Barbara Hibbs Blake (August 6, 1937 – August 18, 2019) was an American

mammalogist In zoology, mammalogy is the study of mammals – a class of vertebrates with characteristics such as homeothermic metabolism, fur, four-chambered hearts, and complex nervous system In biology, the nervous system is the highly complex part ...

and college professor.

Early life

Barbara Jo Hibbs was born in Roseburg, Oregon, the daughter of Gordon Reid Hibbs and Marybelle Hauskins Hibbs (later Ramsby). Her mother was a nurse. She graduated from

Portland State University Portland State University (PSU) is a public research university in Portland, Oregon. It was founded in 1946 as a post-secondary educational institution for World War II veterans. It evolved into a four-year college over the following two decad ...

in 1959, and completed doctoral studies at

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

in 1967. Her dissertation under entomologist

Charles Lee Remington Charles Lee Remington (January 19, 1922 – May 31, 2007) was an American entomologist known for studies of butterflies and moths, a Yale University professor, and is considered the father of modern lepidoptery. He established a Periodical Cic ...

was titled "A comparative study of energy and water conservation throughout the annual cycle in ground dwelling ''

Sciuridae Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae, a family that includes small or medium-size rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others), and flying squirrels. Squ ...

''."

Career

Blake was a mammalogist. Her physiology research resulted in articles including "The annual cycle and fat storage in two populations of

golden-mantled ground squirrel The golden-mantled ground squirrel (''Callospermophilus lateralis'') is a ground squirrel native to western North America. It is distributed in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia and Alberta, and through much of the western United States. ...

s" (''Journal of Mammalogy'' 1972), "The effects of kidney structure and the annual cycle on water requirements in golden-mantled ground squirrels and chipmunks" (''Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Physiology'' 1977), and "Reproduction of Asian chipmunks ('' Tamias sibiricus'') in captivity" (''Zoo Biology'' 1984, with K. E. Gillett). In her later work, she studied the vocalizations of voles, in "Ultrasonic vocalization and body temperature maintenance in infant voles of three species (Rodentia: '' Arvicolidae'')" (''Developmental Psychobiology'' 1992), and "Ultrasonic calling in isolated infant prairie voles ('' Microtus ochrogaster'') and

montane vole The montane vole (''Microtus montanus'') is a species of vole native to the western United States and Canada. Description Montane voles are medium-sized voles, with a total length of , including the tail. Adults typically weigh anything from , ...

s (''M. montanus'')" (''Journal of Mammalogy'' 2002). Blake worked at

Drew University Drew University is a private university in Madison, New Jersey. Drew has been nicknamed the "University in the Forest" because of its wooded campus. As of fall 2020, more than 2,200 students were pursuing degrees at the university's three sch ...

Queen Mary College , mottoeng = With united powers , established = 1785 – The London Hospital Medical College1843 – St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College1882 – Westfield College1887 – East London College/Queen Mary College , type = Public researc ...

Bennett College Bennett College is a private historically black liberal arts college for women in Greensboro, North Carolina. It was founded in 1873 as a normal school to educate freedmen and train both men and women as teachers. Originally coed, in 1926 it ...

, and

University of North Carolina at Greensboro The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG or UNC Greensboro) is a public research university in Greensboro, North Carolina. It is part of the University of North Carolina system. UNCG, like all members of the UNC system, is a stand- ...

. She was a member of the science professional fraternity

Sigma Xi Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society () is a highly prestigious, non-profit honor society for scientists and engineers. Sigma Xi was founded at Cornell University by a junior faculty member and a small group of graduate students in 1886 ...

, and of the American Society of Mammalogists. From the latter organization, she received the Hartley H.T. Jackson Award in 2007. She was editor in chief of the ''

Journal of Mammalogy The ''Journal of Mammalogy'' is a bimonthly peer-reviewed scientific journal published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society of Mammalogists. Both the society and the journal were established in 1919. The journal covers r ...

''.

Personal life

Barbara Hibbs married Anthony Groverman Blake Jr. in 1962. They had daughters Virginia and Elizabeth (Eliza). Barbara Hibbs Blake died in 2019, aged 82 years, in Lincoln, Massachusetts. There is an Anthony and Barbara Blake Scholarship Fund at

Guilford College Guilford College is a private liberal arts college in Greensboro, North Carolina. Guilford has both traditional students and students who attend its Center for Continuing Education (CCE). Founded in 1837 by members of the Religious Society o ...

in Greensboro, North Carolina.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Blake, Barbara Hibbs 1937 births 2019 deaths People from Roseburg, Oregon American mammalogists Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alumni Academic journal editors