title: Ernst Mayr's interactions with J. B. S. Haldane.
abstract: Ernst Mayr and J. B. S. Haldane, major contributors to the 'modern synthesis' in evolutionary theory, set an example of how scientific disagreements need not come in the way of friendship. After getting acquainted, they kept discussing issues related to evolution until just before Haldane's death in 1964. Their dissimilar backgrounds meant that they adopted different approaches. A major disagreement emerged regarding the right way to look at the role of genes in evolution. Mayr felt that the elementary models of population genetics were oversimplifications and therefore inadequate for representing evolutionary processes, though he was not consistent in his attitude. Haldane, on the other hand, maintained that the mathematical treatment of simple models had an important role to play. The Mayr-Haldane interactions illustrate divergent viewpoints concerning the utility of mathematics in biology.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore, 560012, India. aneev52@yahoo.co.uk.
authors.forename: Veena
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.affiliation: Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS), Wallenberg Research Centre at Stellenbosch University, Marais Street, Stellenbosch, 7600, South Africa.|Centre for Human Genetics, Electronic City (Phase I), Bangalore, 560100, India.
authors.forename: Vidyanand
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nanjundiah
mesh_terms: D005075:Biological Evolution; D004739:England; D005828:Genetics, Population / Q000266:history*; D005858:Germany; D049673:History, 20th Century; D007194:India; D008954:Models, Biological; D014481:United States
keywords: Beanbag dispute; Evolution; Mathematical models; Population genetics