ZSL's Awards for Contributions to Zoology in 2001

The awards, some of which date back over 150 years, have been bestowed upon many different contributors, from a wide range of zoological backgrounds and include the likes of Sir David Attenborough and Professor Sir Robert May.

Honorary Fellowship of the Zoological Society of London was conferred on Professor Pat Bateson FRS, in recognition of a career, as a world leader in ethological research. Professor Bateson has given his time selflessly to helping others through graduate supervision, teaching, and service to many public bodies and scientific societies, including the Zoological Society of London. He is currently Provost of Kings College, Cambridge and Biological Secretary of the Royal Society.

The Scientific Medal - awarded to zoologists of 40 years of age and under, in recognition of scientific merit.

Dr Alan Cooper is awarded the Society's Scientific medal in recognition of his work on phylogeography, and for establishing new scientific protocols for reconstructing evolutionary history from ancient biomoloecules. In particular, Dr Cooper's research papers are characterised by scientific innovation and excellence in their incorporation of biological knowledge, and combining molecular, statistical and modelling techniques.

The Zoological Society of London Frink Medal for British Zoologists - for significant and original contributions by professional zoologists to the development of zoology in its wider implications.

Professor Nick Davies FRS has made fundamental research contributions to our understanding of behavioural ecology through his outstanding lecturing. His principal research contributions have been in the economics of territoriality, the cost and benefits to male and females of different types of mating systems and the evolution of brood parasitism in birds. Professor Davies is a writer and has edited several excellent and widely used textbooks. He has also shown international leadership by acting as president of the International Society for Behavioural Ecology.

The Zoological Society of London Marsh Award for Conservation Biology - for contributions of fundamental science and its application to the conservation of animal species and habitats.

Dr Eleanor J Milner-Gulland has made significant contributions to sustainable wildlife exploitation theory. Her use of mathematical models to address practical issues has centred on assessing sustainability of harvesting. Dr Milner-Gulland has made important conclusions on specific issues, e.g. her work on saiga antelope in Russia and on wild suids of South East Asia, both examples of conservation policy and practice being affected by the force of sound intellectual argument.

The Stamford Raffles Award - for distinguished contributions to zoology, open to amateur zoologists or, to professional zoologists in recognition of contributions which are outside the scope of their professional activities and principal specialisation.

Dr Norman Moore was a distinguished professional conservation scientist, ending his career as Chief Advisor to the Nature Conservancy Council in 1983, a post he held for nine years. However, This award is made for his outstanding personal research on the ecology and behaviour of dragonflies. He entered biology as an amateur and has continued to make significant contributions, to our knowledge of dragonfly biology since his retirement.

The Thomas Henry Huxley Award - for original work submitted as a doctoral thesis.

Dr Stephen Rossiter (University of Bristol) for his thesis, "The causes and consequences of genetic structure in the greater horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum". The thesis is a concise study that explored both genetic / environmental factors in the greater horseshoe bats.

For further information please contact the Zoological Society of London Public Relations Office:
Joe Laing / Debbie Curtis / Peter Beatty
Tel: (020) 7449 6236 / 6363 / 6361
Fax: (020) 7449 6362
Email: publicrelations@zsl.org