The late ERNST MAYR was Alexander Agassiz Professor of Zoology,
Emeritus, at Harvard University. He was the recipient of
numerous honorary degrees and awards, including the National
Medal of Science, the Balzan Prize, and the Japan Prize. Mayr
was one of the 20th century's leading evolutionary biologists.
His work has contributed to the conceptual revolution that led
to the synthesis of Mendelian genetics and Darwinian evolution,
and to the development of the biological species concept. His
theory of peripatric speciation has become widely accepted as
one of the standard modes of speciation, and is the basis of the
theory of punctuated equilibrium. Furthermore, his writings
reflect, not only a technical expertise in biological subjects,
but also a broad and penetrating understanding of the deeper
philosophical issues involved. Among his many books are The
Growth of Biological Thought; One Long Argument: Charles Darwin
and the Genesis of Modern Evolutionary Thought ; Population,
Species, and Evolution; Systema