KU community remembers former Natural History Museum curator Richard Johnston


Wed, 12/03/2014

author

Erinn Barcomb-Peterson

LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas community is remembering professor emeritus Richard Johnston, who curated KU’s Natural History Museum.

Johnston, 89, died Nov. 15 in Lawrence. Services were Nov. 24 in Lawrence.

“On behalf of the entire University of Kansas Community, I extend my sympathies to Richard Johnston’s family, friends and colleagues,” said Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little. “We remember him for his role in shaping the Natural History Museum, which is a strong source of pride on our campus.”

In 1958, Johnston joined KU’s zoology department and became curator of the Natural History Museum. His research focused on studying the adaptation of the English House Sparrow to different environments. These studies involved collecting many specimens from Europe and North America and obtaining physical measurements for analysis. Because of advances in genetic sequencing, these specimens are still valuable to scientists today.

Observing the pigeons roosting on the ledge outside his office window led Johnston in another direction. His work with pigeons culminated in writing “Feral Pigeons” with Marian Janiga, published by Oxford University Press in 1995.

“Through his imaginative field work and laboratory studies he was able to demonstrate how quickly birds could evolve adaptive traits in response to environmental change,” said Leonard Krishtalka, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology and director of KU’s Biodiversity Institute. “His discoveries are foundational to our modern understanding of evolutionary processes in birds.”

Krishtalka said Johnston was an inspiring teacher who mentored and trained more than 30 graduate students at KU, many of whom graduated to leadership positions at institutions nationwide.

Wed, 12/03/2014

author

Erinn Barcomb-Peterson

Media Contacts

Erinn Barcomb-Peterson

KU News Service

785-864-8858