John Dennis Carthy


John Dennis Carthy was a British zoologist and ethologist whose primary study subjects were the sensory systems and behaviour of invertebrates. He published 11 books and numerous scientific articles.

Life and career

John D Carthy went to Bedford School, and received his undergraduate training at Christ’s College at the University of Cambridge. During WW2 he served in the Operational Research Section of the RAF Bomber Command, after which he returned to Cambridge, and completed first his undergraduate studies and subsequently obtained a PhD at Cambridge in 1950. He joined the faculty of the Zoology Department at Queen Mary College, London in 1950, where he remained until his death in 1972.
In 1967 he became the first Scientific Director of the Field Studies Council, where he led the establishment of the Oil Pollution Research Unit at Orielton Field Studies Centre, Pembrokeshire and the setting up of the Epping Forest Conservation Centre. He was a fellow of the Institute of Biology and a Secretary of the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour and the Society for Experimental Biology and a council member of the Royal Entomological Society. In honour of his contributions, a prize is awarded annually to a final year BSc Psychology student at Queen Mary University of London who shows substantial academic achievement.
John Carthy was a prominent science communicator, with many appearances on popular radio and television programmes, e.g. the BBC’s "Meet the Professor", "Tonight", "Nature Parliament" and "Young Scientists of the Year".

Books