Motoo Kimura | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | November 13, 1924 Okazaki, Japan |
| Died | 13 November 1994 (aged 70) |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Alma mater | University of Wisconsin |
| Known for | Neutral theory of molecular evolution |
| Spouse | Hiroko Kimura |
| Children | 1 |
| Awards |
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| Scientific career | |
| Fields | |
| Institutions | National Institute of Genetics |
| Thesis | Stochastic Processes in Population Genetics (1956) |
| Doctoral advisor | James F. Crow |
| Other academic advisors | |
Motoo Kimura (木村 資生, Kimura Motō) (November 13, 1924 – November 13, 1994) was a Japanese biologist best known for introducing the neutral theory of molecular evolution in 1968.[1][2] He became one of the most influential theoretical population geneticists. He is remembered in genetics for his innovative use of diffusion equations to calculate the probability of fixation of beneficial, deleterious, or neutral alleles.[3] Combining theoretical population genetics with molecular evolution data, he also developed the neutral theory of molecular evolution in which genetic drift is the main force changing allele frequencies.[4] James F. Crow, himself a renowned population geneticist, considered Kimura to be one of the two greatest evolutionary geneticists, along with Gustave Malécot, after the great trio of the modern synthesis, Ronald Fisher, J. B. S. Haldane, and Sewall Wright.[5]
- ^ Kimura, Motoo (1968). "Evolutionary rate at the molecular level" (PDF). Nature. 217 (5129): 624–626. Bibcode:1968Natur.217..624K. doi:10.1038/217624a0. PMID 5637732. S2CID 4161261.
- ^ Nei, M. (1995). "Motoo Kimura (1924–1994)". Molecular Biology and Evolution. 12 (5): 719–722. Bibcode:1995JMolE..40..709J. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.molbev.a040250. PMID 7476119.
- ^ Watterson, G. (1996). "Motoo Kimura's Use of Diffusion Theory in Population Genetics". Theoretical Population Biology. 49 (2): 154–188. doi:10.1006/tpbi.1996.0010. PMID 8813021.
- ^ Ohta T. and Gillespie J.H. (1996). "Development of neutral and nearly neutral theories". Theoretical Population Biology. 49 (2): 128–142. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.332.2080. doi:10.1006/tpbi.1996.0007. PMID 8813019.
- ^ Crow, James F. (1995). "Motoo Kimura (1924–1994)". Genetics. 140 (1): 1–5. Bibcode:1995JMolE..40..709J. doi:10.1007/BF00160522. PMC 1206539. PMID 7635277.