A QUANTITATIVE-ANALYSIS OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF FEMALE MAMMALOGISTS FROM 1919 TO 1994

We quantified the contributions that women have made to mammalogy by s urveying the 75 volumes (301 issues) of the Journal of Mammalogy from its origin in 1919 through 1994. Data were collected on publications ( articles and notes), participation in The American Society of Mammalog ists (ASM; membership, meeting attendees, committee members, and offic ers), and awards and honoraria. We found that women played a small, bu t significant, role in the Society from the outset, and that involveme nt in all facets has increased substantially since the late 1970s. As of 1994, women constituted 25% of the membership, and 38% of articles published in the Journal of Mammalogy contained at least one female au thor. We also found, however, that the actual contributions of women a s measured by order of author lagged behind these figures, presumably reflecting demographic trends in the ages and positions of female mamm alogists. The most frequent topics of publication have been reproducti on and development, and population ecology, followed closely by behavi or. More female authors have been affiliated with universities in Cali fornia (11%) than in any other state or country. Since the 1970s, wome n have been represented on the Board of Directors of the ASM, albeit g enerally in low numbers. The percentage of women serving on committees has varied considerably, averaging 29% in 1994. Most heavily represen ted are those committees with education and outreach-oriented missions . Of the honorary memberships given by the Society, only one has been awarded to a female mammalogist, but two of the Hartley H. T. Jackson awardees have been women. There has been one female recipient of the C . Hart Merriam Award. The percentage of female students receiving hono raria or grants-in-aid has increased significantly since the mid-1980s , and currently averages 25%. Overall, 17% of the Shadle Award winners have been women, with all but one receiving their award in the past d ecade.