Barbara Pickersgill (born 1940) is a British botanist with a special interest in the

domestication Domestication is a sustained multi-generational relationship in which humans assume a significant degree of control over the reproduction and care of another group of organisms to secure a more predictable supply of resources from that group. ...

of crops, the

genetics Genetics is the study of genes, genetic variation, and heredity in organisms.Hartl D, Jones E (2005) It is an important branch in biology because heredity is vital to organisms' evolution. Gregor Mendel, a Moravian Augustinian friar wor ...

taxonomy Taxonomy is the practice and science of categorization or classification. A taxonomy (or taxonomical classification) is a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical classification, in which things are organized into groups or types. ...

, and

evolutionary biology Evolutionary biology is the subfield of biology that studies the evolutionary processes ( natural selection, common descent, speciation) that produced the diversity of life on Earth. It is also defined as the study of the history of life ...

of cultivated plants, and the preservation of

crop diversity Crop diversity or crop biodiversity is the variety and variability of crops, plants used in agriculture, including their genetic and phenotypic characteristics. It is a subset of and a specific element of agricultural biodiversity. Over the pas ...

. Her 1966 dissertation for the degree of

Doctor of Philosophy A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...

from

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universi ...

concerned the taxonomy of '' Capsicum chinense''. Her doctoral advisor was Charles B. Heiser. When she was awarded the Linnean Medal it was noted that she "is well known throughout the world for her distinguished investigations on the genetics, cytology and systematics of the genus ''Capsicum''". As well as investigating the origins of domesticated pepper species she also investigated the origins of other cultivated plants, including ''Vicia'', ''Psophocarpus'', ''Lens'', ''Cicer'', ''Arachis'', ''Ananas'', ''Gossypium'', ''Ipomoea'' and ''Zea''. She also carried out collecting expeditions to Peru, Brazil, Belize and Papua New Guinea. In 2005 she retired from the School of Biological Sciences at the

University of Reading The University of Reading is a public university in Reading, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1892 as University College, Reading, a University of Oxford extension college. The institution received the power to grant its own degrees in 192 ...

, to become an Honorary Research Associate. Her research projects include: * The

molecular systematics Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...

and the use of wild species in the improvement of farmed chilis (''Capsicum'') * Research on the

of crops, notably the common bean, '' Phaseolus vulgaris'', working with the Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT) in Colombia * The genetic diversity, conservation and improvement of

tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...

crops such as: **Quinoa (''

Chenopodium quinoa Quinoa (''Chenopodium quinoa''; , from Quechua ' or ') is a flowering plant in the amaranth family. It is a herbaceous annual plant grown as a crop primarily for its edible seeds; the seeds are rich in protein, dietary fiber, B vitamins, and ...

''), working with the Centro Internacional de la Papa (CIP) in

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

**Banana ( ''Musa'' species) from the East African Highlands

Honours

In 1993 the

Linnean Society of London The Linnean Society of London is a learned society dedicated to the study and dissemination of information concerning natural history, evolution, and taxonomy. It possesses several important biological specimen, manuscript and literature colle ...

presented Pickersgill with the Linnean Medal for her contribution to botany. In 2000 she was the president of the

Society for Economic Botany The Society for Economic Botany is an international learned society covering the field of economic botany. It was established in 1959. Its official journal is ''Economic Botany'', published on their behalf by Springer Science+Business Media Spr ...

. On 4 August 2006 the Linnean Society of London organised a one-day conference in honour of Pickersgill.Plants, people and evolution: a meeting in honor of Barbara Pickersgill, August 2006, held by the Linnean Society of London
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References

External links

Harvard University Herbaria, Index of Botanists, Author Query for 'Pickersgill'
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pickersgill, Barbara British botanists 1940 births British women scientists Academics of the University of Reading Linnean Medallists Living people Indiana University alumni