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Edward Bagnall Poulton

January 01, 1970

For other people named Edward Poulton, see Edward Poulton (disambiguation).

Sir Edward Bagnall Poulton, FRS[1] HFRSE FLS (27 January 1856 – 20 November 1943) was a British evolutionary biologist, a lifelong advocate of natural selection through a period in which many scientists such as Reginald Punnett doubted its importance. He invented the term sympatric for evolution of species in the same place, and in his book The Colours of Animals (1890) was the first to recognise frequency-dependent selection. He is remembered for his pioneering work on animal coloration and camouflage, and in particular for inventing the term aposematism for warning coloration. He became Hope Professor of Zoology at the University of Oxford in 1893.[2]

Sir Edward Bagnall Poulton
Sir Edward Bagnall Poulton
Photograph by James Lafayette
Born(1856-01-27)27 January 1856
Died20 November 1943(1943-11-20) (aged 87)
NationalityEnglish
Alma materJesus College, Oxford
Known forAposematism, frequency-dependent selection, camouflage
AwardsLinnean Medal (1922)
Hope Professor of Zoology
Scientific career
FieldsEvolutionary biology
InstitutionsUniversity of Oxford

Life edit

Edward Poulton was born in Reading, Berkshire on 27 January 1856, the son of the architect William Ford Poulton and his wife, Georgina Sabrina Bagnall. He was educated at Oakley House School in Reading,[3] which he described as having mainly nonconformist pupils.[1]

Between 1873 and 1876, Poulton studied at Jesus College, Oxford under George Rolleston and the anti-Darwinian entomologist John Obadiah Westwood, graduating with a first-class degree in natural science.[4] He maintained an unbroken connection with the college for seventy years as scholar, lecturer and Fellow (appointed to a fellowship in 1898) until his death. He was a generous benefactor to Jesus College, providing silver for the high table and redecorating the Old Bursary amongst other donations.[5]

He was knighted by King George V in 1935. Poulton died in Oxford on 20 November 1943.

Career edit

Further information: The Colours of Animals
 
The Colours of Animals, 1890, introduced terms including "aposematic".

Poulton was a Darwinist, believing in natural selection as the primary force in evolution. His 1890 book, The Colours of Animals, introduced the concepts of frequency-dependent selection and aposematic coloration, as well as supporting Darwin's then unpopular theories of natural selection and sexual selection.[6] He conducted a range of experiments on the colours of polymorphic caterpillars to examine if food, background or other factors are involved in their colour changes. He was able to show that the caterpillars were sensitive to the background colours and that it was perceived even when they were blinded, and was among the earliest to suggest extraocular photoreception.[7]

Poulton enlarged the Hope entomological collections with his catches in the field which earned him the nickname of "Bag-all" Poulton. Many of the specimens are unmounted and held in biscuit tins.[8]

In his 1896 book Charles Darwin and the Theory of Natural Selection, Poulton described Darwin's On the Origin of Species as "incomparably the greatest work" that the biological sciences had seen. Critics of natural selection, Poulton contended, had not taken the time to understand it.[9]

Poulton, along with Julian Huxley, J.B.S. Haldane, R.A. Fisher and E.B. Ford, promoted the idea of natural selection throughout the period of the eclipse of Darwinism, when it was denigrated.[10] There was a long debate between Poulton and the geneticist Reginald Punnett, one of Bateson's disciples. Punnett's 1915 Mimicry in butterflies rejected selection as the main cause of mimicry, while Poulton supported it. Further, Poulton's 1908 Essays on Evolution opposed genetics on the grounds that "Mendelism" was an obstacle to evolutionary thought; but he changed his mind and came to support the work of the Genetical Society.[11]

 
Warning coloration of the "Brazilian Skunk" in The Colours of Animals: Poulton introduced the term aposematism in the book.

Poulton's Presidential Address to the British Association in 1937 at the age of 81 reviewed the history of evolutionary thought. He stated that the work of J.B.S. Haldane, R.A. Fisher and Julian Huxley was vitally important for showing the relationships between Mendelism and natural selection. The observations and experiments of many biologists had "immensely strengthened and confirmed" the researches on mimicry and warning colours of pioneers like Bates, Wallace, Meldola, Trimen and Müller.[12]

Family edit

 
Poulton with the Entomological Society in 1904 (sitting, centre)

Poulton lived with his family at 56 Banbury Road in North Oxford, a large Victorian Gothic house designed by John Gibbs and built in 1866.[13] In 1881 he married Emily Palmer (d.1939), daughter of George Palmer, Member of Parliament for Reading and head of Huntley and Palmer's biscuit company; they had five children. Three of them were dead by 1919. Their eldest son Dr. Edward Palmer Poulton of Guy's Hospital died in 1939, meaning that Sir Edward was outlived only by his daughter Margaret Lucy (1887–1965), wife of Dr Maxwell Garnett. Poulton's son, Ronald Poulton-Palmer played international rugby for England and was killed in May 1915 in World War I. His first daughter Hilda married Dr Ernest Ainsley-Walker and died in 1917. His youngest daughter, Janet Palmer, married Charles Symonds in 1915 and died in 1919.[14]

Legacy edit

Poulton is remembered as an early originator of the biological species concept.[15][16][17] According to Ernst Mayr, Poulton invented the term sympatric in relation to species.[18]

Published works edit

 
Wikisource has original works by or about:
Edward Bagnall Poulton

Poulton had over 200 publications spanning over sixty years.

Awards and honours edit

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Carpenter, G. D. H. (1944). "Edward Bagnall Poulton. 1856–1943". Obituary Notices of Fellows of the Royal Society. 4 (13): 655–680. doi:10.1098/rsbm.1944.0014.
  2. ^ "POULTON, Edward Bagnall". Who's Who. Vol. 59. 1907. p. 1421.
  3. ^ (PDF). The Royal Society of Edinburgh. July 2006. ISBN 0-902-198-84-X. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  4. ^ Carpenter, G. D. H. "Poulton, Sir Edward Bagnall (1856–1943)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online, free). Oxford University Press. Retrieved 18 July 2007.
  5. ^ Baker, J.N.L. (1971). Jesus College 1571 – 1971. p. 68.
  6. ^ Mallet, Jim. "E.B. Poulton (1890)". University College London. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  7. ^ Poulton, E.B. (1892). "Further experiments upon the colour-relation between certain lepidopterous larvae, pupae, cocoons, and imagines and their surroundings". Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society of London. 40: 293–487. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2311.1892.tb02973.x.
  8. ^ Salmon, Michael A. (2000). The Aurelian Legacy. Harley Books. pp. 187–188.
  9. ^ Poulton, E.B. (1896). Charles Darwin and the Theory of Natural Selection. Cassell.
  10. ^ Bowler, Peter J. (1983). The Eclipse of Darwinism: anti-Darwinian evolutionary theories in the decades around 1900. Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 30. ISBN 978-0-8018-4391-4.
  11. ^ Crew, F. A. E. (1969). "Recollections of the Early Days of the Genetical Society" (PDF). (PDF) from the original on 29 September 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  12. ^ Poulton, E. B. (September 1937). "British Association for the Advancement of Science. Nottingham, 1937. The Presidential Address. The History of Evolutionary Thought". Current Science. 6 (3): 105–118. JSTOR 24204999.
  13. ^ Hinchcliffe, Tanis (1992). North Oxford. New Haven & London: Yale University Press. p. 105. ISBN 978-0-14-071045-8.
  14. ^ "Symonds, Sir Charles Putnam (1890–1978)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/31744. Retrieved 11 June 2008. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  15. ^ Poulton E.B. 1904. What is a species? (Presidential address to the Entomological Society of London) 'Proceedings of the Entomological Society of London (revised version in Poulton E.B. Essays on Evolution. 1889–1907. Clarendon Press, Oxford. pp. 46–94)
  16. ^ Poulton, E.B. (1938). "The conception of species as interbreeding communities". Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London. 150 (4): 225–226.
  17. ^ Mallet, Jim (2004). "Poulton, Wallace and Jordan: how discoveries in Papilio butterflies initiated a new species concept 100 years ago". Systematics and Biodiversity. 1 (4): 441–452. doi:10.1017/s1477200003001300. S2CID 86041887.
  18. ^ Mayr, Ernst (1942). Systematics and origin of species. New York: Columbia University Press. p. 148.
  19. ^ Meldola, R. (25 November 1909). "Review of Charles Darwin and the Origin of species; addresses, etc., in America and England in the year of the two anniversaries by Prof. E. B. Poulton". Nature. 82 (2091): 91–93. doi:10.1038/082091a0. S2CID 26879402.
  20. ^ . London: The Royal Society. Archived from the original on 24 March 2010. Retrieved 14 July 2010.
  21. ^ "No. 34119". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 December 1934. pp. 1–2.
    "No. 34135". The London Gazette. 22 February 1935. p. 1269.

External links edit

  • J. Mallet: Brief biography
  • R. Yost: Biography
  • Helen J. Power: Biography (paywall)
  • Mallet, James (2004). "Poulton, Wallace and Jordan: how discoveries in Papilio butterflies initiated a new species concept 100 years ago" (PDF). Systematics and Biodiversity. 1 (4): 441–452. doi:10.1017/s1477200003001300. S2CID 86041887.
  • Natural History Museum: Poulton (correspondence with Wallace, etc)

January 01, 1970
edward, bagnall, poulton, other, people, named, edward, poulton, edward, poulton, disambiguation, hfrse, january, 1856, november, 1943, british, evolutionary, biologist, lifelong, advocate, natural, selection, through, period, which, many, scientists, such, re. For other people named Edward Poulton see Edward Poulton disambiguation Sir Edward Bagnall Poulton FRS 1 HFRSE FLS 27 January 1856 20 November 1943 was a British evolutionary biologist a lifelong advocate of natural selection through a period in which many scientists such as Reginald Punnett doubted its importance He invented the term sympatric for evolution of species in the same place and in his book The Colours of Animals 1890 was the first to recognise frequency dependent selection He is remembered for his pioneering work on animal coloration and camouflage and in particular for inventing the term aposematism for warning coloration He became Hope Professor of Zoology at the University of Oxford in 1893 2 Sir Edward Bagnall PoultonSir Edward Bagnall PoultonPhotograph by James LafayetteBorn 1856 01 27 27 January 1856Died20 November 1943 1943 11 20 aged 87 NationalityEnglishAlma materJesus College OxfordKnown forAposematism frequency dependent selection camouflageAwardsLinnean Medal 1922 Hope Professor of ZoologyScientific careerFieldsEvolutionary biologyInstitutionsUniversity of Oxford Contents 1 Life 2 Career 3 Family 4 Legacy 5 Published works 6 Awards and honours 7 See also 8 References 9 External linksLife editEdward Poulton was born in Reading Berkshire on 27 January 1856 the son of the architect William Ford Poulton and his wife Georgina Sabrina Bagnall He was educated at Oakley House School in Reading 3 which he described as having mainly nonconformist pupils 1 Between 1873 and 1876 Poulton studied at Jesus College Oxford under George Rolleston and the anti Darwinian entomologist John Obadiah Westwood graduating with a first class degree in natural science 4 He maintained an unbroken connection with the college for seventy years as scholar lecturer and Fellow appointed to a fellowship in 1898 until his death He was a generous benefactor to Jesus College providing silver for the high table and redecorating the Old Bursary amongst other donations 5 He was knighted by King George V in 1935 Poulton died in Oxford on 20 November 1943 Career editFurther information The Colours of Animals nbsp The Colours of Animals 1890 introduced terms including aposematic Poulton was a Darwinist believing in natural selection as the primary force in evolution His 1890 book The Colours of Animals introduced the concepts of frequency dependent selection and aposematic coloration as well as supporting Darwin s then unpopular theories of natural selection and sexual selection 6 He conducted a range of experiments on the colours of polymorphic caterpillars to examine if food background or other factors are involved in their colour changes He was able to show that the caterpillars were sensitive to the background colours and that it was perceived even when they were blinded and was among the earliest to suggest extraocular photoreception 7 Poulton enlarged the Hope entomological collections with his catches in the field which earned him the nickname of Bag all Poulton Many of the specimens are unmounted and held in biscuit tins 8 In his 1896 book Charles Darwin and the Theory of Natural Selection Poulton described Darwin s On the Origin of Species as incomparably the greatest work that the biological sciences had seen Critics of natural selection Poulton contended had not taken the time to understand it 9 Poulton along with Julian Huxley J B S Haldane R A Fisher and E B Ford promoted the idea of natural selection throughout the period of the eclipse of Darwinism when it was denigrated 10 There was a long debate between Poulton and the geneticist Reginald Punnett one of Bateson s disciples Punnett s 1915 Mimicry in butterflies rejected selection as the main cause of mimicry while Poulton supported it Further Poulton s 1908 Essays on Evolution opposed genetics on the grounds that Mendelism was an obstacle to evolutionary thought but he changed his mind and came to support the work of the Genetical Society 11 nbsp Warning coloration of the Brazilian Skunk in The Colours of Animals Poulton introduced the term aposematism in the book Poulton s Presidential Address to the British Association in 1937 at the age of 81 reviewed the history of evolutionary thought He stated that the work of J B S Haldane R A Fisher and Julian Huxley was vitally important for showing the relationships between Mendelism and natural selection The observations and experiments of many biologists had immensely strengthened and confirmed the researches on mimicry and warning colours of pioneers like Bates Wallace Meldola Trimen and Muller 12 Family edit nbsp Poulton with the Entomological Society in 1904 sitting centre Poulton lived with his family at 56 Banbury Road in North Oxford a large Victorian Gothic house designed by John Gibbs and built in 1866 13 In 1881 he married Emily Palmer d 1939 daughter of George Palmer Member of Parliament for Reading and head of Huntley and Palmer s biscuit company they had five children Three of them were dead by 1919 Their eldest son Dr Edward Palmer Poulton of Guy s Hospital died in 1939 meaning that Sir Edward was outlived only by his daughter Margaret Lucy 1887 1965 wife of Dr Maxwell Garnett Poulton s son Ronald Poulton Palmer played international rugby for England and was killed in May 1915 in World War I His first daughter Hilda married Dr Ernest Ainsley Walker and died in 1917 His youngest daughter Janet Palmer married Charles Symonds in 1915 and died in 1919 14 Legacy editPoulton is remembered as an early originator of the biological species concept 15 16 17 According to Ernst Mayr Poulton invented the term sympatric in relation to species 18 Published works edit nbsp Wikisource has original works by or about Edward Bagnall Poulton Poulton had over 200 publications spanning over sixty years 1890 The Colours of Animals Their Meaning and Use Especially Considered in the Case of Insects Kegan Paul London 1896 Charles Darwin and the Theory of Natural Selection Cassell London 1904 What is a Species Presidential address to the Entomological Society of London January 1904 Proceedings of the Entomological Society of London 1903 1908 Essays on Evolution London Cassell 1909 Charles Darwin and the Origin of species addresses etc in America and England in the year of the two anniversaries 19 1915 Science and the Great War The Romanes Lecture for 1915 Clarendon Press Oxford Awards and honours editFellow of the Royal Society in June 1889 1 20 President of the Linnean Society 1912 1916 Royal Society s Darwin Medal in 1914 Linnean Society s Linnean Medal in 1922 Knighted in 1935 21 President of the British Association for the Advancement of Science for 1937 See also editAdaptive Coloration in Animals book by Hugh Cott References edit a b c Carpenter G D H 1944 Edward Bagnall Poulton 1856 1943 Obituary Notices of Fellows of the Royal Society 4 13 655 680 doi 10 1098 rsbm 1944 0014 POULTON Edward Bagnall Who s Who Vol 59 1907 p 1421 Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783 2002 PDF The Royal Society of Edinburgh July 2006 ISBN 0 902 198 84 X Archived from the original PDF on 4 March 2016 Retrieved 14 January 2018 Carpenter G D H Poulton Sir Edward Bagnall 1856 1943 Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online free Oxford University Press Retrieved 18 July 2007 Baker J N L 1971 Jesus College 1571 1971 p 68 Mallet Jim E B Poulton 1890 University College London Retrieved 23 November 2012 Poulton E B 1892 Further experiments upon the colour relation between certain lepidopterous larvae pupae cocoons and imagines and their surroundings Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society of London 40 293 487 doi 10 1111 j 1365 2311 1892 tb02973 x Salmon Michael A 2000 The Aurelian Legacy Harley Books pp 187 188 Poulton E B 1896 Charles Darwin and the Theory of Natural Selection Cassell Bowler Peter J 1983 The Eclipse of Darwinism anti Darwinian evolutionary theories in the decades around 1900 Johns Hopkins University Press p 30 ISBN 978 0 8018 4391 4 Crew F A E 1969 Recollections of the Early Days of the Genetical Society PDF Archived PDF from the original on 29 September 2022 Retrieved 23 March 2024 Poulton E B September 1937 British Association for the Advancement of Science Nottingham 1937 The Presidential Address The History of Evolutionary Thought Current Science 6 3 105 118 JSTOR 24204999 Hinchcliffe Tanis 1992 North Oxford New Haven amp London Yale University Press p 105 ISBN 978 0 14 071045 8 Symonds Sir Charles Putnam 1890 1978 Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online ed Oxford University Press doi 10 1093 ref odnb 31744 Retrieved 11 June 2008 Subscription or UK public library membership required Poulton E B 1904 What is a species Presidential address to the Entomological Society of London Proceedings of the Entomological Society of London revised version in Poulton E B Essays on Evolution 1889 1907 Clarendon Press Oxford pp 46 94 Poulton E B 1938 The conception of species as interbreeding communities Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London 150 4 225 226 Mallet Jim 2004 Poulton Wallace and Jordan how discoveries in Papilio butterflies initiated a new species concept 100 years ago Systematics and Biodiversity 1 4 441 452 doi 10 1017 s1477200003001300 S2CID 86041887 Mayr Ernst 1942 Systematics and origin of species New York Columbia University Press p 148 Meldola R 25 November 1909 Review of Charles Darwin and the Origin of species addresses etc in America and England in the year of the two anniversaries by Prof E B Poulton Nature 82 2091 91 93 doi 10 1038 082091a0 S2CID 26879402 Lists of Royal Society Fellows 1660 2007 London The Royal Society Archived from the original on 24 March 2010 Retrieved 14 July 2010 No 34119 The London Gazette Supplement 28 December 1934 pp 1 2 No 34135 The London Gazette 22 February 1935 p 1269 External links editJ Mallet Brief biography R Yost Biography Helen J Power Biography paywall Mallet James 2004 Poulton Wallace and Jordan how discoveries in Papilio butterflies initiated a new species concept 100 years ago PDF Systematics and Biodiversity 1 4 441 452 doi 10 1017 s1477200003001300 S2CID 86041887 Natural History Museum Poulton correspondence with Wallace etc Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Edward Bagnall Poulton amp oldid 1215148619, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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