natural light and hardly as Head of Department, and still sure that the result wasn’t an any company whatsoever. Thank managed to do research and write artifact!). In the end, it was a good God there was an adjoining toilet. papers! God only knows where he example of how the use of an But, the staff at the NHM was found the time! evolutionary perspective can yield always very helpful and cheerfully surprising results. rescued the poor Canadian in the What is the best advice you have I’m also quite fond of the paper “seal dungeon” (my words) ever received? that I published with Mike whenever I rang. I could also roam Perhaps the best pieces of advice Richardson and Jon Jeffery in freely throughout the main museum came from Tony Russell. He was Proceedings examining the reality of any time I liked, and made the most the one who advised me to only do the phylotypic stage in vertebrate of the opportunity (great museum!). a Masters with him and not a PhD development. The concept of the So, maybe it wasn’t quite eight (although he personally would have phylotypic stage (conserved taxon- hours straight in the “dungeon” … profited more if I did the latter) specific periods during early because the opportunity for doing a ontogeny) is fairly controversial in Is there any paper or book that PhD would still come along and developmental biology. We had has been very influential for your with someone perhaps more fitting. compiled a ton of developmental thinking? Also, with the opportunities being timing information for mammals It sounds like an odd choice, but it what they were (and still are) for and vertebrates in general for other would probably be “Phylogenetic systematic biologists, he pointed out research and simply decided to Patterns and the Evolutionary Visit apply it to test out whether we could Process” by Niles Eldredge and Joel find any support for the phylotypic Cracraft. It was the first book on www.systass.org/events/ stage. So we developed our own phylogenetics that I read cover to for information on how to tests and statistics and found no cover and then a few months before apply for support to evidence of it whatsoever. In fact, the start of my Masters (i.e., the organize meetings relevant phenotypic divergence was actually start of my systematic career). So it greatest during the time when the both stimulated my interest in to the aims of the SA phylotypic stage should have been The Systematist 2010 No. 31 27 present. It turned out to be another make sure that this is something that won’t solve things by any means, fun paper and not one that we had you really want to do. If it isn’t or but would make it easier to be an planned on doing or investigating at the prospects aren’t looking good, academic with a family. the outset. then don’t be afraid to pull the plug and try something else. Is there a particular contribution The job is certainly rewarding and you generally bring to I couldn’t imagine doing anything Calendar collaborative papers? else. But the road is long and hard My main contribution is in stressing and by no means certain. I finally 15 April 2010 the importance of bringing an got a permanent position when I The obvious solution to evolutionary perspective to the was nearly 40 after many years of biodiversity loss: a bigger papers and in carrying this through being paid too little and moving too planet by analyzing the hypotheses in an often. That constellation is difficult Linnean Society, London explicit phylogenetic framework. It for relationships and especially so Speaker: Dr Martin Sharman seems to be working because I keep for having a family. See www.linnean.org for details getting a lot of requests in exactly this kind of direction! I also think What do you think are currently 20-22 April 2010 that I often help to improve the the greatest impediments to Early Events in Monocot papers in terms of their flow, style, achieving a successful career in Evolution and logical structure. One of my old your field? The Linnean Society of London and bosses said that “writing papers is a There are the obvious laments about the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew torture that no one enjoys except there not being enough positions See www.linnean.org/ for details Olaf”. I can’t speak for “no one” but and funding, but I think that they I do enjoy writing and find that it hold true for most academic fields, 7 July 2010 comes easily to me. So, I don’t see not just systematics and taxonomy. Sir Julian Huxley Lecture it as a punishment to sit down and Instead, I think that an underrated Linnean Society, London rework and polish a paper until it impediment is the dedication Speaker: Prof. Andy Purvis gleams. demanded of those looking to Title: Species for Macroevolution establish themselves: numerous More details: www.systass.org What skills do you think a postdocs, often entailing long hours successful researcher in your and multiple moves. These demands 11-17 July 2010 discipline must possess? are not so problematic so long as 18th International Congress Nowadays it very important to think one is still young and single. If of Arachnology outside the box and to not become nothing else, you get to see cool Siedlce, Poland focused too narrowly. Regardless of new places every couple of years. For details and registration see the exact research field, people who But they conflict strongly with http://www.arachnologia.edu.pl/ are more multi-disciplinary or at having a family, often to the point least embrace ideas and techniques of it becoming an either/or situation. December 2010 from outside their areas will have And my gut feeling is that this 12th Young Systematists’ better chances (and do more choice might play a surprisingly Forum interesting research). As important important role in helping explain The Natural History Museum, as systematic and taxonomic why there are so few female London research is, there will probably be academics. For more details: www.systass.org increasingly fewer positions for Unfortunately, the solutions won’t people just doing systematics and be easy so long as the positions and 8 December 2010 taxonomy compared to those who funding are limited, and the Annual General Meeting and can apply their research to other competition for both high. But more The President’s Lecture fields of biology. That’s the key: could still be done to support Linnean Society, London making your research interesting not families, including more day-care Speaker: Prof. Ole Seehausen only to your direct colleagues, but facilities attached to the university For more details: www.systass.org also to other biologists and the and more provisions from the general public. granting agencies and universities to 4-8 July 2011 support families (e.g., helping pay Eighth Biennial Meeting of Do you have any tips for students for day-care, generating temporary the Systematics Association aspiring to a career like yours? positions for academic spouses, Queens University Belfast Just one: think carefully about it and among others). Such measures For more details: www.systass.org The Systematist 2010 No. 31 28