Thora Whitehead
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Thora Whitehead | |
|---|---|
| Born | 27 January 1936 |
| Died | 30 September 2021 (aged 85) Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Known for | Conchology |
Thora Patricia Whitehead (27 January 1936 – 30 September 2021) was an Australian scientific collector and malacologist. She collected more than 200,000 shell specimens which are now held in the Queensland Museum.
With Kevin Lamprell, Whitehead co-wrote the two-volume Bivalves of Australia.[1] She also edited Lamprell's book, Spondylus: Spiny oyster shells of the world, in 1986.[2]
Whitehead spent over 50 years collecting shells, particularly along the coast of Queensland. She found specimens in mangrove forests and on beaches, rocky outcrops and coral reefs.[3]
In the process of photographing the specimens prior to acquisition of Whitehead's extensive shell collection by the Queensland Museum, its curator John Healy discovered a new species. He named it Amoria thorae in her honour.[4][5]
