Starting as a special assistant in tropical biology, Challinor rose to oversee all the Smithsonian science and research projects from 1971 to 1987.
He was, writes Shoumatoff, one of the four largely self-educated geniuses who pioneered tropical biology, and who all knew each other: Darwin, Wallace, Bates, and the botanist Richard Spruce.
He has done research and published in human genomics and tropical biology.
In 1988 DeVries received a MacArthur Fellowship that allowed him to travel broadly in pursuit of tropical biology in Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador, and Argentina.
In 1963 he attended as a student a two-month course in tropical biology taught in several field sites throughout Costa Rica.
This centre is specializing in researching of sciences from tropical biology, medicine, environmental pollution and treatments such dioxin effects in Vietnam.
The University has a strong and internationally recognised expertise in marine & tropical biology.
He oversaw its transformation from a field station on Barro Colorado Island into a major research institution in tropical biology.
A report of the National Research Council in Washington, an arm of the National Academy of Sciences, has urged governments to give high priority to tropical biology "while there is still time."
Howard, who served as director of Arnold Arboretum between 1954 and 1977, was known for his work in tropical biology and as author the Flora of the Lesser Antilles.