Last week we were delighted to celebrate the appointment of Prof Claire Spottiswoode FRS as Honorary Professor of African Evolutionary Ecology.

Prof Spottiswoode’s inaugural lecture, entitled ‘The natural history of a human animal mutualism’ took place on Monday 6 October. It was great to see so many members of the department and friends fill our main lecture theatre and the reception in the Museum’s Whale Hall afterwards.  

Prof Spottiswoode described her team’s research into a remarkable mutualism: the foraging partnership between an African bird species, the greater honeyguide, and human honey-hunters whom it guides to bees’ nests. 
The breadth of projects Prof Spottiswoode leads is inspiring, as is the way in which these projects fit together to form a substantial and cohesive body of work.  One highlight for attendees was learning how the courses at the University of Cape Town facilitate diversity and involve close cooperation with honey-hunting communities.

Honorary Professorships are titles conferred by the University on individuals of exceptional standing in their field who can offer strategic assistance through their unique expertise. 

Prof Spottiswoode’s appointment as Honorary Professor will further strengthen our connections in Africa and build partnerships with African researchers at every career stage, from Masters student to Professor.  She will continue to work jointly at the University of Cambridge and the University of Cape Town, where she is Pola Pasvolsky Chair of Conservation Biology.  She supervises research students and teaches at both institutions.

It was a pleasure to welcome Prof Spottiswoode back to Cambridge, and we look forward to working with her to grow our Africa-focused initiatives.

Find out more:

• University of Cambridge news: Successful honey-hunters know how to communicate with wild birds
• African Honeyguides: Research on a remarkable human-animal relationship
• African Cuckoos: Research on brood parasites and other curious African birds
   

Images:
(Top of page) Prof Claire Spottiswoode FRS in the field with a honeyguide. 
(Bottom of page) Prof Rebecca Kilner FRS and Prof Claire Spottiswoode FRS taking questions after Claire’s lecture. Photo by Philippa Rosselli

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