Serghey S. Chetverikov (1880-1959): Drawing a Synthesis Between Genetics and Evolution

Sergey Sergheevich Chetverikov (1880–1959) was one of the most influential scientists of the Russian school of evolutionary genetics. Zoologist by training, Chetverikov contributed to the general development of biological sciences of the twentieth century. He is known for having promoted a synthesis of Mendelian genetics and Darwin’s evolutionary theory. In this framework his work is associated, among others, to those of J. B. S. Haldane, Ronald Fisher, and Sewall Wright in Britain and the United States. Throughout his life, Chetverikov mainly focused on the experimental study of the hereditary properties of animal populations, studying especially butterflies and Lepidoptera. His major work, titled On Certain Aspects of the Evolutionary Process from the Viewpoint of Modern Genetics (1926), paved the way to the establishment of population genetics and the synthetic theory of evolution. Although his contributions remained unappreciated until after his death, as Chetverikov was one of the victims of Trofim Lysenko’s crusade against genetics; he is now recognized as a pioneer in population genetics, which, in turn, is likely to play a crucial role in the development of evo-devo.