Coelacanth discoverer dies

[chukhung]

Apropos of this classic column of Cecil’s, How come we can’t come up with a way to cure viruses? Plus: what’s this “coelecanth” they talk about in the VW commercial? and numerous threads in GQ, I thought I’d mention the passing of Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer, the discoverer of the coelacanth.

From today’s obituary in the New York Times:

The story of Ms. Courtenay-Latimer’s discovery remains among the most famous in the annals of modern biology. She was a young curator at the East London Museum when, on Dec. 22, 1938, she spotted the coelacanth in a pile of fish on a vessel at the town’s dock. After taking steps to preserve the 127-pound fish, she sent a quick sketch to South Africa’s leading fish expert, Dr. J.L.B. Smith of Rhodes University

“With that action, Courtenay-Latimer became the point person and den mother for all who were to study the fish,” said Dr. Keith S. Thomson, professor emeritus of natural history at Oxford University and author of the book “Living Fossil: The Story of the Coelacanth” (1991).

She never married, but her name lives on. Dr. Smith named the species after her: Latimeria chalumnae. A fitting tribute, I think.

[ElectricZ]

Wow… it’s just one of those odd things that causes odd memories to pop up, but a book called “The Search for a Living Fossil” or something like that was a book that got me turned onto science as a kid in elementary school. It detailed her discovery of the coelacanth, and further efforts to prove an animal that was supposed to be long extinct was actually still swimming around in the ocean.

Not that I turned into a Nobel Prize winning astrophysicist or anything, but that story really direct me towards investigating and asking questions. Thank you, Mrs. Latimer…

EZ

[bonzer]

@chukhung

From today’s obituary in the New York Times:

The New York Times seems to have been tardy compared to the British press: both the Guardian’s and the Independent’s obituaries ran a week or two back (indeed the free web access to the latter has now lapsed).

[chukhung]

@bonzer

The New York Times seems to have been tardy compared to the British press

I sometimes think that the NY Times likes to have obituary “themes”. Very old naturalists seemed to be one of today’s. On the same page as Ms. Courtenay-Latimer’s obit, there was also one for Alexander Skutch, a 99 year old ornithologist who died way back on May 12.

[AHunter3]

Another Search for a Living Fossil fan here. Goodbye Ms. Latimer. So long and thanks for all the fish, I guess.

[jimbobboy]

For romance, and mystery, and intellectual excitement, the coelacanth story has to be one of the best yarns ever.

If you’d like a balanced, absorbing, scientifically literate account of the coelacanth’s discovery, let me recommend another book – Willy Ley’s Exotic Zoology (New York: The Viking Press, Inc., 1995). It’s only one of many fascinating chapters in a book written by one who knows the science and loves the adventure.

Check out the recent Nova (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/fish/) for an excellent recounting of the human story, including a birthday party for Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer with a coelacanth cake.
She was a brilliant, perceptive woman surrounded by lesser minds. She had to skin the first specimen, sacrificing the incredibly important innards, because she couldn’t persuade the blockheads at the East London morgue to make a place on a slab.

I am saddened to hear of her passing. We were lucky to have her with us so long.

[AncientHumanoid]

@jimbobboy

including a birthday party for Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer with a coelacanth cake.

With mint frosting!

I’m not surprised that the UK press beat NYC. She was a local to them.

btw, I’ve been fascinated by the ceolacanth story since I was mere child.