The Origins of Theoretical Population Genetics: With a New Afterword

William B. Provine

University of Chicago Press, 2001 - Science - 211 pages

Tracing the development of population genetics through the writings of such luminaries as Darwin, Galton, Pearson, Fisher, Haldane, and Wright, William B. Provine sheds light on this complex field as well as its bearing on other branches of biology.

Contents

• Darwins Theory of Natural Selection The Reaction: 1
• THE REACTION: 10
• Thomas H Huxley and Natura non facit Saltum: 11
• Francis Galton Regression and Discontinuous Evolution: 14
• Background to the Conflict between Mendelians and Biometricians: 25
• WELDON PEARSON AND BIOMETRY: 29
• WILLIAM BATESON AND DISCONTINUOUS EVOLUTION: 35
• THE PUBLIC CONTROVERSIES: 45
• The Struggle over the Evolution Committee: 48
• The Conflict Between Mendelians and Biometricians: 56
• THE HOMOTYPOSIS CONTROVERSY: 58
• THE MUTATION THEORY: 64
• INHERITANCE IN PEAS: 70
• HEREDITY IN MICE: 73
• MENDELISM AND BIOMETRY: 80
• MEETING OF THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION 1904: 85
• COAT COLOR IN HORSES: 87
• Darwinian Selection The Controversy 19001918: 90
• THE ARGUMENT AGAINST DARWINIAN SELECTION: 91
• Wilhelm Johannsens Pure Line Theory: 92
• Criticism of Johannsens Pure Line Theory: 96
• Raymond Pearl and Pure Lines: 104
• Criticism of the Pure Line Theory: 105
• THE PROOF AND EXPLANATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SELECTION: 108
• William Ernest Castle and Selection Theory: 109
• The Multiple Factor Theory: 114
• Thomas Hunt Morgan and Variation for Evolution: 120
• Pure Line Theory and Selection: 122
• Morgans Theory of Evolution: 125
• Castle and the Selection Problem: 126
• Population Genetics The Synthesis of Mendelism Darwinism and Biometry: 130
• EXPLORATION OF THE MATHEMATICAL CONSEQUENCES OF MENDELIAN HEREDITY BEFORE 1918: 131
• RONALD ALYMER FISHER: 140
• SEWALL WRIGHT: 154
• J B S HALDANE: 167
• CONCLUSIONS: 177
• Galton Pearson and the Law of Ancestral Heredity: 179
• Bibliography: 189
• Afterword: 197
• Index: 207

About the author

William B. Provine is the C. A. Alexander Professor of Biological Sciences at Cornell University. He is the author of Sewall Wright and Evolutionary Biology and the editor of Evolution: Selected Papers by Sewall Wright, both published by the University of Chicago Press.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Origins of Theoretical Population Genetics: With a New Afterword; Chicago history of science and medicine; Chicago library of comparative politics; The Origins of Theoretical Population Genetics, William B. Provine; University of Chicago history of science and medicine
• Author: William B. Provine
• Edition: illustrated, reprint
• Publisher: University of Chicago Press, 2001
• ISBN: 0226684636, 9780226684635
• Length: 211 pages
• Subjects: Science / Biotechnology; Science / General; Science / History; Science / Life Sciences / Evolution