Southern African Society for Systematic Biology

ABOUT THE SOCIETY

SASSB functions as a forum, network and community for systematists (biologists who focus on the identity, relationships and natural history of living organisms). Southern Africa hosts several vibrant organisations devoted to the study of particular branches of the Tree of Life (e.g. the Zoological Society of SA, the South African Association of Botanists, African Mycological Society, Entomological Society of South Africa, Palaeontological Society of South Africa). Some of the members of each of these separate organisations – the systematists - are united by the fact that they use the same techniques to answer the same questions – such as, how many species are there, how do we distinguish them, and what are their evolutionary relationships? Despite the differences in the taxa we study, we are united by the same curiosity and passion. The SASSB functions as a community, network, and forum for us to share our ideas, learn new techniques, and benefit from each other’s experience. The broad aim of the society is to promote and represent the activities and interests of all biological systematists, evolutionary biologists, natural history curators and collection managers in South Africa by inspiring an appreciation for systematics and natural history collections.

History of the society

SASSB was formally established in January 1999 at the Inaugural Conference in Stellenbosch. The Society was the brainchild of Professor Peter Linder, then of the Botany Department of the University of Cape Town, established to address the concern of declining capacity and resources for systematics in South Africa (and globally). The society aims to address the source of this decline, which is the lack of understanding of the critical role of taxonomy, systematics and natural history collections in science and society.