Hooker and Islands
| 8th May 2008 Sam Berry PPLS Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker (1817-1911), friend and scientific confidant of Charles Darwin, lectured in 1866 on “Insular floras” at the Annual Meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science. His interest and knowledge of islands had been aroused when he travelled to the Antarctic aboard the Erebus under Sir James Clark Ross. On his return, Darwin passed on to Hooker the botanical collections he had made on the Beagle voyage. Hooker’s conclusions from these and his own material and experiences were important to Darwin as he developed his own ideas. The 1866 lecture provided a focus for subsequent and informative studies on evolution, and islands continue to provide invaluable natural laboratories for evolutionary biology and genetics. Tea will be served in the Library from 5.30pm and the lecture will be followed by a wine reception. This meeting is free and open to all, registration is not necessary. |