D. S. Falconer and Introduction to Quantitative Genetics
Year: 2004
Type: article
Abstract: Anecdotal, Historical and Critical Commentaries on Genetics Edited by James F. Crow and William F. Dove DOUGLAS Falconer died on February 23, 2004, in Edinburgh. In his career he made many important contributions to quantitative genetics and to the genetics of the mouse. Undoubtedly, however, his greatest impact was through his textbook, Introduction to Quantitative Genetics (Falconer 1960a), which for many throughout the world has been both their lead into and their lifelong reference on the subject. The first edition was published in 1960 when one of us (W.G.H.) was an undergraduate student in agriculture and becoming interested in animal breeding; the book (albeit advanced for that naïve student) gave a lead into the science behind the practice. The fourth edition in 1996 was co-authored by T.F.C. Mackay (Falconer and Mackay 1996). We both have read it many times, consulted it, and taught from it. The book has been part of our lives. In this Perspectives we shall give some brief biographical information about Douglas, who was our teacher, colleague, and friend, and a summary of some of his most significant research. We shall concentrate, however, on the development and impact of Introduction to Quantitative Genetics.
Source: Genetics
Authors: William G Hill, Trudy F C Mackay
Institutions: University of Edinburgh, North Carolina State University
Language: English
Subfield: History and Philosophy of Science
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1885740864