Richard Thomas (herpetologist)

John Paul Richard Thomas (born 1938) is an American taxonomist and systematist, and retired professor of herpetology and evolution at University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras (San Juan, Puerto Rico).[1] He described several species new to science, mostly amphibians and reptiles, from throughout the Caribbean islands including the common coquí (Eleutherodactlys coqui),[2] the national animal of Puerto Rico.[3]

Richard Thomas
Born
John Paul Richard Thomas

(1938-05-02) May 2, 1938
Jacksonville, Florida
NationalityAmerican
Alma materUniversity of South Florida
Louisiana State University
Known forDescribing over 60 animal species, including the common coquí
Scientific career
FieldsTaxonomy, systematics, herpetology, evolution
InstitutionsUniversity of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus

Early life and education

Thomas was born in Jacksonville, Florida, USA, on May 2, 1938.[4] At the University of South Florida, Thomas graduated as a Bachelor of Arts in 1969. Later, he went to Louisiana State University and obtained a PhD in 1976.[1][5]

Research

Thomas' research has focused mostly on amphibians and reptiles, spanning several fields from natural history to systematics and evolution. His studies have yielded descriptions of new species of dwarf geckos (Sphaerodactylus), blind snakes (Scolecophidia),[6][7] and rain frogs (Eleutherodactylus).[8][9]

Taxonomic descriptions

During his career as herpetologist, Thomas has described more than 60 new species.[8][9][10] A non-comprehensive list of described new species includes:

Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a different genus.

Eponyms

Richard Thomas is honored in the scientific name of a species of lizard, Liolaemus thomasi.[1]

References
  1. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore, Maryland: Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 265. ISBN 9781421402277. (Kindle edition). ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5 (hardcover).
  2. Thomas, Richard (1966). "New species of Antillean Eleutherodactylus ". Quarterly Journal of the Florida Academy of Sciences. 28 (4): 375–391. JSTOR 24315255.
  3. "FIELD LISTING :: NATIONAL SYMBOL(S)".
  4. "John Paul Richard Thomas in the 1940 Census".
  5. "LSU HISTORICAL DISSERTATIONS AND THESES".
  6. Thomas, Richard; Hedges, S. Blair (2007). "Eleven new species of snakes of the genus Typhlops (Serpentes: Typhlopidae) from Hispaniola and Cuba". Zootaxa. 1400: 1–26.
  7. Hedges, S. Blair; Thomas, Richard (2001). "At the lower size limit in Amniote Vertebrates: A new diminutive lizard from the West Indies". Caribbean Journal of Science. 37 (3): 168–173.
  8. "The Reptile Database".
  9. "Richard Thomas". Wikispecies.
  10. "AmphibiaWeb".
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