E. David Penny
Massey University
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Primary Section: 27, Evolutionary Biology Membership Type:
International Member
(elected 2018)
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Biosketch
David Penny is now interested in Evolution. After a degree in Botany and Chemistry he went to Yale University to do a doctoral degree in Botany (auxin growth). But after a paper by W Fitch and Margoliash (1967, Construction of Phylogenetic Trees) he became interested in tracing the process of evolution. His work with the mathematician (Mike Hendy) to do this, and together they have studied the sources of evolution. He has mostly studied bird and mammalian evolution, but the techniques are general than that – they are universal in that sense. He has always been interested in Science Policy, and his Presidency of the NZ Association of Scientists reflected this interest. But he was more general than that, and the Presidency of two other Societies (Molecular Evolution and Systematic Biology) reflected this. He has also been involved in the Pacific.
Research Interests
David Penny is now interested in the Origin of Life, after a career focusing on the nature of evolutionary transformations. His laboratory (and numerous) publications reflect this interest. He is now particularly interested on the three-dimensional structure of proteins, and how regulation of cells really function.
