The singular fate of genetics in the history of French biology, 1900?1940

Burian, Richard M.; Gayon, Jean; Zallen, Doris T.

doi:10.1007/bf00144087

Cited by 108 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 20 publications

(4 reference statements)

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“…Ephrussi was one of the rare French geneticists, famous for his early work with George Beadle which ultimately led the latter to the characterization of the one gene-one enzyme relation, a landmark in the development of molecular biology. Nevertheless, he spent as much time arguing against American geneticists as against the opponents of genetics (Sapp 1987;Burian et al 1988;Burian and Gayon 1999). He was convinced that the cytoplasm was the location of important hereditary phenomena: with his student, Piotr Slonimski, he founded mitochondrial genetics.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

French tradition and the rise of Evo-devo

Morange¹

2007

Theory Biosci.

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The limited value most French biologists attributed to Darwinism and Mendelism in the first half of the twentieth century, and their conviction that these theories were at best insufficient to explain evolution and development, probably created conditions propitious to the development of Evo-devo at the end of the century. The separation between embryology and evolution did not exist in French biology as it did in American genetics: explanations for these two phenomena were sought equally in the "organization" of the egg. The major contribution of French biologists to Evo-devo was clearly the invention of the notion of the regulatory gene by Jacob and Monod; not the operon model per se, but the introduction of a hierarchy between two different kinds of genes. The consequence, the rise of the developmental gene concept, was not immediate, and required the active role of other biologists such as Antonio Garcia-Bellido, Allan Wilson and Stephen Jay Gould. Various obstacles had to be overcome for this concept of developmental gene to be fully accepted.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

French tradition and the rise of Evo-devo

Morange¹

2007

Theory Biosci.

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“…Neo-Lamarckians were unable to face the diffi culties and to develop new research programmes. Neo-Lamarckism delayed the development of genetics in France (Burian et al 1988;Burian and Gayon 1999), and the reception of Darwinism. A positive side effect of this domination of neo-Lamarckism was seen in the programmes adopted by the French eugenic movement, which was as active in France as in other European countries (Schneider 1990).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

What history tells us XXII. The French neo-Lamarckians

Morange¹

2010

J Biosci

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“…5 But only a few exploratory studies have looked into the interface between genetics and agriculture in France and this work has not led to a revision of the ''French Mendelian desert'' thesis. Jean-Louis Fischer 1 Buican, 1984;Burian et al, 1988;Gayon and Burian, 2000;Thomas, 2004. 2 Buican, 1984, p. 193.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Panpsychic Organicism: Sewall Wright’s Philosophy for Understanding Complex Genetic Systems

Bonneuil

2006

J Hist Biol

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The article reevaluates the reception of Mendelism in France, and more generally considers the complex relationship between Mendelism and plant breeding in the first half on the 20th century. It shows on the one side that agricultural research and higher education institutions have played a key role in the development and institutionalization of genetics in France, whereas university biologists remained reluctant to accept this approach on heredity. But on the other side, plant breeders, and agricultural researchers, despite an interest in Mendelism, never came to see it as the breeders' panacea, and regarded it instead as of only limited value for plant breeding.

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The singular fate of genetics in the history of French biology, 1900?1940

Cited by 108 publications

References 20 publications

French tradition and the rise of Evo-devo

French tradition and the rise of Evo-devo

What history tells us XXII. The French neo-Lamarckians

Panpsychic Organicism: Sewall Wright’s Philosophy for Understanding Complex Genetic Systems

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