Ernst W. Mayr

Ernst Walter Mayr was a preeminent evolutionary biologist of the 20th century.

Born in 1904, he made significant contributions to the modern evolutionary synthesis, combining genetics, systematics, and Darwinian evolution.

Mayr developed the biological species concept and advanced the theory of peripatric speciation.

His work on bird populations led to insights on how new species form through isolation and genetic drift.

Mayr also contributed to the philosophy of biology, distinguishing it from physics due to its historical component.

He was a renowned taxonomist, tropical explorer, ornithologist, and historian of science.

Mayr's influential career spanned decades until his death in 2005 at age 100.