Richard Highton (December 24, 1927 – February 19, 2025) was an American

herpetologist Herpetology (from Ancient Greek ἑρπετόν ''herpetón'', meaning "reptile" or "creeping animal") is a branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians (including frogs, salamanders, and caecilians (Gymnophiona)) and reptiles (in ...

, an expert on the

biological classification In biology, taxonomy () is the scientific study of naming, defining ( circumscribing) and classifying groups of biological organisms based on shared characteristics. Organisms are grouped into taxa (singular: taxon), and these groups are give ...

of woodland salamanders.

Background

Highton was born in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

. His father encouraged his son to have an interest in

herpetology Herpetology (from Ancient Greek ἑρπετόν ''herpetón'', meaning "reptile" or "creeping animal") is a branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians (including frogs, salamanders, and caecilians (Gymnophiona)) and reptiles (in ...

. In 1950 he was awarded a bachelor's degree in biology, mathematics and sociology from

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...

, with his studies interrupted by military service. He received his master's degree and Doctorate in Philosophy from the

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preem ...

. In 1950 he married Anne Adams and they had four children together. Highton died on February 19, 2025, at the age of 97.

Career

A field visit to the southern Appalachians mountains in 1948 with

Carl Gans Carl Gans (7 September 1923 – 30 November 2009) was a German-born American zoologist and herpetologist. He and Glen Northcutt proposed the provocative theory of "new head theory", opened up evolutionary developmental biology as a new disc ...

was the start of his work on salamanders. In 1956 he joined the Zoology Department

University of Maryland College Park The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1856, UMD i ...

, with emphasis on genetics and was Professor Emeritus in

Biology Biology is the scientific study of life and living organisms. It is a broad natural science that encompasses a wide range of fields and unifying principles that explain the structure, function, growth, History of life, origin, evolution, and ...

. On his retirement in 1998, his collection of approximately 140,000 salamander specimens was donated to the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...

. Since 1999 he has been a member of the Committee on Standard and English Scientific Names for North American Amphibians and Reptiles. He is the author or co-author of over 90 scientific publications.

Honours and awards

He was president of the

American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists The American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (ASIH) is an international learned society devoted to the scientific studies of ichthyology (study of fish) and herpetology (study of reptiles and amphibians). The primary emphases of th ...

in 1976 and President of the University of the Maryland Chapter of

Sigma Xi Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society () is an international non-profit honor society for scientists and engineers. Sigma Xi was founded at Cornell University by a faculty member and graduate students in 1886 and is one of the oldest ...

from 1979 to 1980. The

intestinal parasite An intestinal parasite infection is a condition in which a parasite infects the gastro-intestinal tract of humans and other animals. Such parasites can live anywhere in the body, but most prefer the intestinal wall. Routes of exposure and inf ...

of salamanders '' Isospora hightoni'' was named in his honour.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Highton, Richard 1927 births 2025 deaths University of Florida alumni University of Maryland, College Park faculty American herpetologists