Colin Patterson (biologist) facts for kids
Colin Patterson (1933–1998) was a British scientist who studied ancient life, especially fossil fish. He worked at the Natural History Museum in London for many years, starting in 1962. Patterson was known for his work on how living things are related to each other, a field called systematics.
Early Life and Education
Colin Patterson was born in Hammersmith, London, on October 13, 1933. His parents were Maurice William Patterson and Norah Joan Elliott.
After serving in the Royal Engineers (a part of the British army), Patterson went to Imperial College, London. He studied zoology, which is the study of animals, from 1954 to 1957. Later, he did more research at University College London. He earned his PhD in 1961, focusing on fossil fish.
Career and Research
Colin Patterson was a very important scientist at the British Museum of Natural History in the 1970s. He helped change how scientists understood the relationships between different living things. This new way of thinking is called cladistics.
Patterson wrote many scientific papers about classifying fossil fish. He also wrote a well-known book about evolution called Evolution, first published in 1978. A second edition came out in 1999. He also edited another book, Molecules and Morphology in Evolution: Conflict or Compromise?, in 1987. This book looked at how different types of evidence, like genes and body shapes, help us understand how life has changed over time.
Patterson strongly believed in evolution. However, some people who do not believe in evolution sometimes used his words to support their own ideas. They claimed his work showed there were no transitional forms (missing links) in the fossil record.
In the second edition of his book Evolution, Patterson explained that his comments had been taken out of context. He wrote that people who argue against evolution often look for disagreements among scientists. He wanted to make it clear that he supported evolution. He also advised scientists to be careful with their words, so they don't accidentally give "ammunition" to those who misinterpret their work.
Awards and Honours
Colin Patterson received several important awards for his scientific work:
- He was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 1993. This is a very high honour for scientists in the UK.
- He received the Romer-Simpson Medal from the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology in 1997.
- He was awarded the Linnean Medal in 1998.
Personal Life
In 1955, Colin Patterson married Rachel Caridwen Richards, who was an artist. They had two daughters named Sarah (born in 1959) and Jane (born in 1963).
Colin Patterson passed away in London on March 9, 1998, after having a heart attack.
