D.M.S. Watson
Encyclopedia
David Meredith Seares Watson FRS (18 June 1886 – 23 July 1973) was the Jodrell Professor of Zoology and Comparative Anatomy at University College, London from 1921 to 1951.
, the only son of David Watson, a pioneering metallurgist. He was educated at Manchester Grammar School
and the University of Manchester
. He specialised in geology and began to study plant fossil
s in coal
deposits. In 1907, his final year, he published an important paper on coal ball
s with Marie Stopes
(who had an early career as a paleobotanist); after graduating with first class honours he was appointed as a Beyer
fellow at Manchester and went on to complete his MSc
in 1909.
After his MSc, Watson continued to develop his wide interest in fossils and studied intensively at the British Museum of Natural History
in London
, and on extended visits to South Africa
, Australia
, and the United States
. In 1912 he was appointed as a Lecturer in Vertebrate Palaeontology, at University College London by Professor James Peter Hill
.
His academic work was eventually interrupted in 1916 by World War I
when he took a commission in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. He was later transferred to the nascent Royal Air Force
where he worked on balloon
and airship
fabric design.
.
in 1924. Four years later, he was invited to give the Romanes Lecture
at the University of Oxford
; he spoke on "Paleontology and the Evolution of Man".
He was appointed to the British government's Agricultural Research Council in 1931, which involved spending time in the United States
where he lectured at Yale University
in 1937. At the outbreak of World War II he returned to Britain to supervise the evacuation of the UCL Zoology department to Bangor, Wales
, and then became Secretary of the Scientific Subcommittee of the Food Policy Committee of the War Cabinet
.
After the war he continued to teach and to travel widely. He received many awards and academic honours including the Darwin Medal
from the Royal Society
, the Linnean Medal
from the Linnean Society, the Wollaston Medal
from the Geological Society of London
, and honorary degrees from many universities in Britain and elsewhere. In 1941 Watson was awarded the Mary Clark Thompson Medal
from the National Academy of Sciences
. He retired from his chair in 1951, but continued to study and publish at UCL until his full retirement in 1965. He was awarded the Linnean Society of London
's prestigious Darwin-Wallace Medal
in 1958.
His scientific research, besides his early original work on fossil plants and coal ball
s, was chiefly concerned with vertebrate palaeontology, especially fossil reptiles. He amassed a large collection of fossils from his wide travels.
is named in his honour. It is UCL's second largest library and is in Malet Place adjacent to the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology
.
It is thus due to Watson's assessment of evolution has having an explanatory power for observations in biology superior to special creation that he labels special creation, as well as other alternatives, "incredible" and not from any predetermined dogmatic stance against creationism per se. One should finally note that although Watson's statements are supportive of theory of evolution, proponents of evolution themselves have found several aspects of his article as well as its use in current discussions on the status of evolution problematic.
Early life
Watson was born at Higher Broughton, near Salford, LancashireLancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, the only son of David Watson, a pioneering metallurgist. He was educated at Manchester Grammar School
Manchester Grammar School
The Manchester Grammar School is the largest independent day school for boys in the UK . It is based in Manchester, England...
and the University of Manchester
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
. He specialised in geology and began to study plant fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
s in coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
deposits. In 1907, his final year, he published an important paper on coal ball
Coal ball
Coal balls, despite their name, are calcium-rich masses of permineralised life forms, generally having a round shape. Coal balls were formed roughly , during the Carboniferous Period...
s with Marie Stopes
Marie Stopes
Marie Carmichael Stopes was a British author, palaeobotanist, campaigner for women's rights and pioneer in the field of birth control...
(who had an early career as a paleobotanist); after graduating with first class honours he was appointed as a Beyer
Beyer Chair of Applied Mathematics
The Beyer Chair of Applied Mathematics is an endowed professorial position in the School of Mathematics, University of Manchester, England. The endowment came from the engineer Charles Frederick Beyer, a generous supporter of the University....
fellow at Manchester and went on to complete his MSc
MSC
- Computers:* Mario Strikers Charged* Microsoft Common Console Document, file for the Microsoft Management Console* Microelectronics Support Centre* Microsoft Corporation* MIDI Show Control* Message Sequence Chart...
in 1909.
After his MSc, Watson continued to develop his wide interest in fossils and studied intensively at the British Museum of Natural History
Natural History Museum
The Natural History Museum is one of three large museums on Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, England . Its main frontage is on Cromwell Road...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and on extended visits to South Africa
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...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In 1912 he was appointed as a Lecturer in Vertebrate Palaeontology, at University College London by Professor James Peter Hill
James Peter Hill
James Peter Hill was a British embryologist.Born in Edinburgh he gained a DSc at Edinburgh University but went to Australia in 1892. In Australia he formed with a group dubbed "The Fraternity of Duckmaloi" that did studies on the platypus and was named for a noted "hunting ground" for the animal....
.
His academic work was eventually interrupted in 1916 by World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
when he took a commission in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. He was later transferred to the nascent Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
where he worked on balloon
Balloon
A balloon is an inflatable flexible bag filled with a gas, such as helium, hydrogen, nitrous oxide, oxygen, or air. Modern balloons can be made from materials such as rubber, latex, polychloroprene, or a nylon fabric, while some early balloons were made of dried animal bladders, such as the pig...
and airship
Airship
An airship or dirigible is a type of aerostat or "lighter-than-air aircraft" that can be steered and propelled through the air using rudders and propellers or other thrust mechanisms...
fabric design.
Marriage and children
Watson was married in 1917 to Katharine Margarite Parker, and had two daughters, Katharine Mary and Janet VidaJanet Vida Watson
Professor Janet Vida Watson FRS FGS was a British geologist. She was the first woman to become president of the Geological Society of London.-Early life:...
.
Professor of Zoology and Comparative Anatomy
After World War I, Watson returned to academic study and in 1921 he succeeded Hill as the Jodrell Professor of Zoology and Comparative Anatomy at UCL. He devoted his energy to the development of the Zoology department there and consolidated his position as a respected academician. In 1922 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, where he gave the Croonian LectureCroonian Lecture
The Croonian Lectures are prestigious lectureships given at the invitation of the Royal Society and the Royal College of Physicians.Among the papers of William Croone at his death in 1684, was a plan to endow one lectureship at both the Royal Society and the Royal College of Physicians...
in 1924. Four years later, he was invited to give the Romanes Lecture
Romanes Lecture
The Romanes Lecture is a prestigious free public lecture given annually at the Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford, England.The lecture series was founded by, and named after, the biologist George Romanes, and has been running since 1892. Over the years, many notable figures from the Arts and Sciences have...
at the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
; he spoke on "Paleontology and the Evolution of Man".
He was appointed to the British government's Agricultural Research Council in 1931, which involved spending time in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
where he lectured at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in 1937. At the outbreak of World War II he returned to Britain to supervise the evacuation of the UCL Zoology department to Bangor, Wales
Bangor, Wales
Bangor is a city in Gwynedd, north west Wales, and one of the smallest cities in Britain. It is a university city with a population of 13,725 at the 2001 census, not including around 10,000 students at Bangor University. Including nearby Menai Bridge on Anglesey, which does not however form part of...
, and then became Secretary of the Scientific Subcommittee of the Food Policy Committee of the War Cabinet
War Cabinet
A War Cabinet is a committee formed by a government in a time of war. It is usually a subset of the full executive cabinet of ministers. It is also quite common for a War Cabinet to have senior military officers and opposition politicians as members....
.
After the war he continued to teach and to travel widely. He received many awards and academic honours including 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...
from 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"...
, the Linnean Medal
Linnean Medal
The Linnean Medal of the Linnean Society of London was established in 1888, and is awarded annually to alternately a botanist or a zoologist or to one of each in the same year...
from the Linnean Society, the Wollaston Medal
Wollaston Medal
The Wollaston Medal is a scientific award for geology, the highest award granted by the Geological Society of London.The medal is named after William Hyde Wollaston, and was first awarded in 1831...
from the Geological Society of London
Geological Society of London
The Geological Society of London is a learned society based in the United Kingdom with the aim of "investigating the mineral structure of the Earth"...
, and honorary degrees from many universities in Britain and elsewhere. In 1941 Watson was awarded the Mary Clark Thompson Medal
Mary Clark Thompson Medal
The Mary Clark Thompson Medal is awarded by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences "for most important service to geology and paleontology." Named after Mary Clark Thompson, it was first awarded in 1921.- List of Mary Clark Thompson Medal winners :...
from the 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...
. He retired from his chair in 1951, but continued to study and publish at UCL until his full retirement in 1965. He was awarded 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...
's prestigious 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 1958.
His scientific research, besides his early original work on fossil plants and coal ball
Coal ball
Coal balls, despite their name, are calcium-rich masses of permineralised life forms, generally having a round shape. Coal balls were formed roughly , during the Carboniferous Period...
s, was chiefly concerned with vertebrate palaeontology, especially fossil reptiles. He amassed a large collection of fossils from his wide travels.
Published works
- "Palaeontology and the Evolution of Man", Romanes LectureRomanes LectureThe Romanes Lecture is a prestigious free public lecture given annually at the Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford, England.The lecture series was founded by, and named after, the biologist George Romanes, and has been running since 1892. Over the years, many notable figures from the Arts and Sciences have...
, Oxford, 1928 - The Animal Bones from Skara Brae (1931)
- "Science and Government", the Earl Grey Memorial Lecture, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 1942
- "Paleontology and Modern Biology", the Silliman Memorial Lecture, Yale UniversityYale UniversityYale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, 1951 - Many papers on vertebrate palaeontology and connected subjects in Philosophical Transactions, Proceedings of the Zoological Society, Journal of Anatomy, and elsewhere.
DMS Watson Library
The Science library, known as the DMS Watson library, of University College LondonUniversity College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
is named in his honour. It is UCL's second largest library and is in Malet Place adjacent to the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology
Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology
The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology in London, England, which is part of University College LondonMuseums & Collections. The museum contains over 80,000 objects and ranks among some of the world's leading collections of Egyptian and Sudanese material...
.
Famous Quote
This statement by Watson first appeared in an article entitled "Adaption" for the journal Nature. This quote is often utilized in Creationist publications and websites in an attempt to demonstrate that Watson, and thus by extension promoters of evolution in general, simply dismiss creationist viewpoints outright due to a presumed antitheistic bias. However, an examination of the article itself reveals that while Watson is somewhat diffident concerning several of the proposed explanations for and examples of evolutionary adaptation, it is his opinion that evolution has an overall explanatory power that is unmatched by any other competing explanation, including special creation. It is for this reason that Watson states near the beginning of his article in words echoing those quoted above that:It is thus due to Watson's assessment of evolution has having an explanatory power for observations in biology superior to special creation that he labels special creation, as well as other alternatives, "incredible" and not from any predetermined dogmatic stance against creationism per se. One should finally note that although Watson's statements are supportive of theory of evolution, proponents of evolution themselves have found several aspects of his article as well as its use in current discussions on the status of evolution problematic.