Who was George Ledyard Stebbins?
Q: Who was George Ledyard Stebbins?
A: George Ledyard Stebbins, Jr. was an American botanist and geneticist who was one of the leading evolutionary biologists of the 20th century.
Q: Where did he receive his PhD?
A: He received his PhD in botany from Harvard University in 1931.
Q: What is his most important publication?
A: His most important publication is Variation and Evolution in Plants, which combined genetics and Darwin's theory of natural selection to describe plant speciation.
Q: What impact did this book have on botany?
A: This book had the same impact on botany as Dobzhansky's book in population genetics, integrating the widely scattered literature of plant evolution and providing abundant suggestions for further research.
Q: What other areas did Stebbins research?
A: He also researched and wrote widely on the role of hybridization and polyploidy in speciation and plant evolution; his work in this area has had a lasting influence on research in the field.
Q: What awards did he receive during his career?
A: He was elected to the National Academy of Science, was awarded the National Medal of Science.
Q: What other activities was he involved with?
A: He was involved in the development of evolution-based science programs for California high schools, as well as the conservation of rare plants in that state.
