author

Carleton J. Phillips

A field biologist and mammalogist with an unusually wide-ranging career, he explored the lives of mammals in the wild and later reflected on science, collecting, and fieldwork with the candor of someone who had truly lived it.

1 Audiobook

Systematics of Megachiropteran Bats in the Solomon Islands

Systematics of Megachiropteran Bats in the Solomon Islands

by Carleton J. Phillips

About the author

Carleton J. Phillips was an American mammalogist and field biologist whose work centered on mammals, especially bats. Records from the Smithsonian show him as co-editor of Going Afield: Lifetime Experiences in Exploration, Science, and the Biology of Mammals (2005), a volume built around the experiences of senior scientists working in mammalogy.

An oral history recorded in 2005 describes a career that stretched far beyond the museum or laboratory. In that interview, Phillips discussed his field studies, his reasons for focusing on mammals, and the practical and ethical questions involved in collecting specimens. The same source also shows that his work connected with universities, government advising, and other scientific projects outside traditional academic life.

What makes him memorable is that mix of deep specialization and broad experience. He comes across as a scientist shaped by real field conditions, hard-earned judgment, and a lifelong curiosity about how mammals live and how biologists study them.