Ellis Le Geyt Troughton (born in

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

on 29 April 1893; died 30 November 1974) was an

Australian Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Aus ...

zoologist Zoology ( , ) is the scientific study of animals. Its studies include the structure, embryology, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct, and how they interact with their ecosystems. Zoology is one ...

and mammalogist.

Biography

Ellis Troughton began to exercise his interest in mammals at fourteen years of age, taking a role at the

Australian Museum The Australian Museum, originally known as the Colonial Museum or Sydney Museum. is a heritage-listed museum at 1 William Street, Sydney, William Street, Sydney central business district, Sydney CBD, New South Wales. It is the oldest natural ...

in 1908. He continued to be employed there as curator after returning from military service as a stretcher bearer in the European war during the years 1917 and 1918. He retired from the museum in 1958.

Works

Troughton wrote '' Furred Animals of Australia'' in 1941, with illustrations provided by Neville W. Cayley; the publication date of the work was determined to be 1944. He was the first Honorary Life Member of The " Australian Mammal Society" and ''The Ellis Troughton Memorial Award'' is named for him. Amongst Troughton early works is a significant contribution to the study of bats, and at 33 years of age he composed the text for the section regarding the poorly known Australian

Chiroptera Bats are flying mammals of the order Chiroptera (). With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most birds, flying with their very long spread-out ...

in the volume titled ''The Wild Animals of Australia''; Troughton's text was one of the few original contributions to A. S. Le Souef and Henry Burrell's largely plagiarised work. Troughton classified the New Guinea singing dog as a separate species ''Canis hallstromi''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Troughton, Ellis Le Geyt 20th-century Australian zoologists Australian mammalogists 1893 births 1974 deaths