Bill Jordan was an evolutionary biologist at the Institute of Zoology in London who tragically passed away in May this year. He worked in many areas of evolutionary genetics but particularly in those relating to adaptation. He was a first-rate scientist, very sharp, very practical. He was also one of the nicest, most entertaining, most genuine people I’ve met. Bill was great fun, had a sharp wit that only seemed to get better after a few drinks, and used to stay up drinking with me at conferences- talking interesting science and interesting rubbish. When I got a call in May to say he had just passed away I was quite shocked.

There is a nice piece about him on the IoZ website

• 2001-present: Senior Research Fellow and Head of Research Theme: Genetic variation, fitness and adaptability, Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London.
• 1995-2001: Research Fellow, Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London.
• 1994-1995: Research Fellow, Insect Molecular Genetics Group, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Heraklion, Crete.
• 1992-1994: Research Fellow, Department of Biology, University of Louisiana, Lafayette, Louisiana.
• 1991-1992: Research Fellow, Division of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biology and Biochemistry, Queen’s University, Belfast.
• 1990-1991: Research Fellow, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Department of Zoology, University of Aberdeen.

I also thought I’d post some of his publications

Lopez-Vaamonde, C. et al. Lifetime reproductive success and longevity of queens in an annual social insect. JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY 22, 983-996 (2009).

Gardiner, A., Butlin, R.K., Jordan, W.C. & Ritchie, M.G. Sites of evolutionary divergence differ between olfactory and gustatory receptors of Drosophila. BIOLOGY LETTERS 5, 244-247 (2009).

Zaki, S.A.H., Jordan, W.C., Reichard, M., Przybylski, M. & Smith, C. A morphological and genetic analysis of the European bitterling species complex. BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY 95, 337-347 (2008).

Gardiner, A., Barker, D., Butlin, R.K., Jordan, W.C. & Ritchie, M.G. Drosophila chemoreceptor gene evolution: selection, specialization and genome size. MOLECULAR ECOLOGY 17, 1648-1657 (2008).

Paulo, O.S. et al. The role of vicariance vs. dispersal in shaping genetic patterns in ocellated lizard species in the western Mediterranean. MOLECULAR ECOLOGY 17, 1535-1551 (2008).

Gardiner, A., Barker, D., Butlin, R.K., Jordan, W.C. & Ritchie, M.G. Evolution of a Complex Locus: Exon Gain, Loss and Divergence at the Gr39a Locus in Drosophila. PLOS ONE 3, (2008).

Ciborowski, K.L. et al. Stocking may increase mitochondrial DNA diversity but fails to halt the decline of endangered Atlantic salmon populations. CONSERVATION GENETICS 8, 1355-1367 (2007).

Clark, A.G. et al. Evolution of genes and genomes on the Drosophila phylogeny. NATURE 450, 203-218 (2007).

Ciborowski, K.L. et al. Rare and fleeting: an example of interspecific recombination in animal mitochondrial DNA. BIOLOGY LETTERS 3, 554-557 (2007).

Garcia de Leaniz, C.G. et al. A critical review of adaptive genetic variation in Atlantic salmon: implications for conservation. BIOLOGICAL REVIEWS 82, 173-211 (2007).

Lopez-Vaamonde, C. et al. Effect of the queen on worker reproduction and new queen production in the bumble bee Bombus terrestris. APIDOLOGIE 38, 171-180 (2007).

de Eyto, E. et al. Natural selection acts on Atlantic salmon major histocompatibility (MH) variability in the wild. PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES 274, 861-869 (2007).

Dukes, J.P. et al. Isolation and characterisation of main olfactory and vomeronasal receptor gene families from the Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). GENE 371, 257-267 (2006).

Sumner, S., Pereboom, J.J.M. & Jordan, W.C. Differential gene expression and phenotypic plasticity in behavioural castes of the primitively eusocial wasp, Polistes canadensis. PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES 273, 19-26 (2006).

Verspoor, E. et al. Population structure in the Atlantic salmon: insights from 40 years of research into genetic protein variation. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 67, 3-54 (2005).

Jordan, W.C. et al. Allozyme variation in Atlantic salmon from the British Isles: associations with geography and the environment. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 67, 146-168 (2005).

Pereboom, J.J.M., Jordan, W.C., Sumner, S., Hammond, R.L. & Bourke, A.F.G. Differential gene expression in queen-worker caste determination in bumble-bees. PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES 272, 1145-1152 (2005).

Consuegra, S. et al. Rapid evolution of the MH class I locus results in different allelic compositions in recently diverged populations of Atlantic salmon. MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION 22, 1095-1106 (2005).

Consuegra, S., Megens, H.J., Leon, K., Stet, R.J.M. & Jordan, W.C. Patterns of variability at the major histocompatibility class II alpha locus in Atlantic salmon contrast with those at the class I locus. IMMUNOGENETICS 57, 16-24 (2005).

Lopez-Vaamonde, C., Koning, J.W., Jordan, W.C. & Bourke, A.F.G. A test of information use by reproductive bumblebee workers. ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR 68, 811-818 (2004).

Dukes, J.P., Deaville, R., Bruford, M.W., Youngson, A.F. & Jordan, W.C. Odorant receptor gene expression changes during the parr-smolt transformation in Atlantic salmon. MOLECULAR ECOLOGY 13, 2851-2857 (2004).

Lopez-Vaamonde, C., Koning, J.W., Brown, R.M., Jordan, W.C. & Bourke, A.F.G. Social parasitism by male-producing reproductive workers in a eusocial insect. NATURE 430, 557-560 (2004).

Lopez-Vaamonde, C., Koning, J.W., Jordan, W.C. & Bourke, A.F.G. No evidence that reproductive bumblebee workers reduce the production of new queens. ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR 66, 577-584 (2003).

Youngson, A.F. et al. Management of salmonid fisheries in the British Isles: towards a practical approach based on population genetics. FISHERIES RESEARCH 62, 193-209 (2003).

Paulo, O.S., Jordan, W.C., Bruford, M.W. & Nichols, R.A. Using nested clade analysis to assess the history of colonization and the persistence of populations of an Iberian Lizard. MOLECULAR ECOLOGY 11, 809-819 (2002).

Paulo, O.S., Pinto, I., Bruford, M.W., Jordan, W.C. & Nichols, R.A. The double origin of Iberian peninsular chameleons. BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY 75, 1-7 (2002).

Paulo, O.S., Dias, C., Bruford, M.W., Jordan, W.C. & Nichols, R.A. The persistence of Pliocene populations through the Pleistocene climatic cycles: evidence from the phylogeography of an Iberian lizard. PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LONDON SERIES B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES 268, 1625-1630 (2001).

Youngson, A.F., Dosdat, A., Saroglia, M. & Jordan, W.C. Genetic interactions between marine finfish species in European aquaculture and wild conspecifics. JOURNAL OF APPLIED ICHTHYOLOGY 17, 153-162 (2001).

Jordan, W.C. & Bruford, M.W. New perspectives on mate choice and the MHC. HEREDITY 81, 127-133 (1998).

Jordan, W.C., Verspoor, E. & Youngson, A.F. The effect of natural selection on estimates of genetic divergence among populations of the Atlantic salmon. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 51, 546-560 (1997).