Ernst Mayr Quotes

According to the concept of transformational evolution, first clearly articulated by Lamarck, evolution consists of the gradual transformation of organisms from one condition of existence to another.

Ernst Mayr



All I claimed was that when a drastic change occurs, it occurs in a relatively small and isolated population.

Ernst Mayr



As a consequence, geneticists described evolution simply as a change in gene frequencies in populations, totally ignoring the fact that evolution consists of the two simultaneous but quite separate phenomena of adaptation and diversification.

Ernst Mayr



Evolution thus is merely contingent on certain processes articulated by Darwin: variation and selection.

Ernst Mayr



I did not claim that speciation occurs only in founder populations.

Ernst Mayr



I had found again and again that the most aberrant population of a species - often having reached species rank, and occasionally classified even as a separate genus - occurred at a peripheral location, indeed usually at the most isolated peripheral location.

Ernst Mayr