Revisiting Levine 2000

In 2000, Jonathan Levine published a paper in Science reporting the results of a field experiment that showed that the impact of species diversity on invasive diversity depends on spatial scale. At small scales, the removal of species reduces invasion resistance, but at community-wide scales, the more diverse a community is the more likely it …

Revisiting Clutton-Brock and Harvey 1977

In 1977, Tim Clutton-Brock and Paul Harvey published a paper in the Journal of Zoology reporting the results of their comparative analysis of the ecology and social organization of 100 primate species. This study was probably the first to statistically account for the non-independence of data as a result of species' phylogenetic relationships, a theme …

Revisiting Coley 1983

In 1983, Phyllis Coley published a paper in Ecological Monographs reporting the results of her survey of herbivory and defense traits of rainforest tree species on the Barro Colorado Island (BCI), Panama. Based on the findings of her survey, Coley proposed a new model for the evolution of plant defenses. Thirty-three years after the paper …

Revisiting Bonner 1947

In 1947, John Tyler Bonner published a paper in the Journal of Experimental Zoology presenting results of his experiments that suggested that a form of "chemotaxis" was the mechanism underlying aggregation of cells in slime molds . Sixty-nine years after the paper was published, I asked John Bonner about how he got interested in slime molds, …

Revisiting Davies 1978

In the summer of 1976, having just completed his PhD from Oxford and with some time to spare before his next job, Nick Davies decided to do a short study of speckled wood butterflies in Wytham Woods, where he was living at the time. Davies observed that male speckled woods seemed to defend sunspots in …

Revisiting Perrins 1965

In 1965, Christopher Perrins published a paper in the Journal of Animal Ecology, reporting the results of  his study on the population biology of the Great Tit in Wytham Woods, a site made famous by the work initiated by David Lack, Christopher Perrin's PhD supervisor. Fifty-one years after the paper was published, I asked Chris …

Revisiting Seehausen et al. 1997

In 1997, Ole Seehausen, Jacques van Alphen and Frans Witte published a paper in Science providing evidence for a novel route through which eutrophication can reduce species diversity. Species of cichlid fish in Lake Victoria are capable of interbreeding, but mate choice based on coloration and subsequent assortative mating keeps species distinct. Seehausen and colleagues found …

Revisiting Hrdy 1974

In a paper published in Folia Primatologica in 1974, Sarah Blaffer Hrdy  reported the findings of her field study on Hanuman Langurs in India that suggested that infant-killing by male langurs was a reproductive strategy. Forty-two years after the paper was published, I asked Sarah Hrdy about the origin of this study, its reception when the …

Revisiting Le Boeuf 1974

In 1974, Burney Le Boeuf published a paper in American Zoologist that described his field behavioural studies on the role of competition in determining reproductive success of elephant seals on Año Nuevo Island, California. Forty-two years after the paper was published I asked Burney Le Boeuf about the origin of this study, his recollection of …