What is Ernst Mayr?
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2021}} {{Infobox Scientist |name = Ernst Mayr |box_width = |image = Ernst Mayr PLoS.jpg |caption = Ernst Mayr |birth_date = {{birth date|1904|7|5}} |birth_place = [[Kempten im Allgäu|Kempten]], [[German Empire]] |death_date = {{death date and age|2005|2|3|1904|7|5|}} |death_place = [[Bedford, Massachusetts]], [[United States]] |residence = |citizenship = |nationality = [[File:Flag of Germany.svg|20px|]] [[Germany]] |ethnicity = |field = [[evolutionary biology]] |work_institutions = |alma_mater = |doctoral_advisor = |doctoral_students = |known_for = |author_abbrev_bot = |author_abbrev_zoo = |influences = |influenced = |prizes = |religion = |footnotes = |signature = }} '''Ernst Walter Mayr''' (July 5, 1904, [[Kempten im Allgäu|Kempten]], [[Germany]] – February 3, 2005, [[Bedford, Massachusetts]]), was a [[Germany|German]] [[United States|American]] [[scientist]]. He was one of the 20th century's leading [[evolutionary biology|evolutionary biologists]]. He was also a well-known [[taxonomy|taxonomist]], [[tropical]] [[explorer]], [[ornithology|ornithologist]],<ref>Gill F.B. 1994. Ernst Mayr, the ornithologist. ''Evolution'' '''48''' (1): 12–18. [https://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/2409998?uid=3738032&uid=2&uid=4&sid=21101563456757]</ref> [[History of science|historian of science]], and [[naturalist]]. He was a leading contributor to the [[modern evolutionary synthesis]]. He was especially interested in how new [[species]] formed.<ref>Coyne J.A. 2005. Ernst Mayr (1904–2005). ''Science'' '''307''' (5713): 1212–1213. (no free access)</ref><ref>Diamond J. 2005. Obituary: Ernst Mayr (1904–2005). ''Nature'' '''433''' (7027): 700–701. (no free access)</ref> Mayr joined the faculty of [[Harvard University]] in 1953, where he also served as director of the Museum of Comparative Zoology from 1961 to 1970. He retired in 197