Lynn Margulis [2] was an American
biologist and
University Professor in the Department of
Geosciences at the
University of Massachusetts Amherst died from a stroke she was 73..
[1][3] She is best known for her theory on the origin of
eukaryotic organelles, and her contributions to the
endosymbiotic theory, which is now generally accepted for how certain
organelles were formed. She showed that animals, plants, and fungi all originated from protists. She is also associated with the
Gaia hypothesis, based on an idea developed by the English
environmental scientist James Lovelock.
(born
Lynn Alexander;
[1] March 5, 1938 – November 22, 2011)
Research
Endosymbiotic theory
Lynn Margulis attended the
University of Chicago, earned a master's degree from the
University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1960, and received her
Ph.D. in 1963 from
UC Berkeley. In 1966, as a young faculty member at
Boston University, she wrote a theoretical paper entitled
The Origin of Mitosing Eukaryotic Cells.[4] The paper however was "rejected by about fifteen scientific journals," Margulis recalled.
[5] It was finally accepted by
The Journal of Theoretical Biology and is considered today a landmark in modern
endosymbiotic theory. Although it draws heavily on symbiosis ideas first put forward by mid-19th century scientists and by
Merezhkovsky
(1905) and Ivan Wallin (1920) in the early-20th century, Margulis's
endosymbiotic theory formulation is the first to rely on direct
microbiological observations (as opposed to
paleontological or
zoological observations which were previously the norm for new works in
evolutionary biology).
Weathering constant criticism of her ideas for decades, Margulis is
famous for her tenacity in pushing her theory forward, despite the
opposition she faced at the time.
The underlying theme of endosymbiotic theory, as formulated in 1966, was interdependence and cooperative existence of multiple
prokaryotic organisms; one organism engulfed another, yet both survived and eventually evolved over millions of years into
eukaryotic cells. Her 1970 book,
Origin of Eukaryotic Cells, discusses her early work pertaining to this
organelle
genesis theory in detail. Currently, her endosymbiotic theory is
recognized as the key method by which some organelles have arisen (see
endosymbiotic theory
for a discussion) and is widely accepted by mainstream scientists. The
endosymbiotic theory of organogenesis gained strong support in the
1980s, when the genetic material of
mitochondria and
chloroplasts was found to be different from that of the symbiont's
nuclear DNA.
[6]
In 1995, prominent evolutionary biologist
Richard Dawkins had this to say about Lynn Margulis and her work:
| “ |
I greatly
admire Lynn Margulis's sheer courage and stamina in sticking by the
endosymbiosis theory, and carrying it through from being an unorthodoxy
to an orthodoxy. I'm referring to the theory that the eukaryotic cell is
a symbiotic union of primitive prokaryotic cells. This is one of the
great achievements of twentieth-century evolutionary biology, and I
greatly admire her for it.[7] |
” |
Theory of symbiotic relationships driving evolution
She later formulated a theory to explain how symbiotic relationships
between organisms of often different phyla or kingdoms are the driving
force of
evolution.
Genetic variation is proposed to occur mainly as a result of transfer of nuclear information between
bacterial cells or
viruses and
eukaryotic cells.
While her organelle genesis ideas are widely accepted, symbiotic
relationships as a current method of introducing genetic variation is
something of a fringe idea.
She also holds a negative view of certain interpretations of
Neo-Darwinism,
excessively focused on inter-organismic competition, as she believed
that history will ultimately judge them as comprising "a minor
twentieth-century religious sect within the sprawling religious
persuasion of Anglo-Saxon Biology."
[8]
She also believed that proponents of the standard theory "wallow in
their zoological, capitalistic, competitive, cost-benefit interpretation
of Darwin – having mistaken him... Neo-Darwinism, which insists on [the
slow accrual of mutations by gene-level natural selection], is in a
complete funk."
[8]
She opposed such competition-oriented views of evolution, stressing
the importance of symbiotic or cooperative relationships between
species.
AIDS/HIV theory
In 2009 Margulis co-authored with seven others a paper stating
"Detailed research that correlates life histories of symbiotic
spirochetes to changes in the immune system of associated vertebrates is
sorely needed" and urging the "reinvestigation of the natural history
of mammalian, tick-borne, and venereal transmission of spirochetes in
relation to impairment of the human immune system."
[9]
Margulis later argued that "there's no evidence that HIV is an
infectious virus" and that AIDS symptoms "overlap ... completely" with
those of
syphilis.
[10] Seth Kalichman cited her 2009 paper as an example of
AIDS denialism "flourishing",
[11] and argued that her "endorsement of HIV/AIDS denialism defies understanding." He also noted her position as a "
9/11 Truth Seeker".
[12]
Metamorphosis theory
In 2009, via a then-standard publication-process known as "communicated submission", she was instrumental in getting the
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (
PNAS) to publish a paper by
Donald I. Williamson rejecting "the Darwinian assumption that larvae and their adults evolved from a single common ancestor."
[13][14] Williamson's paper provoked immediate response from the
scientific community, including a countering paper in
PNAS.
[15] Conrad Labandeira of the
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
said, "If I was reviewing [Williamson's paper] I would probably opt to
reject it," he says, "but I'm not saying it's a bad thing that this is
published. What it may do is broaden the discussion on how metamorphosis
works and…[on]…the origin of these very radical life cycles." But
Duke University insect developmental biologist
Fred Nijhout said that the paper was better suited for the "
National Enquirer than the National Academy."
[16] In September it was announced that
PNAS would eliminate communicated submissions in July 2010.
PNAS stated that the decision had nothing to do with the Williamson controversy.
[14]
Professional recognition
- Elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1983.
- Guest Hagey Lecturer, University of Waterloo, 1985[17]
- Inducted into the World Academy of Art and Science,[18] the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.[19]
- Has her papers permanently archived in the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
- 1999 recipient of the William Procter Prize for Scientific Achievement.
- 1999 recipient of the National Medal of Science, awarded by President William J. Clinton.
- Profiled in Visionaries: The 20th Century's 100 Most Important Inspirational Leaders, published in 2007.
- Founded Sciencewriters Books in 2006 with her son Dorion.[20]
- Was one of thirteen recipients in 2008 of the Darwin-Wallace Medal, heretofore bestowed every 50 years, by the Linnean Society of London.
- 2009 speaker at the Biological Evolution Facts and Theories Conference, held at the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome aimed at promoting dialogue between evolutionary biology and Christianity.
- 2010 inductee into the Leonardo da Vinci Society of Thinking[21] at the University of Advancing Technology in Tempe, Arizona.
- 2012, Lynn Margulis Symposium: Celebrating a Life in Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, March 23–25, 2012
Personal background
Born and raised in
Chicago's South Side, Margulis, along with her three siblings, attended the
University of Chicago Laboratory Schools.
[22]
She attended the
University of Chicago at age 14 having entered "because she wanted to go and they let me in".
[23]
At 19, she married astronomer
Carl Sagan. Their marriage lasted 8 years. Later, she married Dr. Thomas N. Margulis, a
crystallographer. Her children are popular science writer and co-author
Dorion Sagan, software developer and founder of
Sagan Technology,
Jeremy Sagan, New York City criminal defense lawyer Zachary Margulis-Ohnuma, and teacher and author
Jennifer Margulis.
[citation needed]
Her sister Joan Alexander married Nobel Laureate
Sheldon Lee Glashow; another sister, Sharon, married mathematician
Daniel Kleitman.
Death
Margulis died on November 22, 2011 at home in
Amherst,
Massachusetts, five days after suffering a
hemorrhagic stroke.
[24]
To see more of who died in 2011
click here
Danielle Mitterrand was the wife of French President François Mitterrand, and president of the foundation France Libertés Fondation Danielle Mitterrand died she was 87..[1]
