Document Type
Article
Publication Date
11-1-2000
Publication Title
American Zoologist
Department
Department of Biological Sciences
Abstract
Richard Goldschmidts research on homeotic mutants from 1940 until his death in 1958 represents one of the first serious efforts to integrate genetics, development, and evolution. Using two different models, Goldschmidt tried to show how different views of genetic structure and gene action could provide a mechanism for rapid speciation. Developmental systems were emphasized in one model and a hierarchy of genetic structures in the other. While Goldschmidt tried to find a balance between development and genetics, critics, such as Sewall Wright, urged him and eventually helped him incorporate population dynamics into his models as well. As such, the history of Goldschmidts research on homeotic mutants highlights the continuing challenge of producing a balanced and integrated developmental evolutionary genetics.
Original Citation
Michael R. Dietrich, From Hopeful Monsters to Homeotic Effects: Richard Goldschmidt's Integration of Development, Evolution, and Genetics, American Zoologist, Volume 40, Issue 5, October 2000, Pages 738–747, https://doi.org/10.1093/icb/40.5.738
Dartmouth Digital Commons Citation
Dietrich, Michael, "From hopeful monsters to homeotic effects: Richard Goldschmidt's integration of development, evolution, and genetics" (2000). Dartmouth Scholarship. 28.
https://digitalcommons.dartmouth.edu/facoa/28