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Frances James (ecologist)

April 13, 2024

Frances Crews James (born September 29, 1930) is an American ecologist who served as a Professor of Biological Sciences at Florida State University.

James studied geographic variation in the size and shape of birds, leading to transplant experiments with red-winged blackbirds and to tests of the theoretical assumptions underlying selection models. She is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. James, originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was immersed in the stream of biology at an early age being involved in the Academy of Natural Sciences Expeditions for Everyone.[1]

In 1984 James was the first woman to become president of the American Ornithologists Union serving for two years until 1986.[2] She was awarded the Eminent Ecologist Award in January 1997; in the same year she also received the Outstanding Leadership Award from the American Institute of Biological Sciences.[1] She was awarded the 1999 Margaret Morse Nice Medal by the Wilson Ornithological Society.[3] She has served on The Nature Conservancy Board of Governors and the Board of Directors for the World Wildlife Fund.[4]

Academic career edit

James completed her A.B. (Bachelor of Arts) in zoology at Mount Holyoke College and went on to do her M.S. (Master of Science) at Louisiana State University.[1] She then finished her Ph.D. in Zoology from the University of Arkansas in 1970 at the age of 40 after raising a family of three daughters with her then husband ornithologist Douglas A. James.[1] Her dissertation involved observing patterns of intraspecific size variation in 12 species of birds found in areas of the United States.[1] James looked specifically at Bergmann’s rule hypothesizing that temperature may not be the most important factor determining body size patterns across gradients.[1]

In 1996 Frances James and her colleague at the University of Florida, statistician Charles McCulloch published an article titled: New Approaches to Population Trends in Land Birds.[1] [1] They proposed novel approaches to analyzing the data from the Breeding Bird Survey, data showed no general decline but significant declines in species from certain regions.[4]

In 2009, with John Pourtless, she published an Ornithological Monograph entitled "Cladistics and the Origin of Birds: A Review and Two New Analyses". In this monograph they argue that both the “early-archosaur” and “crocodylomorph” hypotheses are at least as well supported as the BMT (birds are maniraptoran theropod dinosaurs) hypothesis. Also, the Kishino-Hasegawa tests[5] they performed revealed no statistical difference between the hypothesis that birds were a clade nested within the Maniraptora and the hypothesis that core clades of Maniraptora (oviraptorosaurs, troodontids, and dromaeosaurs) were actually flying and flightless radiations within the clade bracketed by Archaeopteryx and modern birds (Aves). James and Pourtless concluded that because Aves might not belong within it, Theropoda as presently constituted might not be monophyletic. They further cautioned that a verificationist approach in the BMT literature may be producing misleading studies on the origin of birds.[6]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Frances C. James, An Ornithologist with a Propensity for Skepticism". Ecological Society of America. 2016.
  2. ^ Langenheim J H (1996). "Early history and progress of women ecologists: Emphasis upon research contributions". Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics. 27 (1): 1–53. doi:10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.27.1.1.
  3. ^ "Margaret Morse Nice Medal". Wilson Ornithological Society. 2010-05-29. Archived from the original on 2012-12-09. Retrieved 2012-04-09.
  4. ^ a b Ecological Society of America (1998). "Eminent Ecologist award: Frances C. James". The Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America. 79 (1): 29–30. doi:10.2307/20168202. JSTOR 20168202. S2CID 252271361.
  5. ^ Goldman N; Anderson JP; Rodrigo AG (2000). "Likelihood-based tests of topologies in phylogenetics". Syst Biol. 49 (4): 652–670. doi:10.1080/106351500750049752. PMID 12116432.
  6. ^ James, Frances C. & Pourtless IV, John A. (2009), Cladistics and the Origin of Birds: A Review and Two New Analyses (PDF), Ornithological Monographs, No. 66, American Ornithologists' Union, ISBN 978-0-943610-85-6, retrieved 2010-12-14

External links edit

  • Florida State University faculty profile

April 13, 2024
frances, james, ecologist, frances, crews, james, born, september, 1930, american, ecologist, served, professor, biological, sciences, florida, state, university, james, studied, geographic, variation, size, shape, birds, leading, transplant, experiments, with. Frances Crews James born September 29 1930 is an American ecologist who served as a Professor of Biological Sciences at Florida State University James studied geographic variation in the size and shape of birds leading to transplant experiments with red winged blackbirds and to tests of the theoretical assumptions underlying selection models She is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences James originally from Philadelphia Pennsylvania was immersed in the stream of biology at an early age being involved in the Academy of Natural Sciences Expeditions for Everyone 1 In 1984 James was the first woman to become president of the American Ornithologists Union serving for two years until 1986 2 She was awarded the Eminent Ecologist Award in January 1997 in the same year she also received the Outstanding Leadership Award from the American Institute of Biological Sciences 1 She was awarded the 1999 Margaret Morse Nice Medal by the Wilson Ornithological Society 3 She has served on The Nature Conservancy Board of Governors and the Board of Directors for the World Wildlife Fund 4 Academic career editJames completed her A B Bachelor of Arts in zoology at Mount Holyoke College and went on to do her M S Master of Science at Louisiana State University 1 She then finished her Ph D in Zoology from the University of Arkansas in 1970 at the age of 40 after raising a family of three daughters with her then husband ornithologist Douglas A James 1 Her dissertation involved observing patterns of intraspecific size variation in 12 species of birds found in areas of the United States 1 James looked specifically at Bergmann s rule hypothesizing that temperature may not be the most important factor determining body size patterns across gradients 1 In 1996 Frances James and her colleague at the University of Florida statistician Charles McCulloch published an article titled New Approaches to Population Trends in Land Birds 1 1 They proposed novel approaches to analyzing the data from the Breeding Bird Survey data showed no general decline but significant declines in species from certain regions 4 In 2009 with John Pourtless she published an Ornithological Monograph entitled Cladistics and the Origin of Birds A Review and Two New Analyses In this monograph they argue that both the early archosaur and crocodylomorph hypotheses are at least as well supported as the BMT birds are maniraptoran theropod dinosaurs hypothesis Also the Kishino Hasegawa tests 5 they performed revealed no statistical difference between the hypothesis that birds were a clade nested within the Maniraptora and the hypothesis that core clades of Maniraptora oviraptorosaurs troodontids and dromaeosaurs were actually flying and flightless radiations within the clade bracketed by Archaeopteryx and modern birds Aves James and Pourtless concluded that because Aves might not belong within it Theropoda as presently constituted might not be monophyletic They further cautioned that a verificationist approach in the BMT literature may be producing misleading studies on the origin of birds 6 References edit a b c d e f g Frances C James An Ornithologist with a Propensity for Skepticism Ecological Society of America 2016 Langenheim J H 1996 Early history and progress of women ecologists Emphasis upon research contributions Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 27 1 1 53 doi 10 1146 annurev ecolsys 27 1 1 Margaret Morse Nice Medal Wilson Ornithological Society 2010 05 29 Archived from the original on 2012 12 09 Retrieved 2012 04 09 a b Ecological Society of America 1998 Eminent Ecologist award Frances C James The Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America 79 1 29 30 doi 10 2307 20168202 JSTOR 20168202 S2CID 252271361 Goldman N Anderson JP Rodrigo AG 2000 Likelihood based tests of topologies in phylogenetics Syst Biol 49 4 652 670 doi 10 1080 106351500750049752 PMID 12116432 James Frances C amp Pourtless IV John A 2009 Cladistics and the Origin of Birds A Review and Two New Analyses PDF Ornithological Monographs No 66 American Ornithologists Union ISBN 978 0 943610 85 6 retrieved 2010 12 14External links editFlorida State University faculty profile Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Frances James ecologist amp oldid 1150840892, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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