Bryan Clarke
Encyclopedia
Professor
Bryan Campbell Clarke FRS, born in 1932, is a British
geneticist
. He is professor emeritus of genetics at the University of Nottingham
. Clarke is particularly noted for his work on apostatic selection
and other forms of frequency-dependent selection, and work on polymorphism in snails, much of it done during the 1960s. Later, he studied molecular evolution. He made the case for natural selection as an important factor in the maintenance of molecular variation, and in driving evolutionary changes in molecules through time. In doing so, he questioned the over-riding importance of random genetic drift
advocated by King, Jukes, and Kimura. With Dr. JJ Murray Jnr (University of Virginia), he carried out an extensive series of studies on speciation in land snails of the genus Partula inhabiting the volcanic islands of the Eastern Pacific. These studies illuminated the genetic changes that take place during the origin of species.
Clarke was elected a Fellow
of the Royal Society
in 1982, awarded the Linnean Medal for Zoology and elected a Foreign member of the American Philosophical Society in 2003.He was elected a Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2004. He was one of thirteen recipients of the Darwin-Wallace Medal
in 2008; this award is given every 50 years by the Linnean Society of London
. He was awarded the Darwin Medal
of the Royal Society in 2010 for 'for his original and influential contributions to our understanding of the genetic basis of evolution'.
Professor Clarke has recently established the Frozen Ark
project to preserve the DNA of endangered species worldwide.
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
Bryan Campbell Clarke FRS, born in 1932, is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
geneticist
Genetics
Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
. He is professor emeritus of genetics at the University of Nottingham
University of Nottingham
The University of Nottingham is a public research university based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, with further campuses in Ningbo, China and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...
. Clarke is particularly noted for his work on apostatic selection
Apostatic selection
Apostatic selection is frequency-dependent selection by predators, particularly in regard to prey that are different morphs of a polymorphic species that is not a mimic of another species. It is closely linked to the idea of prey switching, however the two terms are regularly used to describe...
and other forms of frequency-dependent selection, and work on polymorphism in snails, much of it done during the 1960s. Later, he studied molecular evolution. He made the case for natural selection as an important factor in the maintenance of molecular variation, and in driving evolutionary changes in molecules through time. In doing so, he questioned the over-riding importance of random genetic drift
Genetic drift
Genetic drift or allelic drift is the change in the frequency of a gene variant in a population due to random sampling.The alleles in the offspring are a sample of those in the parents, and chance has a role in determining whether a given individual survives and reproduces...
advocated by King, Jukes, and Kimura. With Dr. JJ Murray Jnr (University of Virginia), he carried out an extensive series of studies on speciation in land snails of the genus Partula inhabiting the volcanic islands of the Eastern Pacific. These studies illuminated the genetic changes that take place during the origin of species.
Clarke was elected a Fellow
Fellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
in 1982, awarded the Linnean Medal for Zoology and elected a Foreign member of the American Philosophical Society in 2003.He was elected a Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2004. He was one of thirteen recipients of the Darwin-Wallace Medal
Darwin-Wallace Medal
The Darwin–Wallace Medal is a medal awarded by the Linnean Society of London for "major advances in evolutionary biology". Historically, the medals have been awarded every 50 years, beginning in 1908...
in 2008; this award is given every 50 years by the Linnean Society of London
Linnean Society of London
The Linnean Society of London is the world's premier society for the study and dissemination of taxonomy and natural history. It publishes a zoological journal, as well as botanical and biological journals...
. He was awarded the Darwin Medal
Darwin Medal
The Darwin Medal is awarded by the Royal Society every alternate year for "work of acknowledged distinction in the broad area of biology in which Charles Darwin worked, notably in evolution, population biology, organismal biology and biological diversity". First awarded in 1890, it was created in...
of the Royal Society in 2010 for 'for his original and influential contributions to our understanding of the genetic basis of evolution'.
Professor Clarke has recently established the Frozen Ark
Frozen Ark
The mission of the Frozen Ark Project is to collect and save tissues containing DNA from animals facing extinction, and to store it for posterity.Animal species are dying out at an unprecedented rate. The current extinctions are largely due to the growth of human populations, which move into and...
project to preserve the DNA of endangered species worldwide.