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Marion Fyfe

1897 – 1986

New Zealand zoologist

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About Marion Fyfe

Lived 1897 – 1986 (aged 88). Marion Fyfe was a New Zealand zoologist.

Marion Liddell Fyfe (1 September 1897 – 26 August 1986) was a New Zealand academic, specialising in taxonomy of planarians and other flatworms, the first woman zoology lecturer at the University of Otago, and the first woman to be elected to the Council of the Royal Society Te Apārangi.

Academic career Fyfe was born in Kakanui in Otago on 1 September 1897 to parents Harriet and William Fyfe.

Fyfe graduated with an MSc in zoology in 1935 from the University of Otago. Her research focussed on flatworms and particularly their reproductive processes.

Elizabeth Edgar, Fyfe's niece, was "one of New Zealand's most esteemed botanists".

Awards and honours The genus of planarians Marionfyfea was named in her honour, for "her pioneering taxonomic anatomical work on the Terricola of New Zealand".

The Marion Fyfe Scholarship (worth $500) is awarded annually by the Department of Zoology at the University of Otago to the "female zoology student who attained the highest level of achievement in Zoology at 400-level".

In 2017 Fyfe was selected as one of the Royal Society Te Apārangi's 150 women in 150 words, celebrating the contributions of women to knowledge in New Zealand.

Selected works

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Education
University of Otago
Employers
University of Otago
Also known as
M L Fyfe, Marion Liddell Fyfe, Marion L. Fyfe, ML Fyfe

People in Marion Fyfe's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Marion Fyfe's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Marion Fyfe?

New Zealand zoologist

When was Marion Fyfe born?

Marion Fyfe was born on 1 September 1897 in Kakanui.

When did Marion Fyfe die?

Marion Fyfe died on 26 August 1986.

What was Marion Fyfe's occupation?

Marion Fyfe was a zoologist.

What nationality was Marion Fyfe?

Marion Fyfe was New Zealand.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Marion Fyfe

· Wikidata: Q90875172

· DBpedia: Marion Fyfe

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Marion Fyfe. https://biography.guide/marion-fyfe/

MLA: "Marion Fyfe." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/marion-fyfe/.

Chicago: "Marion Fyfe." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/marion-fyfe/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-23 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence

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