John Alden Loring | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | March 31, 1871 |
| Died | May 8, 1947 (aged 76) |
| Citizenship | USA |
| Known for | collecting and documenting species of mammals |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mammalogy, natural history |
John Alden Loring (March 31, 1871 – May 8, 1947) was a mammalogist and field naturalist who served with the Bureau of Biological Survey,[1] United States Department of Agriculture, the Bronx Zoological Park, the Smithsonian Institution and numerous expeditions collecting specimens in North America, Europe and Africa. A voluminous and careful traveling collector, Loring was recognized early in his career for 900 specimens collected, prepared and sent to the United States National Museum over a three-month period during an 1898 expedition through Scandinavia and northwestern Europe.[1][2]
Loring's work and professional relationships spanned several continents focusing on collecting and documenting species of mammals. He served on the Smithsonian-Roosevelt African Expedition (1909–1910)[3] as the Smithsonian specialist designated to preserve small mammals collected during the year-long expedition. In 1916, he was sent as a joint envoy of the New York Zoological Park, Philadelphia Zoological Gardens and the National Zoological Park to South Africa to collect animals and if possible to arrange for a supply of future living specimens.[4]
Loring's personal papers are held by the Smithsonian Institution Archives. His collection of field books are part of the Smithsonian's Field Book Registry.
Loring's rat was named for him (Heller, 1909).[5]
- ^ a b "SIA RU007420, Loring, John Alden, John Alden Loring Papers, 1889-1897". Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2013-06-21.
- ^ "President Roosevelt's African Trip". Science. 28 (729): 876–877. December 18, 1908. Bibcode:1908Sci....28..876.. doi:10.1126/science.28.729.876. JSTOR 1635075. PMID 17743798.
- ^ "With Roosevelt in Africa". New York Tribune. Proquest Historical Newspapers. Aug 25, 1910. p. 6.
- ^ Annual Report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution. 1917.
- ^ Grayson, Michael; Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael (2009). "Loring". The Eponym Dictionary of Mammals. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 246–247. ISBN 978-0-8018-9533-3.