Ernst Mayr: Difference between revisions

From Citizendium
Jump to navigation Jump to search
imported>Matt Mahlmann
m (added wikilink)
imported>Richard Jensen
(add bibl)
Line 1: Line 1:
'''Ernst Mayr''' (1904-2005), born in Kempten, [[Germany]], was a naturalized American citizen.  
'''Ernst Mayr''' (1904-2005), born in Kempten, [[Germany]], was an American ornithologist and theoretical biologist based at Harvard University.
He, along with Theodosius Dobzhansky, George Gaylord Simpson, and G. Ledyard Stebbins, founded the "Modern Synthesis" in evolutionary biology. "The Modern Synthesis sought to integrate Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection with the recent development of population genetics by R. A. Fisher, Sewall Wright, and J. B. S. Haldane."<ref> Ernst Mayr. ''Animal Sciences.'' 4 vols. Macmillan Reference USA, 2002. Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Thomson Gale. 2007).</ref>


He, along with Theodosius Dobzhansky, George Gaylord Simpson, and G. Ledyard Stebbins, founded the "Modern Synthesis" in evolutionary biology. "The Modern Synthesis sought to integrate Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection with the recent development of population genetics by R. A. Fisher, Sewall Wright, and J. B. S. Haldane" (reference for quote:"Ernst Mayr." Animal Sciences. 4 vols. Macmillan Reference USA, 2002. Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Thomson Gale. 2007).
He wrote many books, articles and papers. In his 90s he wrote ''This is Biology: The Science of the Living World''.<ref> Mayr E (1997) ''This is Biology: The Science of the Living World.''  Cambridge, Mass: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press</ref> In the opening chapter, ''What Is the Meaning of “Life” '', he declares that understanding 'life' is one of the major objectives of biology.
 
In his last decade as a centenarian, he wrote a book called ''This is Biology: The Science of the Living World''.<ref> Mayr E (1997) ''This is Biology: The Science of the Living World.''  Cambridge, Mass: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press</ref> In the opening chapter, ''What Is the Meaning of “Life” '', he declares that understanding 'life' is one of the major objectives of biology.


[[Image:Ernst_Mayr_in_1994_-_10.1371_journal.pbio.0030152.g001-M.jpg|thumb|300px|left|Evolutionary biologist Ernst Mayr (1904-2005) in 1994. From Meyer A (2005) On the importance of being Ernst Mayr. PLoS Biol 3(5): [http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.0030152 e152]]]
[[Image:Ernst_Mayr_in_1994_-_10.1371_journal.pbio.0030152.g001-M.jpg|thumb|300px|left|Evolutionary biologist Ernst Mayr (1904-2005) in 1994. From Meyer A (2005) On the importance of being Ernst Mayr. PLoS Biol 3(5): [http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.0030152 e152]]]


==Bibliography==
* Mayr, Ernst. ''The Growth of Biological Thought: Diversity, Evolution, and Inheritance'' Belknap Press, 1982, a major history of biology; [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=97655748 online edition]
* Mayr, Ernst. ''Populations, Species, and Evolution'' (1971) (ISBN: 0674690133)
* Mayr, Ernst. "Speciation and Selection." ''Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society,'' Vol. 93#6 (1949) pp 514-519 [http://nsmn1.uh.edu/~dgraur/popbio/Speciation%20and%20Selection.pdf online edition]
===About Mayr===
* Frank B. Gill. "Ernst Mayr, the Ornithologist," ''Evolution,'' Vol. 48, No. 1 (Feb., 1994), pp. 12-18 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0014-3820(199402)48%3A1%3C12%3AEMTO%3E2.0.CO%3B2-P in JSTOR]
* Stephen Jay Gould. "Ernst Mayr and the Centrality of Species," 
''Evolution'', Vol. 48, No. 1 (Feb., 1994), pp. 31-35 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0014-3820(199402)48%3A1%3C31%3AEMATCO%3E2.0.CO%3B2-E in JSTOR]






 
---------
 
<references/>
 
[[Category:CZ Live]]
 
 
 
 
[[Category:Biology Workgroup]]
[[Category:Biology Workgroup]]
[[Category:History Workgroup]]

Revision as of 05:34, 15 July 2007

Ernst Mayr (1904-2005), born in Kempten, Germany, was an American ornithologist and theoretical biologist based at Harvard University. He, along with Theodosius Dobzhansky, George Gaylord Simpson, and G. Ledyard Stebbins, founded the "Modern Synthesis" in evolutionary biology. "The Modern Synthesis sought to integrate Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection with the recent development of population genetics by R. A. Fisher, Sewall Wright, and J. B. S. Haldane."[1]

He wrote many books, articles and papers. In his 90s he wrote This is Biology: The Science of the Living World.[2] In the opening chapter, What Is the Meaning of “Life” , he declares that understanding 'life' is one of the major objectives of biology.

Evolutionary biologist Ernst Mayr (1904-2005) in 1994. From Meyer A (2005) On the importance of being Ernst Mayr. PLoS Biol 3(5): e152

Bibliography

  • Mayr, Ernst. The Growth of Biological Thought: Diversity, Evolution, and Inheritance Belknap Press, 1982, a major history of biology; online edition
  • Mayr, Ernst. Populations, Species, and Evolution (1971) (ISBN: 0674690133)
  • Mayr, Ernst. "Speciation and Selection." Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, Vol. 93#6 (1949) pp 514-519 online edition

About Mayr

  • Frank B. Gill. "Ernst Mayr, the Ornithologist," Evolution, Vol. 48, No. 1 (Feb., 1994), pp. 12-18 in JSTOR
  • Stephen Jay Gould. "Ernst Mayr and the Centrality of Species,"

Evolution, Vol. 48, No. 1 (Feb., 1994), pp. 31-35 in JSTOR



  1. Ernst Mayr. Animal Sciences. 4 vols. Macmillan Reference USA, 2002. Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Thomson Gale. 2007).
  2. Mayr E (1997) This is Biology: The Science of the Living World. Cambridge, Mass: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press