David Leslie Hawksworth | |
---|---|
Born | 1946 Sheffield, UK |
Nationality | British |
Alma mater | University of Leicester |
Scientific career | |
Fields | Mycology; lichenology |
Author abbrev. (botany) | D.Hawksw. [1] |
David Leslie Hawksworth CBE (born 1946 in Sheffield, UK) is a British mycologist and lichenologist currently with a professorship in the Universidad Complutense de Madrid in Madrid, Spain and also a Scientific Associate of The Natural History Museum in London. Hawksworth has had a prolific career, authoring nearly 600 scientific works (including almost 60 books), describing approximately 250 new taxa, and proposing around 500 new combinations or new names in fungal nomenclature. [2] In 1996, he was honoured as Commander of the British Empire (CBE). [2] In 2002, he received the Acharius Medal from the International Association for Lichenology. [3] Five genera and many species have been named in his honour.
Hawksworth's research has focused on broad nomenclatural issues, fostering the integration of fungal nomenclature, and global assessment of fungal diversity. He has conducted systematic revisions of neglected groups, including lichenicolous taxa and fungi at the borderline of lichenisation, with a particular interest in the family Parmeliaceae. [2] From 1983 to 1997, Hawksworth served as director of the International Mycological Institute (IMI), overseeing its name change to Commonwealth Mycological Institute in 1986 and its move from Kew to Egham in 1993. [2]
He married Patricia Wiltshire, a leading forensic ecologist and palynologist in 2009. [4] As of 2022 [update] , he is the Editor-in-Chief of the journals IMA Fungus [5] and Biodiversity and Conservation . [6]
Born in Sheffield in 1946, David Hawksworth studied at the University of Leicester. From this institution, he earned a BSc in 1967, a PhD in 1970, and a DSc in 1980. [7]
In a 2020 article reflecting on his 50-year career in mycology, Hawksworth shared ten key lessons he had learnt as a fungal systematist. Among these, he emphasised the importance of thorough research before describing new taxa, stressing that it is far easier to introduce a new name than to determine if a fungus has already been described. Hawksworth advocated for examining as many specimens as possible to understand species variation and utilising a wide range of techniques to study fungal characteristics. [8]
Hawksworth highlighted the significance of careful microscopic examination and measurement of fungal structures, noting the potential impact of different mounting media on spore sizes. He encouraged mycologists to challenge existing ideas and present new hypotheses, citing his own work in integrating lichen-forming fungi into a single classification system with other fungi. Another key lesson stressed the importance of preserving type specimens and vouchers for unusual records to ensure the validity of taxonomic work. [8]
Throughout his career, Hawksworth has been at the forefront of adopting new technologies in mycological research. He was among the first in the UK to use chromatography, scanning electron microscopy, and numerical taxonomy in the systematics of lichen-forming fungi. Hawksworth has also been a proponent of molecular methods in fungal taxonomy, collaborating with other researchers to address key questions in the field. He emphasised the value of teamwork in modern mycology, noting that multi-authored papers have become the norm in addressing complex research questions. [8]
In 1978, Hawksworth received the Bicentenary Medal of the Linnean Society. [9] He was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Umeå University in 1996. [7] In 2014, Hawksworth was awarded the Ainsworth Medal from the International Mycological Association, given to "an individual for recognition of extraordinary service to world mycology". [9]
Five genera and many species have been named to honour Hawksworth. These include: [10] Davidhawksworthia Crous (2016); [11] Dlhawksworthia Wanas., Camporesi & K.D.Hyde (2018); [12] Hawksworthia Manohar., N.K.Rao, D.K.Agarwal & Kunwar (2004); [13] Hawksworthiana U.Braun (1988); [14] Hawksworthiomyces Z.W.de Beer, Marinc. & M.J.Wingf. (2016); [15] Arthonia hawksworthii Halıcı (2008); [16] Ascotrichella hawksworthii Valldos. & Guarro (1988); [17] Cylindrocladium hawksworthii Peerally (1991); [18] Daldinia hawksworthii Pažoutová, Šrůtka & M.Stadler (2013); [19] Epaphroconidia hawksworthii Calat. & V.Atienza (1995); [20] Laburnicola hawksworthii Wanas., Camporesi, E.B.G.Jones & K.D.Hyde (2016); [21] Lichenoconium hawksworthii Flakus, Etayo, Kukwa & Rodr.Flakus (2021); [22] Lichenodiplis hawksworthii F.Berger & Diederich (1996); [23] Melanelixia hawksworthii S.D.Leav., Essl., Divakar, A.Crespo & Lumbsch (2016); [24] Murispora hawksworthii Wanas., E.B.G.Jones & K.D.Hyde (2015); [25] Polycoccum hawksworthianum Y.Joshi (2020); [26] Rhopalostroma hawksworthii Vaidya, A.D.M.Rayner & Whalley (1991); Sclerococcum hawksworthii Etayo & Diederich (1995); [27] Skyttea hawksworthii Diederich (1986); [28] Taeniolella hawksworthiana Heuchert, Ertz & Common (2016); [29] and Uromyces hawksworthii É.S.C.Souza, Z.M.Chaves, W.R.O.Soares, Pinho & Dianese (2015). [30]
In 2020, on the occasion of David Hawksworth's 70th birthday, Robert Lücking and colleagues described 70 new species of lichenised basidiomycete fungi in the genus Cora , many of which were named in his honour. This represented the largest number of new species ever described in a single publication for lichens. The authors devised creative variations on Hawksworth's name for the species epithets, including: [2]
The paper and mass-naming event highlighted Hawksworth's significant contributions to mycology and lichenology over his career. It also demonstrated the previously unrecognised biodiversity in the genus Cora, which Hawksworth had earlier worked on nomenclaturally. [2]
Scutula is a genus of lichenicolous fungi in the family Ramalinaceae.
The Dactylosporaceae or Sclerococcaceae are a family of lichen-forming fungi in the class Eurotiomycetes. It is the only family of the order Sclerococcales and subclass Sclerococcomycetidae.
Verrucariales is an order of ascomycetous fungi within the subclass Chaetothyriomycetidae of the class Eurotiomycetes. Although most of the Verrucariales are lichenised, the family Sarcopyreniaceae consists of 11 species of lichenicolous (lichen-dwelling) fungi.
Geltingia is a fungal genus in the family Helicogoniaceae. It is monotypic, containing the single lichenicolous species Geltingia associata. The genus was circumscribed in 1990 by mycologists Vagn Alstrup and David Leslie Hawksworth. The genus name honours Danish scientist Paul Gelting.
Endococcus is a genus of lichenicolous (lichen-dwelling) in the family Lichenotheliaceae. It has 44 species. The genus was circumscribed by the Finnish botanist William Nylander in 1855. Although at least one source places the genus in the Verrucariaceae, a 2016 study of the type species, Endococcus rugulosus, determined that it should instead be placed in the family Lichenotheliaceae of the order Dothideales; this classification echoes a placement proposed in 1979 by David Hawksworth.
Abrothallus is a genus of lichenicolous fungi. It is the only genus in the monotypic family Abrothallaceae, which itself is the sole taxon in the order Abrothallales.
Skyttea is a genus of lichenicolous (lichen-dwelling) fungi in the family Cordieritidaceae. The genus was circumscribed in 1981 by lichenologists Martha Allen Sherwood, David L. Hawksworth, and Brian J. Coppins, with Skyttea nitschkei assigned as the type species.
Phacopsis is a genus of lichenicolous (lichen-dwelling) fungi. They are parasites of members of the large lichen family Parmeliaceae, of which they are also a member. Originally proposed by Edmond Tulasne in 1852 to contain 3 species, Phacopsis now contains 10 species, although historically, 33 taxa have been described in the genus. Many of the species are poorly known, some of them having been documented only from the type specimen.
André Aptroot is a Dutch mycologist and lichenologist. His primary research focus is on biodiversity, particularly tropical lichens, encompassing systematics, floristic surveys, and taxonomic reviews. A prolific researcher, he has published more than 500 scientific papers and described hundreds of new fungal and lichen species.
A lichenicolous fungus is a member of a specialised group of fungi that live exclusively on lichens as their host organisms. These fungi, comprising over 2,000 known species across 280 genera, exhibit a wide range of ecological strategies, including parasitism, commensalism, and mutualism. They can be found in diverse environments worldwide, from tropical to polar regions, and play important roles in lichen ecology and biodiversity. Lichenicolous fungi are classified into several taxonomic groups, with the majority belonging to the Ascomycota and a smaller portion to the Basidiomycota. Their interactions with host lichens range from mild parasitism to severe pathogenicity, sometimes causing significant damage to lichen communities.
Brian John Coppins is a botanist and lichenologist, considered a world authority on crustose lichens and a leading expert on the genus Micarea.
Briancoppinsia is a fungal genus in the family Arthoniaceae. It is monotypic, containing the single species Briancoppinsia cytospora, a lichenicolous fungus that parasitises parmelioid lichens, as well as Cladonia, Lepra, and Lecanora conizaeoides, among others. The species was first described scientifically by Léon Vouaux in 1914 as Phyllosticta cytospora. The genus was circumscribed in 2012 by Paul Diederich, Damien Ertz, James Lawrey, and Pieter van den Boom. The genus was named for Brian John Coppins, who is, according to the authors, an "eminent British lichenologist and expert of lichenicolous fungi".
Emmanuël Sérusiaux is a Belgian lichenologist. His career, spanning more than four decades, has combined both lichenology research and political aspects of nature conservation. He spent several periods working as a researcher at the National Fund for Scientific Research and the University of Liège, the latter in which he accepted a faculty position as professor and head of the Plant Taxonomy and Conservation Biology unit. Sérusiaux also served for three non-consecutive appointments as Deputy Chief of Staff in the Government of Wallonia. He retired from both his academic and political positions in 2019.
Sclerococcum is a genus of lichenicolous fungi in the family Dactylosporaceae.
Lichenostigmatales is an order of fungi in the class Arthoniomycetes. It contains the single family Phaeococcomycetaceae. Lichenostigmatales was circumscribed in 2014 by Damien Ertz, Paul Diederich, and James D. Lawrey, with genus Lichenostigma assigned as the type. Using molecular phylogenetics, they identified a lineage of taxa in the Arthoniomycetes that were phylogenetically distinct from the order Arthoniales. Species in the Lichenostigmatales include black yeasts, lichenicolous, and melanised rock-inhabiting species.
James Donald Lawrey is a biologist, specialising in lichens. He is known for leading long-term monitoring projects, taxonomy and studies of the evolution of the fungi in lichens.
Robert Lücking is a German lichenologist, known for his extensive research on foliicolous lichens and his significant contributions to the taxonomy, ecology, and biodiversity of fungi and lichens. He earned his master's and PhD from the University of Ulm, focusing on foliicolous lichens. He has received numerous awards for his work, including the Mason E. Hale Award for his doctoral thesis, the Augustin Pyramus de Candolle prize for his monograph, and the Tuckerman Award twice for his publications in the scientific journal The Bryologist.
Minutoexcipula is a genus of lichenicolous (lichen-dwelling) fungi of uncertain familial placement in the order Chaetothyriales. It has eight species. The genus was circumscribed in 1994 by M. Violeta Atienza Tamarit and David Leslie Hawksworth, with Minutoexcipula tuckerae assigned as the type species. The genus is characterized both by its black convex sporodochia-like conidiomata, as well as the well-differentiated exciple on these structures.
Corticifraga peltigerae is a species of lichenicolous (lichen-dwelling) fungus in the family Gomphillaceae, and the type species of the genus Corticifraga. Its typical host lichen is Peltigera, although on occasion it is found on Solorina and Pseudocyphellaria. The fungus was first described in 1867 by the German botanist Karl Wilhelm Gottlieb Leopold Fuckel, who initially classified it in the genus Peziza. It has been transferred to several genera early in its taxonomic history, before ending up in Corticifraga, which was newly circumscribed by David Leslie Hawksworth and Rolf Santesson in 1990 to contain lichenicolous fungi previously referred to Phragmonaevia.