The Ernst Mayr reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Jul-2004
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Ernst Mayr

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Ernst Mayr

Ernst Mayr (born July 5, 1904) is one of the 20th century's leading evolutionary biologists. His work contributed to the conceptual revolution that led to the modern evolutionary synthesis of Mendelian genetics and Darwinian evolution, and to the development of the biological species concept. His theory of peripatric speciation based on his work on birds is considered as the typical mode of speciation, and is the basis of the theory of punctuated equilibrium [1]. Apart from biological subjects, his writings include works on the philosophy and history of science in general and biology in particular.

He was born in Kempten, Germany.

As a traditionally trained biologist with little mathematical experience, Mayr was often highly critical of early mathematical approaches to evolution such as those of J. B. S. Haldane, famously calling in 1959 such approaches "bean bag genetics". He continues to reject the view that evolution is the mere change of gene frequencies in populations, maintaining that other factors such as reproductive isolations have to be taken into acccount. In a similar fashion Mayr is also to this day quite critical of molecular evolutionary studies such as those of Carl Woese.

In many of his writings, Mayr has rejected reductionism in evolutionary biology, arguing that evolutionary pressures act on the whole organism, not on single genes, and that genes can have different effects depending on the other genes present. He advocates a study of the whole genome rather than only isolated genes.

Current molecular studies in evolution and speciation indicate that although allopatric speciation seems to be the norm in groups (possibly those with greater mobility) such as the birds, there are numerous cases of sympatric speciation in many invertebrates(especially in the insects).

Books by Ernst Mayr include:

References

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