Margaret Adebisi Sowunmi facts for kids

Margaret Adebisi Sowunmi (born September 24, 1939) is a famous Nigerian botanist and environmental archaeologist. She was a Professor at the University of Ibadan, where she taught about Palynology and Environmental Archaeology. She was a pioneer in studying how ancient environments and plants relate to human history in Nigeria. She also founded the Palynological Association of Nigeria.

Early Life and Education

Margaret Adebisi Sowunmi was born in Kano, Northern Nigeria, on September 24, 1939. Her father was a pastor. She went to St Anne's School Ibadan for her high school education.

She studied botany at University College Ibadan and earned her first degree in 1962. In 1963, she received a scholarship to study for her PhD in palynology. To do this research, she traveled to Sweden to learn from Gunnar Erdtman, a leading expert. She completed her PhD in botany from the University of Ibadan in 1967.

Her Amazing Career

In 1967, after finishing her PhD, Dr. Sowunmi became a research fellow at the University of Ibadan. She worked in the Archaeology Unit. In 1971, she created the first Palynology Laboratory at a Nigerian university. This was a big step for science in Nigeria.

Dr. Sowunmi became a full Professor in 1982. She taught about palynology and environmental archaeology. Throughout her career, she visited and taught at many universities around the world. These included Uppsala University in Sweden and the UCL Institute of Archaeology in London. She also taught at the Goethe University Frankfurt in Germany.

She was known as an inspiring teacher and helped many students with their PhD research. Dr. Sowunmi also worked to make archaeology more inclusive in Nigeria. She helped change course names to include more about women's roles in history.

Dr. Sowunmi was a leader in her field. She founded the Palynological Association of Nigeria and was its first president. She also led the West African Archaeological Association. She retired from her teaching career in 2004.

Important Discoveries

Dr. Sowunmi made many important discoveries through her research. She was the first to figure out the age and ancient environment of the Gwandu Formation. She also described the first Eocene pollen from the Ogwashi-Asaba Formation.

Her work included the first study of how plants and environments changed in Nigeria over the last 10,000 years. She also did the first study of pollen found at an archaeological site in Nigeria. Her research helped us understand ancient climates and how people lived long ago.

Awards and Special Recognition

In 2003, Uppsala University in Sweden gave Dr. Sowunmi an honorary Doctor of Philosophy degree. This award recognized her amazing research and teaching. It celebrated her contributions to environmental archaeology and paleobotany.