John Tyler Bonner
Encyclopedia
John Tyler Bonner is an emeritus professor, now lecturer with the rank of professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
at Princeton University
. He is a pioneer in the use of cellular slime molds to understand evolution and development over a career of 40 years and is one of the world's leading experts on cellular slime moulds. Arizona State University says that the establishment and growth of developmental-evolutionary biology owes a great debt to the work of Bonner’s studies. His work is highly readable and unusually clearly written and his contributions have made many complicated ideas of biology accessible to a wide audience.
between 1937 and 1947, aside from a stint in the United States Army Air Corps
from 1942 to 1946. His PhD
studies were interrupted by this stint in the Air Corps, so he completed his studies in an unusually short period of time. He soon joined the faculty of Princeton University, becoming the chairman of the Princeton Biology Department between 1966 and 1977, also in 1983-84 and 1987-88.
He holds three honorary doctorates and is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
. He was made a National Academy of Sciences
fellow in 1973.
He was a visiting scholar at the Indian Institute of Science
in 1993 and the Indian Academy of Sciences
in 1990. He has also been visiting faculty at Brooklyn College
, Williams College
and University College, London. He also was a Sheldon Travelling Fellow in 1941 in Panama
and Cuba
while in graduate school, a Rockefeller Traveling Fellow 1953 in Paris
, France, and held Guggenheim Fellowships in 1958 and from 1971-1972 in Edinburgh, Scotland. He held an National Science Foundation
Senior Postdoctoral Fellowship in Cambridge, England in 1963. He also had Commonwealth Foundation
Book Fund Fellowships in 1971 and between 1984 and in 1985 Edinburgh, Scotland and a Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation Book Fund Fellowship in 1978 in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Some of his works include:
His autobiography, "Lives of a Biologist: Adventures in a Century of Extraordinary Science" was the winner of the 2002 ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Award.
. The Nobel Prize winner German biologist Hermann J. Muller in 1966 circulated a petition entitled: "Is Biological Evolution a Principle of Nature that has been well established by Science?", in May 1966.
Bonner signed this manifesto, along with 176 other leading American biologists, including several Nobel Prize winners.
Ecology and evolutionary biology
Some U.S. universities are home to degree programs titled Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, offering integrated studies in the disciplines of ecology and evolutionary biology. The wording is intended as representing the alternative approach from the frequently used pairing of Cell and Molecular...
at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
. He is a pioneer in the use of cellular slime molds to understand evolution and development over a career of 40 years and is one of the world's leading experts on cellular slime moulds. Arizona State University says that the establishment and growth of developmental-evolutionary biology owes a great debt to the work of Bonner’s studies. His work is highly readable and unusually clearly written and his contributions have made many complicated ideas of biology accessible to a wide audience.
Career
Bonner is the George M. Moffett Professor Emeritus of Biology at Princeton University. He was trained at Harvard UniversityHarvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
between 1937 and 1947, aside from a stint in the United States Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
from 1942 to 1946. His PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
studies were interrupted by this stint in the Air Corps, so he completed his studies in an unusually short period of time. He soon joined the faculty of Princeton University, becoming the chairman of the Princeton Biology Department between 1966 and 1977, also in 1983-84 and 1987-88.
He holds three honorary doctorates and is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Association for the Advancement of Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science is an international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsibility, and supporting scientific education and science outreach for the...
. He was made a National Academy of Sciences
United States National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
fellow in 1973.
He was a visiting scholar at the Indian Institute of Science
Indian Institute of Science
Indian Institute of Science is a research institution of higher learning located in Bangalore, India. It was established in 1909.-History:After a chance meeting between Jamsetji N...
in 1993 and the Indian Academy of Sciences
Indian Academy of Sciences
The Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore was founded by Sir C. V. Raman, and was registered as a Society on 24 April 1934. Inaugurated on 31 July 1934, it began with 65 founding fellows. The first general meeting of Fellows, held on the same day, elected Professor Raman as President, and adopted...
in 1990. He has also been visiting faculty at Brooklyn College
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn College is a senior college of the City University of New York, located in Brooklyn, New York, United States.Established in 1930 by the New York City Board of Higher Education, the College had its beginnings as the Downtown Brooklyn branches of Hunter College and the City College of New...
, Williams College
Williams College
Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams. Originally a men's college, Williams became co-educational in 1970. Fraternities were also phased out during this...
and University College, London. He also was a Sheldon Travelling Fellow in 1941 in Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
and Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
while in graduate school, a Rockefeller Traveling Fellow 1953 in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France, and held Guggenheim Fellowships in 1958 and from 1971-1972 in Edinburgh, Scotland. He held an National Science Foundation
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
Senior Postdoctoral Fellowship in Cambridge, England in 1963. He also had Commonwealth Foundation
Commonwealth Foundation
The Commonwealth Foundation is an intergovernmental organisation that was established by the Commonwealth Heads of Government in 1965, the same year as its sister organisation, the Commonwealth Secretariat...
Book Fund Fellowships in 1971 and between 1984 and in 1985 Edinburgh, Scotland and a Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation Book Fund Fellowship in 1978 in Edinburgh, Scotland.
His Work
He has written several books on developmental biology and evolution, many scientific papers, and has produced a number of works in biology. He is best known as one of the world's leading experts on slime moulds and he has led the way in making Dictyostelium discoideum a model organism central to examining some of the major questions in experimental biology. He defines the complexity of an organism as the number of types of cells in it though complexity theorists disagree and he argues that both plant and animal taxa which have evolved later, have a greater number of cell types than their predecessors, and seeks an explanation acceptable to neo-Darwinism.Some of his works include:
- The Cellular Slime Molds
- The Evolution of Complexity by Means of Natural Selection [Review]
- The Evolution of Culture in Animals
- Life Cycles
- Morphogenesis: an Essay on Development
- On Development: The Biology of form, Harvard University PressHarvard University PressHarvard University Press is a publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University, and focused on academic publishing. In 2005, it published 220 new titles. It is a member of the Association of American University Presses. Its current director is William P...
- Cells and Societies
- First Signals
- The Ideas of Biology
- Sixty Years of Biology
- Size and Cycle
- Why Size Matters: From Bacteria to Blue Whales
- Lives of a Biologist: Adventures in a Century of Extraordinary Science, Harvard University PressHarvard University PressHarvard University Press is a publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University, and focused on academic publishing. In 2005, it published 220 new titles. It is a member of the Association of American University Presses. Its current director is William P...
.
His autobiography, "Lives of a Biologist: Adventures in a Century of Extraordinary Science" was the winner of the 2002 ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Award.
Support for evolution
Bonner was involved with one of the earliest efforts to express scientific support for evolutionLevel of support for evolution
The level of support for evolution among scientists, the public and other groups is a topic that frequently arises in the creation-evolution controversy and touches on educational, religious, philosophical, scientific and political issues. The subject is primarily contentious in the United States...
. The Nobel Prize winner German biologist Hermann J. Muller in 1966 circulated a petition entitled: "Is Biological Evolution a Principle of Nature that has been well established by Science?", in May 1966.
Bonner signed this manifesto, along with 176 other leading American biologists, including several Nobel Prize winners.