The Society of Systematic Biologists (SSB) started as the Society of Systematic Zoology in 1947. A temporary constitution was adopted at the first meeting on 28 December 1947. The updated "biologists" organization (from "zoology") become incorporated on August 9, 1971.
Overview
The Society of Systematic Biologists is a non-profit organization for the advancement of the science of systematic biology. Members of the organization and its publication, Systematic Biology (formally known as Systematic Zoology) work on the theory, principles, methodology, and practice of systematics involving living and fossil organisms.
The organization is involved in projects aimed at the study and classification of biodiversity, such as the Systematics Agenda 2000.
The Systematics Agenda 2000 was initiated in conjunction with the SSB by the
American Society of Plant Taxonomists The American Society of Plant Taxonomists (ASPT) is a botanical organization formed in 1935 to "foster, encourage, and promote education and research in the field of plant taxonomy, to include those areas and fields of study that contribute to and b ...
and the
Willi Hennig Society.
The mission of the Systematics Agenda 2000 involving the SSB continues.
Publishing
The society published the journal titled ''Systematic Zoology'' from 1952-1991, which was renamed ''
Systematic Biology
Biological systematics is the study of the diversification of living forms, both past and present, and the relationships among living things through time. Relationships are visualized as evolutionary trees (synonyms: cladograms, phylogenetic tr ...
''.
Ernst Mayr Award
The Society's annual Ernst Mayr Award "is given to the presenter of the outstanding student talk in the field of systematics" at its yearly meeting and is described as the "SSB's premier award", which is "judged by the quality and creativity of the research completed over the course of the student's Ph.D. program".
Past winners include
Alan J. Cooper (1995) and
Hopi Hoekstra
Danielle "Hopi" Elizabeth Hoekstra (born 1972) is an evolutionary biologist working at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts and serving as the Dean of its Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Her lab uses natural populations of rodents to stu ...
(1998).
References
External links
Systematic Zoology
{{DEFAULTSORT:Society of Systematic Biologists
Biology societies
Scientific societies based in the United States
Scientific organizations established in 1947
1947 establishments in the United States