Question

Who is ‘Ernst Mayr’?

Answer 1

Darwin was an evolutionary biologist who provided very useful insight in understanding the evolution of all living creatures on the planet. The person who is regarded as the Darwin of the 20th century redefined species and the concept of modern evolution.

Complete answer:
Ernst Mayr is also regarded as the Darwin of the 20th century.
- Ernst Mayr approached the problem of the lack of understanding of the mechanism of how multiple species evolve from a single common ancestor.
- He stated that species are not only a group of morphologically identical individuals but also individuals that can breed among themselves and not others.
- Some of the most important philosophical and scientific inferences identified by Mayr from Darwinian publications include the world being constantly evolving, not static; much of the variation being heritable; the implausibility of creationism; the ability of populations to remain roughly the same size despite periodic fluctuations; and so on.

Additional information:
John Ray was a naturalist that is known for his contributions to modern taxonomy and defining species.
- Lamarck is known for his alternative theories of evolution, most importantly the inheritance of acquired characteristics.
- Charles Darwin was a highly influential evolutionary biologist who put forward the concept of evolution and common ancestors.

Note:
The idea of inheritance of acquired characteristics is also known as Lamarckism or Neo-Lamarckism.
- One of the most important publications of Ernst Mayr is the book Systematics and the Origin of Species.
- There are several birds, reptiles, and insects named in Mayr’s honor.