astronomy

Richard Thomas (herpetologist)

Richard Thomas (herpetologist) is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Richard Thomas (herpetologist) rather than just read about it. In short: John Paul Richard Thomas (born 1938) is an American taxonomist and systematist, and retired professor of herpetology and evolution at University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras (San Juan, Puerto Rico). He described several species new to science, mostly amphibians and reptiles, from throughout the Caribbean islands including the common coquí (Eleutherodactlys coqui), the national animal of Puerto Rico.

Key takeaways

Richard Thomas (herpetologist) belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
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Reproduce the core statement of Richard Thomas (herpetologist) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

John Paul Richard Thomas (born 1938) is an American taxonomist and systematist, and retired professor of herpetology and evolution at University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras (San Juan, Puerto Rico). He described several species new to science, mostly amphibians and reptiles, from throughout the Caribbean islands including the common coquí (Eleutherodactlys coqui), the national animal of Puerto Rico.

Early life and education Thomas was born in Jacksonville, Florida, USA, on May 2, 1938. At the University of South Florida, Thomas graduated as a Bachelor of Arts in 1969. Later, he went to Louisiana State University and obtained a PhD in 1976.

Research Thomas' research has focused mostly on amphibians and reptiles, spanning several fields from natural history to systematics and evolution. His studies have yielded descriptions of new species of dwarf geckos (Sphaerodactylus), blind snakes (Scolecophidia), and rain frogs (Eleutherodactylus).

Taxonomic descriptions During his career as herpetologist, Thomas has described more than 60 new species. A non-comprehensive list of described new species includes:

Bachia panoplia Thomas, 1965 Mitophis pyrites Thomas, 1965 Sphaerodactylus parthenopion Thomas, 1965 Typhlops syntherus Thomas, 1965 Amphisbaena xera Thomas, 1966 Eleutherodactylus coqui Thomas, 1966 Eleutherodactylus schwartzi Thomas, 1966 Sphaerodactylus elasmorhynchus Thomas, 1966 Typhlops monastus Thomas, 1966 Anolis rimarum Thomas & Schwartz, 1967 Cubatyphlops epactius (Thomas, 1968) Celestus agasepsoides (Thomas, 1971) Amerotyphlops tasymicris Thomas, 1974 Typhlops hectus Thomas, 1974 Eleutherodactylus probolaeus Schwartz & Thomas, 1987 Sphaerodactylus semasiops Thomas, 1975 Sphaerodactylus cryphius Thomas & Schwartz, 1977 Sphaerodactylus nycteropus Thomas & Schwartz, 1977 Sphaerodactylus streptophorus Thomas & Schwartz, 1977 Sibynomorphus oneilli Rossman & Thomas, 1979 Bolitoglossa digitigrada Wake, Brame & Thomas, 1982 Sphaerodactylus omoglaux Thomas, 1982 Sphaerodactylus williamsi Thomas & Schwartz, 1983 Mitophis asbolepis Thomas, McDiarmid & Thompson, 1985 Mitophis calypso Thomas, McDiarmid & Thompson, 1985 Mitophis leptipileptus Thomas, McDiarmid & Thompson, 1985 Eleutherodactylus amadeus Hedges, Thomas & Franz, 1987 Eleutherodactylus parapelates Hedges & Thomas, 1987 Sphaerodactylus ladae Thomas & Hedges, 1988 Sphaerodactylus perissodactylus Thomas & Hedges, 1988 Anolis placidus Hedges & Thomas, 1989 Celestus macrotus Thomas & Hedges, 1989 Typhlops schwartzi Thomas, 1989 Typhlops tetrathyreus Thomas, 1989 Typhlops titanops Thomas, 1989 Typhlops catapontus Hedges & Thomas, 1991 Typhlops hypomethes Hedges & Thomas, 1991 Eleutherodactylus caribe Hedges & Thomas, 1992 Eleutherodactylus corona Hedges & Thomas, 1992 Eleutherodactylus dolomedes Hedges & Thomas, 1992 Eleutherodactylus guantanamera Hedges, Estrada & Thomas, 1992 Eleutherodactylus ionthus Hedges, Estrada & Thomas, 1992 Eleutherodactylus mariposa Hedges, Estrada & Thomas, 1992 Eleutherodactylus melacara Hedges, Estrada & Thomas, 1992 Sphaerodactylus cricoderus Thomas, Hedges & Garrido, 1992 Sphaerodactylus schwartzi Thomas, Hedges & Garrido, 1992 Sphaerodactylus plummeri Thomas & Hedges, 1992 Sphaerodactylus epiurus Thomas & Hedges, 1993 Amphisbaena carlgansi Thomas & Hedges, 1998 Diploglossus garridoi Thomas & Hedges, 1998 Sphaerodactylus pimienta Thomas, Hedges & Garrido, 1998 Sphaerodactylus schuberti Thomas & Hedges, 1998 Sphaerodactylus ariasae Hedges & Thomas, 2001 Amphisbaena cayemite Thomas & Hedges, 2006 Amphisbaena leali Thomas & Hedges, 2006 Eleutherodactylus juanariveroi Rios-López & Thomas, 2007 Typhlops agoralionis Thomas & Hedges, 2007 Typhlops anchaurus Thomas & Hedges, 2007 Typhlops anousius Thomas & Hedges, 2007 Typhlops arator Thomas & Hedges, 2007 Typhlops contorhinus Thomas & Hedges, 2007 Typhlops eperopeus Thomas & Hedges, 2007 Typhlops notorachius Thomas & Hedges, 2007 Typhlops paradoxus Thomas & Hedges, 2007 Typhlops perimychus Thomas & Hedges, 2007 Typhlops proancylops Thomas & Hedges, 2007 Typhlops satelles Thomas & Hedges, 2007 Typhlops sylleptor Thomas & Hedges, 2007 Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a different genus.

Eponyms Richard Thomas is honored in the scientific names of several lizards, namely Liolaemus thomasi, Anolis equestris thomasi Schwartz 1958, Leiocephalus lunatus thomasi Schwartz 1967, and Sphaerodactylus microlepis thomasi Schwartz 1965.

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Richard Thomas (herpetologist)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Richard Thomas (herpetologist) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Richard Thomas (herpetologist) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Richard Thomas (herpetologist) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Richard Thomas (herpetologist)

In research: Richard Thomas (herpetologist) appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Richard Thomas (herpetologist) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Richard Thomas (herpetologist) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1938 births, American herpetologists, American taxonomists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Richard Thomas (herpetologist) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Richard Thomas (herpetologist) in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Richard Thomas (herpetologist) means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Richard Thomas (herpetologist) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Richard Thomas (herpetologist) in simple terms?

Why does Richard Thomas (herpetologist) matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Richard Thomas (herpetologist)?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Richard Thomas (herpetologist).