Joel Asaph Allen | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | July 19, 1838 |
| Died | August 29, 1921 (aged 83) |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Harvard University |
| Known for | Allen's rule |
| Parents |
|
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | |
| Institutions | American Academy of Arts and Sciences Museum of Comparative Zoology American Association for the Advancement of Science Audubon Society American Philosophical Society |
| Author abbrev. (zoology) | Allen, J.A. Allen |
Joel Asaph Allen (July 19, 1838 – August 29, 1921) was an American zoologist, mammalogist, and ornithologist. He became the first president of the American Ornithologists' Union, the first curator of birds and mammals at the American Museum of Natural History, and the first head of that museum's Department of Ornithology. He is remembered for Allen's rule, which states that the bodies of endotherms (warm-blooded animals) vary in shape with climate, having increased surface area in hot climates to lose heat, and minimized surface area in cold climates, to conserve heat.