ROYAL SOCIETY
OF SOUTH AFRICA
Lecture Series
2019
Mike Bruton
Emeritus Professor, University of Cape Town
Former
Director of the JLB Smith Institute of Ichthyology
Makanda
will present a
lecture entitled
The Coelacanth and the Life and Work of Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer
Wednesday 23 October 2019
Time: 5.45 pm
Venue: John
Bews Lecture Theatre,
Life Sciences
Campus, Pietermaritzburg.
Professor Mike Bruton was born in
East London, and graduated with a BSc (Hons), Master of Science and Doctor of
Philosophy and a Doctor of Science honoris
causae from Rhodes University, South Africa. His main research fields were
initially ichthyology, aquatic biology and ecology, then fish life histories,
aquatic conservation and management, traditional fishing methods, and finally
indigenous knowledge systems and environmental education. More recently, he has
focussed on the psychology of learning, nature of creativity, structure and
function of the brain, history and development of museums and science centres,
history and role of science and technology, history of Islamic contributions to
science and technology, and technological innovation. He is a Fellow of the
Linnean Society of London, Fellow of the Royal Society of South Africa and has
won many awards such as a Lifetime Achievement Award from the South African
National Science and Technology Forum. Professor Bruton is Emeritus Professor,
University of Cape Town, has an Honorary doctorate in Science, from Rhodes
University, is an Honorary Life Member of the Two Oceans Aquarium, Cape Town
and the South African Association for Science & Technology Centres, and an
Honorary Research Associate of the South African Institute for Aquatic
Biodiversity, Grahamstown. Until 2015 Prof Bruton was also employed by the MTE
Studios, Dubai, Cape Town and Bahrain and he is now self-employed as ‘Mike
Bruton Imagineering’. He has published over 120 peer-reviewed scientific papers
and authored, co-authored and edited 30 scientific books on aquatic biology,
ichthyology, as well as three on South African inventions, six books for
children, and 800 popular science and technology articles in magazines,
newspapers and newsletters worldwide. He has been a lecturer of under-and
post-graduate students at universities and has served on many committees and
consultancy panels.
Mike Bruton will describe his recollections of Marjorie
Courtenay-Latimer. Not only did she save the coelacanth for Science, as the first
bird-ringer in South Africa, she endured rugged expeditions to collect
specimens for the East London museum that she curated. She was an important
researcher on flowers (she has a Lachenalia named in her honour), as well as fossils,
birds and isiXhosa customs. From child prodigy to a world-famous scientist,
despite great hardships in her life, her extraordinary story will be told with
legendary attention to detail. Prof Bruton has
published his autobiography, “When I was a Fish” and three other compelling
books, “The Annotated Old Four Legs: The Updated Story of the Coelacanth”, as
well as “The Amazing Coelacanth and The Fishy Smith: A Biography of JLB and
Margaret Smith” and the book “Curator
and Crusader: The Life and Work of Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer”. These books will be on sale
at the talk.
All
welcome, please support! Light refreshments will be supplied.
Enquiries:
Dr Edith Elliott – 082 4159435 or Ext 033-2605435.
