Philip Sheppard
Encyclopedia
Professor Philip MacDonald Sheppard, F.R.S.
(27 July 1921–17 October 1976) was a British
geneticist
and lepidopterist
. He made advances in ecological
and population genetics
in lepidoptera
ns, pulmonate land snails and humans. In medical genetics, he worked with Sir Cyril Clarke on Rh disease
.
He was born on 27 July 1921 in Marlborough, Wiltshire, England and attended Marlborough College
from 1935 to 1939.
Cyril Clarke
answered an advert in an insect magazine for swallowtail butterfly
pupa
that had been placed by Sheppard. They met and began working together in their common interest of lepidoptery. They also worked on Rh disease.
In 1961 Sheppard started a colony of scarlet tiger moth
s by the Wirral Way
, West Kirby
, Merseyside
, which were rediscovered in 1988 by Cyril Clarke
, who continued to observe them in his retirement to study changes in the moth population.
Sheppard married Patricia Beatrice Lee in 1948. They had three sons. He died of acute leukemia
on October 17, 1976.
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"...
(27 July 1921–17 October 1976) was 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
Geneticist
A geneticist is a biologist who studies genetics, the science of genes, heredity, and variation of organisms. A geneticist can be employed as a researcher or lecturer. Some geneticists perform experiments and analyze data to interpret the inheritance of skills. A geneticist is also a Consultant or...
and lepidopterist
Lepidopterist
A lepidopterist is a person who specialises in the study of Lepidoptera, members of an order encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
. He made advances in ecological
Ecological genetics
Ecological genetics is the study of genetics in natural populations.This contrasts with classical genetics, which works mostly on crosses between laboratory strains, and DNA sequence analysis, which studies genes at the molecular level....
and population genetics
Population genetics
Population genetics is the study of allele frequency distribution and change under the influence of the four main evolutionary processes: natural selection, genetic drift, mutation and gene flow. It also takes into account the factors of recombination, population subdivision and population...
in lepidoptera
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera is a large order of insects that includes moths and butterflies . It is one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
ns, pulmonate land snails and humans. In medical genetics, he worked with Sir Cyril Clarke on Rh disease
Rh disease
Rh disease is one of the causes of hemolytic disease of the newborn...
.
He was born on 27 July 1921 in Marlborough, Wiltshire, England and attended Marlborough College
Marlborough College
Marlborough College is a British co-educational independent school for day and boarding pupils, located in Marlborough, Wiltshire.Founded in 1843 for the education of the sons of Church of England clergy, the school now accepts both boys and girls of all beliefs. Currently there are just over 800...
from 1935 to 1939.
- 1940 to 1945 - Royal Air ForceRoyal Air ForceThe 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...
Volunteer Reserve (prisoner-of-war from 1942 to 1945). - 1946 to 1948 - Studied ZoologyZoologyZoology |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...
at Worcester College, Oxford University. - 1956 to 1959 - Lecturer at Liverpool University
- 1959 to 1962 - Reader at Liverpool University
- 1963 to 1976 - Professor of genetics at Liverpool University
- 18 March 1965 - FRS
- 1974 - Darwin MedalDarwin MedalThe 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 SocietyRoyal SocietyThe 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"... - 1975 - Linnean MedalLinnean MedalThe 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...
(Gold Medal) for Zoology from the Linnean Society of LondonLinnean Society of LondonThe 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...
Cyril Clarke
Cyril Clarke
Sir Cyril Astley Clarke KBE, FRCP, FRCOG, FRC Path, FRS was a British physician, geneticist and lepidopterist...
answered an advert in an insect magazine for swallowtail butterfly
Swallowtail butterfly
Swallowtail butterflies are large, colorful butterflies that form the family Papilionidae. There are over 550 species, and though the majority are tropical, members of the family are found on all continents except Antarctica...
pupa
Pupa
A pupa is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation. The pupal stage is found only in holometabolous insects, those that undergo a complete metamorphosis, going through four life stages; embryo, larva, pupa and imago...
that had been placed by Sheppard. They met and began working together in their common interest of lepidoptery. They also worked on Rh disease.
In 1961 Sheppard started a colony of scarlet tiger moth
Scarlet tiger moth
The Scarlet Tiger Moth is a colorful moth of Europe, Turkey, Transcaucasus, northern Iran. It belongs to the tiger moth family, Arctiidae....
s by the Wirral Way
Wirral Country Park
The Wirral Country Park is a country park on the Wirral Peninsula, England, lying both in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral and the county of Cheshire...
, West Kirby
West Kirby
West Kirby is a town on the north-west corner of the coast of the Wirral Peninsula, England, at the mouth of the River Dee across from the Point of Ayr in North Wales. To the north-east of the town lies Hoylake, with the suburbs of Grange and Newton to the east, and the village of Caldy to the...
, Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
, which were rediscovered in 1988 by Cyril Clarke
Cyril Clarke
Sir Cyril Astley Clarke KBE, FRCP, FRCOG, FRC Path, FRS was a British physician, geneticist and lepidopterist...
, who continued to observe them in his retirement to study changes in the moth population.
Sheppard married Patricia Beatrice Lee in 1948. They had three sons. He died of acute leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
on October 17, 1976.