Alison Jolly, 1937-2014

Alison Jolly, n¨¦e Bishop, was born in Ithaca, New York state on 9 May 1937 and studied for a first degree in zoology at Cornell University (1958) followed by a doctorate at Yale University (1962). Although she initially worked on sea sponges, her life changed dramatically when she was asked to ¡°babysit¡± some lemurs at Yale in 1959 and she decided to become a primatologist.

Starting her fieldwork in 바카라사이트 south of Madagascar, Dr?Jolly was 바카라사이트 first to demonstrate that ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) live in groups where females dominate. She later argued that social interactions are a?major factor spurring 바카라사이트 evolution of intelligence.

Although she never had a full-time faculty position, Dr?Jolly worked as a teaching associate at 바카라사이트 New York Zoological Society (1962-64) and later at 바카라사이트 University of Zambia, 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge, 바카라사이트 Rockefeller University and Princeton University. She had an even longer connection with 바카라사이트 University of Sussex as a research associate (1971-74 and 1978-81) and, from 2000, as a visiting senior research fellow.

Academic publications by Dr Jolly include Lemur Behavior: A Madagascar Field Study (1966), The Evolution of Primate Behaviour (1972 and 1985) and Lucy¡¯s Legacy: Sex and Intelligence in Human Evolution (1999). She also wrote a more personal account of 40 years¡¯ fieldwork, Lords & Lemurs: Mad Scientists, Kings with Spears, and 바카라사이트 Survival of Diversity in Madagascar (2004).

Committed to conserving as well as studying 바카라사이트 wildlife of Madagascar, Dr Jolly devoted much time and effort to nurturing a new generation of Malagasy scientists.?She also wrote a series of children¡¯s books, published in English and Malagasy, known as 바카라사이트 Ako Project and featuring 바카라사이트 adventures of six different species (2005, 2012). She followed this with a series in which a girl called Fiddle is visited by ghosts in her home town of Lewes (2012).

Much admired for her work on behalf of 바카라사이트 country, Dr Jolly was awarded a knighthood by 바카라사이트 National Order of Madagascar in 1998 as well as an honorary doctorate from 바카라사이트 University of Antananarivo. In 2006, a?new species of mouse lemur was named Microcebus jollyae in her honour.?

Dr Jolly died of breast cancer on 6 February and is survived by her husband Richard, a research associate at Sussex¡¯s Institute of Development Studies, two sons and two daughters.

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@tsleducation.com