Ethelwynn Trewavas Born (1900)

Ethelwynn Trewavas, one of the world’s foremost fish taxonomists of the 20th Century, was born on November 5, 1900 (died 1994).  Among her research projects that studied fish from around the world, Trewavas is most remembered for her work on the fishes of Lake Malawi, Africa.

Trewavas was born in Penzance, Cornwall, England, where her father was a harbor master and where she was seldom far from the water.  As a young university student, she was assigned to study the classification of fishes at the British Museum in London (now called simply the Natural History Museum).  While sketching fish in one of the museum’s galleries, she was noticed by the head of the museum’s fish section and taken to see the collections in the back rooms.  From then on, fish captured her heart, mind and career.

After finishing her university training, she taught school for several years.  “I learnt,” she said, “among other things, that I was not a brilliant teacher, and longed to go more deeply into zoological studies.”  And so she did. She earned a doctorate in biology, interestingly not on fish, but on frogs.  From 1928-1961, she worked at the museum as an ichthyologist, rising eventually to be Deputy Keeper of Zoology.  She retired officially in 1961, but kept at her research, perhaps being more productive after her official duties were removed.  According to colleagues, she remained professionally active to the very end of her life.

Her research in ichthyology reaches across several types of fish, both marine and freshwater, but her fame is tied most directly to her work on African fishes and, particularly, to those of Lake Malawi.  She worked specifically on cichlids, publishing early and definitive descriptions of their taxonomy.  Cichlid taxonomy is particularly difficult because of the large number of species present in any waterbody and the subtle differentiation among species on the basis of morphology, color and, especially, behavior.  It has been noted that throughout her career, whenever Trewavas undertook the analysis of a new collection of specimens, a major revision of cichlid taxonomy resulted.  Her monumental works on the cichlids of Lake Malawi appeared at the end of her active research career, first in 1983, and then followed by another co-produced volume in 1989.

Although most of her work was based on museum analysis of collections by others, she visited Africa several times to collect specimens and observe local habitats.  At the age of 85, she learned to snorkel so she could observe cichlids in their natural environment.  She was responsible for the description of dozens of species, primarily from Lake Malawi, and 13 fish species are named in her honor.

As noted by her former colleagues, Trewavas was much more than a great taxonomist.  She was a humble scientist, always willing to acknowledge the collaborative nature of her work.  She was a compassionate, yet demanding mentor.  She cared deeply for everyone with whom she worked, always generous with her time and advice.

References:

Greenwood, P. Humphry.  1994.  Ethelwynn Trewavas 5 Nov. 1900-16 Aug. 1993.  Copeia 1994(2):565-569.

Noakes, David L. G.  1994.  An interview with Ethelwynn Trewavas.  Environmental Biology of Fishes 43:63-65.  Available at:  https://link-springer-com.prox.lib.ncsu.edu/content/pdf/10.1007%2FBF02197834.pdf.  Accessed November 3, 2017.

Noakes, David L. G.  1994.  The life and work of Ethelwynn Trawavas:  beyond the focus on tilapiine cichlids.  Environmental Biology of Fishes 43:33-49.  Available at:  https://link-springer-com.prox.lib.ncsu.edu/content/pdf/10.1007%2FBF00023799.pdf.  Accessed November 3, 2017.

This Month in Conservation

September 1
Martha, the last Passenger Pigeon, Died (1914)
September 2
President Roosevelt Dedicated Great Smoky National Park (1940)
September 3
Wilderness Act passed (1964)
September 4
Fort Bragg, Home of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, Established (1918)
September 5
UNESCO Established First World Heritage Sites (1978)
September 6
Alcide d’Orbigny, French Naturalist, Born (1802)
September 7
Edward Birge, Father of Limnology, born (1851)
September 8
UN Millennium Declaration ratified (2000)
September 9
First “Bug” Found in Computer (1945)
September 10
Henry Hardtner, Father of Southern Forestry, Born (1870)
September 11
World Wildlife Fund Began Operations (1961)
September 12
Canyonlands National Park Established (1964)
September 13
Walter Reed born (1851)
September 14
Marc Reisner, Author of Cadillac Desert (1948)
September 15
Darwin reaches the Galapagos Islands (1835)
September 16
Ed Begley Jr., Environmental Advocate, born (1949)
September 17
Edgar Wayburn, Wilderness Advocate, Born (1906)
September 18
Grey Owl, Pioneering Conservationist in Canada, Born (1888)
September 19
Urmas Tartes, Estonian Nature Photographer, born (1963)
September 20
AAAS Founded (1848)
September 21
Assateague Island National Seashore Created (1965)
September 22
Peace Corps becomes law (1961)
September 23
Rose Selected as U.S. National Flower (1986)
September 24
President Kennedy Dedicated Pinchot Institute (1963)
September 25
Pope Francis Addressed the UN on the Environment (2015)
September 26
Johnny Appleseed Born (1774)
September 27
“Silent Spring” Published (1962)
September 28
National Public Lands Day
September 29
Steinhart Aquarium opens (1923)
September 30
Hoover Dam Dedicated (1935)
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