Arthur Cain
Arthur James Cain
Life
Arthur James Cain was awarded an open scholarship in 1939 (Demyship) to Magdalen College, Oxford, where he graduated with first class honors in zoology in 1941. Entering the British Army in December 1941, Cain was commissioned second lieutenant in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps (engineering) and was later transferred to the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (R.E.M.E.) on its formation. He was promoted to captain in 1942.
After leaving the military in November 1945 Cain returned to Oxford to pursue research in the Department of Zoology. He became a Departmental Demonstrator in October 1946, and received his M.A. in November 1947. From January 1949 until 1964 Cain was employed as University Demonstrator (now referred to as Lecturer) in Animal Taxonomy.
Career
Cain's main interests lay in evolutionary biology, ecological genetics, animal taxonomy and speciation.
Though he conducted research with
In population genetics he clarified the concept of
Cain was appointed
Cain reminisces on pre-war Oxford
Towards the end of his life Cain was persuaded to reminisce about the status of
- That very phenomenon which was to be used by Fisher & Ford in studies on natural selection is here shown by cogent argument and the facts of field natural history to be [apparently] inexplicable by selection. But Elton knew that a far greater range of other characters have the same implications, namely, all, or nearly all, the differences (non-polymorphic) between closely related species. Cain.[6]
Also, Robson and Richards
- What I wanted to know from all these great people was, how exactly did they know that a character was non-adaptive or neutral? They didn't know, and they couldn't know. Cain.[8] This was the stimulus for Cain's research on evolution in natural communities.
- David Lack was the only religious man I knew at that period who did not allow his religion to dictate his view of natural selection. Cain.[9]
He might have added, had he known them, Ronald Fisher and Theodosius Dobzhansky, who were also believing Christians: Fisher from the start of his career was a leading proponent of natural selection.
In contrast to many others,
References
- S2CID 73131707.
- ^ Biographical data on this scientist is limited; some info garnered from: Who's Who (A&C Black), Royal Society archive with information provided on his election as Fellow; American Philosophical Society. The Royal Society has not yet published his obituary biography.
- ^ Cain A.J. and Provine W.B. 1991. Genes and ecology in history. In Berry R.J. & others (eds) Genes in ecology: the 33rd Symposium of the British Ecological Society. Blackwell, Oxford.
- ^ Huxley J. 1942. Evolution: the modern synthesis (2nd ed 1963, 3rd ed 1974)
- ^ Elton C.S. 1927. Animal ecology.
- ^ Cain & Provine W.B. 1991. Genes and ecology in history. In Berry R.J. Genes in ecology p5
- ^ Robson G.C. and Richards O.W. 1936. The variation of animals in nature. Longmans, London.
- ^ Cain & Provine W.B. 1991. Genes and ecology in history. In Berry R.J. Genes in ecology p8
- ^ Cain & Provine W.B. 1991. Genes and ecology in history. In Berry R.J. Genes in ecology p9
- ^ Ford E.B. 1964, 4th edn 1975. Ecological genetics. Chapman and Hall, London
- ^ Ford E.B. 1965. Genetic polymorphism. All Souls Studies, Faber & Faber, London
- ^ Fisher R.A. 1930. Genetical theory of natural selection p80.
- ^ Cain A.J. and Currey J.D. 1963. Area effects in Cepaea. Phil Trans Roy Soc B 246, 269–299.
- ^ Cain A.J. and Currey J.D. 1968. Ecogenetics of a population of Cepaea nemoralis subject to strong area effects. Phil Trans Roy Soc B 253, 447–482.
- ^ Clarke B.C. 1979. The evolution of genetic diversity. Proc Roy Soc B. 205, 453–474.
Notable publications
Cain A.J. 1954. Animal species and their evolution. Hutchinson, London.
Cain A.J. 1968. Studies on Cepaea V.
Cain A.J. 1971. Colour and banding morphs in subfossil samples of the snail Cepaea. In Creed R. (ed) Ecological genetics and evolution. Blackwell, Oxford.
Cain A.J. 1977. The efficacy of natural selection in wild populations. In The changing scene in natural sciences. Special publication #12, 111–33. Academy of Natural Sciences.
Cain A.J. 1983. Ecology and ecogenetics of terrestrial molluscan populations. In Russell-Hunter W.D. (ed) The Mollusca vol 6, p597-647. Academic Press, N.Y.
Cain A.J. and Currey J.D. 1963a. Area effects in Cepaea. Phil Trans Roy Soc B 246, 269–299.
Cain A.J. and Currey J.D. 1963b. Area effects in Cepaea on the Larkhill Artillery Ranges, Salisbury Plain. J. Linnaean Soc London (Zoology) 45, 1–15.
Cain A.J. and Currey J.D. 1968. Ecogenetics of a population of Cepaea nemoralis subject to strong area effects. Phil Trans Roy Soc B 253, 447–482.
Cain A.J., King J.M.B. and Sheppard P.M. 1960. New data on the genetics of polymorphism in the snail Cepaea nemoralis. Genetics 45, 393–411.
Cain A.J. and Provine W.B. 1991. Genes and ecology in history. In Berry R.J. et al. (eds) Genes in ecology: the 33rd Symposium of the British Ecological Society. Blackwell, Oxford.
Cain A.J. and Sheppard P.M. 1950. Selection in the polymorphic land snail Cepaea nemoralis (L.). Heredity 4, 275–94.
Cain A.J. and Sheppard P.M. 1954. Natural selection in Cepaea. Genetics 39, 89–116.
Cain A.J., Sheppard P.M. and King J.M.B. 1968. Studies on Cepaea I. The genetics of some morphs and varieties of Cepaea nemoralis (L.).
Clarke B.C. 1979. The evolution of genetic diversity. Proc Roy Soc B. 205, 453–474. [a general review]
Currey J.D. and Cain A.J. 1968. Climate and selection of banding morphs in Cepaea from the climate optimum to the present day.