1. UNIT 4 The reproduction function Natural Science 2. Secondary Education MARY DAVIS TREAT

2. Mary Davis Treat She was an entomologist and botanist. She was born in New York in 1830. She lived in Vineland, New Jersey for most of her life. In 1916, she returned to New York to live with her sister. She died in 1923 at the age of 92. Brief biography New York, Mary Davis Treat’s home town UNIT 4 Natural Science 2. Secondary Education

3. Mary Davis Treat She defended Darwin’s theory of evolution. Darwin also praised her work. However, despite this praise, she was not recognised by the scientific community because she was a woman. Her first published works were detailed descriptions of insect life cycles, which were published in 1869. She went on to write producing 76 articles and 5 books. Many entomologists were able to use her research to classify insects. She discovered a number of species of insects, arachnids and plants. The ant Aphanogaster treatiae and the amaryllis Zephyranthus treatiae were named after her. Contributions to science Charles Darwin, one of the scientists of the 19 th century who saw the great value of Mary Davis Treat’s work. UNIT 4 Natural Science 2. Secondary Education

4. Mary Davis Treat One of her most famous projects involved larvae of the Papilio asterius butterfly. She discovered that the larvae that ate heavily developed into females, while those that ate little food became males. She researched other butterfly species and obtained similar results. Darwin wrote that her research on butterflies was better than any such research carried out until then. This praise helped her get the recognition she deserved, which she had been denied so often because of sexism. Important discoveries A Papilio butterfly similar to the subjects of Mary Davis’s research. UNIT 4 Natural Science 2. Secondary Education

5. Mary Davis Treat 1.What were Mary Davis Treat’s first scientific projects? 2.Which famous scientist acknowledged this woman’s contributions to science? 3.What were her most important projects? Activities UNIT 4 Natural Science 2. Secondary Education