John P. Rafferty
Encyclopædia Britannica Editor
Connect with John P. Rafferty
John P. Rafferty writes about Earth processes and the environment. He serves currently as the editor of Earth and life sciences, covering climatology, geology, zoology, and other topics that relate to the natural world. Prior to joining Encyclopaedia Britannica in 2006, he held teaching positions at Lewis University, Roosevelt University, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Primary Contributions (454)
Jolly Roger, flag design used by pirates and privateers to frighten the crews of other ships into submission. The Jolly Roger is most recognizable by its white skull-and-crossbones design on a black background, but the flags of individual pirates also carried other design elements for…
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Understanding Megalodon
Pollution
Groundwater Quiz
Name That Geologic Interval
The Big Cats
Australopithecus vs. Homo
Fishes vs. Mammals
Canines vs. Felines
Earth’s Seas
Clouds and Cloud Types
U.S. Presidential Nicknames
Strange Geographical Features: Fact or Fiction?
Mountain Ranges
15 of the Best Birdsongs (According to Britannica)
Prince Philip: A Life in Pictures
6 Lakes That Are Drying Up
Titanosaurs: 8 of the World's Biggest Dinosaurs
Gorilla gorilla, Sula sula, and Other Animals Whose Names Are Tautonyms—the Same for Genus and Species
Fast Facts about the Cell Membrane
6 Fast Facts about Alexander Graham Bell
Where Did the Moon Come From?
In the Sea-Language: Sailing Terms in Britannica's First Edition
The Great Molasses Flood and 6 Other Strange Disasters
6 of the World's Most Dangerous Birds
11 of the World’s Most Famous Warplanes
8 of the World’s Most-Remote Islands
7 of the World’s Most Dangerous Lizards and Turtles
10 of the World’s Most Dangerous Fish
9 of the World’s Deadliest Mammals
5 Vertebrate Groups
9 of the World’s Deadliest Spiders
5 Notorious Greenhouse Gases
The 6 Deadliest Earthquakes Since 1950
9 of the World’s Deadliest Snakes
