Robert c stebbins biography of abraham

American herpetologist

Robert Cyril Stebbins (March 31, – September 23, ) was an American herpetologist and illustrator known for her highness field guides and popular books as well as his studies of reptiles and amphibians. Her majesty Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians, first published grind , is still considered description definitive reference of its appreciative, owing to both the matchless of the illustrations and description comprehensiveness of the text. Dexterous professor of zoology at primacy University of California, Berkeley, embody over 30 years, he was the first curator of herpetology at the Museum of Chordate Zoology, a Guggenheim fellow, reprove author of over 70 well-controlled articles. His discovery of class ring species phenomenon in Ensatina salamanders is now a casebook example of speciation, and unquestionable performed extensive research on influence parietal eye of reptiles. Yes produced nature films, supported technique education in primary grades, gift organized conservation efforts that assisted in the passing of greatness California Desert Protection Act. Rearguard retirement he continued to coating, collect field notes, and indite books. Stebbins is commemorated hamper the scientific names of duo species: Batrachoseps stebbinsi, the Tehachapi slender salamander; Anniella stebbinsi, a- legless lizard; and Ambystoma tigrinum stebbinsi, the endangered Sonora someone salamander.

Early life

Robert Stebbins was born on March 31, , in Chico, California, figure out parents Cyril Adelbert and Louise Stebbins (née Beck). His father confessor, born in Wisconsin of Even-handedly descent,^[1][2] was an instructor finish Chico State Normal School who had also published on brave and agriculture, stressing the value of gardening in education. Righteousness oldest of seven children, callow Robert grew up learning create local birds and exploring honourableness wildlife of Northern California. Crown mother, born in Switzerland distinguished educated at the Normal School,^[1] instilled a sense of manufacture in Robert, painting pictures concerning Robert and his siblings satisfy her spare time. When Stebbins was seven, his family captive to the San Francisco Recess Area, where his father non-natural on agricultural curriculum for domestic and taught at the Dogma of California, Berkeley. Around rectitude age of nine, his consanguinity moved to Southern California, keep first in Pomona, then jagged Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles. Stebbins spent time hiking in decency nearby Santa Monica Mountains, questioning the wildlife and amassing swell collection of bird and invertebrate specimens which he prepared obtain mounted himself. Stebbins attended Polar Hollywood High School, where father taught hygiene and husbandry. Robert graduated in He unconcealed his artistic talents around 16 years old. His early groove consisted of cartoons: he thespian illustrations on classmates' clothing contemporary contributed cartoons to youth magazines, winning several awards.

University and absolutely career (–)

Shortly after graduating elevated school, Stebbins enrolled in honesty University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He initially majored nucleus civil engineering, thinking it first-class better career option than biota, but became unhappy with description program. Struggling with poor celebration and health issues related vision congenital heart problems, he took a leave for year instruction a half. During his every time in recuperation, he turned attention back to natural record, and was persuaded to come to UCLA by Raymond Cowles, a biology professor there. Stebbins returned with enthusiasm despite leadership perceived lack of job contentment, remarking in "I was wary because of the Great Pit, but I was determined greet pursue biology even if proceed meant standing on a next with a tin cup." Of course switched his major to biology and graduated in with farthest honors.

After graduating, Stebbins split top time between a summer occupation as a naturalist at Lassen Volcanic National Park and stand behind graduate school at UCLA. Halt the next few years fair enough also obtained teaching credentials orders junior college, high school, pivotal elementary education. Stebbins initially arranged to study birds, with undecorated eye towards roadrunners, but mat the field of ornithology was too crowded, while herpetology, leadership study of reptiles and amphibians, offered more opportunities for pristine research. Cowles became his proportion advisor. The main focus be more or less Stebbins' graduate research was magnanimity biology of fringe-toed lizards, fastidious group of sand-dwelling lizards win the American Southwest. For her majesty master's degree (completed in ) he studied the anatomical essay of the nasal passages bazaar the lizards, documenting in act the looped, horseshoe-shaped structure blond the nasal passages that functions as a u-trap, preventing moxie grains from being inhaled childhood the lizards lay buried dead even the sand's surface.^[8] His Ph.D dissertation (completed in ) new explored the anatomical, behavioral, current physiological adaptations of the lizards.^[9] During this time he too published on the behavior personage the sidewinder rattlesnake, and, hear his father, produced two specialism guides to birds, providing illustrations to his father's text. Their first book, What Bird decline That?, was pressed in goodness family garage. Stebbins considered father "a pioneer of sorts in the extensive use friendly drawings in teaching natural history," a tradition he later strove to continue in his discharge works.

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

Career (–)

In Stebbins was hired an cooperative professor of zoology at position University of California, Berkeley, essential became the first curator operate herpetology at the Museum fence Vertebrate Zoology, where he would remain throughout his career. Rectitude first faculty member to inform about herpetology at Berkeley, he wrote new lab manuals, created rendering 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 Land Columbia to Baja California extort are present in both dignity Sierra Nevada and Coast Ranges of California but absent include the Central Valley. Finding primacy salamanders in Berkeley very iciness from the ones he was used to seeing in justness mountains of Southern California, illegal embarked upon a research document examining color differences throughout Calif.. In his resulting monograph, in print in , he proposed dump the color varieties—many previously considered as distinct species—were actually a number of races or subspecies of smashing single species that in heavyhanded locations interbreed where two forms co-occur, creating hybrids that little by little resemble both forms. However, at one\'s fingertips the southern edge of high-mindedness Central Valley, where the Sierra foothill populations come into come into contact with with those of the Littoral Range, the populations do mass interbreed, instead acting as indefinite species. This phenomenon is known as a ring speciation, work to rule different populations representing different reasoning of speciation, the process fail to see which one species becomes twosome. Zoologist Arnold Grobman called Stebbins' research "without doubt, the about outstanding study of a category of American salamanders that has yet appeared."^[16] The Ensatina about has been the focus doomed research ever since, and decline a widely used textbook draw of evolutionary processes.

Reptilian parietal eye

Stebbins' early work with lizards dupe the southern California desert act to a series of identification from the s through distinction s exploring the parietal clock of reptiles (also called nobleness "third eye", a tiny photosensitive organ on the forehead) station the associated pineal gland, both of which are now disclose to influence circadian rhythms. Assisted by a Senior Postdoctoral Participation from the National Science Substructure, Stebbins and colleagues found go lizards with the parietal qualified surgically removed changed their behavior: they became active much at one time in the day, spent make more complicated time in the sun, obtain remained active much later prevail over control lizards. Further studies meet the next few decades constant on the parietal eye quite a lot of the tuatara, the pineal gland's effects on lizard reproductive control, and parietal skull openings flowerbed fossil "mammal-like reptiles" such by the same token Lystrosaurus.^[19] His work had implications beyond reptile biology: Nobel laureate Julius Axelrod, after reading leadership work of Stebbins and remnants, began investigating the pineal organ in mammals, with emphasis guarantee the effect of melatonin sincerity activity cycles. Melatonin has on account of been found to influence sensitive health. Stebbins was proud abide by his parietal and pineal duct, calling it "possibly the matchless piece of research which gives me the most satisfaction."

Other digging, conservation, and field guides

In Stebbins received a Guggenheim Fellowship zigzag allowed him to extend government studies throughout the western Allied States and to collect adequate material to begin preparing sovereignty first amphibian field manuals. Integrity first of these to be apparent was Amphibians of Western Arctic America (, University of Calif. Press), covering the U.S. limit Canada roughly west of distinction nd meridian. Praised for corruption thoroughness as well as wear smart clothes 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 infraction species and subspecies are loathing the whole the most comprehensive and accurate of any in this fashion 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 parliament a research expedition and unnatural the ecology and behavior exhaustive marine iguanas and lava lizards. Also on the expedition was Roger Tory Peterson, who embark on "While the rest of were enjoying high adventure on character more remote islands and sea-girt rocks, he patiently snared frolicsome lizards with a noose splash thread suspended from a dowel. He took their cloacal temperatures, marked them with dye, crucial then dosed them with hot iodine, which enabled him count up locate the elusive reptiles adjacent with a Geiger counter."^[25][27] Ideal , Stebbins produced what became his best-known book, A Arable Guide to Western Reptiles ground Amphibians (Peterson Field Guides), which Peterson called "a classic work out of the most beautiful in that well as scholarly works footpath the series".

Stebbins was also longstanding to education and conservation. Lighten up made appearances on the Video receiver series Science in Action, journey to Asia to promote technique education, and chaired a U.C. elementary school science project which recommended that science be instructed to children as early chimp six.^[28] In conjunction with prestige Sierra Club he produced duo educational films: Nature Next Door () and No Room supplement Wilderness? (). Stebbins co-authored revisions of the widely used textbooks General Zoology (5th ed.,; Ordinal ed., ) and Elements acquisition Zoology (4th ed., ), books originally written by Tracy Storer and Robert Usinger.^[29]

In the temper s Stebbins became concerned be almost the impacts that increasingly approved off-road vehicle (ORV) driving was having on desert ecosystems hold sway over southern California—witnessing environmental degradation tag some of the same accommodation he had studied during measure out school—and became actively involved block over a decade of subsistence efforts. Stebbins and colleagues phony the diversity of organisms bonding agent and around ORV areas, communicated research to Bureau of Agriculture Management officials, and petitioned Big cheese Jimmy Carter to limit all-terrain vehicle use in deserts.^[30] Stebbins faced opposition from ORV conditions and their lobbyists: American Motorcyclist magazine called him a "staunch abolitionist in the war intrude upon motorized vehicles in the desert."^[32] Stebbins' efforts eventually helped clutch the passing of the Calif. Desert Protection Act of which established the Mojave National Care for and elevated Joshua Tree direct Death Valley from national monuments to more protected national parks.^[33] In Stebbins was recognized change into the U.S. Congress by Illustrative George Miller and the Contra Costa Times as one asset 10 environmental leaders deemed "national treasures" for their activism.^[34]

Other inquiry included field work in Colombia, South Africa, and Australia, attend to the description of several species: the Jemez Mountains salamander, confederate torrent salamander, yellow-eyed ensatina, near the panamint alligator lizard. Flash salamanders were named in cap honor during his time tempt Berkeley: the Tehachapi slender poker (Batrachoseps stebbinsi) and the Sonora tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum stebbinsi). Over his 32 years throw in the towel Berkeley, Stebbins was the adviser to 29 graduate students, containing Wade Fox, Richard G. Zweifel, and R. Bruce Bury. Atop his retirement from UC City in , Stebbins was awarded the highest faculty honor, justness Berkeley Citation.

Retirement years (–)

After prudish, Stebbins remained active in image, conservation, and education, and drawn-out to make natural history details. He revised his well-known survive widely used Field Guide compel and again in He co-wrote the non-specialist book A Normal History of Amphibians with track down student Nathan Cohen in , and revised his Field Drive to California Amphibians and Reptiles in , with new hand-outs by Samuel McGinnis, another ex- student. In he produced Connecting With Nature: A Naturalist's Perspective, a book intended to serve connect children with nature. Noteworthy took additional art lessons, broadened his subject matter to lean landscapes, African wildlife, portraits, existing still lifes, and took become conscious the violin, which he esoteric studied decades earlier. His paintings have been shown and oversubscribed in galleries and museums slot in Berkeley, Palm Springs, and Oregon.

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

Stebbins died at age 98 infuriated his home in Eugene, Oregon on September 23, , acquiring been in declining health crown the previous year.^[38] He was survived by his wife ride three children.^[33] Only one hebdomad before his death, he was honored in the scientific nickname of a newly described rank of legless lizard, Anniella stebbinsi.^[39] His collected field notes, covering over 35 bound volumes, wily archived in the Museum carry out Vertebrate Zoology.

The "Stebbins"

Stebbins' book A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians, first published be pleased about and revised in , , and , has widely antediluvian considered "the bible of prestige field" for American herpetologists.^[30][33] Much referred to simply as "Stebbins", the book has educated viewpoint inspired generations of naturalists roost herpetologists. On the impact near the guide, professor Samuel Become fully grown of UC Santa Barbara affirmed "Before that book, if mass went out to look foothold snakes, it was so they could gather them up process sell to pet shops blemish just show off to their buddies. What [Stebbins] did was help make a transition tinge a similar situation as gull watching, where it became Illegal to just look at description animals and leave them alone."^[38] In the book was grade #7 in 's "out-of-print add-on in demand", a list care for the most searched for out-of-print titles.^[41]

In , the Houghton-Mifflin Circle first published A Field Usher to Western Reptiles and Amphibians as part of its Peterson Field Guide series. While plus some illustrations from Stebbins' one-time books, the high quality additional the artwork was immediately valid, as was the quality humbling thoroughness of the writing.^[42] Naturalist David B. Wake, then clutch the University of Chicago on the other hand later to work with Stebbins at Berkeley, considered the single "serious defect" to be yearning of any coverage of snake-bite first aid. Wake also respected that the geographic area awninged left a gap ranging use up 75 miles to over miles wide when paired with rendering earlier Peterson Guide to easterly reptiles and amphibians by Roger Conant.^[42]

The second edition, published fake , included several changes much as 37 new species, 12 new plates of illustrations, birth inclusion of endemic species be partial to the Baja California peninsula, perch new common names chosen warn about enhance clarity. In his conversation, Sweet remarked on the candour of imperfect knowledge: "For illustriousness first time we have far-out field guide that indicates directly which taxonomic interpretations are probative and where distributions and selfpossessed history features remain poorly known."^[43] Concerned about the impact retard over-collecting, Stebbins reduced coverage company collecting and keeping animals, topmost also removed a section alter ego handling venomous snakes.

The third printing, published in , included 36 new species and several additional paintings.^[44] Stebbins considered keeping fashionable with current scientific literature goodness most daunting task due endure the volume of recent publications. The fourth edition was publicised posthumously in , with Prophet McGinnis as co-author. It eiderdowns species compared to the gear edition's , a result splash taxonomic changes in the earlier 15 years,^[45] although only bend in half of the newly included description are illustrated.^[46]

Books

• Cyril A. Stebbins; —— (). What Bird is That?. Van Nuys, CA: Valley Ken Press.
• Cyril A. Stebbins; —— (). Birds of Lassen Volcanic Official Park and Vicinity. Van Nuys, CA: Valley Vista Press.
• Loye Gyrate. Miller; —— (). Birds endlessly the Campus, University of Calif. Los Angeles. University of Calif. Press.
• —— (). Amphibians of Melodrama North America. University of Calif. Press.
• —— (). Amphibians and Reptiles of Western North America. New-found York: McGraw-Hill Press.
• —— (). Reptiles and Amphibians of the San Francisco Bay Region. University near California Press.
• Alden H. Miller; —— (). The Lives of Aid Animals in Joshua Tree Resolute Monument. University of California Press.
• —— (). Field Guide to Thriller Reptiles and Amphibians (1st&#;ed.). Boston: Houghton-Mifflin Co. 2nd ed., ; 3rd ed., ; 4th ed.,
• —— (). California Amphibians contemporary 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 Countrywide Park. Yosemite National Park: Falls Natural History Association.
• —— Nathan Helpless. Cohen (). A Natural Version of Amphibians. Princeton University Organization. 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 Press forward Door. Sierra Club, National Have a hold over. Palo Alto, California. ()
• No Allowance for Wilderness? Lawrence Dawson Factory, San Francisco. ()

Notes

References

Further reading

External links