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ANALYSIS SHAPING EVOLUTIONARY HISTORY Evolutionary biology, the study of the origin and evolution of life on Earth, became recognised as a scientific field following the realisation that Mendelian genetics could explain the processes and causes of evolution and biodiversity, determine species relationships and document evolutionary history. Here, International Innovation presents a selection of influential biologists who are highly recognised for their contributions to this exciting discipline Charles Darwin Gregor Mendel Theodosius Dobzhansky A C G Sadly, as it was only published in German, and carried out in the garden of a monastery, Mendel’s work was not fully recognised until more than 30 years after his death. Dobzhansky’s work also led to the establishment of evolutionary genetics as an independent discipline. (1809-82) t a time when most Europeans believed that God created the world in seven days, Darwin set out on a five-year scientific voyage, during which he made observations that laid the foundations for evolutionary theory. The first to propose natural selection as a mechanism of evolution, Darwin and his colleague, Alfred Russel Wallace, officially announced the concept in 1858. Although greatly contested at the time, this revolutionary theory is now the general consensus. 74 INTERNATIONAL INNOVATION (1822-84) onsidered the founder of modern genetics, Mendel conducted studies on pea plants that have become synonymous with the scientist for shedding light on the mechanisms of heredity. Coining the terms ‘dominant’ and ‘recessive’, he was the first to demonstrate the predictable influence of genetics on visible traits. (1900-75) eneticist Dobzhansky’s investigations into how genes result in variation between populations of the same species were pivotal to the field of evolutionary biology. His theories combined the concepts of Darwinian evolution and Mendelian genetics into principles of speciation; and he published the first synthesis of these works in 1937. ANALYSIS Ernst Mayr Rosemary and Peter Grant Eric Pianka F T P Mayr was an advocate of the argument that evolutionary pressures act on an organism as a whole, rather than on single genes. Years of observation enabled the researchers to document evidence of natural selection in action – recording environmental change and showing how particular individuals within the population favoured these changes, thereby driving the evolution of certain characteristics. An inventor of many new techniques and concepts, several of Pianka’s publications have been overwhelmingly influential to the field of evolutionary ecology and cited thousands of times. Niles Eldredge Sarah Blaffer Hrdy Nancy Moran A B M (1904-2005) ascinated with the origin of species, Mayr proposed a mechanism for how multiple species could evolve from a single common ancestor (known as the biological species concept). Although not the only one of its kind, this theory is widely accepted as an explanation for how barriers to reproduction influence the evolutionary origins of species. (1943-present) longside Stephen Jay Gould (19412002), Eldredge posited the theory of punctuated equilibrium – now a widely recognised model of evolutionary change that put flesh to Darwin’s observation that the fossil record lacked evidence of the steady, gradual evolution of species with time. While Darwin concluded that this was due to the record’s incomplete state, he could not explain why. Gould and Eldredge suggested that organisms undergo rapid bursts of change that result in new species and, based on probability, concluded that this kind of speciation is unlikely to leave fossilised traces. (1936-present) he Grants’ cutting-edge research on Darwin’s finches in the Galapagos Islands has revealed new insights into species evolution, demonstrating that severe environmental changes result in rapid evolutionary changes in beak size and shape. (1946-present) laffer Hrdy’s radical influence on evolutionary biology is largely based around theories of female strategies and evolutionary influences on infants. Although widely accepted today, many of her conclusions have forced scientists to rethink commonly recognised interpretations of evolutionary theory; for example, the ‘good mother’ archetype. (1939-present) ianka’s research is broadly based on lizards as model organisms, which exhibit a wide range of ecological phenomena. One of the best-known evolutionary ecologists today, he has proposed theories on (but not limited to) foraging strategies, reproductive tactics, competition, species diversity and species rarity. (1957-present) oran received the International Prize for Biology from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science in 2010 for her groundbreaking work on the co-evolutionary symbiotic relationships between insects and bacteria. Her work has vastly enhanced understanding of the evolution of biological complexity and she is highly praised for her consistently multidisciplinary approach. WWW.RESEARCHMEDIA.EU 75