David Joseph Patterson (born 19 April 1950) is a Northern Irish
taxonomist
In biology, taxonomy () is the science, scientific study of naming, defining (Circumscription (taxonomy), circumscribing) and classifying groups of biological organisms based on shared characteristics. Organisms are grouped into taxon, taxa (si ...
specializing in
protozoa
Protozoa (: protozoan or protozoon; alternative plural: protozoans) are a polyphyletic group of single-celled eukaryotes, either free-living or parasitic, that feed on organic matter such as other microorganisms or organic debris. Historically ...
and the use of taxonomy in
biodiversity informatics Biodiversity informatics is the application of informatics (academic field), informatics techniques to biodiversity information, such as Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy, biogeography or ecology. It is defined as the application of information technolog ...
.
Early life and education
David Joseph Patterson was born in
Belfast
Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...
,
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...
on 19 April 1950 to Doris Mary (née Bell) and Samuel Patterson, with one elder brother (mathematician
Samuel James) and a sister (Frances Mary). Father of Alice Mia Vørs Patterson, Daniel Kieran Patterson, and William Patterson. He was educated at Belmont Primary, Strandtown and Grosvenor High schools in Belfast. He obtained his
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, B.S., B.Sc., SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Scienc ...
with
first-class honours
The British undergraduate degree classification system is a grading structure used for undergraduate degrees or bachelor's degrees and integrated master's degrees in the United Kingdom. The system has been applied, sometimes with significant var ...
at
Queen's University Belfast
The Queen's University of Belfast, commonly known as Queen's University Belfast (; abbreviated Queen's or QUB), is a public research university in Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. The university received its charter in 1845 as part of ...
in 1971.
Career
David Patterson obtained a
Doctor of Philosophy
A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of Postgraduate education, graduate study and original resear ...
from the
University of Bristol
The University of Bristol is a public university, public research university in Bristol, England. It received its royal charter in 1909, although it can trace its roots to a Merchant Venturers' school founded in 1595 and University College, Br ...
in 1976, where he was later employed (1977–1993). He obtained his
Doctor of Science
A Doctor of Science (; most commonly abbreviated DSc or ScD) is a science doctorate awarded in a number of countries throughout the world.
Africa
Algeria and Morocco
In Algeria, Morocco, Libya and Tunisia, all universities accredited by the s ...
in 1990 from Queen's University, Belfast. In 1993 he moved to the
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney (USYD) is a public university, public research university in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in both Australia and Oceania. One of Australia's six sandstone universities, it was one of the ...
in
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
where he became Head of the School of Biological Sciences. In 2004, he moved to the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole (Mass., USA) where he helped to establish the Encyclopedia of Life project with responsibility for the informatics component, basing EOL on the model developed with the micro*scope project. From 2012-2014 he was a Research Professor at Arizona State University; and also was Professor (MBL) at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, and an Emeritus Professor of the University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia. As a taxonomist, his primary interests were in the diversity of protozoa and the evolution of protists. He and his co-workers described about 250 new taxa. David Patterson was awarded the Thomas Henry Huxley prize and the Scientific Medal of the Zoological Society of London; has been Secretary of the British Section of the Society of Protozoologists; President of the International Society for Evolutionary Protistology; and Vice-President of the (International) Society of Protozoology. He served as a member of the International Commission for Zoological Nomenclature, of the Editorial Committee for Algae of the International Association for Plant Taxonomy, of the Executive Committee of the International Union of Biological Sciences, and of the Scientific Committee of the World Data System.
He has published approximately 200 peer-reviewed papers including several books throughout his career. Initial interests in ion physiology, volume regulation, and contractile vacuoles shifted to ultrastructural studies, a technique that reshaped the understanding of protist diversity, in turn being further enriched through comparative molecular studies. With Guy Brugerolle, he introduced his concept that clades of protists could usefully be identified by the complement and arrangement of organelles - that is their ultrastructural identity. He later used this concept along with the rationale of
transformed cladistics to redefine the diversity of clades among eukaryotes. This simplified the challenge of establishing a complete phylogeny for eukaryotes by providing a list of the clades among which relatedness was to be established.
In the mid-1980's, Patterson focussed his efforts on free-living heterotrophic flagellates because they were poorly known and were not being actively investigated. Two areas of research were impeded because of the lack of awareness of flagellate diversity. The first was with the emerging concept of
Microbial Food Webs that was transforming appreciation of the dynamics of ocean ecosystems - itself critical to the international
Joint Global Ocean Flux Study targeting a better understanding of carbon fluxes and global warming. Secondly, 9+2 based flagella appeared with or shortly after the origin of eukaryotes, an understanding of the variety of flagellate diversity was expected to create better insights into eukaryotic origins and evolution. With co-workers, this led to recognition of new domains of protistan diversity - such as
stramenopiles
The stramenopiles, also called heterokonts, are Protist, protists distinguished by the presence of stiff tripartite external hairs. In most species, the hairs are attached to flagella, in some they are attached to other areas of the cellular sur ...
,
alveolates
The alveolates (meaning "pitted like a honeycomb") are a group of protists, considered a major unranked clade or superphylum within Eukaryota. They are currently grouped with the Stramenopiles and Rhizaria among the protists with tubulocristat ...
, and the excavates (
excavata
Excavata is an obsolete, extensive and diverse paraphyletic group of unicellular Eukaryota. The group was first suggested by Simpson and Patterson in 1999 and the name latinized and assigned a rank by Thomas Cavalier-Smith in 2002. It contains ...
) - robustly defined by reference to amorphies, then a rarity in protistology.
Patterson explored the emerging and largely theoretical concept that most microbes should have a universal distribution, initially articulated by
Lourens Baas Becking
Lourens Gerhard Marinus Baas Becking (4 January 1895 in Deventer – 6 January 1963 in Canberra, Australia) was a :Dutch botanists, Dutch botanist and :Dutch microbiologists, microbiologist. He is known for the #Baas Becking hypothesis, Baas Becki ...
, and refreshed by
Tom Fenchel and
Bland Finlay. Applying standardized sampling, documentation, and reporting protocols, to communities in marine, freshwater, and extreme sites, in Pacific and Atlantic locations, northern and southern hemispheres, in coastal habitats and deep ocean sediments (etc.), he and co-workers refuted the hypothesis that the taxonomic composition of communities of free-living flagellates were determined by geographic factors. This insight eliminated the need for local catalogues and expertise, accelerating taxonomic, phylogenetic, and ecological studies involving flagellates.
Latterly, his interests shifted to embedding taxonomic expertise in tools that manage biodiversity information. He led the implementation team of the
Encyclopedia of Life
The Encyclopedia of Life (EOL) is a free, online encyclopedia intended to document all of the 1.9 million living species known to science. It aggregates content to form "pages" for every known species. Content is compiled from existing trusted ...
project, was subsequently appointed Senior Taxononomist to the project, and as adviser to the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, a coPI of the Data Conservancy and of the NSF-funded Global Names project, and member of the Plazi team.
He was a prime mover of the
Global Names Architecture project.
Taxa named after him include ''Pattersoniella vitiphila'', Foissner, 1987; ''Protoopalina pattersonii'' Delvinquier, 1995; ''Nuclearia pattersonii'', Nerad, Silberman, et al., 2008; ''Pseudovorticella pattersoni'', Sun, Ji, Warren and Song 2009 and ''Stephanopogon pattersoni'' Lee Miller and Simpson, 2014.
Following retirement from the academic world, he has writte
STEM (Science Technology, Engineering, Math) storytime readersfor parents who seek to promote thoughtfulness in 5-9 year old children.
Taxa described
*''
Actinophrys salsuginosa
''Actinophrys'' is a genus of heliozoa, amoeboid unicellular organisms with many axopodial filaments that radiate out of their cell. It contains one of the most common heliozoan species, ''Actinophrys sol''. It is classified within the monotypic ...
''
*''
Actinophrys tauryanini
''Actinophrys'' is a genus of heliozoa, amoeboid unicellular organisms with many axopodial filaments that radiate out of their cell. It contains one of the most common heliozoan species, ''Actinophrys sol''. It is classified within the monotypic ...
''
*''
Adriamonas peritocrescens''
*''
Adriamonas''
*''
Amphidiniopsis korewalensis''
*''
Amphidinium boggayum''
*''
Amphidinium corrugatum''
*''
Amphidinium mootonorum''
*''
Amphidinium yuroogurrum''
*''
Ancyromonas melba''
*''
Ancyromonas sinistrae''
*''
Anehmia''
*''
Anehmia exotica''
*''
Anisonema glaciale''
*''
Apusomonas australiensis''
*''
Astasia skvortzovi''
*''
Axodines''
*''
Barthelona''
*''
Barthelona vulgaris''
*''
Bodo cephaloporus''
*''
Bodo cygnus''
*''
Bodo platyrhynchus''
*''
Bodo saliens''
*''
Bordnamonas''
*''
Bordnamonas tropicana''
*''
Cabra matta''
*''
Cabra''
*''
Caecitellus parvulus''
*''
Caecitellus''
*''
Cafeteria
A cafeteria, called canteen outside the U.S., is a type of food service location in which there is little or no waiting staff table service, whether in a restaurant or within an institution such as a large office building or school; a scho ...
''
*''
Cafeteria ligulifera''
*''
Cafeteria minuta''
*''
Cafeteria roenbergensis''
*''
Carpediemonas bialata''
*''
Carpediemonas''
*''
Carpediemonas membranifera''
*''
Centroheliozoa
The centrohelids or centroheliozoa are a large group of heliozoan protists. They include both mobile and sessile forms, found in freshwater and marine environments, especially at some depth.
Characteristics
Individuals are unicellular and spher ...
''
*''
Cercomonas granulatus''
*''
Chlamydaster fimbriatus''
*''
Ciliophrys azurina''
*''
Clautriavia cavus''
*''
Colpodella turpis''
*''
Colpodella unguis''
*''
Cristamonadida''
*''
Cryptaulax elegans''
*''
Dinema dimorphum''
*''
Dinema inaequale''
*''
Dinema litorale''
*''
Dinema maculata''
*''
Dinema platysomum''
*''
Dinema validum''
*''
Dinematomonas inaequale''
*''
Dinematomonas litorale''
*''
Dinematomonas maculata''
*''
Dinematomonas valida''
*''
Dingensia angusta''
*''
Dingensia''
*''
Diplonema ambulator''
*''
Diplonema metabolicum''
*''
Dolium A dolium (plural: dolia) is a large earthenware vase or vessel used in ancient Roman times for the fermentation of alcoholic beverages, as well as storage or transportation of goods.
They are similar to kvevri, large Georgian vessels used to fer ...
''
*''
Dolium sedentarium''
*''
Eufolliculina uhligi''
*''
Eumycetes''
*''
Fromentella granulosa''
*''
Fromentella''
*''
Glissandra innuerende''
*''
Glissandra''
*''
Goniomonas amphinema''
*''
Goniomonas pacifica''
*''
Gyrodinium oblongum''
*''
Heteronema exaratum''
*''
Heteronema larseni''
*''
Heteronema pterbica''
*''
Heteronema splendens''
*''
Heteronema vittatum''
*''
Jakoba incarcerata''
*''
Jakoba libera''
*''
Jakoba
''Jakoba'' is a genus in the taxon Excavata, and currently has a single described species, ''Jakoba libera'' described by David_J._Patterson, Patterson in 1990, and named in honour of Dutch botanist (Algology, Myology and Lichenology) Jakoba Rui ...
''
*''
Jenningsia curvicauda''
*''
Jenningsia deflexum''
*''
Jenningsia furcatum''
*''
Jenningsia fusiforme''
*''
Jenningsia glabrum''
*''
Jenningsia granuliferum''
*''
Jenningsia kupfferi''
*''
Jenningsia limax''
*''
Jenningsia macer''
*''
Jenningsia macrostomum''
*''
Jenningsia nigrum''
*''
Jenningsia sacculus''
*''
Kamera lens''
*''
Kamera''
*''
Kiitoksia kaloista''
*''
Macappella''
*''
Massisteria''
*''
Massisteria marina''
*''
Mastigamoeba psammobia''
*''
Mastigamoeba punctachora''
*''
Mastigamoeba schizophrenia''
*''
Metafolliculina ballerina''
*''
Metopion fluens''
*''
Metopion''
*''
Metromonas grandis''
*''
Metromonas''
*''
Metromonas simplex''
*''
Ministeria marisola''
*''
Ministeria''
*''
Monotrichomonas''
*''
Monotrichomonas''
*''
Notosolenus adamus''
*''
Notosolenus alatellus''
*''
Notosolenus brothernis''
*''
Notosolenus hamelini''
*''
Notosolenus hemicircularis''
*''
Notosolenus lashue''
*''
Notosolenus mediocanellatus''
*''
Notosolenus navicula''
*''
Notosolenus ostium''
*''
Notosolenus pyriforme''
*''
Notosolenus scutulum''
*''
Notosolenus steini''
*''
Notosolenus tamanduensis''
*''
Notosolenus triangularis''
*''
Notosolenus urceolatus''
*''
Nuclearia flavescens''
*''
Nuclearia flavocapsulata''
*''
Nuclearia leuckarti''
*''
Nuclearia radians''
*''
Nuclearia ruber''
*''
Palustrimonas yorkeensis''
*''
Peranema dolichonema''
*''
Peranema dolichonema''
*''
Peranema macrostoma''
*''
Percolomonas cosmopolitus''
*''
Percolomonas cuspidata''
*''
Percolomonas descissus''
*''
Percolomonas elephas''
*''
Percolomonas''
*''
Percolomonas membranifera''
*''
Percolomonas pyriformis''
*''
Percolomonas salinus''
*''
Percolomonas similis''
*''
Percolomonas spinosus''
*''
Percolomonas sulcatus''
*''
Petalomonas boadicea''
*''
Petalomonas calycimonoides''
*''
Petalomonas christeni''
*''
Petalomonas compressa''
*''
Petalomonas intortus''
*''
Petalomonas iugosus''
*''
Petalomonas labrum''
*''
Petalomonas marginalis''
*''
Petalomonas minor''
*''
Petalomonas physaloides''
*''
Petalomonas planus''
*''
Petalomonas poosilla''
*''
Petalomonas quinquecarinata''
*''
Petalomonas raiula''
*''
Petalomonas spinifera''
*''
Petalomonas virgatus''
*''
Phyllomitus granulatus''
*''
Phyllomitus vesiculosus''
*''
Platychilomonas''
*''
Platychilomonas psammobia''
*''
Plaustrimonas''
*''
Pleurostomum turgidum''
*''
Ploeotia adhaerens''
*''
Ploeotia adhaerens''
*''
Ploeotia amygdala''
*''
Ploeotia azurina''
*''
Ploeotia corrugata''
*''
Ploeotia decipiens''
*''
Ploeotia discoides''
*''
Ploeotia heracleum''
*''
Ploeotia laminae''
*''
Ploeotia longifilum''
*''
Ploeotia obliqua''
*''
Ploeotia oblonga''
*''
Ploeotia plumosa''
*''
Ploeotia pseudanisonema''
*''
Ploeotia punctata''
*''
Ploeotia robusta''
*''
Ploeotia scrobiculata''
*''
Ploeotia tasmanica''
*''
Ploeotia tenuis''
*''
Protaspis gemmifera''
*''
Protaspis obliqua''
*''
Protaspis tegere''
*''
Protaspis verrucosa''
*''
Pseudoperanema dolichonema''
*''
Pseudophyllomitus apiculatus''
*''
Pseudophyllomitus granulatus''
*''
Pseudophyllomitus vesiculosis''
*''
Pteridomonas danica''
*''
Quasibodo''
*''
Quasibodo laughtoni''
*''
Ramicristates''
*''
Rhabdomonas mirabilis''
*''
Rhinodinium broomeensis''
*''
Rhinodinium''
*''
Rhizomonas setigera''
*''
Rhynchobodo simius''
*''
Sciviamonas''
*''
Sciviamonas terricola''
*''
Sloomycetes''
*''
Slopalinida''
*''
Sphenomonas alburiae''
*''
Stramenochromes''
*''
Stramenopiles
The stramenopiles, also called heterokonts, are Protist, protists distinguished by the presence of stiff tripartite external hairs. In most species, the hairs are attached to flagella, in some they are attached to other areas of the cellular sur ...
''
*''
Tetradimorpha pterbica''
*''
Thecamonas filosa''
*''
Thecamonas''
*''
Thecamonas mutabilis''
*''
Thecamonas trahens''
*''
Toshiba
is a Japanese multinational electronics company headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. Its diversified products and services include power, industrial and social infrastructure systems, elevators and escalators, electronic components, semiconductors ...
''
*''
Toshiba vorax''
*''
Trimastix inaequalis''
*''
Urceolus cornutus''
*''
Urceolus costatus''
References
* http://eol.org
* micro*scope https://web.archive.org/web/20140729041740/http://pinkava.asu.edu/starcentral/microscope/portal.php
* http://dataconservancy.org
* http://globalnames.org
Biographical sketch for MBLIt Came from the Pond - An interview with David J. Patterson
{{DEFAULTSORT:Patterson, David J.
Academic staff of the University of Sydney
Australian biologists
Australian taxonomists
Protistologists
1950 births
Living people
Irish taxonomists
20th-century British scientists
20th-century Australian scientists
21st-century Australian scientists
20th-century British biologists
21st-century Irish biologists
21st-century British biologists
21st-century biologists from Northern Ireland
Alumni of Queen's University Belfast