Julian Huxley and the Development of Evolutionary Studies

Abstract

More than any other British biologist, except perhaps his own paternal grandfather Thomas Henry, Julian Huxley merits the epithet: Statesman of Science (this was the title chosen for the other Huxley Centenary symposium, which was held at Rice University, Texas just a few days after the Eugenics Society meeting in London). Throughout the middle half of this century, Julian Huxley occupied a very special place in the British scientific community. He was, of course, a major biological investigator in his own right; but in addition, he exerted a considerable influence over his colleagues as a teacher, talent-spotter, research collaborator, theoretical trend-setter, organiser and, in later life, public figure-head. And as if all this were not enough, throughout his long career he played a key part in promoting the cultural importance of science before policy-makers, politicians and the general public, both nationally and internationally.KeywordsSexual SelectionFemale ChoiceModern SynthesisProgressivist ConceptionAntler SizeThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.