Campus
- St. George
Fields of Study
- History of the Biological Sciences
Biography
(also known as Polly Winsor). Born in 1943, raised on the Atlantic coast of Massachusetts, undergraduate degree Harvard 1965, graduate degree Yale 1971. Canadian citizen.
Selected Publications
How is the classification of living things connected to the scientific understanding of the history of life? Putting kinds of plants and animals into named categories is as old as language, but taxonomy began in in the 18th century and quickly became the foundation of natural history. Its relationship to evolutionary biology is obviously of primary importance to both fields yet remains largely unexplored.
I also have a longstanding interest in historiography.
Most recent publications:
2023. “Darwin's dark matter: Utter extinction,” Annals of Science 80 (4): 357-389. https://doi.org/10.1080/00033790.2023.2194889
2021. “'I would sooner die than give up': Huxley and Darwin's deep disagreement, History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences 43 (53) (https://doi.org/10.1007/s40656-021-00409-3)
2015. “Considering affinity: An ethereal conversation (part one of three),” Endeavour 39 (1): 69-79.
2015. “Considering affinity: An ethereal conversation (part two of three),” Endeavour 39 (2): 116-126.
2015. “Considering affinity: An ethereal conversation (part three of three),”Endeavour 39 (3-4):179-187.
2013. “Darwin and taxonomy,” in The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Darwin and Evolutionary Thought, ed. Michael Ruse, pp. 72-79. Cambridge University Press.
Click here to view my CV 
Polly cv_.pdf