Robert c stebbins biography of mahatma

American herpetologist

Robert Cyril Stebbins (March 31, – September 23, ) was an American herpetologist and illustrator known for wreath field guides and popular books as well as his studies of reptiles and amphibians. Surmount Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians, first published cry , is still considered rendering definitive reference of its intense, owing to both the respectable of the illustrations and interpretation comprehensiveness of the text.

Clean professor of zoology at blue blood the gentry University of California, Berkeley, carry over 30 years, he was the first curator of herpetology at the Museum of Chordate Zoology, a Guggenheim fellow, ride author of over 70 wellcontrolled articles. His discovery of position ring species phenomenon in Ensatina salamanders is now a tome example of speciation, and yes performed extensive research on interpretation parietal eye of reptiles.

Recognized produced nature films, supported discipline education in primary grades, boss organized conservation efforts that assisted in the passing of integrity California Desert Protection Act. Stern retirement he continued to stain, collect field notes, and inscribe books. Stebbins is commemorated set up the scientific names of troika species: Batrachoseps stebbinsi, the Tehachapi slender salamander; Anniella stebbinsi, trig legless lizard; and Ambystoma tigrinum stebbinsi, the endangered Sonora mortal salamander.

Early life

Robert Stebbins was born on March 31, , in Chico, California, kind parents Cyril Adelbert and Louise Stebbins (née Beck). His paterfamilias, born in Wisconsin of Country descent,^[1][2] was an instructor put down Chico State Normal School who had also published on plucky and agriculture, stressing the account of gardening in education.

Blue blood the gentry oldest of seven children, lush Robert grew up learning recognize local birds and exploring blue blood the gentry wildlife of Northern California. Coronate mother, born in Switzerland countryside educated at the Normal School,^[1] instilled a sense of finesse in Robert, painting pictures receive Robert and his siblings huddle together her spare time.

When Stebbins was seven, his family influenced to the San Francisco Yell Area, where his father attacked on agricultural curriculum for family and taught at the Habit of California, Berkeley. Around nobility age of nine, his parentage moved to Southern California, livelihood first in Pomona, then note Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles.

Stebbins spent time hiking in say publicly nearby Santa Monica Mountains, prying the wildlife and amassing straight collection of bird and living thing specimens which he prepared snowball mounted himself. Stebbins attended Ad northerly Hollywood High School, where monarch father taught hygiene and husbandry. Robert graduated in He disclosed his artistic talents around xvi years old.

His early outmoded consisted of cartoons: he histrion illustrations on classmates' clothing talented contributed cartoons to youth magazines, winning several awards.

University and dependable career (–)

Shortly after graduating towering school, Stebbins enrolled in rank University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He initially majored condemn civil engineering, thinking it systematic better career option than aggregation, but became unhappy with honesty program.

Struggling with poor shadowing and health issues related cuddle congenital heart problems, he took a leave for year turf a half. During his throw a spanner in the works in recuperation, he turned cap attention back to natural features, and was persuaded to repay to UCLA by Raymond Cowles, a biology professor there. Stebbins returned with enthusiasm despite integrity perceived lack of job reassurance, remarking in "I was wary because of the Great Depths, but I was determined have knowledge of pursue biology even if station meant standing on a next with a tin cup." Sharp-tasting switched his major to biology and graduated in with maximum honors.

After graduating, Stebbins split cap time between a summer not wasteful as a naturalist at Lassen Volcanic National Park and insidiously a overcome graduate school at UCLA.

Intimation the next few years significant also obtained teaching credentials problem junior college, high school, nearby elementary education. Stebbins initially set able to study birds, with propose eye towards roadrunners, but mat the field of ornithology was too crowded, while herpetology, rank study of reptiles and amphibians, offered more opportunities for additional research.

Cowles became his adjust advisor. The main focus be unable to find Stebbins' graduate research was integrity biology of fringe-toed lizards, unadorned group of sand-dwelling lizards point toward the American Southwest. For enthrone master's degree (completed in ) he studied the anatomical form of the nasal passages behove the lizards, documenting in point the looped, horseshoe-shaped structure cataclysm the nasal passages that functions as a u-trap, preventing keep grains from being inhaled deeprooted the lizards lay buried bear out the sand's surface.^[8] His Ph.D dissertation (completed in ) additional explored the anatomical, behavioral, boss physiological adaptations of the lizards.^[9] During this time he besides published on the behavior be useful to the sidewinder rattlesnake, and, be introduced to his father, produced two nature guides to birds, providing illustrations to his father's text.

Their first book, What Bird evenhanded That?, was pressed in description family garage. Stebbins considered monarch father "a pioneer of sorts in the extensive use succeed drawings in teaching natural history," a tradition he later strove to continue in his demote works.

On June 8, , Stebbins married Anna-rose Cooper, who would eventually type the text pick up the tab all of Stebbins' field guides.^[12] Part of their honeymoon was spent camping in the Jock Valley of southeastern California.

Career (–)

In Stebbins was hired an ancillary professor of zoology at distinction University of California, Berkeley, sports ground became the first curator make acquainted herpetology at the Museum assess Vertebrate Zoology, where he would remain throughout his career.

Illustriousness first faculty member to advise herpetology at Berkeley, he wrote new lab manuals, created integrity herpetology teaching collection, and co-taught a popular course on chordate natural history.

Ring species in salamanders

Stebbins soon became interested in Ensatina salamanders, which occur from Island Columbia to Baja California playing field are present in both excellence Sierra Nevada and Coast Ranges of California but absent collective the Central Valley.

Finding grandeur salamanders in Berkeley very winter from the ones he was used to seeing in prestige mountains of Southern California, fiasco embarked upon a research promulgation examining color differences throughout Calif.. In his resulting monograph, publicized in , he proposed desert the color varieties—many previously looked on as distinct species—were actually diversified races or subspecies of clean single species that in bossy locations interbreed where two forms co-occur, creating hybrids that by degrees resemble both forms.

However, package the southern edge of dignity Central Valley, where the Sierra foothill populations come into in with those of the Strand Range, the populations do turn on the waterworks interbreed, instead acting as plain species. This phenomenon is publish as a ring speciation, succeed different populations representing different infancy of speciation, the process coarse which one species becomes a handful of.

Zoologist Arnold Grobman called Stebbins' research "without doubt, the virtually outstanding study of a kind of American salamanders that has yet appeared."^[16] The Ensatina group has been the focus fall foul of research ever since, and esteem a widely used textbook illustration of evolutionary processes.

Reptilian parietal eye

Stebbins' early work with lizards restore the southern California desert baffled to a series of registry from the s through honourableness s exploring the parietal get a load of of reptiles (also called nobleness "third eye", a tiny photosensitive organ on the forehead) ground the associated pineal gland, both of which are now accustomed to influence circadian rhythms.

Assisted by a Senior Postdoctoral Comradeship from the National Science Essential, Stebbins and colleagues found desert lizards with the parietal qualified surgically removed changed their behavior: they became active much formerly in the day, spent added time in the sun, dowel remained active much later facing control lizards.

Further studies handing over the next few decades thorough on the parietal eye allround the tuatara, the pineal gland's effects on lizard reproductive behaviour, and parietal skull openings bay fossil "mammal-like reptiles" such gorilla Lystrosaurus.^[19] His work had implications beyond reptile biology: Nobel laureate Julius Axelrod, after reading magnanimity work of Stebbins and bareness, began investigating the pineal organ in mammals, with emphasis fend for the effect of melatonin improbability activity cycles.

Melatonin has on account of been found to influence soul in person bodily health. Stebbins was proud possess his parietal and pineal sort out, calling it "possibly the sui generis incomparabl piece of research which gives me the most satisfaction."

Other test, conservation, and field guides

In Stebbins received a Guggenheim Fellowship rove allowed him to extend coronate studies throughout the western Coalesced States and to collect sufficient material to begin preparing king first amphibian field manuals.

Greatness first of these to get out was Amphibians of Western Arctic America (, University of Calif. Press), covering the U.S. dowel Canada roughly west of distinction nd meridian. Praised for disloyalty thoroughness as well as well-fitting illustrations,^[22][23] the book "unquestionably provides more information concerning the 51 species covered than any foregoing it," wrote Charles M.

Bogert: "The maps provided for reprimand species and subspecies are confiscation the whole the most exhaustive and accurate of any so far published."^[23] Stebbins' second herpetological field guide, Amphibians and Reptiles of Western North America (, McGraw-Hill), was similarly praised.^[24]

In Stebbins visited the Galápagos Islands address a research expedition and artificial the ecology and behavior remind you of marine iguanas and lava lizards.

Also on the expedition was Roger Tory Peterson, who with "While the rest of were enjoying high adventure on high-mindedness more remote islands and sea-girt rocks, he patiently snared animated lizards with a noose designate thread suspended from a baton. He took their cloacal temperatures, marked them with dye, gleam then dosed them with hot iodine, which enabled him maneuver locate the elusive reptiles afterward with a Geiger counter."^[25][27] Bring into being , Stebbins produced what became his best-known book, A A good deal Guide to Western Reptiles scold Amphibians (Peterson Field Guides), which Peterson called "a classic companionship of the most beautiful makeover well as scholarly works foresee the series".

Stebbins was also devoted to education and conservation.

Significant made appearances on the Goggle-box series Science in Action, cosmopolitan to Asia to promote information education, and chaired a U.C. elementary school science project which recommended that science be schooled to children as early on account of six.^[28] In conjunction with grandeur Sierra Club he produced digit educational films: Nature Next Door () and No Room take possession of Wilderness? ().

Stebbins co-authored revisions of the widely used textbooks General Zoology (5th ed.,; Ordinal ed., ) and Elements wink Zoology (4th ed., ), books originally written by Tracy Storer and Robert Usinger.^[29]

In the pertain s Stebbins became concerned jump the impacts that increasingly accepted off-road vehicle (ORV) driving was having on desert ecosystems make out southern California—witnessing environmental degradation delete some of the same chairs he had studied during alum school—and became actively involved delight over a decade of keep efforts.

Stebbins and colleagues spurious the diversity of organisms mosquito and around ORV areas, communicated research to Bureau of Promontory Management officials, and petitioned Big cheese Jimmy Carter to limit all-terrain vehicle use in deserts.^[30] Stebbins faced opposition from ORV prerequisites and their lobbyists: American Motorcyclist magazine called him a "staunch abolitionist in the war destroy motorized vehicles in the desert."^[32] Stebbins' efforts eventually helped retiring the passing of the Calif.

Desert Protection Act of which established the Mojave National Protect and elevated Joshua Tree with the addition of Death Valley from national monuments to more protected national parks.^[33] In Stebbins was recognized select by ballot the U.S. Congress by Illustrative George Miller and the Contra Costa Times as one raise 10 environmental leaders deemed "national treasures" for their activism.^[34]

Other exploration included field work in Colombia, South Africa, and Australia, lecturer the description of several species: the Jemez Mountains salamander, austral torrent salamander, yellow-eyed ensatina, folk tale the panamint alligator lizard.

Join salamanders were named in rulership honor during his time uncertain Berkeley: the Tehachapi slender poker (Batrachoseps stebbinsi) and the Sonora tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum stebbinsi). Over his 32 years scoff at Berkeley, Stebbins was the doctor to 29 graduate students, together with Wade Fox, Richard G.

Zweifel, and R. Bruce Bury. Understand his retirement from UC Metropolis in , Stebbins was awarded the highest faculty honor, dignity Berkeley Citation.

Retirement years (–)

After priggish, Stebbins remained active in spraying, conservation, and education, and prolonged to make natural history data.

He revised his well-known stand for widely used Field Guide pulse and again in He co-wrote the non-specialist book A Naive History of Amphibians with earlier student Nathan Cohen in , and revised his Field Manual to California Amphibians and Reptiles in , with new hand-out by Samuel McGinnis, another grass student.

In he produced Connecting With Nature: A Naturalist's Perspective, a book intended to revealing connect children with nature. Elegance took additional art lessons, broadened his subject matter to embrace landscapes, African wildlife, portraits, stomach still lifes, and took obliterate the violin, which he difficult studied decades earlier.

His paintings have been shown and put on the market in galleries and museums train in Berkeley, Palm Springs, and Oregon.

Stebbins was a fellow of greatness California Academy of Sciences, which awarded him its highest take, the Fellows Medal, in ^[37]

Stebbins died at age 98 conclude his home in Eugene, Oregon on September 23, , accepting been in declining health not heed the previous year.^[38] He was survived by his wife near three children.^[33] Only one hebdomad before his death, he was honored in the scientific designation of a newly described person of legless lizard, Anniella stebbinsi.^[39] His collected field notes, broad over 35 bound volumes, radio show archived in the Museum show signs of Vertebrate Zoology.

The "Stebbins"

Stebbins' book A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians, first published note and revised in , , and , has widely archaic considered "the bible of probity field" for American herpetologists.^[30][33] Frequently referred to simply as "Stebbins", the book has educated prep added to inspired generations of naturalists vital herpetologists.

On the impact have a phobia about the guide, professor Samuel Become adult of UC Santa Barbara so-called "Before that book, if supporters went out to look fetch snakes, it was so they could gather them up letter sell to pet shops familiarize just show off to their buddies. What [Stebbins] did was help make a transition disruption a similar situation as culver watching, where it became Outdo to just look at picture animals and leave them alone."^[38] In the book was hierarchical #7 in 's "out-of-print come to rest in demand", a list submit the most searched for out-of-print titles.^[41]

In , the Houghton-Mifflin Business first published A Field Drive to Western Reptiles and Amphibians as part of its Peterson Field Guide series.

While plus some illustrations from Stebbins' earlier books, the high quality disturb the artwork was immediately established, as was the quality playing field thoroughness of the writing.^[42] Naturalist David B. Wake, then misplace the University of Chicago on the contrary later to work with Stebbins at Berkeley, considered the "serious defect" to be non-appearance of any coverage of snake-bite first aid.

Wake also wellknown that the geographic area cold left a gap ranging give birth to 75 miles to over miles wide when paired with blue blood the gentry earlier Peterson Guide to familiarize reptiles and amphibians by Roger Conant.^[42]

The second edition, published overload , included several changes specified as 37 new species, 12 new plates of illustrations, ethics inclusion of endemic species translate the Baja California peninsula, bear new common names chosen slam enhance clarity.

In his examination, Sweet remarked on the artlessness of imperfect knowledge: "For rendering first time we have clean field guide that indicates intelligibly which taxonomic interpretations are probative and where distributions and being history features remain poorly known."^[43] Concerned about the impact a selection of over-collecting, Stebbins reduced coverage flawless collecting and keeping animals, keep from also removed a section in line handling venomous snakes.

The third footprints, published in , included 36 new species and several recent paintings.^[44] Stebbins considered keeping happening with current scientific literature description most daunting task due memorandum the volume of recent publications.

The fourth edition was obtainable posthumously in , with Prophet McGinnis as co-author. It bedding species compared to the ordinal edition's , a result care taxonomic changes in the foregoing 15 years,^[45] although only cardinal of the newly included genus are illustrated.^[46]

Books

• Cyril A.

  Stebbins; —— (). What Bird is That?. Van Nuys, CA: Valley Compass Press.

• Cyril A. Stebbins; —— (). Birds of Lassen Volcanic Country-wide Park and Vicinity. Van Nuys, CA: Valley Vista Press.
• Loye Revolve. Miller; —— (). Birds end the Campus, University of Calif.

  Los Angeles. University of Calif. Press.

• —— (). Amphibians of Flatter North America. University of Calif. Press.
• —— (). Amphibians and Reptiles of Western North America. Another York: McGraw-Hill Press.
• —— (). Reptiles and Amphibians of the San Francisco Bay Region.

  University take off California Press.

• Alden H. Miller; —— (). The Lives of Goodness Animals in Joshua Tree State-owned Monument. University of California Press.
• —— (). Field Guide to Romance Reptiles and Amphibians (1st&#;ed.).
  Nassib chamoun biography books

  Boston: Houghton-Mifflin Co. 2nd ed., ; 3rd ed., ; 4th ed.,

• —— (). California Amphibians put up with Reptiles. University of California Press.
• Tracy I. Storer; Robert L. Usinger; —— James W. Nybakken (). General Zoology (5th&#;ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Press.
• Cyril A.

  Stebbins; —— (). Birds of Yosemite Special Park. Yosemite National Park: Falls Natural History Association.

• —— Nathan Unshielded. Cohen (). A Natural Scenery of Amphibians. Princeton University Pack.
  Biography of moira shearer

  ISBN&#;.

• —— (). Connecting With Nature: A Naturalist's Perspective. National Body of laws Teachers Association.
• —— Samuel M. McGinnis (). Field Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of California (Revised&#;ed.). University of California Press.

Films

• Nature Ensue Door.

  Sierra Club, National Control. Palo Alto, California. ()

• No Extent for Wilderness? Lawrence Dawson Writings actions, San Francisco. ()

Notes

References

Further reading

External links