Arthur Lister facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Arthur Hugh Lister
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Lister in 1905
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| Born | 17 April 1830 Upton House, Uptown, Essex, England
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| Died | 10 July 1908 (aged 78) |
| Known for | Contributions to taxonomy of Mycetozoa |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Botany |
Arthur Hugh Lister FRS (1830–1908) was a British scientist who studied plants, especially a group of tiny, strange organisms called Mycetozoa, also known as slime molds. He was also a successful wine merchant before focusing fully on his passion for nature.
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About Arthur Hugh Lister
Arthur Hugh Lister was born on April 17, 1830, in Upton House, Essex, England. He came from a family of well-known scientists. His father, Joseph Jackson Lister, was a respected scientist. His brother was the famous surgeon Joseph Lister.
Arthur went to school until he was sixteen. After school, he started working in a business that sold wine. He became a partner in the company. He worked there until 1888, when he decided to retire. This allowed him to spend all his time on his true interest: studying nature.
Discovering Slime Molds
Lister became very interested in Mycetozoa, which are often called slime molds. These are tiny, living things that are not quite plants, animals, or fungi. They can move around like tiny blobs and often look like slime.
He spent many years studying these amazing organisms. He wrote scientific papers about them for important journals like the 'Annals of Botany'. He also wrote for the 'Journal' of the Linnean Society and the 'Proceedings' of the Essex Field Club. These papers described new species and how slime molds live.
Lister's Important Books
Arthur Lister's most important work was a book called A Monograph of the Mycetozoa. It was published in 1894 by the British Museum. This book was a detailed guide to all the slime mold species known at the time. It included 78 detailed drawings.
He also wrote the Guide to the British Mycetozoa in 1895. This book helped people identify the slime molds found in Britain. His books helped other scientists learn about these unique creatures.
Working with His Family
Arthur Lister married in 1855. He had four daughters and three sons. One of his sons, Joseph Jackson Lister, also became a zoologist, studying animals.
Much of Arthur Lister's scientific work was done with his daughter, Gulielma Lister. She was also a mycologist, meaning she studied fungi and slime molds. She was also a talented artist who drew many of the detailed pictures for his books.
Joining Scientific Societies
Lister was recognized for his important work. In 1873, he became a member of the Linnean Society. This is a very old and respected group for scientists who study nature. He was even the society's vice-president from 1895 to 1896.
He also led the British Mycological Society as its president from 1906 to 1907. On June 9, 1898, he was chosen to be a member of the Royal Society. This is one of the oldest and most famous scientific groups in the world.
Honored by Other Scientists
Other scientists honored Arthur Lister by naming new discoveries after him. In 1901, botanists Penzig and Saccardo named a group of organisms Listeromyces.
Later, in 1906, Eduard Adolf Wilhelm Jahn named a specific slime mold species Listerella paradoxa. This slime mold is the only member of its group, or genus, and its family, Listerelliidae. These names show how much his work was valued by the scientific community.
