George Romanes

George John Romanes ( born May 19, 1848 in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, † May 23, 1894 ) was a British evolutionary biology. He laid the foundation for animal psychology and said similarities between the cognitive processes in humans and animals ahead.

He was the youngest of Charles Darwin's academic friends. His view on the evolution of historical importance. Romanes introduced the term neo-Darwinism, which is still used today to refer to a newer form of Darwinism. His early death represented a loss to the British evolutionary biology; within six years, the Mendelian work was rediscovered and placed new views to the debate.

Life

Romanes was born as the third son of a Scottish, Presbyterian minister. When he was two years old, his family returned to England, where he spent the rest of his life. How many English naturalist, he was about to study theology, but decided nevertheless to study medicine and physiology at the University of Cambridge. Although he came from an educated family home, his education was changeable. With only moderate prior knowledge he entered the university. In 1871 he completed a Bachelor of Arts his studies at Gonville and Caius College, where he is today commemorated with a stained glass window in the chapel.

At Cambridge, Charles Darwin became aware of Romanes. "How happy I am that you're so young," Darwin said at the time. Up to his death, she remained friends. Directed by Michael Forster led Romany his work on invertebrates at the University College London continued. For his work on the nervous system of the medusa him the membership of the Royal Society in London was awarded. Romanes opened the series of annual public lectures in the Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford, which he called honor since " Romanes Lecture ".

As a young man was Romanes still believing Christian, but in a manuscript, which remained unfinished until his death, he stated that the theory of evolution and the influence of his friend Darwin had brought him to leave the religion. He was of the atheistic negation all faith in God for resolute commitment to the good of faith right back.

Romanes's work on evolution

Romanes took up the issue on evolution often. Although he supported Darwin's views and the function of natural selection, but he made ​​three problems of Darwinian doctrine of:

Romanes pointed out, moreover, that Darwin had ultimately not explain how new species arise, despite the title The Origin of Species. Apparently, natural selection could lead to adaptation, but how it came to the actual formation of new species?

Romanes own solution to this was the physiological readout. His idea was that the difference in ability to procreate, this creates mainly to avoid the homozygosity of the parents. That was the decisive force that causes the formation of new species. The majority view then and now was that geographic isolation is the force that new species can arise, since no gene flow can occur between spatially separated species.

Works (selection)

  • The scientific Evidences of organic evolution. 1877
  • Candid examination of theism. 1878 ( published as Physicus )
  • Animal Intelligence. 1881
  • Mental evolution in animals, with a posthumous essay on instinct by Charles Darwin. 1883
  • Jelly -fish, star -fish and sea urchins, being a research on primitive nervous systems. 1885
  • Physiological selection: an additional suggestion on the Origin of Species. 1886
  • Mental evolution in Man. 1888
  • Aristotle as a naturalist. 1891
  • Darwin, and after Darwin. 3 volumes, 1892-1897 Volume I The Darwinian theory. 1892
  • Volume II Post- Darwinian questions: heredity and utility. 1895
  • Volume III Post- Darwinian questions: Isolation and physiological selection. 1897
Kingston (Ontario) Cognition Modern evolutionary synthesis Geographical isolation Integrated Authority File
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