THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF SYSTEMATIC AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY

Abstract

The First International Congress of and Evolutionary Biology, conceived several years ago by R. S. Cowan (National Museum of Natural History, Washington) and F. A. Stafleu (Tweede Transitorium, Netherlands), was held at the University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, from 4 to 12 August 1973. Sponsors of the meeting were the International Association for Plant Taxonomy and the Society of Zoology. There were I454 registrants, from more than 30 countries, and approximately I8oo persons attended sessions or otherwise participated in the meeting. The opportunity for discourse between botanists and zoologists, and among scientists representing diverse fields of evolutionary biology was welcomed by all. As indications of the enthusiasm and interest of the participants, more than 700 members attended various sessions late on on the last day of sessions, I 1 August, and over 400 took part in the final Plenary and Business Meeting that night. F. A. Stafleu was the Chairman, and J. O. Corliss (University of Maryland) was the Convenor of the Congress. The ICSEB meeting opened with an eloquent keynote address by His Excellency N. Kanakaratne, Ambassador of Sri Lanka (Ceylon) to the United States of America. Entitled Systematic Biology and the World, the speech contained a plea for political and other appropriate action by systematists and evolutionary biologists, who, through studying organic diversity, are uniquely qualified to apprise the world's political leaders of the grave dangers facing man, and to suggest remedies for various environmental problems. Mr. Kanakaratne stressed that many persons in the Third reject industrialization, and concomitant pollution and environmental degradation, as a solution to World problems, and he pleaded for participants in the Congress to help in improving the quality of life in the developing countries in ways that would avoid pollution and preserve the biota for the benefit of future generations of man. For many participants this speech was the most moving experience of the meeting. Five full days of sessions included symposia, contributed papers, special interest groups, and films. Participants were faced mornings with a choice among all of these, namely a continuing symposium on Evolution of Biotic Communities, three sessions of contributed papers, up to ten special interest groups, and several films. Each afternoon there were three symposia from which to choose. Additional movies provided by the National Geographic Society were featured nightly. One full day was allowed for six field excursions to such areas as the Florissant Fossil Beds, Rocky Mountain Na-