Mary Rathbun
Encyclopedia
Mary J. Rathbun was an American
zoologist who specialized in crustacean
s. She worked at the Smithsonian Institution
, often unaided, from 1884 until her death. She described more than a thousand new species
and subspecies and many higher taxa.
, the youngest of five children of Charles Rathbun and Jane Furey. Her mother died when she was only one year old, and Mary was therefore "thrown on her own resources". She was schooled in Buffalo, graduating in 1878, but never attended college.
Although no more than 4 in 6 in (1.37 m) tall, Mary Rathbun had strong features, and possessed a dry sense of humor.
Mary first saw the ocean
in 1881 when she accompanied her brother, Richard Rathbun, to Woods Hole, Massachusetts
. He was employed as a scientific assistant to Addison Emery Verrill
, alongside Verrill's chief assistant, the carcinologist Sidney Irving Smith
. Mary helped label, sort and record Smith's specimens, and worked on crustaceans ever since. For three years, Mary worked on a voluntary basis for her brother, before being granted a clerkship by Spencer Fullerton Baird
at the Smithsonian Institution
. She continued to work at the museum, largely unaided, and after 28 years, she was promoted to assistant curator
in charge of the Division of Crustacea. In 1915, after her retirement, the Smithsonian Institution designated Rathbun an "Honorary Research Associate", and in 1916 she was granted an honorary
master's degree
by the University of Pittsburgh
. She qualified for a Ph.D.
at George Washington University
in 1917.
She died in Washington, D.C.
, on April 14, 1943, at the age of 82, from complications associated with a broken hip.
; it was published in 1891. She retired on the last day of 1914, but did not stop working until her death. Her largest work was ("Freshwater crabs"), originally intended as a single publication, but eventually published in three volumes in 1904–1906.
She wrote or cowrote 166 papers in total, including descriptions
of 1147 new species and subspecies, 63 new genera, one subfamily, 3 families and a superfamily, as well as other nomenclatural novelties. The taxa first described by Rathbun include important commercial species such as the Atlantic blue crab Callinectes sapidus, and the tanner crab, Chionoecetes bairdi
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
zoologist who specialized in crustacean
Crustacean
Crustaceans form a very large group of arthropods, usually treated as a subphylum, which includes such familiar animals as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles. The 50,000 described species range in size from Stygotantulus stocki at , to the Japanese spider crab with a leg span...
s. She worked at the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
, often unaided, from 1884 until her death. She described more than a thousand new species
Alpha taxonomy
Alpha taxonomy is the discipline concerned with finding, describing and naming species of living or fossil organisms. This field is supported by institutions holding collections of these organisms, with relevant data, carefully curated: such institutes include natural history museums, herbaria and...
and subspecies and many higher taxa.
Biography
Mary Jane Rathbun was born on June 11, 1860, in Buffalo, New YorkBuffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, the youngest of five children of Charles Rathbun and Jane Furey. Her mother died when she was only one year old, and Mary was therefore "thrown on her own resources". She was schooled in Buffalo, graduating in 1878, but never attended college.
Although no more than 4 in 6 in (1.37 m) tall, Mary Rathbun had strong features, and possessed a dry sense of humor.
Mary first saw the ocean
Ocean
An ocean is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the hydrosphere. Approximately 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by ocean, a continuous body of water that is customarily divided into several principal oceans and smaller seas.More than half of this area is over 3,000...
in 1881 when she accompanied her brother, Richard Rathbun, to Woods Hole, Massachusetts
Woods Hole, Massachusetts
Woods Hole is a census-designated place in the town of Falmouth in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. It lies at the extreme southwest corner of Cape Cod, near Martha's Vineyard and the Elizabeth Islands...
. He was employed as a scientific assistant to Addison Emery Verrill
Addison Emery Verrill
Addison Emery Verrill was an American zoologist. He was a student of Louis Agassiz at Harvard University and graduated in 1862...
, alongside Verrill's chief assistant, the carcinologist Sidney Irving Smith
Sidney Irving Smith
Sidney Irving Smith was an American zoologist.-Private life:Sidney Smith was the son of Elliot Smith and Lavinia Barton. His brother in law was Addison Emery Verrill. Smith married Eugenia Pocahontas Barber in New Haven, Connecticut on June 29, 1882...
. Mary helped label, sort and record Smith's specimens, and worked on crustaceans ever since. For three years, Mary worked on a voluntary basis for her brother, before being granted a clerkship by Spencer Fullerton Baird
Spencer Fullerton Baird
Spencer Fullerton Baird was an American ornithologist, ichthyologist and herpetologist. Starting in 1850 he was assistant-secretary and later secretary of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C...
at the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
. She continued to work at the museum, largely unaided, and after 28 years, she was promoted to assistant curator
Curator
A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
in charge of the Division of Crustacea. In 1915, after her retirement, the Smithsonian Institution designated Rathbun an "Honorary Research Associate", and in 1916 she was granted an honorary
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
by the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
. She qualified for a Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
at George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
in 1917.
She died in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, on April 14, 1943, at the age of 82, from complications associated with a broken hip.
Publications
Mary J. Rathbun's first publication was cowritten with James Everard Benedict and concerned the genus PanopeusPanopeus (genus)
Panopeus is a genus of crabs, containing the following extant species:*Panopeus africanus A. Milne-Edwards, 1867*Panopeus americanus Saussure, 1857*Panopeus austrobesus Williams, 1983*Panopeus boekei Rathbun, 1915...
; it was published in 1891. She retired on the last day of 1914, but did not stop working until her death. Her largest work was ("Freshwater crabs"), originally intended as a single publication, but eventually published in three volumes in 1904–1906.
She wrote or cowrote 166 papers in total, including descriptions
Species description
A species description or type description is a formal description of a newly discovered species, usually in the form of a scientific paper. Its purpose is to give a clear description of a new species of organism and explain how it differs from species which have been described previously, or are...
of 1147 new species and subspecies, 63 new genera, one subfamily, 3 families and a superfamily, as well as other nomenclatural novelties. The taxa first described by Rathbun include important commercial species such as the Atlantic blue crab Callinectes sapidus, and the tanner crab, Chionoecetes bairdi
Chionoecetes bairdi
Chionoecetes bairdi is a species of crab known alternatively as bairdi crab and tanner crab. C. bairdi is closely related to Chionoecetes opilio, and it can be difficult to distinguish C. opilio from C. bairdi. Both species are found in the Bering Sea and are sold commercially under the name "Snow...
.
Taxa
A number of taxa have been named in honor of Mary J. Rathbun:- Hamatoscalpellum rathbunae (Pilsbry, 1907)
- Maera rathbunae Pearse, 1908
- Paromola rathbuni Porter Mosso, 1908
- Synalphaeus rathbunae Coutiere, 1909
- Candidiopotamon rathbunae De Man, 1914
- Pasiphaea rathbunae (Stebbing, 1914)
- Petrolisthes rathbunae Schmitt, 1916
- Periclimenes rathbunae Schmitt, 1924
- Alpheus rathbunae (Schmitt, 1924)
- Campylonotus rathbunae Schmitt, 1926
- Callinectes rathbunaeCallinectes rathbunaeCallinectes rathbunae is a species of swimming crab. It occurs in warm coastal waters of Mexico. The species is not used as food, but is kept in laboratories for research. Young crabs can range from in size. The specific epithet rathbunae commemorates Mary J. Rathbun....
Contreras, 1930 - Eriosachila rathbunae Maury, 1930
- Tritodynamia rathbunae Shen, 1932
- Sacculina rathbunae Boschma, 1933
- Pinnixa rathbunae Sakai, 1934
- Emerita rathbunae Schmitt, 1935
- Callianassa rathbunae Schmitt, 1935
- Solenocera rathbunae Ramadan, 1938
- Thunor rathbunae Armstrong, 1949
- Lysmata rathbunae Chace, 1970
- Xanthias rathbunae Takeda, 1976
- Cyphocarcinus rathbunae Griffin & Tranter, 1986
- Asterias rathbunae Britajev, 1989
- Lophaxius rathbunae Kensley, 1989
- Rhynchocinetes rathbunae Okuno, 1996
- Palaeopinnixa rathbunae Schweitzer & Feldmann, 2000
- MarrathaMarrathaMarratha angusta is a species of crabs in the family Xanthidae, the only species in the genus Marratha. It was originally described as Cycloxanthops angustus by Mary J. Rathbun in 1906, but was moved to a new genus in 2003; the name of the genus, Marratha is an "arbitrary abbreviation" of Rathbun's...
Ng & Clark, 2003