John T. Robinson
Encyclopedia
John Talbot Robinson was a distinguished South Africa
n hominid paleontologist. His most famous discovery (with Robert Broom
) was the nearly complete Human evolution fossil skull of an Australopithecus africanus
, known as Mrs. Ples
.
Robinson was born in Elliot, South Africa. After training in Cape Town
as a zoologist
, Robinson moved to Pretoria
in 1946 to take up a post at the Transvaal Museum
. In Pretoria, he worked with Robert Broom
. They focused on excavations at the caves of Sterkfontein
, Kromdraai and Swartkrans
. Between 1946 and 1952 they jointly published twenty-three books and articles.
After Broom's death in 1951, Robinson took over as head of the Department of Vertebrate Paleontology
and Physical Anthropology
. In 1956 he published what is arguably his most important work, a monograph titled The Dentition of the Australopthecinae after which the University of Cape Town
awarded him a Doctor of Science
degree.
In 1963 Robinson began a Professorship at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
and eventually held joint appointments in the Zoology and Anthropology Departments. He was a gifted and empathetic teacher who spent many after-class hours mentoring his undergraduate and graduate students. He taught courses in evolutionary theory and human origins
, zoology
and anthropology
. Robinson continued to make trips back to South Africa to carry out research.
He died in Madison, Wisconsin
in 2001.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n hominid paleontologist. His most famous discovery (with Robert Broom
Robert Broom
Professor Robert Broom was a Scottish South African doctor and paleontologist. He qualified as a medical practitioner in 1895 and received his DSc in 1905 from the University of Glasgow...
) was the nearly complete Human evolution fossil skull of an Australopithecus africanus
Australopithecus africanus
Australopithecus africanus was an early hominid, an australopithecine, who lived between 2–3 million years ago in the Pliocene. In common with the older Australopithecus afarensis, A. africanus was slenderly built, or gracile, and was thought to have been a direct ancestor of modern humans. Fossil...
, known as Mrs. Ples
Mrs. Ples
Mrs. Ples is the popular nickname for the most complete skull of an Australopithecus africanus specimen ever found in South Africa. Many fossils of this species, which are considered to be the distant relatives of all humankind, have been found in the Sterkfontein area, in what has been designated...
.
Robinson was born in Elliot, South Africa. After training in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
as a zoologist
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
, Robinson moved to Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
in 1946 to take up a post at the Transvaal Museum
Transvaal Museum
""The Ditsong National Museum of Natural History, formerly Transvaal Museum, is a natural history museum situated in Pretoria, South Africa....
. In Pretoria, he worked with Robert Broom
Robert Broom
Professor Robert Broom was a Scottish South African doctor and paleontologist. He qualified as a medical practitioner in 1895 and received his DSc in 1905 from the University of Glasgow...
. They focused on excavations at the caves of Sterkfontein
Sterkfontein
-References:-References:-References:: : : :...
, Kromdraai and Swartkrans
Swartkrans
Swartkrans is a location in South Africa, around from Johannesburg.Swartkrans is a farm near to Sterkfontein, notable for being extremely rich in archaeological material, particularly hominid remains. It was purchased by the University of the Witwatersrand in 1968...
. Between 1946 and 1952 they jointly published twenty-three books and articles.
After Broom's death in 1951, Robinson took over as head of the Department of Vertebrate Paleontology
Vertebrate paleontology
Vertebrate paleontology is a large subfield to paleontology seeking to discover the behavior, reproduction and appearance of extinct animals with vertebrae or a notochord, through the study of their fossilized remains...
and Physical Anthropology
Physical anthropology
Biological anthropology is that branch of anthropology that studies the physical development of the human species. It plays an important part in paleoanthropology and in forensic anthropology...
. In 1956 he published what is arguably his most important work, a monograph titled The Dentition of the Australopthecinae after which the University of Cape Town
University of Cape Town
The University of Cape Town is a public research university located in Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. UCT was founded in 1829 as the South African College, and is the oldest university in South Africa and the second oldest extant university in Africa.-History:The roots of...
awarded him a Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science , usually abbreviated Sc.D., D.Sc., S.D. or Dr.Sc., is an academic research degree awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. In some countries Doctor of Science is the name used for the standard doctorate in the sciences, elsewhere the Sc.D...
degree.
In 1963 Robinson began a Professorship at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
and eventually held joint appointments in the Zoology and Anthropology Departments. He was a gifted and empathetic teacher who spent many after-class hours mentoring his undergraduate and graduate students. He taught courses in evolutionary theory and human origins
Human evolution
Human evolution refers to the evolutionary history of the genus Homo, including the emergence of Homo sapiens as a distinct species and as a unique category of hominids and mammals...
, zoology
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
and anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
. Robinson continued to make trips back to South Africa to carry out research.
He died in Madison, Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
in 2001.