Gordon Enoch Gates

Gordon Enoch Gates (11 January 1897 – 11 June 1987) was an American zoologist. He is known for his taxonomic work on the Oligochaeta and for being a "world authority" on the subject. He published in his field for nearly 60 years.

His main focus was the morphology, physiology, taxonomy, and zoogeography of earthworms, a collection of which he donated to the National Museum of Natural History.

Biography Gates was born in Warner, New Hampshire, in 1897. In 1920, he was a student at Harvard Medical School where he received a Master's degree. In 1921, Gates began teaching pre-medical students at Judson College in the country. While in Myanmar, he began studying earthworms.

In 1942, he was forced to evacuate Myanmar due to Japanese military presence in the country.

He then was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1952 and 1953.

From 1952 to 1962, he continued publishing on Burmese earthworms using materials rescued from the war.

Associated taxonomy

Described species Gates described many species of earthworms, especially in South Asia and Southeast Asia. He reportedly described 369 species in total.

Amynthas procerus Komarekiona eatoni Metaphire arcuata Metaphire houlleti

Honorific species The species Glyphidrilus gatesi is named after Gates, due to his "great contributions to taxonomy and systematics of earthworms." The species Pheidole gatesi was also named in his honor by Dr. William Morton Wheeler.

Publications

Gates, G. E. (1945). "On Some Indian Earthworms." Proceedings: Indian Academy of Sciences, 21, 208-258. DOI: 10.1007/BF03049816.