Person

Littlejohn, Murray J. (1932 - 2024)

Born
26 March 1932
Cottesloe, Western Australia, Australia
Died
12 October 2024
Victoria, Australia
Occupation
Herpetologist

Summary

Murray Littlejohn is a herpetologist renowned as a pioneer of bioacoustics, and in the application of audio recording to study of communication in frogs. He has made significant contributions to understanding the evolutionary biology of anurans, particularly in southeastern Australia and southern United States; theoretical perspectives on sexual selection, character displacement and the nature of species boundaries; and anuran distribution patterns including historical biogeography. A feature of his research has been extensive, long-term and well-documented field work. His wife, Patricia (Patsy) Littlejohn (1932 - 2013) was an enthusiastic collaborator in this field work. Littlejohn was foundation President of the Australian Society of Herpetologists.

Details

Murray Littlejohn joined the Wallaby Club in Melbourne in 1981 and was President 2005-2006. For the last few years of his life he was a non-walking social member.

Chronology

1950
Career position - Laboratory Assistant, Department of Botany, University of Western Australia
1955
Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc(Hons)), University of Western Australia
1958
Education - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Western Australia
1958
Award - Hackett Studentship (Postgraduate), University of Western Australia
1958 - 1959
Career position - Postdoctoral fellow, University of Texas, Austin, Texas, U.S.A.
1958 - 1977
Career position - Member, American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists
1960 - 1998
Career position - Lecturer (later Associate Professor) in Zoology, University of Melbourne
1965 - 1969
Career position - Foundation President, Australian Society of Herpetologists
1966
Career position - Senior Fulbright Fellow, University of Texas, Austin, Texas, U.S.A.
1969
Career position - Vice-President, Society for the Study of Evolution
1971
Education - Master of Science (MSc), University of Western Australia
1971 - 1972
Career position - Vice-President, Australian Society of Herpetologists
1977 - 2024
Award - Honorary Foreign Member, American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists
1982 - 2024
Award - Honorary Life Member, Australian Society of Herpetologists
1983 - 1985
Career position - Head, Department of Zoology, University of Melbourne
1989 - 1990
Career position - President, Ecological Society of Australia
1993 - 1994
Career position - President, Second World Congress of Herpetology, Adelaide
1997
Career position - Visiting Erskine Fellow in Zoology, University of Canterbury, New Zealand
1998 -
Career position - Principal Fellow, School of Biosciences, University of Melbourne
1998
Life event - Retired
September 2003 - August 2018
Career position - Research Associate, Museum Victoria
2005 - 2024
Award - Fellow, Royal Society of Victoria
2010
Award - Australasian Sound Recording Association Award for Excellence

Related Corporate Bodies

Published resources

Journal Articles

  • Littlejohn, M. J., 'Historical aspects of recording and analysis in anuran bioacoustics', Bioacoustics: international journal of animal sound and its recording, 9 (1998), 69-80. Details
  • Littlejohn, Murray, 'John A. Moore and Australian Frogs', Australian Society of Herpetologists Newsletter, 44 (2009), 32-5. Details
  • Sullivan, Brian K.; Martin, Angus A.; Stewart, Margaret M.; and Fouquette, Martin J., 'Murray John Littlejohn and Patricia Gordon (Patsy) Littlejohn', Copeia, 103 (2) (2015), 467-75. https://doi.org/10.1643/OT-15-274. Details

Helen Cohn

EOAS ID: biogs/P006994b.htm

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