Mark Ridley (zoologist) - Life

Life

Mark Ridley was born on September 8, 1956 in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, England. He is the son of Rex and Ann Ridley. He was a former student of both Oxford University and Cambridge University in the 1980s where he studied zoology and biology. He obtained his B.A. in 1978 from Oxford University and his M.A and Ph. D in 1982 from Cambridge University. Mark Ridley immigrated to the United States in 1989. While in the United States he also was a professor at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia from 1989-1995. Currently, he works at Oxford University in the Department of Zoology. His contributions to evolution are numerous. He has received the Gibbs Prize from Oxford University in 1978, was inducted into the British Society for Historic Science in 1980, and also received the Rolleston Memorial Prize in 1983. His achievements in the field of biology particularly evolution are shown clearly through his work and awards. Mark has published eight different works and continues his research (please refer to Table 1). Many other writers have written reviews about his contribution to evolution. Kenneth Korey reported, “in many places Ridley is a competent guide through complex material” (Gale Biography, 2002). "I think Ridley's book is one of the best texts available for students of evolutionary biology" reports Geoffrey C. Trussell of Northeastern University. It is evident that in the eyes of others Mark Ridley is appreciated for his assistance. Mark’s area of expertise is concentrating and interpreting evolution as well as Darwin’s primary texts, such as “The Origin of Species” and “The Descent of Man.”