Ivan Ivanovich Schmalhausen

April 11, 1884 (age 83)

Kiev, Kyyivs'ka Oblast', Ukraine

In 1912 Ivan Ivanovich became a professor of zoology in Kiev University (now Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv). During 1920-1930 he was head of the Department of Vertebrate Zoology there. During 1930-1941 Ivan Ivanovich was director of Institute of Zoology (now The I.I. Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine) in Kiev, at the same during 1936-1948 he was director of Institute of Evolutionary Morphology in Moscow and during 1939-1948 - also a head to the Departament of Darwinism in Moscow University (now Moscow State University). On 23 August 1948 Ivan Ivanovich became victim of order 1208, one of a series signed by Minister of Higher Education in the USSR, Sergei Kaftanov [ru], which led to the mass dismissals of many university professors. This destroyed his career, as it removed his professorship and also decreed the destruction of his books and research projects. This action came about due to accusations of Weismannism and pro-Morganism, and of promoting the neo-Darwinian theory of evolution by natural selection, at a time when Trofim Lysenko and his followers were emphasising a process of heredity that focused on interaction with the environment and the inheritance of acquired characteristics along Lamarckian lines. During these events in 1948 Ivan Ivanovich was removed from the heading positions in Moscow institutions, Institute of Evolutionary Morphology and Department of Darwinism of Moscow University, and to the end of his life was working in Zoological Institute in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) as a common senior researcher. Ivan Ivanovich died on October 7, 1963 in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg).

Ivan Ivanovich Schmalhausen Edit Profile

biologist Zoologist

Background

Ivan Ivanovich Schmalhausen was born in Kiev, Russian Empire (now Ukraine) on April 23, 1884 to Luise Schmalhausen (Luisa Ludwigovna Schmalhausen) and Johannes Theodor Schmalhausen (1849-1894). His father was one of the founding fathers of Russian paleobotany.

Education

In 1901 Ivan Ivanovich graduated from the First Kiev Gymnasium and enrolled at Kiev University (now Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv), but was expelled a year later after taking a part in student disturbances. In 1902 he resumed his university studies at Kiev in the faculty of biological science. Around 1902 Ivan Ivanovich became acquainted with the founder of the Russian school of evolutionary morphology, Alexey Severtsov [ru] (1866-1936). In 1904 he, under the guidance of Severtsov, completed his first scientific work on the embryonic development of lungs in the grass snake. He graduated from the university in 1909.

Career

In 1912 Ivan Ivanovich became a professor of zoology in Kiev University (now Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv). During 1920-1930 he was head of the Department of Vertebrate Zoology there. During 1930-1941 Ivan Ivanovich was director of Institute of Zoology (now The I.I. Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine) in Kiev, at the same during 1936-1948 he was director of Institute of Evolutionary Morphology in Moscow and during 1939-1948 - also a head to the Departament of Darwinism in Moscow University (now Moscow State University).

On 23 August 1948 Ivan Ivanovich became victim of order 1208, one of a series signed by Minister of Higher Education in the USSR, Sergei Kaftanov [ru], which led to the mass dismissals of many university professors. This destroyed his career, as it removed his professorship and also decreed the destruction of his books and research projects. This action came about due to accusations of Weismannism and pro-Morganism, and of promoting the neo-Darwinian theory of evolution by natural selection, at a time when Trofim Lysenko and his followers were emphasising a process of heredity that focused on interaction with the environment and the inheritance of acquired characteristics along Lamarckian lines.

During these events in 1948 Ivan Ivanovich was removed from the heading positions in Moscow institutions, Institute of Evolutionary Morphology and Department of Darwinism of Moscow University, and to the end of his life was working in Zoological Institute in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) as a common senior researcher.

Ivan Ivanovich died on October 7, 1963 in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg).

Achievements

Ivan Ivanovich Schmalhausen is remembered, among other things, for Schmalhausen's law, which states that a population at its limit of tolerance in one aspect is vulnerable to small differences in any other aspect.

Works

Factors of Evolution The Theory of Stabilizing Selection Factors of Evolution The Theory of Stabilizing Selection

Kiberneticheskie voprosy biologii Kiberneticheskie voprosy biologii

Sturgeon Fishes: Developmental Biology and Aquaculture Sturgeon Fishes: Developmental Biology and Aquaculture

The Origin of Terrestrial Vertebrates The Origin of Terrestrial Vertebrates

book
- Kiberneticheskie voprosy biologii
  (Russian edition)
  1968
- Factors of Evolution The Theory of Stabilizing Selection 1949
- Sturgeon Fishes: Developmental Biology and Aquaculture 1993
- The Origin of Terrestrial Vertebrates

Connections

In 1910 Ivan Ivanovich married Lydia Kozlova, a teacher of French from a small provincial Russian town.

Spouse:: Lydia Kozlova

References

Ivan I. Schmalhausen. Die Evolutionsfaktoren: Eine Theorie der stabilisierenden Auslese (Wissenschaftskultur Um 1900) by Lennart Olsson German edition
2009

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