Guy Chester Shortridge (1880–1949) was a South African mammalogist who undertook expeditions in his own state, in Java, Guatemala, Southern India, Burma and at the prompting of Oldfield Thomas travelled to Southwest Australia.[1]
Guy Chester Shortridge[a] was born at Honiton, Devon on 21 June 1880, the son of a medical practitioner. He served in the police force during the Boer War. His interest in natural history was advanced to a career with the support of W. L. Sclater of the South African Museum.[1] He returned to England and met Oldfield Thomas, who suggested an expedition to Western Australia.[2] He also joined collecting expeditions to Java, New Guinea, Guatemala and on the Indian subcontinent. Shortridge eventually returned to South Africa and was director of the Kaffrarian Museum in King William's Town at the end of his life.[1] He died on 12 January 1949.[2]
Worksedit
Shortridge is noted for his collections, including living animals, made in regions where little of no zoological research had been undertaken.[1] He was first engaged by Sclater to assemble specimen collections in South Africa, birds and mammals he obtained in the Pondoland and Colesberg regions.[1]
His collections in Southwest Australia, made between 1904 and 1907,[3] were at the coastal forests around Bunbury, Busselton, Margaret River and King George Sound. Shortridge travelled to regions accessible via the Great Southern Railway on a rail pass granted by the government. He also travelled to make collections at the semi-arid to desert interior of Southwest Australia to the Gascoyne region, making collections at Laverton, Kalgoorlie, Southern Cross, and an offshore visit to Bernier Island.[2] Shortridge's collection was made at a period that provides rare historical data and specimens, obtained in a period of local or complete extinction of mammal species in Southwest Australia. Details of the relative abundance or absence of species has been found in his extensive notes and correspondence with Bernard H. Woodward, director of the Western Australian Museum, with the museum's collector John Tunney, and with his local informants.[3] The birds he obtained in the southwest of Australia were detailed in The Ibis (1909, 1910) by the ornithologist W. R. Ogilvie-Grant, curator of the British Museum's collections of birds.[2]
A later expedition to the western region of Java resulted in the collection of 1500 specimens of mammals. In 1908 Shortridge was engaged by the Zoological Society to capture live mammals in Guatemala, his next journey was with the British Ornithologists' Union on a major expedition to New Guinea. He became active in field research in India, and associated with the Bombay Natural History Society, and made notable collections in Southern India and Burma of poorly examined mammal species.[1][4]
Legacyedit
Guy Shortridge was commemorated in the naming of animals and new taxa, including a rodent species Mastomys shortridgei (Shortridge's multimammate mouse), a bat Miniopterus shortridgei, Shortridge's langur Trachypithecus shortridgei and those he described himself, such as the subspecies Papio ursinus ruacana Shortridge 1942, named as Shortridge's chacma baboon.[5]
His notes and letters during the period in Southwest Australia have provided information to later researchers, in particular the examination of the local extinction of mammals at the time of his visit.[6]
Referencesedit
^ abcdef"Obituary: Capt. G. C. Shortridge". Nature. 163 (4145): 556–557. April 1949. doi:10.1038/163556b0.
^ abShort, J. (December 2004). "Mammal decline in southern Western Australia – perspectives from Shortridge's collections of mammals in 1904–07". Australian Zoologist. 32 (4): 605–628. doi:10.7882/AZ.2004.006.
^"Captain G. C. Shortridge". Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 48: 171–172.
^Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2009). "Shortridge". The Eponym Dictionary of Mammals. JHU Press. pp. 378–379. ISBN9780801895333.
^Short, J.; Atkins, L.; Turner, B. (2005). Diagnosis of Mammal Decline in Western Australia, with Particular Emphasis on the Possible Role of Feral Cats and Poison Peas : Report to the National Geographic Society. CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems.
Notesedit
^noted as "Chesterton" by Whittell (Severnty & Whittell, 1951)
Further readingedit
Short, Jeff (2004). "Mammal decline in southern Western Australia – perspectives from Shortridge's collections of mammals in 1904–07". Australian Zoologist. 32 (4): 605–628. doi:10.7882/AZ.2004.006.
W[hittel], H[ubert] M. (1949). "G. C. Shortridge". Emu - Austral Ornithology. 49 (2): 148–150. doi:10.1071/MU949144d.
Witz, Leslie (2015). "Hunting for Museums". Journal of Southern African Studies. 41 (3): 671–685. doi:10.1080/03057070.2015.1025342. S2CID 146257894.
External linksedit
Plug, C. (25 December 2014). "Shortridge, Captain Guy Chester (mammalogy, ornithology)". S2A3 Biographical Database of Southern African Science. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
April 14, 2024
shortridge, chester, shortridge, 1880, 1949, south, african, mammalogist, undertook, expeditions, state, java, guatemala, southern, india, burma, prompting, oldfield, thomas, travelled, southwest, australia, contents, biography, works, legacy, references, note. Guy Chester Shortridge 1880 1949 was a South African mammalogist who undertook expeditions in his own state in Java Guatemala Southern India Burma and at the prompting of Oldfield Thomas travelled to Southwest Australia 1 Contents 1 Biography 2 Works 3 Legacy 4 References 4 1 Notes 5 Further reading 6 External linksBiography editGuy Chester Shortridge a was born at Honiton Devon on 21 June 1880 the son of a medical practitioner He served in the police force during the Boer War His interest in natural history was advanced to a career with the support of W L Sclater of the South African Museum 1 He returned to England and met Oldfield Thomas who suggested an expedition to Western Australia 2 He also joined collecting expeditions to Java New Guinea Guatemala and on the Indian subcontinent Shortridge eventually returned to South Africa and was director of the Kaffrarian Museum in King William s Town at the end of his life 1 He died on 12 January 1949 2 Works editShortridge is noted for his collections including living animals made in regions where little of no zoological research had been undertaken 1 He was first engaged by Sclater to assemble specimen collections in South Africa birds and mammals he obtained in the Pondoland and Colesberg regions 1 His collections in Southwest Australia made between 1904 and 1907 3 were at the coastal forests around Bunbury Busselton Margaret River and King George Sound Shortridge travelled to regions accessible via the Great Southern Railway on a rail pass granted by the government He also travelled to make collections at the semi arid to desert interior of Southwest Australia to the Gascoyne region making collections at Laverton Kalgoorlie Southern Cross and an offshore visit to Bernier Island 2 Shortridge s collection was made at a period that provides rare historical data and specimens obtained in a period of local or complete extinction of mammal species in Southwest Australia Details of the relative abundance or absence of species has been found in his extensive notes and correspondence with Bernard H Woodward director of the Western Australian Museum with the museum s collector John Tunney and with his local informants 3 The birds he obtained in the southwest of Australia were detailed in The Ibis 1909 1910 by the ornithologist W R Ogilvie Grant curator of the British Museum s collections of birds 2 A later expedition to the western region of Java resulted in the collection of 1500 specimens of mammals In 1908 Shortridge was engaged by the Zoological Society to capture live mammals in Guatemala his next journey was with the British Ornithologists Union on a major expedition to New Guinea He became active in field research in India and associated with the Bombay Natural History Society and made notable collections in Southern India and Burma of poorly examined mammal species 1 4 Legacy editGuy Shortridge was commemorated in the naming of animals and new taxa including a rodent species Mastomys shortridgei Shortridge s multimammate mouse a bat Miniopterus shortridgei Shortridge s langur Trachypithecus shortridgei and those he described himself such as the subspecies Papio ursinus ruacana Shortridge 1942 named as Shortridge s chacma baboon 5 His notes and letters during the period in Southwest Australia have provided information to later researchers in particular the examination of the local extinction of mammals at the time of his visit 6 References edit a b c d e f Obituary Capt G C Shortridge Nature 163 4145 556 557 April 1949 doi 10 1038 163556b0 a b c d Serventy D L Whittell H M 1951 History of Western Australian Ornithology part 3 The Barren years A handbook of the birds of Western Australia with the exception of the Kimberley division 2nd ed Perth Paterson Brokensha pp 36 37 a b Short J December 2004 Mammal decline in southern Western Australia perspectives from Shortridge s collections of mammals in 1904 07 Australian Zoologist 32 4 605 628 doi 10 7882 AZ 2004 006 Captain G C Shortridge Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 48 171 172 Beolens Bo Watkins Michael Grayson Michael 2009 Shortridge The Eponym Dictionary of Mammals JHU Press pp 378 379 ISBN 9780801895333 Short J Atkins L Turner B 2005 Diagnosis of Mammal Decline in Western Australia with Particular Emphasis on the Possible Role of Feral Cats and Poison Peas Report to the National Geographic Society CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems Notes edit noted as Chesterton by Whittell Severnty amp Whittell 1951 Further reading editShort Jeff 2004 Mammal decline in southern Western Australia perspectives from Shortridge s collections of mammals in 1904 07 Australian Zoologist 32 4 605 628 doi 10 7882 AZ 2004 006 W hittel H ubert M 1949 G C Shortridge Emu Austral Ornithology 49 2 148 150 doi 10 1071 MU949144d Witz Leslie 2015 Hunting for Museums Journal of Southern African Studies 41 3 671 685 doi 10 1080 03057070 2015 1025342 S2CID 146257894 External links editPlug C 25 December 2014 Shortridge Captain Guy Chester mammalogy ornithology S2A3 Biographical Database of Southern African Science Retrieved 29 March 2019 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Guy C Shortridge amp oldid 1187384977, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
